Jim Mertens
{{Short description|American football player (born 1947)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2024}}
Jim Mertens is a former American football wide receiver who was selected in 1969 by the American Football League (AFL)'s Miami Dolphins, and was also selected by the Cincinnati Reds in the 1969 Major League Baseball Draft. Mertens played one season as a tight end for the Dolphins. He later became a high school teacher in the Hollywood, Florida area.{{cite web|url=http://www.footballdb.com/draft/draft.html?lg=NFL&yr=1969&rnd=10|title=1969 NFL Draft - Round 10 - The Football Database|website=FootballDB.com|access-date=23 May 2017}}
Early life
He was born James Frederick Mertens in Cumberland, Maryland, United States, in 1947.{{cn|date=December 2020}}
Football
Before being selected by the Miami Dolphins in 1969, Mertens attended college in West Virginia, where he was Fairmont State University's 1968 Football Team lead scorer, with 29 receptions for 509 yards and 54 points. He was a letterman for four years and a leading pass receiver on the School's NAIA Bowl Team.{{cite web|url=https://issuu.com/fsusports/docs/2016_football_media_guide_web|title=2016 Fairmont State Football Media Guide|website=Issuu.com|date=August 22, 2016 |access-date=23 May 2017}}
Baseball
Mertens was a leading hitter on Fairmont State's College Baseball Team.{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/draft/index.fcgi?draft_round=5&year_ID=1969&draft_type=junsec&query_type=year_round|title=5th Round of the 1969 MLB June Draft-Secondary Phase - Baseball-Reference.com|website=Baseball-Reference.com|access-date=23 May 2017}}
References
{{Reflist}}
{{Dolphins1969DraftPicks}}
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Category:American football wide receivers
Category:Fairmont State University alumni
Category:Miami Dolphins players
Category:Sportspeople from Cumberland, Maryland
Category:20th-century American sportsmen
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