Giovani Bernard, in full, Giovani Govan Bernard, is a 1991-born American footballer who has announced his retirement from his decade-long career of football with the NFL. He last played for North Carolina and was selected or drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals in the second round of the 2013 NFL Draft.
Early Life
Bernard was on 22nd November 1991 in West Palm Beach, Florida, to Haitian immigrant parents Yvens Bernard and Jossette Bernard. Giovani Bernard’s parents used to own a dry cleaning business in Florida. While managing his school activities, Giovani used to play in the local tackle football league.
He was admitted to St. Thomas Aquinas High School, Fort Lauderdale, where he maintained his football career throughout his schooling. In high school, Giovani was recognized as the prospect with the no. 2 running back in Florida by the Orlando Sentinel.
He was also given a prospect title number 12 for the position of running back in the United States by Rivals.com. He shared his childhood with a sibling – Yvenson Bernard – the former Oregon State running back champion. Various schools offered Giovani Bernard after seeing his football talent. First, he decided to play for Notre Dame and then shifted his mind to admit to the University of North Carolina.
Giovani Bernard Career
College
Giovani Bernard played for the North Carolina Tar Heels football team and stayed committed from 2010 to 2012. While attending the third day of practice, Giovani tore his ACL of his right knee in the wake of trying to defend. He returned from his injury and rehabilitation, becoming the starting tailback for the Tar Heels in 2011. After that, he finished the season 2012 with total rushing yards– 1,228, 12 rushing touchdowns, five receiving touchdowns, two punt return touchdowns, and 490 receiving yards.
Professional
Cincinnati Bengals (2013 to 2020)
Bernard was drafted in the second round as the 37th overall pick by the Cincinnati Bengals. He was selected or drafted in exchange for the traded quarterback Carson Palmer. In the 2014 season, Bernard was named Begal’s starting running back. While playing for the seasonal opening game at the AFC North Division rival Baltimore Ravens, Bernard scored his first career start. On 12th October 2014, he rushed 100 yards against Carolina Panthers and the first career game with prestigious records.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Bernard made a contract with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on 14th April 2021. During his game for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, he had 58 rushing yards, 123 receiving yards, 23 receptions, and three receiving touchdowns. He received a Wild Card Round entry on 15th January 2022 and was activated to play the game. The team stood against the Philadelphia Eagles, scoring a victory score of 31 by 15.
Bernard re-signed the contract with Tampa Bay Buccaneers on 1st April 2022. In week 2 of the 2022 season, he had to face an injury, because of which he was placed on the reserve until 21st September 2022. Later, he returned to the field on 26th November and recently announced his retirement on 28th April 2023.
Giovani Bernard Biography |
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|---|---|
| Real Name | Giovani Govan Bernard |
| Birth Date | 22 November 1991 |
| Age (as of 2023) | 31 Years |
| Birth Place | West Palm Beach, Florida, United States |
| Profession | Football Running Back Player |
| College | University of North Carolina |
| Qualification | Graduate |
Physical Statistics |
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| Height | in feet inches – 5’ 9” – in Centimeters – 175 cm |
| Weight | in Kilograms – 93 kg – in Pounds – 205 lbs |
| Hair Color | Black |
| Eye Color | Black |
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Family |
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| Father | Yvens Bernard |
| Mother | Jossette Bernard |
| Sister | – |
| Brother | Yvenson Bernard |
Relationship Status |
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| Marital Status | Married |
| Who is his wife? | Chloe Call |
| Children | One |
Personal Life
Giovani Bernard is a happy-living married man with a wife named Chloe Call, whom he met at the University of North Carolina. The pair are university sweethearts who met in 2012. The friendship quickly rose to a love relationship, and they married in July 2019.
After that, the pair announced their pregnancy on 6th November 2021. The couple took the help of Instagram to express their joy when the first baby, Julian, was born on 25th December 2021.
Social Life
Giovani Bernard is available on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. On Facebook, he goes by an official account and the name handle – Giovani Bernard, where he possesses 66K followers.
On Instagram, he goes by an official account and the handle name – g_bernard_xxv, where he has 80.4K followers with 683 following members.
Bernard is available on Twitter with the name – Giovani Bernard [@G_Bernard25]. He joined Twitter in December 2011, and since then, he has 71.3K followers.
Giovani Bernard Net Worth
On 23rd May 2013, when Giovani Bernard made a contract with the Cincinnati Bengals, he was given a signed contractual amount of $2.2 million with $3.2 as the signing bonus. Indeed, he would earn around $5 million as of 2023. Calculating his net worth (including salary base and the house), his lumpsum net worth is as high as $20 million.
Trivia
- After Ethan Horton (who made the first record in 1984), Giovani became the first North Carolina running back personality who rushed for 100 yards in five straight games.
- He made the career-high record of 155 rushing yards while playing against Georgia Tech.
- In the middle of October 2011, Bernard was selected for the watch list for the Maxwell Award.
- His name was given for nominations by various coaches in the ACC to All-ACC first-team.
- In 2012, Giovani Bernard won CFPA Punt Returner Trophy– the prestigious award for any young footballer.
