College career
Blades played a big part in the University of Miami's winning the 1987 NCAA National Championship. He also won the Jim Thorpe Award in that year and, in 2006, was named to the College Football Hall of Fame for his play with the Miami Hurricanes. He shares the University of Miami single season interception record with fellow Miami Hurricane Sean Taylor.
During his play at the University of Miami, he and the defensive secondary were nicknamed "Bennie and the Jets," a reference to the song by Elton John, for their speed, power, ability, and stand-out defensive play. Blades also was known for taunting and intimidating opposing players.
Blades was interviewed about his time at the University of Miami for the documentary The U , which premiered December 12, 2009 on ESPN.
Professional career
Following his graduation from the University of Miami, Blades entered the 1988 NFL draft and was selected in the first round with the third overall pick. [2] He spent ten seasons in the NFL. He played for the Detroit Lions from 1988 to 1996 and the 1997 season with the Seattle Seahawks, teaming up with his older brother, wide receiver Brian Blades, who also played collegiate football at the University of Miami.
During his time with the Lions, Blades was considered one of the most physical defensive backs in the NFL, even playing as a linebacker in certain passing situations toward the end of his career. Blades is widely considered to be one of the greatest defensive backs in Lions' history.
The Lions selected Blades with the third overall pick in the 1988 NFL Draft, and he went on to earn NFL All-Rookie honors for the 1988 season. He was selected to the Pro Bowl in 1991 - in addition to receiving First-team All-NFL and First-team All-NFC honors. He was the Lions’ Defensive MVP in 1992 and led the team with 78 tackles in 1996. [3] He had two 100-tackle seasons in is first two seasons in Detroit.
An underrated professional player, Blades was a key component to the Lions’ defense that helped the team claim two NFC Central titles, and a berth in the 1991 NFC Championship game. He was a defensive captain for five years in Detroit and his 815 career tackles place him second on the Lions’ all-time list.
Julius Frazier Peppers is an American former professional football player who was a defensive end and linebacker in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the North Carolina Tar Heels, where he was recognized as a unanimous All-American, and was selected by the Carolina Panthers second overall in the 2002 NFL draft, and also played for the Chicago Bears from 2010 through 2013 and the Green Bay Packers from 2014 to 2016. After rejoining the Panthers for the 2017 season, he retired after the 2018 NFL season.
The 1992 NFL season was the 73rd regular season of the National Football League (NFL). Due to the damage caused by Hurricane Andrew, the New England Patriots at Miami Dolphins game that was scheduled for September 6 at Joe Robbie Stadium was rescheduled to October 18. Both teams originally had that weekend off. This marked the first time since the 1966 NFL season and the AFL seasons of 1966 and 1967 that there were byes in week 1.
Wayne Howard Joseph Fontes is a former American football coach and college and professional football player who was the head coach of the National Football League (NFL)'s Detroit Lions from 1988 to 1996. His 67 wins and 71 losses are each the most for a head coach in team history.
Charles Christopher Spielman is an American former professional football player who is a special assistant to the owner and CEO for the Detroit Lions of the National Football League (NFL). He played linebacker for the Ohio State Buckeyes, twice earning All-American honors. He played professional football for the Detroit Lions in the NFL, where he was a three-time All-Pro. He also played for the Buffalo Bills and Cleveland Browns, and coached for the Arena Football League (AFL)'s Columbus Destroyers. He was a broadcaster for Fox Sports and ESPN from 1999 to 2020.
James J. Schwartz is an American football coach who is the defensive coordinator for the Cleveland Browns of the National Football League (NFL). He was head coach of the Detroit Lions from 2009 to 2013. He was also defensive coordinator for the Tennessee Titans from 2001 to 2008, Buffalo Bills in 2014, and Philadelphia Eagles from 2016 to 2020. In addition, Schwartz was the Senior Defensive Assistant for the Titans from 2021 to 2022. He won Super Bowl LII with the Eagles in 2018.
Raymond Lester "Trace" Armstrong III, is an American former professional football player who was a defensive end in the National Football League (NFL) for fifteen seasons from the late 1980s to the early 2000s. He played college football for the Arizona State Sun Devils and the Florida Gators, and was recognized as an All-American. A first-round pick in the 1989 NFL draft, he played professionally for the Chicago Bears, the Miami Dolphins and the Oakland Raiders. He was formerly the president of the National Football League Players Association (NFLPA), and he currently works as a sports agent.
Micheal Colvin Barrow is an American former professional football player who was a linebacker for 12 seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Miami Hurricanes, earning consensus All-American honors. He was selected by the Houston Oilers in the second round of the 1993 NFL draft, and also played professionally for the Carolina Panthers, New York Giants and Dallas Cowboys of the NFL.
Stephen Gerard Boyd is an American former professional football player who was a linebacker for the Detroit Lions of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Boston College Eagles, starting for four seasons, and was selected in the fifth round of the 1995 NFL draft with the 141st pick. Boyd was a two-time Pro Bowl selection at middle linebacker for the Lions.
Marquand Alexander Manuel is an American football coach and former safety who is the Safeties coach for the New York Jets of the National Football League (NFL). He previously served as the defensive coordinator for the Atlanta Falcons and as an assistant coach for the Seattle Seahawks. After playing college football for the University of Florida, he was selected in the sixth round of the 2002 NFL draft. He played for eight seasons in the NFL for the Cincinnati Bengals, Seattle Seahawks, Green Bay Packers, Carolina Panthers, Denver Broncos, and Detroit Lions. He was the defensive coordinator for the Atlanta Falcons from 2017 to 2018.
Ryan Darrell McNeil is an American former professional football player who was a cornerback for 11 seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Miami Hurricanes, and earned All-American honors. He was selected by the Detroit Lions in the second round of the 1993 NFL draft, and also played professionally for the St. Louis Rams, Cleveland Browns, Dallas Cowboys, San Diego Chargers and Denver Broncos of the NFL.
Rickey Dixon was an American professional football safety who played in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Oklahoma Sooners, where he won the Jim Thorpe Award in 1987. Dixon was selected by the Cincinnati Bengals in the first round of the 1988 NFL draft with the fifth overall pick. He played five seasons with the Bengals and one for the Los Angeles Raiders.
James Harold Brown is a former professional American football player who played in the National Football League (NFL) as a cornerback for 12 seasons for the Miami Dolphins, Pittsburgh Steelers, Arizona Cardinals, and Detroit Lions. Brown is the only son of a Washington, D.C., police officer.
Ndamukong Ngwa Suh is an American professional football defensive tackle who is a free agent. He played college football for the Nebraska Cornhuskers, where he earned All-American honors, and was selected by the Detroit Lions second overall in the 2010 NFL draft. He also played for the Miami Dolphins, Los Angeles Rams, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and Philadelphia Eagles. He has played in three Super Bowls: Super Bowl LIII with the Rams, Super Bowl LV with the Buccaneers, and Super Bowl LVII with the Eagles.
Glover Freeman Quin Jr. is an American former professional football player who was a safety in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the New Mexico Lobos, and was selected by the Houston Texans in the fourth round of the 2009 NFL draft. Quinn stayed in Houston for four seasons. He then also played for the Detroit Lions for six seasons.
Cameron Tyler Jordan is an American professional football defensive end for the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the California Golden Bears, and was selected by the Saints in the first round of the 2011 NFL draft. A member of the NFL 2010s All-Decade Team, Jordan is an eight-time Pro Bowler, a three-time All-Pro selection, and is the Saints' all-time franchise sack leader.
Alphonso Blades was an American football safety who went to the University of Miami. He was selected as a first-team All-Big East player at Miami. He spent two years with the San Francisco 49ers. In March 2003, he was the passenger of former Plantation High School teammate Martel Johnson who was driving Blades' 1999 Mazda Millenia when it hit another car which they were racing. Both died in the crash.
Darius Demetrius Slay Jr. is an American professional football cornerback for the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Itawamba before transferring to Mississippi State and was selected by the Detroit Lions in the second round of the 2013 NFL draft.
Aaron Charles Donald is an American former professional football defensive tackle who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 10 seasons with the St. Louis / Los Angeles Rams franchise. He is regarded as one of the greatest defensive players of all time.
Nicholas John Bosa is an American professional football defensive end for the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Ohio State Buckeyes and was selected second overall by the 49ers in the 2019 NFL draft. Bosa was named NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year and helped his team reach Super Bowl LIV. In 2022, he won the NFL Defensive Player of the Year award. He is the son of former NFL defensive end John Bosa and younger brother of Joey Bosa, currently a linebacker for the Los Angeles Chargers.
Aidan Joseph Bernardi Hutchinson is an American professional football defensive end for the Detroit Lions of the National Football League (NFL). Hutchinson was a unanimous All-American at the University of Michigan, and the runner-up for the Heisman Trophy in 2021. He was selected with the second overall pick in the 2022 NFL draft by the Detroit Lions, and named to the All-Rookie Team in 2022. Hutchinson was voted to his first Pro Bowl in 2023.
