Blake Countess (born August 8, 1993) is a former American footballcornerback. He played college football for Michigan, using three years of eligibility between 2011 and 2014. He was an All-Big Ten Conference first-team selection in 2013 after missing most of 2012 due to injury. His 2014 season was less successful and he used his final year of eligibility as a graduate transfer at Auburn in 2015. He was selected by the Philadelphia Eagles in the sixth round of the 2016 NFL Draft.
Countess attended Our Lady of Good Counsel High School in Olney, Maryland.[1] As a junior in 2009, he totaled over 50 tackles and 20 pass break-ups.[2] In May 2010, he was nominated to play in the U.S. Army All-American Bowl high school football all-star game.[3] As a senior in 2010, Countess averaged 14.7 yards per catch, 35 yards per kickoff return, and 22.9 yards per punt return for Good Counsel.[4] Countess played both offense and defense for Good Counsel. His high school coach Bob Milloy noted: "What you're going to get from him is he's a lockdown corner, started both ways for me, and if you don't keep an eye on him, he'll run a punt or kickoff back. He's a very reliable, dependable kid, a good character person ... a good, solid citizen, great kid, and good football player."[5]
During the 2010 recruiting season, Countess was pursued by many top collegiate football programs including Notre Dame, Stanford, Penn State, Michigan, Tennessee, Arkansas, Wisconsin, West Virginia, Pitt, Georgia Tech, Purdue, Maryland, Cincinnati, Louisville, Duke, Illinois, Virginia, and Wake Forest.[2][6][7][8]
In early December 2010, Countess was selected as an Army All-American.[9] At the U.S. Army All-American Bowl played on January 8, 2011, Countess did not allow a single pass completion to any receiver he covered, and the opposing quarterbacks chose not to throw many passes in his direction.[5]
On December 17, 2010, Countess announced his verbal commitment to attend the University of Michigan.[10][11] He noted that, after visiting Ann Arbor, he "fell in love with Ann Arbor, the coaches, the school, the football legacy, the Big House, and it's just where I felt at home."[12] He was regarded as the top prospect in Michigan's 2011 recruiting class.[13]ESPN.com called him "a natural cover guy with good size and speed," and noted that he has "all the tools to be an outstanding player in college."[13] Three weeks after Countess committed to Michigan, the school's head coach Rich Rodriguez was fired. After the firing, Countess's high school coach noted that the move was unlikely to effect Countess's commitment. He noted that Countess was aware of rumors about Rodriguez being fired before giving his commitment and noted, "He said he picked Michigan because of the school."[5] He signed his letter of intent with Michigan in February 2011.[4]
Countess saw his first substantial playing time for the 2011 Michigan Wolverines football team in the fourth quarter of a 28–7 victory over San Diego State on September 24, 2011.[14] In less than one quarter, Countess accumulated seven tackles and broke up a pass in the endzone from quarterback Ryan Lindley. After the game, Michigan lineman Ryan Van Bergen noted that Countess has "a swagger about him."[15][16] The following week, Countess again drew praise for forcing a fumble and leading the team in tackles in a 58–0 win over Minnesota. He received the Next Level Player of the Week award from Matt Bracken of The Baltimore Sun.[17] For the season, he earned 2011 Big Ten Conference All-Freshman team recognition from ESPN.com and BTN.com as well as 2011 TSN first-team All-Freshman and College Football News All-Freshman honorable mention honors.[18][19][20][21]
On May 13, 2015, Countess announced his decision to transfer from Michigan.[25] After a brief recruiting process with various different schools, on May 26 he announced he would be a graduate transfer for the 2015 Auburn Tigers football team,[26] and his enrollment was official by May 28. He had also been recruited by Arizona, Oklahoma and Oklahoma State.[27]
Countess was selected by the Eagles in the sixth round, 196th overall, in the 2016 NFL Draft.[29] On September 3, 2016, he was released by the Eagles.[30]
Los Angeles Rams
On September 6, 2016, Countess was signed to the practice squad of the Los Angeles Rams.[31] He was promoted to the Rams' active roster on November 18, 2016.[32]
In Week 3 of the 2018 season, Countess returned two kicks for 51 yards and recovered a blocked punt for a touchdown in a 35-23 win over the Los Angeles Chargers, earning him NFCSpecial Teams Player of the Week.[33]
On March 12, 2019, the Rams tendered Countess as a restricted free agent.[34]
On March 11, 2020, Countess was released by the Jets.
Philadelphia Eagles (third stint)
On December 16, 2020, Countess was signed to the Philadelphia Eagles practice squad.[39] He was elevated to the active roster on December 19 and January 2, 2021, for the team's weeks 15 and 17 games against the Arizona Cardinals and Washington Football Team, and reverted to the practice squad after each game.[40][41] He signed a reserve/future contract with the Eagles on January 4, 2021,[42] and was released on March 9, 2021.[43]
On August 9, 2021, Countess re-signed with the Eagles.[44] He was placed on injured reserve on August 31, 2021. He was released on September 9, 2021.
Baltimore Ravens
On December 1, 2021, Countess was signed to the Baltimore Ravens practice squad. He was released on December 28.
Los Angeles Rams (second stint)
Countess signed to the Los Angeles Rams practice squad on January 12, 2022. Countess was elevated to the active roster and won Super Bowl LVI when the Rams defeated the Cincinnati Bengals.[45]
New Jersey Generals
On January 26, 2023, Countess signed with the New Jersey Generals of the United States Football League (USFL).[46] He was placed on the team's injured reserve list on April 19, 2023.[47] He was placed on the retired list on October 4, 2023.[48]
Jason Raynard Peters is an American football offensive tackle for the Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Arkansas and signed with the Buffalo Bills as an undrafted free agent in 2004, originally as a tight end. He was later traded to the Philadelphia Eagles in 2009 and spent the next twelve seasons playing for them before joining the Chicago Bears in 2021, the Dallas Cowboys in 2022, and the Seahawks in 2023. He is currently the oldest active NFL player.
Our Lady of Good Counsel High School is a private, Catholic, college-preparatory, coeducational high school in Olney, Maryland, an unincorporated area of Montgomery County, Maryland. It is located in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Washington.
Jamar Dontarius Adams is a former American football safety. He was signed by the Seattle Seahawks as an undrafted free agent in 2008. He played college football at Michigan. Adams has also played for the Philadelphia Eagles.
Brandon Lee Graham is an American football defensive end for the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League (NFL). He was selected by the Eagles in the first round of the 2010 NFL Draft with the thirteenth selection in the draft and the first from the Big Ten Conference. He played college football at Michigan.
Timothy Lenord Jernigan Jr. is a former American football defensive tackle. He was selected by the Baltimore Ravens in the second round of the 2014 NFL Draft. He played college football at Florida State.
Le'Raven Clark is an American football offensive tackle for the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Texas Tech, and was drafted by the Indianapolis Colts in the third round of the 2016 NFL Draft.
Daniel Saileupumoni Shelton is an American football defensive tackle who is a free agent. He was drafted by the Cleveland Browns in the first round of the 2015 NFL Draft. He played college football at Washington.
Corey Joel Clement is an American football running back who is a free agent. He played college football at Wisconsin, and was signed by the Philadelphia Eagles as an undrafted free agent in 2017. He won Super Bowl LII with the team his rookie season, catching a touchdown in the game and helping execute the Philly Special.
Nathan Michael Sudfeld is an American football quarterback for the Detroit Lions of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Indiana and was drafted by the Washington Redskins in the sixth round in the 2016 NFL Draft. Sudfeld also spent four seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles as a backup quarterback, seeing occasional playing time and was a part of their Super Bowl LII-winning team.
T. J. Edwards is an American football linebacker for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Wisconsin.
Nathan Gerry is an American football linebacker who is a free agent. He played college football at Nebraska and was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in the fifth round of the 2017 NFL Draft. He has also been a member of the San Francisco 49ers and Washington Commanders.
Aziz Shittu Jr. is a former American football defensive tackle. He played college football at Stanford. He was a member of the Philadelphia Eagles in 2017 when the team won Super Bowl LII. He has also played for the Dallas Cowboys. On April 11, 2020, Shittu joined the University of Colorado as a defensive graduate assistant coach.
Lavert Hill is an American football cornerback who is a free agent. He played college football at Michigan. He helped Martin Luther King High School earn the 2015 Michigan High School Athletic Association Division 2 championship and played in the 2016 U.S. Army All-American Bowl. He was recognized as the Lockheed Martin Air Defender of the Year as the nation's top high school defensive back. As a junior at Michigan, he was a 2018 All-Big Ten first-team selection by both the coaches and media. He is the younger brother of Lano Hill.
Iosua Opeta is an American football guard for the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League (NFL). After playing college football for Weber State, he was signed by the Eagles as an undrafted free agent in 2019.
Prince Tega Wanogho is a Nigerian-born American football offensive tackle for the Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Auburn and was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in the sixth round of the 2020 NFL Draft.
Josiah Scott is an American football cornerback for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Michigan State and was drafted by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the fourth round of the 2020 NFL Draft.
Joe Ostman is an American football defensive end who is currently a free agent. He played college football for Central Michigan. He signed with the Philadelphia Eagles as an undrafted free agent in 2018.
Raequan Williams is an American football defensive end for the Carolina Panthers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Michigan State.
Grayland Arnold Jr. is an American football safety for the Houston Texans of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Baylor.
Britain Covey is an American football wide receiver and punt returner for the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Utah and was signed by the Eagles as an undrafted free agent in 2022.
References
↑ "All Americans". Our Lady of Good Counsel High School. Retrieved October 8, 2018.
1 2 Guimaraes, Eric (April 8, 2010). "Countess hearing from both Tigers and Gamecocks". Spartanburg Herald-Journal.
↑ Alper, Josh (August 15, 2019). "Jets sign Blake Countess". Pro Football Talk. NBC Sports. Archived from the original on October 15, 2019. Retrieved March 25, 2023.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.
