Mike Sherrard Michael Watson Sherrard ( born June 21 , 1963 in Oakland , California ) is a former professional American football player who was drafted by the Dallas Cowboys in the 1st round ( 18th overall ) of the 1986 NFL Draft . A 6 ' 2 " wide receiver from UCLA , Sherrard played in 11 NFL seasons from 1986 to 1996 . He played for the Dallas Cowboys , the San Francisco 49ers , the New York Giants , and the Denver Broncos . He graduated from Chico High School in 1981 . Early years . Sherrard attended Chico High School in Chico , California . He was a multi - sport athlete , lettering in football , basketball and track . Although Sherrard came to UCLA as an unrecruited walk - on athlete , by his sophomore season in 1983 he was already a starter at wide receiver , was named to the second - team All - America after caching 48 passes for 709 yards and also set a UCLA record for sophomore receptions in a season . During his senior season , although he broke his collarbone , he returned to earn All - America honors . He was a member of three Rose Bowl - winning Bruin teams and ranks among UCLA ' s all - time receiving leaders , with 128 receptions ( seventh on the all - time school list ) in his career for 1 , 965 yards ( 10th on the school list ) and 10 touchdown s . Professional career . Dallas Cowboys . In the 1986 NFL Draft , he became only the second wide receiver ever drafted by the Dallas Cowboys in the first round ( Dennis Homan was the first one in the 1968 NFL Draft ) . Sherrard started what seemed to be a very promising NFL career , by having 41 receptions for 744 yards and leading the team with 5 touchdown s . His totals rank fourth for most receptions , second for most receiving yards , and is tied for fourth for most touchdowns by a rookie in Cowboys ' franchise history . In 1987 he came into training camp as the Cowboys best receiver , but was lost for the year when he was tripped by a defender during a scrimmage and shattered two bones ( the tibia and fibula ) in his right leg . He also missed the 1988 season , when he rebroke his right leg tibia and also the shin bone , while jogging on a Santa Monica beach as part of his rehab treatment . San Francisco 49ers . The San Francisco 49ers signed Sherrard in Plan B free agency in 1989 , but put him on the injured list for the entire regular season , allowing him plenty of time to heal for the playoffs , where he caught 3 passes for 40 yards . In 1990 he was off to a solid start , but broke his right fibula in the San Francisco 49ers ' victory over the Cleveland Browns . Sherrard played in San Francisco for 3 seasons , improving each year . New York Giants . He signed as a free agent with the New York Giants in 1993 , but lost most of the season after fracturing his left hip socket , during a catch - and - run against the Philadelphia Eagles . He also had injury complications when he was diagnosed as having a blood clot in the same hip . His best season came in 1994 when he had career highs with 53 receptions for 825 yards and 6 touchdown s . Denver Broncos . In 1996 he signed as a free agent with the Denver Broncos , where he only played one season before announcing his retirement . Sherrard persevered through multiple injuries and doubts about his future , to play 11 seasons in the NFL catching 257 passes for 3 , 931 yards and 22 touchdown s . Personal . His mother , Cherrie , was a sprinter on the 1964 U . S . Olympic team and his father , Robert , played college basketball and semipro baseball . Robert was also a popular and well loved college professor at Calif State Univ . @ Chico . After retirement , Sherrard worked as a fundraiser for Autism Speaks . He currently lives in Westlake Village , California with his daughter and two sons and is involved in television production .