Furrey's Big Ride: AFL Vet Coasts Into Detroit

by Warren McCarty
Published on February 27, 2007 under Arena Football League (1987-2008) (AFL I)
New York Dragons


Roller Coasters frighten me. Nausea is not a feeling that I cherish. The best part about a roller coaster, in my mind, is stepping off the ride and stepping out into the open. In case you missed it, Mike Furrey of the Detroit Lions spent the 2006 NFL season doing just that.

His story is not the typical pro-athlete tale of a guy who rose up out of the ghetto, played big time college football, and is now a bazillionaire with his face all over Nike commercials and video game covers. It's different, and it's deep.

"I grew up in Hilliard, Ohio, and played receiver and defensive back in high school but nobody recruited me coming out," said Furrey. "I walked-on at Ohio State, and played as a freshman, and then transferred to Northern Iowa so that I could have a shot at real playing time. Now...here I am in the NFL."

His true time-line from high school to finishing 2nd in the NFL in receptions in 2006 isn't exactly that simple.

Furrey enrolled at Northern Iowa in 1996 looking for playing time. 3,544 yards and 27 touchdowns later, he left the Panthers holding numerous school and conference records. But, at 5'11 and 190 lbs, the NFL scouts gave him the typical responses... "not big enough, not playing against top-notch competition, not this, not that". He signed as an un-drafted free agent and went to camp with the Indianapolis Colts in 2000, but was released in the final cut.

His next shot came with the now-infamous XFL in 2001. He was a Las Vegas Outlaw in Vince McMahon's short-lived spring league. After the XFL season concluded, Coach Jon Gregory of the Arena Football League's New York Dragons called and invited Furrey to finish out the final four weeks of the AFL season to learn the game. Gregory has roots in Iowa, and had coached the AFL's Iowa Barnstormers before the franchise was relocated to Long Island, NY. Gregory is also the man most responsible for putting Kurt Warner on the map.

Furrey enjoyed his time in New York and returned the following spring in 2002 to the Dragons. There, he played the "two-way" position, which is what arenaballers affectionately refer to as the Wide Receiver/Defensive Back spot. He excelled, hauling in 74 balls (27 of them for touchdowns) and grabbing 5 interceptions defensively.

"I had decided at the conclusion of that season that I was going to make a career out of arenaball," said Furrey. "It was the most fun I had since high school ball. The energy and intensity of the game, the high-scoring, and the action on every play were unreal. It's a blast. I really enjoyed getting to play db also."

The day after he returned home that summer, the New York Jets called. They knew of his exploits on Long Island, and wanted to give him a shot. The shot was short-lived, amounting to seven days in camp.

"I had been through the camp fodder stuff with Indianapolis as a rookie free agent, and I wasn't going to waste my time with it. I was the low-man on the depth chart and had no shot. I walked into coach Herman Edwards' office and told him that I was at peace with my decision. I was going to go home and prepare myself for playing in the AFL for the rest of my career and having fun. It was the right decision, because I ran into Koren and got engaged three months later."

Fate has no rules. Koren and Mike had known each other since the 2nd grade, but had never dated or been romantic.

Furrey returned to the AFL's Dragons in 2003 with a fury (pardon the play on words). In 10 games, Furrey set league records with 108 catches for 46 touchdowns. Kurt Warner happened to be doing the color commentary for that tenth game of the season for NBC. Warner, who also played at Northern Iowa and in the AFL prior to his NFL fame, talked with Furrey immediately after the game.

"He said he could get me into St. Louis if I would be willing to leave the next day. He said that if I went through the mini-camps and OTA's (NFL lingo for ‘On the Field Activities'), I'd have a much better chance of making the team. He said he knew I could play at that level. As I was pulling into the parking lot of the Rams headquarters, I got a call on my cell phone from the owner of the Dragons saying that he wanted his bonus money back from my contract. I decided that it would be the right thing to do, so I sent him all the money I had...literally."

It is not the norm for NFL players to spend off-season workouts at the team facilities, and be homeless...unless they are on the same ride as Mike Furrey.

"I was completely broke. I was supposed to get married on July 5th. No more game checks from the Dragons, it was a complete leap of faith. There were several nights that I slept in the parking lot of the practice facility in the back of my Expedition, so I wouldn't have to pay for a hotel room. I think God was really testing my faith, to see if I was ready to accomplish what I was capable of."

Many NFL veterans loathe the monotony of OTA's and off-season conditioning programs that teams put their players through. Furrey, on the other hand, cherishes them.

"My performance during that time is what started my NFL career. I suffered a high ankle sprain on the 2nd day of training camp in the summer. I just prayed to God to give me strength. I was heart broken, because I felt like I had blown my shot, and this was my last chance at the NFL. On cut day, I walked into the locker room, and I saw that my locker was empty. My heart jumped up in my throat. Then, the equipment manager said, ‘Hey, we moved your locker down next to Isaac Bruce and changed your number to 82.' It was one of the happiest moments of my athletic career. I knew what that meant. If you can wear a number in the 80's, then you've made it! I learned that my performance in the mini-camps and OTA's is what convinced the coaching staff that I was worthy."

Furrey was active, but saw limited action during the first four weeks of the 2003 season as a receiver. He was playing almost all of the special teams as a gunner though, and most importantly, he was in the NFL. He was in the same huddle made famous by Kurt Warner, Marc Bulger, Marshall Faulk, Isaac Bruce, and Tory Holt. In today's NFL, Sunday's Warriors are guilty of being quick to presume their own invincibility. Feeling confident and fully strapped in, Furrey's ride took him for another stomach-churning loop: Appendicitis.

"Again, I think God was testing me, to see if I was man enough to accept the path that he was leading me on. During the time that I was out, I knew that Shaun McDonald and Kevin Curtis would get healthy from their injuries, and my time would be back on the bench or inactive completely."

Furrey lingered in the training room and film room for several weeks, desperately seeking to regain his strength and a return to action, while worrying about his future with the Rams. Martz re-activated him prior to the game against the Bears in Chicago, and gave him an opportunity to sink or swim.

"I was so excited; I couldn't think straight. It's 4th and 1 and we're trailing in the 3rd quarter, and we decide to go for it. I'm standing in the huddle, and Marc Bulger calls a play that is basically where I get the ball on a reverse sweep and follow Marshall Faulk. Everything was happening so fast...and I remember thinking to myself, ‘Did I hear the right play?' We snapped the ball, I took it and followed Marshall and got the first down, barely. But it was right then that I knew that I had the confidence of our coaches and my teammates. I belonged. We ended up winning that game."

For many NFL players, just being one of the guys and "belonging" are the pinnacle of their careers. After being on the journey that Mike Furrey had been on, belonging just wasn't going to be enough for the 2004 NFL season.

"I have so much respect for Shaun McDonald and Kevin Curtis. They are great guys and great teammates. But, they were both healthy and ready to roll in ‘04, so I knew I was back to #5 on the depth chart, and Dane Looker was also the holder. That left me kind of outside looking in. I only dressed for eight games. Again, I believe that God was preparing me. He was telling me that I had to get my priorities in line. It's God, My Wife, and My Family. I had to be reminded what it was like to sacrifice in order to achieve. We made the playoffs with an 8-8 record. We were in meetings preparing for Seattle for the Wild Card game, and Coach Martz stood up and said, ‘Oh yeah, Mike Furrey you are suiting up this week.' I was so fired up to get in the action. I had a great game as the gunner on special teams and I was named Special Teams Player of the Week, and we upset the Seahawks."

During the off-season prior to the 2005 NFL campaign, Coach Mike Martz summoned Furrey to his office for a discussion about playing time and his future with the team. Martz figured that if Furrey could learn to play safety, he would be a lock to suit up each week as back-up defensive back and as a receiver. Furrey knew all four receiver positions in the Rams offense, and had proven himself as a defensive back in the AFL.

"I had so much fun playing defensive back in arenaball; I told him I'd love to do it. As it turns out, I spent all of training camp in ‘05 on defense. Coach Gregory and those guys in New York really got me experience covering guys...I didn't just stay on the back side covering short stuff. I got to face high-motion receivers, and I assure you that covering high motion in the AFL is a nightmare. If you can get the hang of it, it prepares you for anything you'd face in the outdoor game. I did really well during camp defensively, and it helped that I was thinking about things from a receiver's perspective. I got my first start in week five on Monday Night Football against the Indianapolis Colts. Those guys are prolific, but I was really calm and confident when I stepped on the field. I made a big play early and forced a fumble on Dominic Rhodes, and we jumped out on them 17-0. They woke up after that, and ended up beating us 45-28. But, it felt great to establish myself as a starter."

Furrey started the remainder of the season at Free Safety for the Rams, and led them with 4 interceptions (one returned for a 67-yard touchdown) and added 3 fumble recoveries to go along with 48 tackles.

As the AFL enters its 21st season in March, the debate continues about how many AFL guys could truly contribute to an NFL roster. Furrey estimates that at least two players on every AFL team could be a starter or solid contributor on any 53-man roster in the NFL. Many AFL players are like Mike Furrey in training camp with the New York Jets in 2003... they simply don't want to deal with the politics and numbers games in the NFL; they just want to play football. A February morning in 2006 brought Furrey crashing back down, and reminded him of the often-political side of the NFL.

"My wife woke me up one morning and said, ‘Hey...it says in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch that the Rams aren't going to re-sign you.' This was a kick in the stomach, because nobody from the organization had the courtesy to call me. I had already been there to visit with the new coaching staff and the defensive coordinator in particular."

Not long thereafter, the Buffalo Bills called wanting to Furrey to fly into Buffalo for a workout. Furrey declined, and chose a different path.

"I put it in God's hands. I told my agent (Kyle Rote) that I wanted to be patient. That's what God wanted for our family. After Coach Martz decided to accept the job in Detroit, he called and said he wanted me to come in and play receiver. Of course, I jumped on that opportunity. It was a fresh start, and I knew the system."

That decision paid off for Furrey and for Mike Martz. After his controversial and much-publicized departure as Head Coach of the Rams, Martz accepted the Offensive Coordinator position with the Lions and knew coming in that the team had lots of holes to fill. Furrey seemed to be a quick fix: He's a sure-handed scrapper at receiver that Lions fans might click with.

"When my wife and I sat down and put together our goals for the season, we knew that the #3 receiver in this offense would catch 50 balls. So the goal was all 5's... 50 catches, 500 yards, and 5 TD's. I just kept fighting all year and things really started to click with Jon Kitna. I really finished strong."

Furrey did more than just finish strong. He inserted himself out of nowhere into the upper echelon of NFL wideouts. Only Houston's Andre Johnson had more than Furrey's 98 receptions this past season. He finished the season with 98 catches for 1,086 yards and 6 touchdown receptions. His most notable performance came against the Dallas Cowboys in the regular season finale at Texas Stadium, in front of a national-tv audience. He caught 11 passes for 102 yards and 1 touchdown in an upset-victory over America's Team. The post-touchdown celebration caught the attention of every Cowboys fanatic in Texas Stadium, and viewers across the country. In the eyes of the Cowboys' faithful, the crack in the Liberty Bell in Philadelphia is minute in comparison to the one that Furrey inflicted on the Cowboys star that afternoon. It was symbolic of things to come.

"I scored my first receiving touchdown this season against the Rams in St. Louis. I scored, and saw that Ram logo on the wall and just fired the ball at it. I didn't care if I was going to tear my shoulder up; I just had to let the ball go with everything I had. That just kind of became my thing when I scored on the road. When I caught my touchdown in Dallas, I wanted to fire the ball...but they had all of the media lined up in front of me. So I took off on a sprint, and found an opening. I didn't really mean for it to damage the star, but Jon Kitna and the rest of my teammates absolutely loved it. It got us all fired up."

Some say that the past can help us predict the future. If so, one could assume that Furrey is past due for another south-bound plunge on the ride. Apparently, that's not the case. He's got a beautiful two-year old daughter named Makayla, and a baby boy on the way sometime in March, who is to be named Stone. He and his wife have started the Mike Furrey foundation (www.mikefurrey.net) to facilitate their various charitable activities in Michigan and Ohio. He's armed with a family, coaching staff, and teammates that all admire and respect him. And for the first time ever, he's under a healthy, lucrative three-year contract that pays him handsomely.

"We are so excited about what is going on in Detroit. We are going to be doing great things in the community, and the facilities are unreal. Canton, Michigan is our home now. As a team, we've proven that we can light it up on offense. I know that coach (Rod) Marinelli will continue making moves that will make us better. We just have to keep working harder than everybody else, and continue to unite as a team. I think we've got a great future ahead of us, and I can't wait to get rolling again."

Mike Furrey decided to step off the Roller Coaster that had been his career and stepped out in a Detroit Lions uniform in 2006. Like I said, the best part about a roller coaster is stepping off the ride and stepping out into the open. As it turns out, Mike Furrey doesn't like Roller Coasters either.

by Warren McCarty, mypassionisfootball.com

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Arena Football League (1987-2008) Stories from February 27, 2007


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