“Your past of tragedy could not determine your future.” Indeed, Giovani Bernard went through a devastating situation in the past and yet made it to where he is now.
Coming from a middle-class family, he had to go through the pain of his mother’s death at an early age.
However, Yvens Bernard’s father worked very hard and always encouraged him. Consequently, Giovani succeeded in becoming a successful professional American football player.
Likewise, he plays for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League (NFL) as a running back. Furthermore, he had drafted in the second round of the 2013 NFL Draft.
Read till the end if you want to know about his personal and professional life. But before, let’s take a glance at his quick facts.
Quick Facts
| Full name | Giovani Govan Bernard |
| Nickname | N/A |
| Birthdate | November 22, 1991 |
| Birthplace | Palm Beach, Florida, USA. |
| Nationality | American |
| Ethnicity | Haitian |
| Religion | Unknown |
| Zodiac Sign | Sagittarius |
| Age | 32 years old |
| Father’s name | Yvens Bernard |
| Mother’s name | Josette Bernard |
| Sibling | Yvenson Bernard (Elder Brother) |
| High School | Thomas Aquinas High School |
| College | North Carolina University |
| Marital status | Married |
| Wife’s Name | Chloe Call |
| Ex-Girlfriends | Unknown |
| Children | No |
| Weight | 205 lb (93 kg) |
| Height | 5’9″ (1.75 m) |
| Eye Color | Black |
| Hair Color | Black |
| Beard or Mustache | Mustache |
| Body type | Athletic |
| League | National Football League (NFL) |
| Profession | American Football Player |
| Position | Running Back |
| Team | The Cincinnati Bengals |
| Current Team | The New York Jets |
| Jersey Number | 25 |
| Drafted Year | 2013 |
| Food Habits | Unknown |
| Contract | $5.25 million |
| Net worth | $3 million |
| Merch | Autographed NFL Ball, Rookie Card, Football Card |
| Social Media | Instagram, Facebook, Twitter |
| Last Update | April, 2024 |
Giovani Bernard | Early Life, Family, and Education
Giovani Govan Bernard shortly Giovani Bernard was born in West Palm Beach, Florida, on November 22, 1991.
He was born to Yvens Bernard (Father) and Josette Bernard (Mother). Giovani grew up with his elder brother Yvenson Bernard.
Giovani’s father was a soccer player in Haiti, and he used to motivate his sons to take up an American sport.
Consequently, his brother Yvenson was also a former professional Canadian football running back. He used to play for the Saskatchewan Roughriders of the Canadian Football League.
Giovani followed in his brother’s footsteps and started playing football at 6.
He started as a linebacker and then a fullback but always wanted to become a running back, just like his brother.
Additionally, he had completed high school at Thomas Aquinas High School. After graduating from high school, Bernard attended North Carolina University at Chapel Hill.
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Family
Bernard’s parents are Haitian immigrants who worked as dry cleaners to provide a better life for their families in Florida. Later on, they started their own dry-cleaning business.
But sadly, the Bernard family was hit by the tragedy when his mother was diagnosed with thyroid cancer and passed away.
After the death of Josette, his father was devastated and lost everything – the business, the family home, and the cars.
However, his father, Yvens, did not give up and worked hard for his sons. Afterward, he ended up doing his own dry-cleaning business again.
Consequently, his hard work could not go to waste because his son became a successful footballer, and now, he must be a happy and proud father.
Giovani Bernard | Age, Mustache, Height, and Weight
Talking about Bernard’s age, he is currently 32 years old. Moreover, he belongs to the Sagittarius zodiac sign.
Interestingly, Sagittarius man possesses intelligence, ambition, and very competitive traits.
Nonetheless, he stands at 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) and weighs 205 lb (93 kg). Likewise, he has black hair and black colored eyes.
Recently, he has kept a full and dark mustache which is being popular in the football world. His new look has suited him pretty much.
Giovani Bernard | Career
High School Career
Bernard began his high school career at Thomas Aquinas High School. While in high school, he had ranked the No. 2 running back by the Orlando Sentinel and No. 12 runnings back by Rivals.com in the United States.
Overall, his high school career was quite impressive. Accordingly, he was recruited by many colleges and initially committed to Notre Dame University but later went to the University of North Carolina.
College Highlights
In 2010, the 32 years old running back enrolled at North Carolina University at Chapel Hill and began to play for the North Carolina Tar Heels football team.
Afterward, he became the first North Carolina running back to rush for at least 100 yards in five straight games.
At the end of the season 2011, he became the first running back who completed a 1,000-yards plateau at North Carolina in one season. Bernard was also the top freshman running back in the nation in yards per game.
In 2012, he led Carolina in scoring for the second year. Moreover, Bernard won the CFPA Punt Returner Trophy for the 2012 season.
Overall, he finished his college career with 2,481 rushing yards, 12 rushing touchdowns, 852 receiving yards, and 6 receiving touchdowns.
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NFL Draft and Contract
On December 14, 2012, Bernard had announced that he was entering the 2013 NFL Draft.
Likewise, the Cincinnati Bengals picked the rising star in the second round. Not to mention, Gio was ranked the fourth-best running back by the draft scouts.
Professional Career
Bernard started the rookie season as a back-up to veteran Benjarvus Green-Ellis for the Cincinnati team and started transitioning to a change-of-pace back throughout the whole season.
Stepping up, he played 16 games for the 2015 season, where he finished 730 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns.
Besides that, the NFL star signed a three-year contract extension with the Cincinnati Bengals on June 8, 2016.
Following that, he also made a record of career-high nine passes for 100 yards, the sixth receiving touchdown of his career against the Pittsburgh Steelers in the 2016 season.
Likewise, he was also knocked out on a helmet-helmet hit by Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker Ryan Shazier after catching a pass late in the third quarter.
Bengals running back Benard finished his 2017 season with 105 attempts for 458 rushing yards, two rushing touchdowns, 43 receptions for 389 receiving yards, and two touchdowns.
Furthermore, he played 12 games and finished the 2018 season with a good score.
On September 3, 2019, Bernard had signed a two-year contract extension with the Bengals.
Similarly, the talented running back led the team to a 31–20 victory against the Tennessee Titans in the 2020 season.
While playing for the Titans, he suffered from a hip injury, due to which he was placed on the reserved list on December 14, 2021.
However, he returned to the team on January 15, 2022, and played against the Eagles.
Giovani Bernard | Summary Career Stats
| Summary | G | AV | Rush | Yds | Y/A | TD | FantPt |
| 2021 | 1 | – | 0 | 0 | 4.0 | 0 | 1.2 |
| Career | 116 | 47 | 921 | 3697 | 22 | 847.6 |
Giovani Bernard | Career Highlights & Awards
- Third-team All-American (2012)
- First-team All-ACC (2011, 2012)
- ACC Offensive Player of the Year(2012)
- CFPA Punt Returner Trophy (2012)
- PFWA All-Rookie Team (2013)
Learn more about his stats, game log, dynasty rankings on ESPN and Fantasy Pros sites.
Giovani Bernard | Charity
Hard football player Giovani is also a kind human being. He and his family run a non-profit organization called RUN GIO Foundation.
Likewise, ‘RUN GIO Foundation’ organizes youth football camps free of charge for children who may not have had the opportunity to do.
Moreover, the Bernard family has opened Jardin Vert de Josette School to remember Josette. The school will provide full elementary education and a fun, safe and educational environment for Haiti’s youth.
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Giovani Bernard | Injury
Giovani tore his right knee’s ligament during practice, and he got a redshirt for the 2010 season. However, after a year of rest, he started to play for Tar Heels in 2011.
After starting the first 7 games of the 2014 season, Bengals running back Giovani missed 9–11 Weeks due to a right hip injury. Following that, he underwent surgery at the end of the 2016 season.
Furthermore, he had to miss the practice session of the 2020 season due to a concussion injury. However, he returned on track after taking a few weeks of rest.
You can find the rankings, stats, and snap count summary of Giovani Bernard on the Footballguys website.
Cincinnati Bengals star got married to his long-term girlfriend named Chloe Call in 2019. The two haven’t shared much about their relationship, except a few snippets from their wedding.
Digging their past, the couple met at the University of North Carolina in 2012. Since then, they have been together.
Nonetheless, the couple seems so happy together. Both of them often post their beautiful pictures on their social media.
Bernard and Call announced their pregnancy on November 6, 2021. On January 2022, the couple welcomed their first kid as a son named Julian Leo.
How much does Giovani Bernard make? Net Worth and Earnings
There is a self-evidence that Giovani earns a quite satisfying amount of money from his football career. Being a successful football player, he has accumulated good net worth.
Most of the career earnings come after signing the contract with the football leagues and promoting various sports products.
Not to mention, his net worth is estimated at $3 million to date.
Initially, the American professional footballer Bernard had signed a four-year, $5.25 million contract with the Cincinnati Bengals, including a $2.2 million signing bonus and $3.2 million guaranteed.
Afterward, in 2016, he signed a three-year extension contract of $15.5 million with the Bengals. Then again, he signed a two-year, $10.3 million contract extension.
Likewise, the professional football player is also involved with various brands and endorsements. He is involved with sports activities brands such as caps, sportswear, etc.
Social Media Presence:
American football running back is exceptionally a social media-friendly guy and is available on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.
Instagram: 83.2k followers
Twitter: 73.3k followers
Facebook: 67k followers
What happened to Giovani Bernard?
Giovani Bernard suffered a right knee injury during practice because he had to miss the 2010 season.
Similarly, in 2015, he suffered from a right hip injury and took a rest of 9-11 weeks.
In 2017, he was kept out because of an injury in the ligament of his knee. Afterward, in 2020, he had to suffer from a concussion injury.
Are Giovani Bernard and James White friends?
Since playing football together in high school, Giovani Bernard and James White have been good friends. Giovani Bernard mentioned James in one of his interviews, saying,
“He is a very close friend of mine. I grew up with James over in Fort Lauderdale at St. Thomas Aquinas High School, so I have a very close relationship with him.”
Is Giovani Bernard Italian?
Giovani was born to Haitian immigrant parents in West Palm Beach, Florida. So, he is American and not Italian.
Do Giovani Bernard and Kerryon Johnson play for the same football team?
No, Giovani Bernard plays for the professional football team Tampa Bay Buccaneers, whereas Kerryon plays for the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League(NFL). However, they both play in the same position, i.e., running back.
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