Current
High

Career Highlights: 2007 World Outdoor bronze medalist; eight-time U.S. champion (’00-’07); 2004 World Athletics Final champ; American record holder; 4th at 2001 World Outdoor Championships; 3rd at 1996 Olympic Trials; 2nd at 2001 Goodwill Games; 2003 Pan Am Games bronze medalist; Greer, who had rotator cuff surgery in December, 2007, placed 17th at the 2008 Olympic Trials in Eugene, Ore. He was placed on the Team USA roster for the Olympic Games in Beijing following the Trials. USATF rules enable the track & field chair to allow the selection of an injured athlete who has reached the Olympic ‘A’ standard as long as another athlete is not displaced from the team. Still not fully healed from his surgery nine months earlier, Greer was unable to qualify for the final in Beijing. In 2007 he won the bronze medal at the World Outdoor Championships in Osaka, Japan, and broke the American record on two occasions. The second time gave him his eighth USA championship as he inches closer to the 300-foot mark at 91.29m/299-6, and it was the farthest throw in the world in 2007, which marked the first time an American ended a season with the world leading mark in the javelin since Tom Petranoff in 1983. His first AR of the year came in May at the adidas Track Classic (90.71m/297-7). Injury problems plagued Greer in 2005 (as they did in 2004) to the point that they kept him from competing at the 2005 World Outdoor Championships in Helsinki, Finland. The two-time Olympic Trials champion chucked the spear 87.25m/286-3 on his first throw at the 2004 Olympic Games to post the best mark in qualifying. His throw was just 14 cm off his American record - a remarkable feat for a single qualifying throw, done on a torn ACL ligament in his knee. At that time it was the #2 American performance of all time. Greer tore the ligament while breaking the American record on June 11, 2004, with a throw of 87.39m/286-9 in Bergen…although doctors suggested that Greer undergo surgery immediately, he decided against it in hopes of continuing to compete through the Olympic Games…Greer’s Olympics came to a heartbreaking end in the final when he threw 74.36m/243-11 on his first throw as his leg crumpled beneath him. The knee held up no better on his next two throws, which were fouls, and Greer placed 12th. He could only watch as Andreas Thorkildsen of Norway won the competition with a personal-best throw of 86.50m/283-9, which was two-and-a-half feet shorter than the 87.25m/286-3 Greer had thrown in the Olympic qualifying round. Later that year on September 19, Greer extended his AR to 87.68m/287-8 at the World Athletics Final in Monaco, which was the second best throw in the world in 2004. He ended the 2004 campaign with three of the top five throws in the world that season. He went on to finish fourth at the World Outdoor Championships with a best effort of 87.00m/285-5, which was his ninth personal best in 2001, and just five inches off the American record. His 4th place finish in Edmonton was the best by an American at a World Championships since Tom Petranoff’s silver medal in 1983 and 4th place finish in 1987… …he competed in the 1998-’99 season with a torn ulnar collateral ligament. By competing in the 2000 Games in Sydney, Greer joined pole vaulter and National Track & Field Hall of Famer John Pennel (1964-68) as the only Northeast Louisiana stars to compete in Olympic track and field…was drafted to be a professional baseball pitcher out of high school, but opted to compete in track instead…has his own clothing line…known for his deadpan and constantly “on” sense of humor…stars as “Hurricane” on the NBC television series “American Gladiators.”

2008: 17th at Olympic Trials preliminaries (67.20m/220-06)…12th in qualifying at Olympic Games (73.68m/241-9)…best of 73.68m/241-9.

2007: 3rd at World Outdoors (86.21m/282-10)...USA Outdoor champion (91.29m/299-6AR)…1st at adidas Track Classic (90.71m/297-7AR)…1st at Mt. SAC Relays (87.65m/287-7)…2nd at Oslo (88.73m/291-1)…3rd at Paris (85.64m/281-0)…ranked #3 in world, #1 U.S. by T&FN…best of 91.29m/299-6.

2006: USA Outdoor champion (85.40m/280-2)…3rd at Paris (85.45m/280-4)…8th at Rome (77.89m/255-6)…ranked #1 in U.S. by T&FN…best of 85.45m/280-4.

2005: USA Outdoor champion (79.19m/259-10)…1st at Doha (78.29m/256-10)…1st at Athens, Ga. (85.75m/281-4)…1st at Mt. SAC (87.65m/287-7)...ranked #1 in U.S. by T&FN...best of 87.65m/287-7

2004: 1st at Olympic Trials (82.39m/270-4)…bettered American record with 1st-place throw at Bergen (87.39m/286-8PR)…set AR again with 1st place throw at World Athletics Final in Monaco (87.68m/287-8)…1st at Olympic Games qualifying (87.25m/286-3)…12th in Olympic final (74.36m/243-11)...1st at Univ. of Georgia (86.83m/284-10)…ranked #2 in world (#1 U.S.)…best of 87.68m/287-8AR.

2003: USA Outdoor champion (79.37m/260-4)…Pan Am Games bronze medalist (79.21m/259-10)…7th in qualifying group at World Outdoors (76.82m/252-0)…1st at Brasschaat (82.10m/269-4, U.S. Leader) …7th at Bislett Games (76.24m/250-1)…best of 82.10m/269-4…ranked #1 in U.S. by T&FN.

2002: USA Outdoor champ (81.78m/268-4)…1st at Atlanta (80.40m/263-9)…1st at Mt. SAC (77.69m/254-10)…1st at Univ. of Georgia (78.65m/258-0)…ranked #1 in U.S. by T&FN…best of 81.78m/268-4.

2001: 4th at World Outdoor Championships (87.00m/285-5PR), five inches short of American record…1st at USA Outdoors (85.23m/279-7), Championships Record)…set a new PR on nine occasions…silver medalist at Goodwill Games (85.86m/281-8)…ranked #7 in world & #1 in U.S. by T&FN…best of 87.00m/285-5.

2000: Won Olympic Trials (81.08m/266-0)...12th at Olympics (79.92m/262-2)...ranked #1 U.S...set his PR and season best of 82.63m (82.62m/271-1) in Olympic qualifying.

1999: 4th at NCAA Champs...competed at World University Games...best of 241-4.

1998: 8th at USA Champs...5th at NCAA Champs...ranked #5 in U.S. by T&FN...best of 261-5.

1997: 2nd at NCAA Champs and 3rd at USA Champs...competed at World University Games...ranked #3 in U.S. by T&FN...best of 256-3.

1996: 3rd at Olympic Trials but did not have Olympic qualifying mark...ranked #4 in U.S. by T&FN...best of 79.98m/262-5.

1995: 5th at NCAA Champs...best of 232-8.

Athlete Bio.css-13krty2{margin-left:0.5rem;opacity:0;-webkit-transition:opacity 300ms ease-in-out;transition:opacity 300ms ease-in-out;}.css-13krty2:focus-visible,.css-13krty2[data-focus-visible]{outline:3px solid black;opacity:1;}#

Height

Age

Hometown

Education

Loading...

Explore Related Athletes

Athlete Bio#