Former Mount Union wide receiver Pierre Garcon had an AFC Championship game record 11 receptions and 151 yards receiving to help the Indianapolis Colts advance to the Super Bowl after a 30-17 win over the New York Jets.

The 151 yards is a career-high for Garcon who will be playing in the Super Bowl in Miami, FL close to his hometown as he attended high school at Leonard High School in West Palm Beach, FL.

"It's all up to awesome work from the guys ahead of me, like Reggie (Wayne), Gonzo (former Ohio State receiver and Avon Lake native Anthony Gonzalez), all the guys, they just tell me to stay motivated and keep it in there and just play hard, because that's all it about - trying to do it for the country," commented Garcon on the podium with quarterback Peyton Manning accepting the Lamar Hunt Trophy given to the AFC Champions.

It also gave Garcon another chance to show his national pride for Haiti, as Garcon's parents and many of his family members are from the Caribbean nation that was rocked last week by a devastating earthquake. Garcon draped the national flag of Haiti around the Hunt Trophy just before it was presented to the Colts.

His extended Mount Union family and the Alliance community this weekend came together to help raise over $8500 for the Pierre Garcon Hope Project which supports the Northwest Haiti Christian Mission to provide food, shelter and services to those affected by the earthquake.

"All of us are extremely proud of Pierre and all he has accomplished on the football field," stated Mount Union head football coach and director of athletics Larry Kehres. "But I am even more proud of how he is using his position in the community and how our students and Alliance have dedicated themselves to help people in need."

Courtesy of Leonard Reich, Sports Information Director at Mount Union

Mount Union’s Pierre Garcon continues to impress, catching one of Peyton Manning’s four touchdown passes, as the Indianapolis Colts blasted the Arizona Cardinals 31-10 Sunday night.

The Colts' quarterback completed 24 of 35 for 379 yards with one interception. His 53-yard TD pass to Garcon gave the Colts a 21-3 halftime lead.

Garcon finished with three catches for 64 yards.

swalker@MorningJournal.com

Mount Union's Pierre Garcon caught a short pass from Indianapolis Colts quarterback Peyton Manning and turned it into a 48-yard touchdown with 3:18 remaining to give the Colts a 27-23 win over the host Miami Dolphins last night on Monday Night Football.

Manning had thrown to Garcon the play before, but it was out of reach of the second-year receiver. The next time at the line, Manning called an audible and moments later, Garcon was racing down the sideline for his first NFL touchdown.

The two-time All-American at Mount Union was the first Purple Raider since Corl Zimmerman of Dayton Triangles in 1929 to start an NFL game.

swalker@MorningJournal.com