George Floyd

George Floyd Jr. (born December 21, 1960) is an American former professional football player who was a defensive back for two seasons with the New York Jets of the National Football League (NFL).

George Floyd Jr. was born on December 21, 1960, in Tampa, Florida, and grew up in Brooksville, Florida.

He attended Hernando High School, and played football and basketball for the Hernando Leopards.

As a sophomore, Floyd was named starting free safety before the 1975 football season.

He tied for the team lead with three interceptions and finished with eighty-four tackles, third-most on the Leopards, as Hernando finished as Gulf Coast (GC) Conference champions.

After the season, Floyd was named to the GC All-Star team, composed of the best football players in the conference, and made The Tampa Tribune (TTT) all-area football team, composed of the best high school football players in the area.

During his junior year, Floyd was named the Leopards' punt returner, and also played on offense as a halfback, where he was used primarily in blocking situations.

He had a two-interception game against Inverness Citrus in a 20–12 Leopards victory on September 17.

In a game against the Lake Weir High School Hurricanes, Floyd had a seventy-two yard punt return for a touchdown.

Hernando finished with a 5–5 win–loss record.

After the season, Floyd made the GC all-conference roster and TTT all-area team.

In basketball, the Leopards, for whom Floyd also played, finished with a 17–9 record.

As a senior in 1977, in a game against North Marion High School, he had an interception and twelve tackles; he earned TTT Hernando County Player of the Week for the performance on September 30.

Floyd had a four-interception game against Pasco High School during the season, and finished the year with nine total interceptions, the latter of which established a record which stood for four years.

The Leopards finished with a 7–3 record as Floyd was named to TTT all-area team: with the accomplishment, Floyd became the first player of any high school named to TTT team during all three varsity seasons.

The Florida Sports Writers Association named Floyd to their second-team Class 3A all-state squad in January 1978.

He wanted to play college football for the University of Georgia as a senior, but instead attended Eastern Kentucky University (EKU) of the Ohio Valley Conference (OVC).

He served as captain of the Leopards' defensive unit each year he played for Hernando.

He played college football at Eastern Kentucky University (EKU), where he won the 1979 NCAA Division I-AA football championship.

The Colonels finished with an 11–2 record and defeated the Lehigh Engineers 30–7 to win the 1979 NCAA Division I-AA football championship, the first in EKU's history.

He was named Second-team All-OVC, and led the conference with thirteen punt returns and seven interceptions.

He started every game, his sixty-eight tackles were fourth-most on the Colonels, and he led the team with four fumble recoveries.

An All-American in 1980 and 1981, Floyd is the holder or joint holder of five records at EKU.

Before the 1980 season, OVC football head coaches voted Floyd to the preseason All-OVC Team.

In a game against Youngstown State Floyd returned an interception one hundred yards, tying a conference record, and scored a touchdown.

Floyd shared OVC DPOW honors for a game against the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers in which he had thirteen tackles.

He won OVC Defensive Player of the Year, made the OVC All-Conference first-team, and was named a Kodak and an Associated Press All-American as the Colonels finished with a 10–3 record and lost to the Boise State Broncos in the championship game 31–29.

He finished the regular season tied for most interceptions in the OVC, with five, and finished with sixty-three tackles, seven TFLs and one fumble recovery.

On special teams, Floyd returned 17 punts for 142 yards.

Over his NFL career, Floyd appeared in ten games during the Jets' 1982 season, including three playoff games, and eight in their 1984 season, with two games started.

Floyd retired after sustaining a knee injury in the 1985 NFL preseason.

Born in Tampa, Florida, he grew up in Brooksville, Florida, where he attended Hernando High School.

While there, Floyd was selected for The Tampa Tribune all-area football team in all three of his varsity years, the first player to be so named.

Floyd has been inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame, and the hall of fame classes of EKU and Hernando High School; in 2009, EKU named Floyd to their All-Century team.

, he works as a vice principal at Boone County High School in Kentucky.

In 2011, Floyd was inducted into Hernando High School's Hall of Fame.

Floyd's first start with the EKU Colonels came as a freshman against the Murray State Racers at roverback, where he led the defense with twelve tackles and was named an honorable mention for OVC Defensive Player of the Week (DPOW).

He finished the season with twenty-six tackles, eighth most on the team, with four tackles for loss (TFLs) and one fumble recovery as the Colonels finished with an 8–2 record.

The team's eight wins tied a school record for most wins in a season.

In Floyd's sophomore year, he had a three-interception game against Austin Peay in a 35–10 EKU victory in September, and, against Jackson State in November, had sixteen tackles, one interception and one fumble recovery.