No. 50, 54 | |||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Position: | Defensive end | ||||||||||||||
Personal information | |||||||||||||||
Born: | Miami, Florida, U.S. | October 7, 1990||||||||||||||
Height: | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | ||||||||||||||
Weight: | 262 lb (119 kg) | ||||||||||||||
Career information | |||||||||||||||
High school: | American (Hialeah, Florida) | ||||||||||||||
College: | Miami (FL) (2009–2011) | ||||||||||||||
NFL draft: | 2012 / round: 3 / pick: 72 | ||||||||||||||
Career history | |||||||||||||||
Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||||||
Career NFL statistics | |||||||||||||||
|
Olivier Alexander Vernon (born October 7, 1990) is an American former professional football player who was a defensive end and outside linebacker in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at the Miami Hurricanes. He was selected by the Miami Dolphins in the third round of the 2012 NFL draft and also played for the New York Giants and the Cleveland Browns.
Vernon attended American High School in Miami, Florida.
Considered a four-star recruit by Rivals.com , he was rated as the 11th best weakside defensive end prospect of his class. [1]
Vernon attended the University of Miami, playing for the Miami Hurricanes football team for three seasons. During his career, he totaled 81 tackles, including 20.5 for loss, and nine sacks. Vernon was one of the guilty players in the 2011 University of Miami athletics scandal receiving a six game suspension for accepting bribes from a booster Nevin Shapiro.
Height | Weight | Arm length | Hand span | 40-yard dash | 10-yard split | 20-yard split | 20-yard shuttle | Three-cone drill | Vertical jump | Broad jump | Bench press | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
6 ft 2+1⁄8 in (1.88 m) | 261 lb (118 kg) | 33 in (0.84 m) | 10+1⁄8 in (0.26 m) | 4.80 s | 1.64 s | 2.78 s | 4.50 s | 7.39 s | 34+1⁄2 in (0.88 m) | 10 ft 2 in (3.10 m) | 31 reps | |
All values from NFL Combine [2] |
The Miami Dolphins selected Vernon in the third round (72nd overall) of the 2012 NFL draft. [3] Vernon was the eighth defensive end drafted in 2012. [4] [5] His selection ended a drought of eight years without the Miami Dolphins drafting a player from the University of Miami. The last one had been Vernon Carey in 2004.
On July 25, 2012, the Dolphins signed Vernon to a four-year, $2.84 million contract that includes a signing bonus of $630,080. [6]
Throughout his first training camp, Vernon competed against Jared Odrick, Randy Starks, Jonathan Freeny, and Jamaal Westerman for a job as a starting defensive end. [7] [8] [9] Head coach Joe Philbin named Vernon a backup defensive end to begin the regular season, behind Cameron Wake and Jared Odrick. [10]
He made his professional regular season debut in the Miami Dolphins' season-opener at the Houston Texans and recorded one solo tackle in their 30–10 loss. On September 23, 2012, Vernon collected a season-high five sacks and was credited for half a sack to mark the first of his career during a 23–20 loss against the New York Jets in Week 3. Vernon's first sack was alongside teammate Jared Odrick, as both of them brought Jets' quarterback Mark Sanchez down for a six-yard loss in the second quarter. [11] In Week 6, he recorded four solo tackles and made a season-high two sacks on Rams' quarterback Sam Bradford as the Dolphins defeated the St. Louis Rams 17–14. [12] On October 28, 2012, Vernon recorded a tackle and scored the first touchdown of his career after recovering a blocked punt by teammate Jimmy Wilson in the end zone during the first quarter of a 30–9 win at the New York Jets in Week 8. Vernon also blocked a 35-yard field goal attempt by Jets' kicker Nick Folk in the end of the second quarter. [13] Vernon finished his rookie season in 2012 with 32 combined tackles (25 solo), 3.5 sacks, one forced fumble, and a touchdown in 16 games and zero starts. [14]
During training camp, Vernon competed against Jared Odrick and Dion Jordan to be a starting defensive end, opposite Cameron Wake. [15] Head coach Joe Philbin names Vernon and Cameron Wake the starting defensive ends to start the regular season. They began the season alongside defensive tackles Paul Soliai and Randy Starks. [16] [17]
On September 8, 2013, Vernon earned his first career start during the Miami Dolphins' season-opening 23–10 victory at the Cleveland Browns. On December 1, 2013, Vernon collected a season-high ten combined tackles (eight solo) and recorded a season-high three sacks during a 23–3 victory at the New York Jets in Week 13. Vernon recorded one of his sacks on Jets' quarterback Geno Smith and earned another two by sacking backup quarterback Matt Simms. [18] He finished the 2013 NFL season with 57 combined tackles (46 solo) and a career-high 11.5 sacks in 16 games and 14 starts. [14]
Vernon entered training camp slated as a starting defensive end in 2014. Head coach Joe Philbin retained Vernon and Cameron Wake as the starting defensive ends to begin the 2014 regular season. [19] In Week 6, he collected a season-high seven combined tackles and made 1.5 sacks on Packers' quarterback Aaron Rodgers during a 27–24 loss to the Green Bay Packers. [20] Vernon started in all 16 games in 2014 and recorded 46 combined tackles (31 solo) and 6.5 sacks. [14]
Defensive coordinator Kevin Coyle retained Vernon as a starting defensive end entering training camp. Head coach Joe Philbin names Vernon and Cameron Wake the starting defensive ends to begin the regular season. They started alongside defensive tackles Ndamukong Suh and Earl Mitchell. [21] In Week 13, he recorded six combined tackles and made a season-high 2.5 sacks during a 15–13 win against the Baltimore Ravens. On December 20, 2015, Vernon collected a season-high 11 combined tackles (six solo) and was credited with half a sack in the Dolphins' 30–14 loss at the San Diego Chargers in Week 15. [22] Vernon started in all 16 games in 2015 and recorded 61 combined tackles (41 solo) and 7.5 sacks. [14]
On March 9, 2016, the New York Giants signed Vernon to a five-year, $85 million contract that included $52.5 million guaranteed and a signing bonus of $20 million. [23]
Head coach Ben McAdoo named Vernon and Jason Pierre-Paul the starting defensive ends. They started alongside defensive tackles Damon Harrison and Johnathan Hankins. [24] In Week 10, he collected a season-high ten combined tackles (four solo) and made one sack during a 21–20 win against the Cincinnati Bengals. On November 27, 2016, Vernon recorded four solo tackles and made a season-high two sacks on Browns' quarterback Josh McCown during a 27–13 win at the Cleveland Browns in Week 12. [25] The following week, he made four solo tackles and tied his season-high of two sacks during a 24–14 loss at the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 13. Vernon finished his first season as a member of the New York Giants with a career-high 63 combined tackles (44 solo) and 8.5 sacks. [14] He was named second-team All-Pro.
Defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo retained Vernon and Jason Pierre-Paul as the starting defensive ends in 2017. In Week 3, he collected a season-high five combined tackles and made one sack as the Giants lost 27–24 at the Philadelphia Eagles. Vernon was sidelined for four games (Weeks 5–9) due to an ankle injury. [26] On November 12, 2017, Vernon recorded four combined tackles, deflected a pass, and made his first career interception during the Giants' 31–21 loss at the San Francisco 49ers in Week 10. Vernon intercepted a pass by 49ers' quarterback C. J. Beathard, that was intended for running back Matt Breida, during the third quarter. [27] On December 4, 2017, the New York Giants fired head coach Ben McAdoo after the Giants fell to a 2–10 record. Defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo was named the interim head coach for the last four games of the season. [28] He finished the 2017 NFL season with 37 combined tackles (22 solo), 6.5 sacks, two forced fumbles, one interception, and one sack in 12 games and 12 starts. [14] He received an overall grade of 84.2 from Pro Football Focus. [29]
On January 22, 2018, the New York Giants announced their decision to hire Minnesota Vikings' offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur as their new head coach. [30] Shumur hired James Bettcher as defensive coordinator and changed the base 4-3 defense into a base 3-4 defense. As a result, Vernon was moved from defensive end to outside linebacker. [31] [32] Vernon entered training camp slated as a starting outside linebacker, but saw competition from Kareem Martin, Connor Barwin, and Lorenzo Carter. [33] Head coach Pat Shumur named Vernon and Kareem Martin the starting outside linebackers to star the regular season. They started alongside inside linebackers B. J. Goodson and Alec Ogletree. [34]
He missed the first five games (a Week 1–5) due to an ankle injury. [35] In Week 13, Vernon collected a season-high five solo tackles, made two sacks, and one pass deflection during a 30–27 win against the Chicago Bears. On December 18, 2018, Vernon was named as an alternate to the 2019 Pro Bowl. [36] On December 30, 2018, he recorded five combined tackles and made a season-high 2.5 sacks during a 36–35 loss against the Dallas Cowboys in Week 17. [37] He finished the season with 30 combined tackles (23 solo), seven pass deflections, and one pass deflection in 11 games and 11 starts. [14] Vernon received an overall grade of 86.3 from Pro Football Focus in 2018, which ranked 14th among all edge rushers. [38] On January 19, 2019, it was announced that Vernon was selected to play in the 2019 Pro Bowl as a replacement for Khalil Mack who was unable to play due to an injury. [39]
On March 13, 2019, Vernon was acquired by the Cleveland Browns, along with Odell Beckham Jr., in exchange for Jabrill Peppers, Kevin Zeitler, and the Browns' first- and third-round picks in the 2019 NFL draft. [40]
In Week 8 of the 2020 season against the Las Vegas Raiders, Vernon recorded his first two sacks of the season on Derek Carr during the 16–6 loss. [41] In Week 11 against the Philadelphia Eagles, Vernon recorded three sacks on Carson Wentz, including one in the endzone for a safety, during the 22–17 win, later earning the AFC Defensive Player of the Week award. [42] [43] In Week 17 against the Pittsburgh Steelers, Vernon recorded his ninth sack of the season on Mason Rudolph prior to tearing his Achilles during the 24–22 win. [44] On January 5, 2021, Vernon was placed on injured reserve. [45]
Vernon became an unrestricted free agent following the 2020 season.
Year | Team | Games | Tackles | Fumbles | Interceptions | ||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
GP | GS | Cmb | Solo | Ast | Sck | TFL | QBH | Sfty | FF | FR | Yds | TD | Int | Yds | Lng | TD | PD | ||
2012 | MIA | 16 | 0 | 23 | 18 | 5 | 3.5 | 3 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — |
2013 | MIA | 16 | 14 | 57 | 46 | 11 | 11.5 | 13 | 16 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
2014 | MIA | 16 | 16 | 47 | 32 | 15 | 6.5 | 9 | 13 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — |
2015 | MIA | 16 | 16 | 61 | 41 | 20 | 7.5 | 18 | 36 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
2016 | NYG | 16 | 16 | 64 | 46 | 18 | 8.5 | 17 | 23 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — |
2017 | NYG | 12 | 12 | 37 | 23 | 14 | 6.5 | 6 | 12 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
2018 | NYG | 11 | 11 | 30 | 23 | 7 | 7.0 | 5 | 21 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 43 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
2019 | CLE | 10 | 10 | 26 | 20 | 6 | 3.5 | 5 | 11 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — |
2020 | CLE | 14 | 13 | 36 | 24 | 12 | 9.0 | 12 | 16 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
Career | 127 | 108 | 389 | 279 | 110 | 63.5 | 87 | 157 | 1 | 9 | 3 | 43 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 |
Vernon is currently married to Eden Marley, the daughter of former football player Rohan Marley, and granddaughter of reggae singer Bob Marley. In 2021, the couple welcomed a daughter named Ocean. [46] [47]
Zachary Michael Thomas, nicknamed "Baby Elephant", is an American former professional football player who was a linebacker in the National Football League (NFL) for 13 seasons. He played college football for the Texas Tech Red Raiders, and was recognized as a unanimous All-American. He was selected in the fifth round, 22nd pick, in the 1996 NFL draft by the Miami Dolphins, and played for the Dolphins in his first 12 seasons in the NFL, before playing his 13th and final season with the Dallas Cowboys.
Antrel Rocelious Rolle is an American former professional football cornerback in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Miami Hurricanes, earning unanimous All-American honors. He was selected by the Arizona Cardinals with the eighth overall pick in the 2005 NFL draft. Rolle also played for the Chicago Bears and New York Giants, winning Super Bowl XLVI with New York in 2011 over the New England Patriots.
Ivan "Ike" Taylor is an American former professional football cornerback. He was selected by the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League (NFL) in the fourth round of the 2003 NFL draft, and spent his entire 12-year career in Pittsburgh. He played college football at University of Louisiana at Lafayette.
Michael Carl Adams is an American former professional football player who was a safety in the National Football League (NFL). He is currently the assistant secondary coach for the New York Giants. Adams played college football for the Delaware Fightin' Blue Hens, and was signed by the San Francisco 49ers as an undrafted free agent in 2004. Adams also played for the Cleveland Browns, Denver Broncos, Indianapolis Colts, Carolina Panthers, and Houston Texans, and made two Pro Bowls during his 16-year career.
Kyle Derrick Williams is an American former professional football player who spent his entire 13-year career as a defensive tackle for the Buffalo Bills of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the LSU Tigers, and was selected by the Bills in the fifth round of the 2006 NFL draft, playing 13 seasons with them before retiring following the 2018 season.
Robert Michael Ninkovich is an American former professional football player who was a linebacker and defensive end for eleven seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Purdue Boilermakers as a defensive end and was selected by the New Orleans Saints in the fifth round of the 2006 NFL draft. He also played in the NFL for the Miami Dolphins and New England Patriots, winning two Super Bowls with the latter. After eight seasons with the Patriots, Ninkovich announced his retirement from the NFL following the 2016 season.
Reggie Lee Nelson is an American former professional football player who was a safety in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Florida Gators, winning a national championship and earning consensus All-American honors. He was selected by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the first round of the 2007 NFL draft and also played for the Cincinnati Bengals and Oakland Raiders.
Lawrence Olajuwon Timmons is an American former professional football player who was a linebacker in the National Football League (NFL). He was selected by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the first round of the 2007 NFL draft. He won Super Bowl XLIII with the Steelers the following year, and played in Super Bowl XLV two years later. He played college football for the Florida State Seminoles.
Calais Malik Campbell is an American professional football defensive tackle for the Miami Dolphins of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Miami Hurricanes and was selected by the Arizona Cardinals in the second round of the 2008 NFL draft.
Tyson Asi Alualu is an American professional football nose tackle who is a free agent. He was selected by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the first round of the 2010 NFL draft. He played college football for the California Golden Bears.
Brent Omar Grimes is an American former professional football player who was a cornerback in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Shippensburg University and signed with the Atlanta Falcons as an undrafted free agent in 2006. Grimes was allocated to the Hamburg Sea Devils of NFL Europa in 2006 and was part of the team that won World Bowl XV.
Vontae Ottis Davis was an American professional football player who played as a cornerback for the Miami Dolphins, Indianapolis Colts and Buffalo Bills of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Illinois Fighting Illini and was selected by the Dolphins in the first round of the 2009 NFL draft. He made two Pro Bowls in his career.
Jason McCourty is an American former professional football player who was a cornerback for 13 seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Rutgers Scarlet Knights and was selected by the Tennessee Titans in the sixth round of the 2009 NFL draft. McCourty also played in the NFL for the Cleveland Browns, the New England Patriots, he ended his playing career with the Miami Dolphins.
Cameron Phillip Heyward is an American professional football defensive tackle for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Ohio State Buckeyes, and was selected by the Steelers in the first round of the 2011 NFL draft. He is the son of former NFL player Craig Heyward and the older brother of NFL player and teammate Connor Heyward.
Reshad Monquez Jones is an American former professional football player who was a safety in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at the Georgia Bulldogs. He was selected by the Miami Dolphins in the fifth round of the 2010 NFL draft.
Terrell Ray "T. J." Ward Jr. is an American former professional football player who was a safety for eight seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Oregon Ducks, and was selected by the Cleveland Browns in the second round of the 2010 NFL draft. Ward also played for the Denver Broncos, with whom he won Super Bowl 50.
Byron S. Maxwell is an American former professional football player who was a cornerback in the National Football League (NFL). He was selected by the Seattle Seahawks in the sixth round of the 2011 NFL draft, where he was a member of the Seahawks' defensive group known as the Legion of Boom. Maxwell also played for the Philadelphia Eagles and Miami Dolphins. He played college football for the Clemson Tigers.
Malik Barron Jackson is an American former professional football player who was a defensive tackle for 10 seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Tennessee Volunteers. Jackson was selected in the fifth round of the 2012 NFL draft by the Denver Broncos, with whom he won Super Bowl 50 in 2016, in which he scored the game's first touchdown on a fumble recovery. He also played for the Jacksonville Jaguars, Philadelphia Eagles, and Cleveland Browns.
Demario Davis is an American professional football linebacker for the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League (NFL). He was selected by the New York Jets in the third round of the 2012 NFL draft. He played college football for the Arkansas State Red Wolves. Davis has also played for the Cleveland Browns.
Jamar Andrew Taylor is an American former professional football player who was a cornerback in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Boise State Broncos and was selected by the Miami Dolphins in the second round of the 2013 NFL draft.