Aaron Merz
American football player (born 1983)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Aaron Andrew Merz (born August 27, 1983) is an American former professional football player who was an offensive lineman in the National Football League (NFL). He was selected by the Buffalo Bills in the seventh round of the 2006 NFL draft.[1] He played college football for the California Golden Bears.
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Bakersfield, California, U.S.
Merz at Camp As Sayliyah in 2009 | |||||||
| No. 62 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Position | Guard / Center | ||||||
| Personal information | |||||||
| Born | August 27, 1983 Bakersfield, California, U.S. | ||||||
| Listed height | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) | ||||||
| Listed weight | 325 lb (147 kg) | ||||||
| Career information | |||||||
| High school | Wasco (Wasco, California) | ||||||
| College | California | ||||||
| NFL draft | 2006: 7th round, 248th overall pick | ||||||
| Career history | |||||||
| Awards and highlights | |||||||
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| Career NFL statistics | |||||||
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Early life
Merz attended Wasco High School in Wasco, California and was a letterman in football, basketball, and golf. In football, he won All-League honors as both an offensive lineman and as a defensive lineman.
College career
He played college football at the University of California, Berkeley, where he earned a B.A. in sociology in 2005. Merz joined the Golden Bears as a walk-on in 2001 and was given a scholarship as reward for his elevated role with the team following the 2003 season.
Professional career
| Height | Weight | 40-yard dash | 20-yard shuttle | Three-cone drill | Vertical jump | Broad jump | Bench press | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 ft 3+1⁄2 in (1.92 m) | 326 lb (148 kg) | 5.60 s | 4.96 s | 7.65 s | 26.5 in (0.67 m) | 7 ft 7 in (2.31 m) | 16 reps | |||||
| All values from Pro Day[2] | ||||||||||||
Prior to the 2006 NFL draft, Merz scored 39/50 on the NFL Scouting Combine's standard Wonderlic Test. After being released by Buffalo in 2008, Merz enlisted with the U.S. Peace Corps. He served as a volunteer in Zambia from February 2009 to February 2010 before being forced to return to America for medical purposes. Aaron has since returned to Zambia with his wife to operate the NGO she founded, IIM International which is dedicated to providing improved educational access to orphans and vulnerable children.[3][4]