Selected by Oakland Raiders in fourth round (113th overall) of 2011 NFL Draft, April 30, 2011…Signed first contract, July 31, 2011…Placed on reserve/injured (hamstring), Nov. 17, 2011.
Selected by Oakland Raiders in fourth round (113th overall) of 2011 NFL Draft, April 30, 2011…Signed first contract, July 31, 2011…Placed on reserve/injured (hamstring), Nov. 17, 2011.
CAREER: Promising defensive back, had rookie season cut short due to injury…Played in four games with one start.
2011: Played in four games with one start…Recorded eight tackles (six solo) and two passes defensed…(9/12) at DEN: Made NFL debut on Monday Night Football…(9/18) at BUF: Credited with first career tackle…(9/25) vs. NYJ: Saw significant action at CB in a reserve role, posting four tackles and two passes defensed, one in which he blanketed Plaxico Burress on a fourth-and-2 play, setting up an Oakland TD drive in 34-24 win…(10/2) vs. NE: Made first career start, at cornerback…Placed on injured reserve with hamstring injury on 11/17.
COLLEGE: Played four years at Ohio State, helping Buckeyes to four straight BCS bowls, including a loss to LSU in the national championship to conclude his freshman year…Saw action in 52 career games with 38 starts…Finished college career with 145 tackles (115 solo), 35 passes defensed, six interceptions, one sack and two forced fumbles…As a senior, earned first-team All-America honors (Football Writers, Phil Steele) and second-team accolades from Walter Camp and Rivals.com…Also tabbed for third-team recognition from the NFL Draft Report and honorable-mention honors from Sports Illustrated…A semifinalist for the Jim Thorpe Award, presented to the nation’s top defensive back, and the Chuck Bednarik Award, presented to the nation’s best defensive player…Added first-team All-Big Ten honors from the league’s coaches and media…Earned Academic All-Big Ten honors…Recipient of the Arnie Chonko Award, given by the Ohio State coaches to the team’s outstanding defensive back…Started all 13 games as a senior …Led the Buckeyes with three interceptions, on a unit that led the Big Ten and ranked fourth in the nation in both total defense (262.2 yards per game) and pass defense (165.0), and finished fifth in the nation in scoring defense (14.3 points per game)…Started all 13 games as a junior, on a defense that ranked fifth in the nation in both total defense (262.3) and scoring defense (12.5)…Played in 13 games with 11 starts as a sophomore…Helped team rank sixth in the nation in scoring defense (13.9)…As a freshman, when Ohio State lost in the BCS national title contest, picked off a pass and led the team with nine passes defensed, contributing to a unit that led the nation in total defense (233.0), scoring defense (12.7) and pass defense (150.1)…Lettered twice on the Ohio State track team…Part of Ohio State’s 4x100 relay team that captured Big Ten Outdoor Track & Field championship in 2009…Accounting major.
PERSONAL: Attended East Ridge High School in Clermont, Fla. …A two-time all-district choice, added first-team all-Central Florida and second-team all-state honors as a senior …As a senior, intercepted seven passes and recovered four fumbles…As a junior, returned two of his four INTs for touchdowns…Also lettered four times as a sprinter for the East Ridge track team, receiving all-state accolades…Sister played basketball at Mississippi State and brother ran track at Louisiana-Monroe…Worked with the children of Brookfield Elementary of Oakland for their Reading Partners program in October 2011.
