| Position: | Quarterback |
| Number: | 19 |
| Birth Date: | 14 April 1977 |
| Birth Place: | Sacramento, California, U.S. |
| Height Ft: | 6 |
| Height In: | 3 |
| Weight Lbs: | 224 |
| Draftyear: | 2000 |
| Draftround: | 3 |
| Draftpick: | 65 |
| College: | Hofstra (1995–1999) |
| Teams: |
Giovanni Carmazzi (born April 14, 1977) is an American former professional football player who was a quarterback for two seasons with the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Hofstra Pride, throwing for over 9,000 yards. He was selected by the 49ers in the third round of the 2000 NFL draft. Carmazzi spent the entirety of his NFL career as a backup, never appearing in a regular season game. After being released by the 49ers, he spent one season in NFL Europe and two seasons in the Canadian Football League (CFL).
Carmazzi was selected by the San Francisco 49ers 65th overall in the third round of the 2000 NFL draft and was the second quarterback taken.[1] He was also one of six drafted before Michigan quarterback Tom Brady, who would become one of the league's most decorated players. Against the Brady-led New England Patriots in the 2000 Pro Football Hall of Fame Game, Carmazzi struggled, completing only 3 of 7 passes for 19 yards in a 20–0 loss.[2] Carmazzi also spent time with the Rhein Fire of NFL Europe in 2001 and appeared briefly on the Canadian Football League (CFL) rosters of the BC Lions (2004) and Calgary Stampeders (2005).
In “The Brady Six,” a 2011 ESPN documentary about the six quarterbacks taken before Brady, it was revealed that Carmazzi was then living in northern California as a farmer, yoga practitioner, and an owner of five goats. It was also reported that he did not own a television.[3] His coach with the 49ers Steve Mariucci stated the belief that Carmazzi lost confidence in himself because of his poor performance against the Patriots.
Carmazzi was a 1999 National Football Foundation National Scholar-Athlete while playing at Hofstra University, a 1996 high school scholar-athlete honoree awarded by the Sacramento Chapter and a 1996 West Region High School Scholar-Athlete of the Year. He is one of only four all-time NFF awardees in all three of these categories.[4]