American football player (born 2000)
American football player
Mekhi Garner (born January 11, 2000) is an American football cornerback for the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Navarro, Louisiana and LSU.
Early life
Garner was born on January 11, 2000, in Dallas, Texas.[1] He attended Poteet High School in Mesquite and played defensive back, recording as a junior 39 tackles, six pass breakups, two interceptions and a forced fumble.[2] He initially committed to play college football at Texas Tech, but eventually decided to begin his college career at Navarro.[3]
College career
Garner spent his freshman year, 2018, at Navarro College.[4] He appeared in 10 games, posting 48 tackles, five pass breakups, two interceptions and 0.5 tackles-for-loss.[5] He joined the Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns after one season at Navarro.[6] In his first season there, Garner played two games and totaled four tackles.[3] Originally a backup to begin the 2020 season, he was thrust into a starting role due to several players contracting COVID-19 and his performance there led to him remaining a starter.[3][7][8] He finished the season with 11 games played, eight as a starter, with 27 tackles, three interceptions (second on the team), seven pass breakups (second on the team), one sack and one tackle-for-loss, being named honorable mention all-conference.[3]
In 2021, Garner played in 13 games, starting 11, and earned third-team All-Sun Belt Conference honors as he compiled 31 tackles, 2.5 tackles-for-loss, eight pass breakups, a forced fumble and a sack.[3][9] He transferred to LSU in 2022.[10][11] In his only season with the team, he posted 43 tackles, 1.5 tackles-for-loss and eight pass breakups while starting all 13 games.[12] His eight pass breakups lead the team.[3] Although Garner had a remaining year of eligibility, he opted to declare for the NFL Draft while accepting an invitation to the East–West Shrine Bowl.[6]
Professional career
After going unselected in the 2023 NFL Draft, Garner signed with the Philadelphia Eagles as an undrafted free agent.[15] He was waived on August 29, 2023 and re-signed to the practice squad.[16][17] He signed a reserve/future contract on January 18, 2024.[18]
