Chris Doering

{{Short description|American football player (born 1973)}} {{Use mdy dates|date=January 2019}} {{Infobox NFL biography | name = Chris Doering | number = 15, 85, 84, 83 | position = Wide receiver | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1973|5|19|mf=y}} | birth_place = Gainesville, Florida, U.S. | height_ft = 6 | height_in = 4 | weight_lb = 202 | high_school = P.K. Yonge (Gainesville) | college = Florida | draftyear = 1996 | draftround = 6 | draftpick = 185 | pastteams = * Jacksonville Jaguars (1996)* * New York Jets (1996)*<ref>{{cite web |title=Transactions |url=https://www.nfl.com/transactions/league/waivers/1996/8?after=AAAHzAAAAAgAAAAZAAAAAAADW14= |website=NFL.com |access-date=3 January 2025}}</ref> * Indianapolis Colts ({{NFL Year|1996|1997}}) * Cincinnati Bengals ({{NFL Year|1998}})* * Denver Broncos ({{NFL Year|1999|2000}}) * Carolina Cobras ({{AFL Year|2001}})* * Washington Redskins ({{NFL Year|2002}}) * Pittsburgh Steelers ({{NFL Year|2003|2004}}) * Houston Texans ({{NFL Year|2006}})* * Los Angeles Avengers ({{AFL Year|2004|2008}})* | highlights = * Second-team All-American (1995) * First-team All-SEC (1995) * Florida–Georgia Hall of Fame * University of Florida Athletic Hall of Fame | statlabel1 = Receptions | statvalue1 = 42 | statlabel2 = Receiving yards | statvalue2 = 476 | statlabel3 = Receiving touchdowns | statvalue3 = 3 | pfr = DoerCh00 }}

'''Christopher Paul Doering''' (born May 19, 1973) is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver for seven seasons in the National Football League (NFL) during the 1990s and 2000s. Doering played college football for the Florida Gators, earning second-team All-American honors in 1995. He played professionally for the Indianapolis Colts, the Denver Broncos, the Washington Redskins, and the Pittsburgh Steelers of the NFL.

== Early life ==

Doering was born in Gainesville, Florida in 1973.<ref name="pfrprofile">{{Cite web |title=Chris Doering Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Draft, College |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/D/DoerCh00.htm |access-date=2025-03-02 |website=Pro Football Reference |language=en}}</ref> He attended P.K. Yonge High School in Gainesville,<ref name=dbfprofile>databaseFootball.com, Players, {{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20110610084922/http://www.databasefootball.com/players/playerpage.htm?ilkid=DOERICHR01 Chris Doering]}}. Retrieved June 2, 2010.</ref> where he was a standout prep athlete for the P.K. Yonge Blue Wave in three sports.<ref name=beard5082006>Franz Beard, "[http://florida.scout.com/2/528763.html Doering Will Always Be Known For 'The Catch'] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110716021602/http://florida.scout.com/2/528763.html |date=July 16, 2011 }}," GatorCountry.com (May 8, 2006). Retrieved June 2, 2010.</ref>

== College career ==

Doering attended the University of Florida in Gainesville, where he was a walk-on player for coach Steve Spurrier's Florida Gators football team in 1991.<ref>{{cite web | last=Blackburn | first=Gracie | title=Chris Doering | website=ESPN Press Room U.S. | date=2024-08-21 | url=https://espnpressroom.com/us/bios/chris-doering/ | access-date=2025-04-07}}</ref> The Gators coaching staff decided to redshirt him in 1991, and subsequently Doering received an athletic scholarship and played for the Gators from 1992 to 1995.<ref name=ufmediaguide>''[http://web.gatorzone.com/football/media/2011/media_guide.pdf 2011 Florida Gators Football Media Guide] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120402035222/http://web.gatorzone.com/football/media/2011/media_guide.pdf |date=April 2, 2012 }}'', University Athletic Association, Gainesville, Florida, pp. 77–79, 85, 88, 97, 125, 127, 143–145, 148, 152, 158, 159, 168, 180 (2011). Retrieved August 28, 2011.</ref> Doering not only earned a scholarship, the former walk-on set records: Doering caught 149 receptions (sixth best in Gators history) for 2,107 yards (tenth best in Gators history) and thirty-one touchdowns (best in Gators and 2nd best in SEC history as DeVonta Smith of Alabama broke this record November 21, 2020 vs Kentucky ) during his career at Florida.<ref name=ufmediaguide/> His best-remembered play as a Gator was the game-winning touchdown pass he caught from Gators quarterback Danny Wuerffel to defeat the Kentucky Wildcats, 24–20, in 1993.<ref name=beard5082006/> Sometimes called "The Catch," it is also remembered as "Doering's Got a Touchdown" after the repeated exclamation made by Gator radio host Mick Hubert during his broadcast of the game.<ref name=beard5082006/> During his four seasons as a Gator, the team won three straight Southeastern Conference (SEC) championships (1993, 1994, 1995); as senior team captain in 1995, he received first-team All-SEC and second-team All-American honors.<ref name=ufmediaguide/>

Doering graduated from Florida with a bachelor's degree in telecommunications in 1995, and he was inducted into the University of Florida Athletic Hall of Fame as a "Gator Great" in 2006.<ref>F Club, Hall of Fame, [http://www.gatorfclub.org/hall-of-fame/greats Gator Greats]. Retrieved December 14, 2014.</ref><ref>Robbie Andreu, "[https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=dPRPAAAAIBAJ&sjid=QwkEAAAAIBAJ&pg=6757,1825513&dq=gators+hall-of-fame&hl=en Wuerffel, Doering to enter UF Hall]," ''Ocala Star-Banner'', p. 7C (April 21, 2006). Retrieved July 22, 2011.</ref> He was picked as the No. 19 greatest Gator from the first 100 years of Florida football in a 2006 article series published by ''The Gainesville Sun''.<ref>Robbie Andreu & Pat Dooley, "[http://www.gainesville.com/article/20060815/GATORS70/60815014 No. 19 Chris Doering]," ''The Gainesville Sun'' (August 15, 2006). Retrieved March 31, 2013.</ref>

== Professional career ==

The Jacksonville Jaguars selected Doering in the sixth round (185th pick overall) of the 1996 NFL draft.<ref>{{Cite web |title=1996 NFL Draft Listing |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/years/1996/draft.htm |access-date=2023-03-30 |website=Pro-Football-Reference.com |language=en}}</ref> The Jaguars traded him to the Indianapolis Colts before the start of the 1996 season.<ref name=varley2003>Teresa Varley, "[http://www.steelersdigestonline.com/archive/2003/12_13/page13.pdf Better Late Than Never: Persistence paying nice dividends for WR Chris Doering] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110716134141/http://www.steelersdigestonline.com/archive/2003/12_13/page13.pdf |date=July 16, 2011 }}," ''Steelers Digest'', pp. 13–14 (2003). Retrieved March 21, 2011.</ref> He played for the Colts in three games in two seasons ({{NFL Year|1996}}–{{NFL Year|1997}}), but saw little action.<ref name=nflprofile>National Football League, Historical Players, [http://www.nfl.com/players/chrisdoering/profile?id=DOE677964 Chris Doering]. Retrieved June 2, 2010.</ref> The Colts waived him February 1998.<ref name=varley2003/> The Cincinnati Bengals signed Doering a week later, but waived him before the {{NFL Year|1998}} regular season began.<ref name=varley2003/>

In {{NFL Year|1999}}, Doering signed with the Denver Broncos and appeared in three games.<ref name=pfrprofile/><ref name=varley2003/> During the {{NFL Year|2000}} preseason, he ruptured his Achilles tendon and was sidelined for the rest of the season, but returned to the Broncos' practice squad in {{NFL Year|2001}}.<ref name=varley2003/> The Washington Redskins, led by Doering's former Gators coach Steve Spurrier, signed him as a free agent in {{NFL Year|2002}},<ref name=varley2003/> and he appeared in fifteen games and started three for the Redskins, compiling eighteen receptions for 192 yards and two touchdowns.<ref name=pfrprofile/> In {{NFL Year|2003}}, the Pittsburgh Steelers signed him,<ref name=varley2003/> and he saw action in nineteen games through {{NFL Year|2004}}, with eighteen catches for 240 yards and a touchdown.<ref name=dbfprofile/>

Doering finished his journeyman NFL career with 42 receptions for 476 yards and three touchdowns.<ref name=dbfprofile/>

== Life after football == Doering was co-host (with Adam "The Oilcan" Reardon) a sports radio talk show called "The Sports Fix" and broadcast on ESPN Radio AM 900 and AM 1230 in Gainesville and Ocala, Florida and he was an occasional sideline reporter for Westwood One football coverage. In August 2015 Doering joined ESPN as a studio analyst after previously contributing to SEC Network events and ESPN specials. He signed a multi-year contract extension to continue as a contributor across ESPN and SEC Network programming, including SEC Network's signature news and information show, SEC Now.<ref>Amanda Brooks, "[https://espnpressroom.com/us/press-releases/2018/08/sec-network-college-football-analyst-chris-doering-signs-multiyear-contract-extension/]," “ESPN Pressroom” (August 30, 2018). Retrieved October 10, 2019.</ref> Doering operates and is president of a home loan mortgage brokerage in Gainesville. He has two children. Doering, along with former Gator teammate Judd Davis, plays jai alai matches at Ocala Poker and Jai Alai, without an audience or wagering, in order to satisfy Florida licensing requirements for the facility's card room.<ref>Carlos Medina, "[http://www.gainesville.com/article/20140513/ARTICLES/140519919/1182?p=4&tc=pg Critics say Marion fronton makes mockery of noble game]," ''The Gainesville Sun'' (May 13, 2014). Retrieved July 10, 2014.</ref>

== References ==

{{DEFAULTSORT:Doering, Chris}} Category:1973 births Category:Living people Category:American football wide receivers Category:Cincinnati Bengals players Category:Denver Broncos players Category:Florida Gators football players Category:Houston Texans players Category:21st-century American sportsmen Category:Indianapolis Colts players Category:Jacksonville Jaguars players Category:Pittsburgh Steelers players Category:Players of American football from Gainesville, Florida Category:Washington Redskins players