NFL teams
Rich Cimini, ESPN Staff Writer 10y

Percy Harvin's long list of troubles, from high school to Seattle

Percy Harvin is a talented-but-troubled player with a history of anger management issues. He also has been described as a malcontent who will get in the face of quarterbacks and coaches if things don't go his way. Two organizations, the Seattle Seahawks and Minnesota Vikings, already have given up on him.

At 1-6, the New York Jets were desperate for a playmaker, so they decided to trade for the high-priced wide receiver. It was a stunning move, with some at One Jets Drive expressing concern that Harvin won't respond well in a losing environment. Others see it as a worthwhile, low-cost acquisition that could spark the offense.

A look at Harvin's history of transgressions:

  • Harvin might have sealed his fate with the Seahawks in last week's loss to the Dallas Cowboys, refusing to play late in the game, the Seattle Times reported. He played 26 of 48 snaps on offense but didn't play 11 of the final 17. He touched the ball six times for minus-1 yard.

  • Curiously, this story didn't break until Friday, but several media outlets reported that Harvin had an altercation with fellow receiver Golden Tate leading up to the Super Bowl last February. Tate ended up with a black eye.

  • In the preseason, Harvin and teammate Doug Baldwin were involved in a scuffle that resulted in a gash on Baldwin's chin, the Times reported. Both players were excused from practice that week.

  • Harvin's time in Minnesota, 2009 to 2012, was filled with a number of incidents. One played out on national television, with Harvin screaming at then-coach Leslie Frazier on the sideline during a game in Seattle in 2012. Weeks later, Harvin reportedly got into another argument with Frazier that was witnessed by some players and staff members.

  • Harvin also had disputes with Frazier's predecessor, Brad Childress. One such altercation occurred in 2010, when Childress questioned Harvin's effort in practice. Harvin, limping with an apparent ankle injury, took exception, and the two had to be separated by players and coaches, according to reports. Another time, they got into a shouting match in the weight room, which included Harvin throwing a weight at Childress. It put a hole in the wall.

  • In 2009, Harvin reportedly tested positive for marijuana at the NFL scouting combine. That didn't stop the Jets from showing interest. In fact, they flew to Florida the week of the draft to spend private time with Harvin. After trading up for quarterback Mark Sanchez, they tried to trade back into the first round for Harvin, but then-general manager Mike Tannenbaum deemed the price too steep.

  • Harvin also had problems in college at Florida. He tested positive for marijuana, refused to run the stadium steps with other teammates during a conditioning session, and attacked wide receivers coach Billy Gonzales, according to The Sporting News. Harvin threw Gonzales to the ground by his neck, according to the report.

  • Harvin is regarded as one of the greatest high school athletes from the Virginia Beach, Virginia, area, but Harvin encountered trouble in his early years. He was suspended twice, once for unsportsmanlike contact and another time for contacting an official and using inappropriate language. In the spring of his senior year, when he ran track, he was banished by the local high school sports association, reportedly stemming from a fight during a basketball game.

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