Football: Former OCC two-sport star signs with Redskins

Former Orange Coast College football and volleyball standout Ivan

Mercer signed with the NFL’s Washington Redskins as a rookie free agent

earlier this week.

Mercer, a 6-foot-7, 260-pound tight end, played for Coast in 1997 and

1998, finishing as the No. 3 receiver in school history with 87

receptions for 1,148 yards and nine touchdowns. “It’s great to see

somebody who went through our program sign with an NFL team,” OCC

football coach Mike Taylor said.

Mercer finished his career at the University of Miami (Florida) where

he earned the team’s Jessie Armstead Comeback Player of the Year award.

Mercer was also a middle blocer for OCC’s 1998 men’s volleyball team,

which finished third in the state championships. He finished with 54 solo

blocks, the eighth-best single season total in school history, and 142

overall.

“I’m very happy for him,” Coast volleyball coach Chuck Cutenese said.

“I know it’s always been a dream of his to play in professional

football.”