Boise State adds a transfer cornerback. His father is a baseball Hall of Famer
The latest transfer to join the Boise State football roster comes from a family that is very well known among fans of Major League Baseball.
Boise State announced Thursday that defensive back Tevin Griffey has joined the program after four years at Florida A&M. He’s coming in as a walk-on and he’ll be on the field for spring practice, according to Boise State. Griffey has two years of eligibility remaining.
His father is Hall of Famer Ken Griffey Jr., who was named an All-Star 13 times during his 22-year career, most of which was spent with the Seattle Mariners. He also played for the Cincinnati Reds and Chicago White Sox. His 630 career home runs rank No. 7 all-time in MLB history.
Tevin’s grandfather, Ken Griffey Sr., played in the majors for 18 years, suiting up for the Cincinnati Reds, New York Yankees, Atlanta Braves and Seattle Mariners. He helped Cincinnati’s Big Red Machine win World Series titles in 1975 and 1976.
Tevin Griffey decided to follow in his older brother’s footsteps and go the football route. His older brother, Trey, was a wide receiver at Arizona.
The younger Griffey suited up at cornerback in 23 games for Florida A&M the past four years. He tallied 24 tackles and one interception, which he returned 10 yards for a touchdown. He was also credited with one blocked kick.
The 5-foot-11, 175-pound native of Orlando, Florida, was a three-star recruit coming out of Dr. Phillips High in Florida in 2020, according to 247Sports. He had offers from Michigan and Toledo but chose to sign with Florida A&M, an HBCU (Historically Black Colleges and Universities) in Tallahassee.
Griffey is the sixth transfer the Broncos have added in the past couple of weeks, following former Cal cornerback Jonathan Earby, former USC quarterback Malachi Nelson, former Indiana wide receivers Cam Camper, former Ball State defensive end Tavion Woodard and former San Diego State kicker/punter Jarrett Reeser. All six will be on campus for spring practice, according to Boise State.
Griffey joins a position group that is in flux at Boise State. Veteran cornerback Markel Reed is returning for his sixth season, but he has already suffered two season-ending injuries in his career and was in and out of the starting lineup last season.
A’Marion McCoy is back after the junior college transfer earned a starting role midway through last season and led the Broncos with three interceptions. He’s joined by redshirt senior Kaonohi Kaniho, who has appeared in 39 games since 2020 but hasn’t caught on as a consistent starter.
Jaylen Clark, who started 13 games last season, was also expected to return, but he was arrested Wednesday on suspicion of committing multiple violent crimes. He has been indefinitely suspended from the team.
This story was originally published January 11, 2024 at 2:18 PM.
