Quick Facts
Biography
Manasseh Sylvester Garner (born March 11, 1992) is an American football tight end who is currently a free agent. He played college football at Wisconsin before transferring to Pitt. He was originally signed as an undrafted free agent by the Kansas City Chiefs.
High school career
Garner attended Brashear High School in the Beechview neighborhood of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. As a senior, he recorded 27 receptions for 540 yards and 10 touchdowns. He also recorded 60 tackles, six sacks, two blocked punts and two interceptions on defense. For the season he was an All-State Class AA selection by the Pennsylvania Sports Writers as an all-purpose player. He was also named Pennsylvania Football News All-Class AAA and Pittsburgh Post-Gazette City League Player of the Year.
While at Brashear he recorded 83 receptions for 1,267 yards and 21 touchdowns on offense and 149 tackles, 10 sacks and four interceptions on defense, for his career. He was also a two-time team captain and team Most Valuable Player (MVP). He was ranked Pennsylvania's 18th overall prospect by Scout.com, 24th by SuperPrep and 35th by Rivals.com. He was also selected to play in the Big 33 Football Classic. He was also an Honor roll student.
College career
Wisconsin
Garner then attended the University of Wisconsin–Madison where he was a wide receiver for the Badgers. As a true freshman in 2010, he appeared in 10 games. He played at defensive end, wide receiver and on kick coverage. He recorded 10 tackles for the season. As a sophomore in 2011, he appeared in 10 games. He recorded two receptions for 45 yards.
Pittsburgh
In 2012, Garner transferred to Pitt, where he had to sit out the season due to NCAA rules. In 2013, as a redshirt junior, Garner appeared in all 13 games, with five starts. He played at tight end and H-back but also at wide receiver, after starter Devin Street was injured. For the season, he recorded 33 receptions for 391 yards and three touchdowns. As a redshirt senior in 2014, he appeared in eight games, with nine starts at wide receiver opposite Tyler Boyd. For the season, he recorded 17 receptions for 201 yards and two touchdowns. While at Pitt, he majored in social sciences.
Career statistics
| Season | Receiving | Fumbles | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Team | GP | GS | Rec | Yds | Avg | TD | Lng | Fum | Lost | ||
| 2010 | WIS | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 2011 | WIS | 10 | 0 | 2 | 45 | 22.5 | 0 | 27 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 2012 | PITT | Not eligible due to NCAA transfer rules | ||||||||||
| 2013 | PITT | 13 | 5 | 33 | 391 | 11.8 | 3 | 28 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 2014 | PITT | 8 | 8 | 17 | 201 | 11.8 | 2 | 22 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Career | 40 | 13 | 52 | 637 | 12.3 | 5 | 28 | 0 | 0 | |||
Professional career
Prior to the NFL draft, Garner was projected to play as a fullback.
| Ht | Wt | 40-yd dash | 10-yd split | 20-yd split | 20-ss | 3-cone | Vert | Broad | BP | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 ft 2 in | 234 lb | 4.76 s | 1.63 s | 2.72 s | 4.47 s | 7.12 s | 30½ in | 9 ft 10 in | 25 reps | ||||||||||
| All values from Pitt Pro day. | |||||||||||||||||||
Kansas City Chiefs
After going undrafted in the 2015 NFL Draft Garner signed with the Kansas City Chiefs as a fullback. He was then released on May, 19.
Cleveland Browns
On August 9, he was signed by the Cleveland Browns as a tight end. He was released by the Browns on August 22.
Buffalo Bills
Garner was signed to the Buffalo Bills' practice squad on December 30, 2015.
Denver Broncos
Garner was signed to a futures contract by the Denver Broncos on January 13, 2016. He was released on August 29, 2016.
Buffalo Bills (second stint)
On October 5, 2016 Garner was signed to the Bills practice squad. On October 21, he was promoted to the Bills active roster. He was released on October 28 and was re-signed to the practice squad on October 31, 2016.
Personal life
Garner is the son of Marcellus and Mechella Garner and has two sisters and one brother. His cousin Justin King was a fourth round selection in the 2008 NFL Draft by the St. Louis Rams.