Mike Bercovici Explained

Mike Bercovici
Current Team:Carolina Panthers
Position:Offensive assistant
Birth Date:9 February 1993
Birth Place:Northridge, California, U.S.
Height Ft:6
Height In:0
Weight Lbs:209
High School:William Howard Taft
(Woodland Hills, California)
College:Arizona State (2011–2015)
Undraftedyear:2016
Pastteams:
Pastcoaching:
Pfr:BercMi01

Michael Bercovici (born February 9, 1993) is an American football coach and former quarterback who currently serves as an offensive assistant for the Carolina Panthers. He played college football at Arizona State. He signed with the San Diego Chargers as an undrafted free agent after the 2016 NFL draft and has also spent time with the Arizona Cardinals and San Diego Fleet.

High school career

Bercovici was born in Northridge, California. He attended Taft High School in Los Angeles. As a senior, he was 240-of-399 passes (60.2%) for 3,755 yards with 37 touchdowns and only nine interceptions in 2010, he also recorded 103 rushing yards with three touchdowns.

He was rated by PrepStar as the 91st overall prospect in the nation, and the seventh overall quarterback in the nation. He was also ranked the 14th overall pro-style quarterback in the nation by Rivals.com. He was offered an athletic scholarship to Arizona State University in June 2010, he accepted the scholarship a week later.[1]

College career

As a true freshman in 2011, Bercovici appeared in three games. He completed 2-of-3 passes for 15 yards. In 2012, he redshirted the season. As a redshirt sophomore in 2013, he appeared in four games as holder on special teams. He completed 3-of-4 (75%) for 18 yards and a quarterback rating of 112.8. He also rushed the ball 10 times for 46 yards. As a redshirt junior in 2014, he appeared in eight games (three starts). He replaced starter Taylor Kelly after Kelly was injured. Becovici complete 115-of-186 (61.8%) for 1,445 yards and 12 touchdowns and four interceptions. He also rushed the ball 26 times for 16 yards. As a redshirt senior in 2015, he was named the starting quarterback. He was a unanimous team captain and member of the team's leadership council. He started all 13 games. He completed 318-of-531 (59-.9%) for 3,854 yards, 30 touchdowns and nine interceptions. He also rushed the ball 109 times for 84 yards. His 30 touchdowns tied the Arizona State school record for most touchdown passes in a single season. His 531 passing attempts set the record for most passing attempts in a single season in school history.[2]

On October 4, 2014 Bercovici threw a 46-yard Hail Mary with time expiring to beat USC in the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum 38–34. Bercovici ended the game with a record-setting performance, throwing for 510 yards and 5 touchdowns – the most ever thrown by a USC opponent.[3]

Bercovici graduated from Arizona State with a Bachelor of Science degree in Business management in 2014 and a Master's Degree in Sports law and Business in 2015.

College statistics

SeasonTeamGamesPassingRushing
ASU3 0 2 3 15 66.6 0 0 108.7 0 0 0.0 0
ASU4 0 3 4 18 75.0 0 0 112.8 10 46 4.6 0
ASU8 3 115 186 1,445 61.8 12 4 144.1 26 16 0.6 0
ASU13 13 318 531 3,854 59.9 30 9 136.1 109 84 0.8 6
Career 28 16 438 724 5,332 60.5 42 13 137.9 145 146 1.0 6

Professional career

San Diego / Los Angeles Chargers

After going undrafted in the 2016 NFL draft, Bercovici was signed by the San Diego Chargers.[4] He was eventually featured on the NFL Network show Undrafted.[5] On September 3, 2016, he was released by the Chargers during the final roster cuts.[6] He signed a reserve/future contract with the Chargers on January 10, 2017.[7] He was waived on September 2, 2017.[8]

Arizona Cardinals

On October 24, 2017, Bercovici was signed to the Arizona Cardinals' practice squad.[9] On November 30, 2017, he was released by the Cardinals.[10]

San Diego Fleet

In 2018, Bercovici signed with the Arizona Hotshots of the newly-formed Alliance of American Football,[11] but was later drafted by the San Diego Fleet with their second-round pick in the league's quarterback draft in November.[12]

Bercovici began the 2019 AAF season as the Fleet's starting quarterback.[13] In the opener against the San Antonio Commanders, he was hit by Shaan Washington in an impact that knocked his helmet off, but continued to play. Bercovici struggled in the 15–6 loss as he was sacked six times and threw two interceptions before being replaced by Philip Nelson.[14] League offices credited Bercovici for being a sacrificial lamb for the league, as the hit provided viral buzz for the league on social media despite an otherwise mediocre on-field product.[15]

Nelson was eventually announced as the starter for the following week's game against the Atlanta Legends.[16] In early March, Bercovici returned to the starting role against the Salt Lake Stallions after Nelson suffered a clavicle fracture in the previous game and was placed on injured reserve;[17] [18] Bercovici completed 22 of 43 passes for 304 yards with a touchdown and interception, including a 45-yard throw to Dontez Ford on the final drive that set up Donny Hageman's game-winning field goal to clinch a 27–25 San Diego victory.[19] The league ceased operations in April 2019.[20]

Career statistics

Coaching career

In May 2019, Bercovici returned to Arizona State as a graduate assistant. ASU head coach Herm Edwards had approached Bercovici about the position in January, but he declined in order to play in the AAF.[22]

Arizona Cardinals

In 2020, Bercovici joined the Arizona Cardinals' coaching staff as an entry-level assistant to head coach Kliff Kingsbury.[23] On May 10, 2022, Bercovici was promoted to offensive assistant.[24]

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Mike Bercovici 2011 Football Roster . December 9, 2016 . TheSunDevil.com.
  2. Web site: Mike Bercovici College Stats, School, Draft, Gamelog, Splits . 2024-07-11 . College Football at Sports-Reference.com . en.
  3. Web site: Katz . Greg . September 25, 2015 . USC knows Arizona State's Bercovici all too well . February 4, 2019 . ESPN.
  4. News: Gehlken . Michael . April 30, 2016 . Chargers add 20 rookies after draft . en-US . sandiegouniontribune.com . September 4, 2017.
  5. Web site: Emmy-Nominated NFL Network Series 'Undrafted' Returns September 13 . December 9, 2016 . NFLCommunications.com.
  6. Web site: Henne . Ricky . September 3, 2016 . Chargers Cut Down Roster to 53 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20170903074259/http://www.chargers.com/news/2016/09/03/chargers-cut-down-roster-53 . September 3, 2017 . Chargers.com.
  7. News: Williams . Eric . January 10, 2017 . Chargers sign QB Mike Bercovici to futures deal . ESPN.com . September 4, 2017.
  8. Web site: Henne . Ricky . September 2, 2017 . Los Angeles Chargers Cut Down Roster to 53 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20171228125650/http://www.chargers.com/news/2017/09/02/los-angeles-chargers-cut-down-roster-53 . December 28, 2017 . Chargers.com.
  9. Web site: Urban . Darren . October 24, 2017 . QB Mike Bercovici Added To Practice Squad . May 31, 2020 . AZCardinals.com.
  10. Web site: November 30, 2017 . Cardinals shuffle practice squad roster, release QB Mike Bercovici . May 31, 2020 . ArizonaSports.com.
  11. Web site: Miller . Doug . September 25, 2018 . High-hopes homecoming in Arizona for 'Berco' . September 26, 2018 . Alliance of American Football.
  12. Web site: Wilson . Ryan . November 27, 2018 . Alliance of American Football QB Draft: Aaron Murray, Christian Hackenberg highlight QBs taken . November 27, 2018 . CBSSports.com.
  13. Web site: Solares . Diego . February 6, 2019 . Despite Bercovici Being Named as Starter, QB Competition Continues for Fleet . February 8, 2019 . East Village Times.
  14. News: February 9, 2019 . Former ASU quarterback Mike Bercovici gets rocked by big hit in Alliance of American Football debut . . February 10, 2019.
  15. Web site: Orr . Conor . February 10, 2020 . XFL opening weekend showed promise . February 10, 2020 . SI.com.
  16. Web site: Kratch . James . February 10, 2019 . Ex-Rutgers QB named new Alliance of American Football starter after team's ugly 1st game . February 10, 2019 . NJ.com.
  17. Web site: Kercheval . Ben . March 4, 2019 . AAF 2019: San Diego Fleet quarterback Philip Nelson out at least a month with fractured clavicle . March 4, 2019 . CBSSports.com.
  18. Web site: Gartin . Zachary . March 4, 2019 . San Diego Fleet Make a Flurry of Roster Moves in Response to Injuries . March 4, 2019 . East Village Times . March 6, 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190306044734/https://eastvillagetimes.com/2019/03/san-diego-fleet-make-a-flurry-of-roster-moves-in-response-to-injuries/ . dead .
  19. Web site: Maya . Adam . March 10, 2019 . Hageman hits last-second FG as Fleet stun Stallions . https://web.archive.org/web/20190311192514/http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000001021715/article/hageman-hits-lastsecond-fg-as-fleet-stun-stallions . dead . March 11, 2019 . March 11, 2019 . National Football League.
  20. News: Rothstein . Michael . Wickersham . Seth . June 13, 2019 . Inside the short, unhappy life of the Alliance of American Football . . September 12, 2019.
  21. Web site: San Diego Fleet Player Stats . March 27, 2019 . aaf.com.
  22. News: Metcalfe . Jeff . May 9, 2019 . Mike Bercovici returns to ASU football as a graduate assistant . . June 5, 2019.
  23. News: McManaman . Bob . February 11, 2020 . Former Arizona State quarterback Mike Bercovici joining Arizona Cardinals' coaching staff . . February 27, 2020.
  24. Web site: Arizona Cardinals promote WRs coach Shawn Jefferson, 4 others. arizonasports.com. May 10, 2022 .

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