No. 22 | |||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Position: | Cornerback | ||||||||
Personal information | |||||||||
Born: | Sacramento, California, U.S. | February 7, 1987||||||||
Height: | 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) | ||||||||
Weight: | 182 lb (83 kg) | ||||||||
Career information | |||||||||
High school: | Grant Union (Sacramento, California) | ||||||||
College: | California | ||||||||
NFL draft: | 2010 / Round: 7 / Pick: 225 | ||||||||
Career history | |||||||||
* Offseason and/or practice squad member only | |||||||||
Career highlights and awards | |||||||||
| |||||||||
Career NFL statistics | |||||||||
| |||||||||
Player stats at NFL.com |
Syd'Quan Thompson (born February 7, 1987) is a former American football cornerback. He was selected by the Denver Broncos as the 225th overall selection in the 2010 NFL Draft. He played college football at California.
Thompson was born on February 7, 1987. in Sacramento, California, to mother Patrice Thompson. He is also the brother of Carolina Panthers' linebacker Shaq Thompson. He attended Grant Union High School where he played football and earned all-state honors three times. As a junior in 2004, he recorded 950 rushing yards for 18 touchdowns, 15 receptions for 360 yards and four touchdowns, returned five punts, and returned one kickoff for a touchdown. That year, Rivals.com ranked him the number-one junior player in the state, and he received the California Mr. Football Award. As a senior, he recorded more than 70 tackles, two interceptions, 1,000 rushing yards, and 12 touchdowns. He received an invitation to play in the CaliFlorida Bowl. The Sacramento Bee named him to its all-metro second team. [1]
Scout.com rated him the number-five player in its West Hot 100. Rivals.com rated him the 13th-ranked athlete in the nation and the 21st-ranked player in California. ESPN assessed him as the 11th-ranked cornerback in the nation. PrepStar named him an All-American, as did SuperPrep, which also rated him the 17th-ranked defensive back in the nation and the 13th-ranked player in California. [1] Thompson was rated a four-star prospect by both Scout.com and Rivals.com. [2] [3] He received scholarship offers from Arizona, California, Kansas State, Oklahoma, Oregon, UCLA, and Washington. [2]
Thompson enrolled at the University of California, Berkeley where he majored in social welfare. He sat out the 2005 season as a redshirt. In 2006, starting cornerback Tim Mixon suffered a knee injury before the season, which forced Thompson to fill in that role for the remainder of the season. [1] In the season-opener against Tennessee, Thompson played with a cast because of a broken wrist and was twice outpaced by All-American wide receiver Robert Meachem for touchdown receptions. Tennessee won, 35–18. [4] Thompson started all 13 games of the season, and he recorded 60 tackles including 35 solo, two fumble recoveries including one returned for a touchdown against Stanford, and one interception. The Sporting News named him to its freshman All-Pac-10 team. In 2007, Thompson again started all 13 games and recorded 78 tackles including six for loss, ten broken-up passes, and one interception. [1]
In 2008, he started in all 13 games at cornerback and as served as the punt returner. He recorded four interceptions for 128 yards and 18 passes defended. Against Washington State, he set a school single-game record with 108 interception return yards. [1] In that game, he intercepted one pass and returned it 90 yards, before being caught by Washington State running back Christopher Ivory five yards short of the goal line. California scored on its ensuing possession, but Thompson reported he was teased by his teammates and asserted that he "was good for the first 40 yards, but then my back and my hip started tightening up". [5] Against Colorado State, he returned a punt 73 yards for a touchdown, for which he was named the Pac-10 Special Teams Player of the Week. Thompson received the team's Andy Smith Award for most playing time, and he was named to the All-Pac-10 first team. [1]
Thompson is on the watch list for the 2009 Lott Trophy, which is an award bestowed upon the nation's best defensive player with strong character. [6] He has also been declared a preseason All-American by many various publications. [4] In preseason predictions for California, many analysts have named California's secondary a major strength, largely because of Thompson. [7] [8] When asked to name his four most important teammates, California linebacker Worrell Williams included Thompson as the only defensive player. He said, "So what's that tell you? He's going to shut down one side of the field when he's out there." [9]
The NFL Draft Scout, a CBS Sports affiliate, rated Thompson 15th of its Top 32 seniors for the 2009 season, and wrote, "His straight-line speed, agility, reliable open-field tackling and natural return skills would be earning significantly more attention from the national media if he played in the Big Ten or SEC." [10] The NFL Draft Scout assessed him as the best cornerback out of the 226 available for the 2010 NFL Draft and projected him as a first or second round selection. [11] Following his senior season, Thompson represented Cal at the 2010 Senior Bowl
Thompson was selected in the seventh round of the 2010 NFL Draft by the Broncos as the 225th overall selection. [12] He recorded his first NFL interception against the New York Jets on October 17, 2010. On September 2, 2011, during the Broncos' last preseason game at the Arizona Cardinals, Thompson suffered a ruptured Achilles tendon, and missed the entire 2011 season. Thompson was released from the Denver Broncos roster during the roster cuts before the 2012 regular season. [13]
Thompson was assigned to the San Jose SaberCats, of the Arena Football League, on November 1, 2013.
On February 3, 2014, Thompson was traded, along with Quentin Sims and Andre Freeman, to the Orlando Predators for Simeon Castille. [14]
On February 6, 2014, Thompson was traded, along with Matt Spanos, to the Los Angeles Kiss. [15]
Thompson's younger brother Shaq was one of the most touted recruits of the class of 2012. [16] He committed to California on March 6, 2011, [17] but a week later, he re-opened his recruitment. [18] On January 7, 2012, he re-committed to California, but re-opened his commitment once again. On January 30, he committed to the University of Washington. He was drafted in the 2015 NFL Draft by the Carolina Panthers.
Roland "Champ" Bailey Jr. is an American former professional football player who was a cornerback in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Georgia Bulldogs, where he earned consensus All-American honors, and was selected by the Washington Redskins in the first round of the 1999 NFL Draft.
Antoine Brandon Cason is a former American football cornerback. He played college football at Arizona where he was recognized as a consensus All-American and won the Jim Thorpe Award. He was selected by the San Diego Chargers in the first round of the 2008 NFL Draft. Cason also played for Arizona Cardinals, Carolina Panthers, and Baltimore Ravens.
Daymeion Dante Hughes is a former American football cornerback who played five seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the University of California, Berkeley, and received consensus All-American honors. The Indianapolis Colts selected him in the third round of the 2007 NFL Draft, and he also played for the NFL's San Diego Chargers.
Stewart Harris Bradley is a former American football linebacker in the National Football League (NFL). He was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in the third round of the 2007 NFL Draft and also played for the Arizona Cardinals. He played college football at Nebraska.
Tracy O'Neil Porter is a former American football cornerback. He was drafted by the New Orleans Saints in the second round of the 2008 NFL Draft. Porter is best known for being a crucial player during the 2009 New Orleans Saints season, in which he intercepted Brett Favre in the NFC Championship Game and then won Super Bowl XLIV, sealing the game by famously intercepting Peyton Manning and returning it for a touchdown. He played college football at Indiana.
Alphonso Smith, Jr. is an American former professional and college football player who was a cornerback in the National Football League (NFL) for four seasons. Smith played college football for Wake Forest University, and received consensus All-American honors. He was selected by the Denver Broncos in the second round of the 2009 NFL Draft, and also played for the NFL's Detroit Lions.
Captain Lesean Munnerlyn is a former American football cornerback. He played college football at South Carolina for three years. He was selected by the Carolina Panthers in the seventh round, 216th overall of the 2009 NFL Draft. Munnerlyn also played for the Minnesota Vikings and Buffalo Bills.
D'Andre Lawan "Dre" Kirkpatrick is a former American football cornerback. He played college football at Alabama and was selected by the Cincinnati Bengals in the first round of the 2012 NFL Draft. He has also played for the Arizona Cardinals and San Francisco 49ers.
Kyle Wilson is a former American football cornerback. He played college football for Boise State. He was drafted by the New York Jets in the first round of the 2010 NFL Draft, remaining with the Jets for five seasons. He then played with the New Orleans Saints for two seasons beginning in 2015.
Kareem Jackson is an American football safety for the Houston Texans of the National Football League (NFL). He previously played with them for nine seasons. He also previously played for the Denver Broncos for five seasons. He played college football at Alabama. He was drafted by the Houston Texans in the first round of the 2010 NFL Draft.
Omar Bolden is a former American football safety. He played college football for Arizona State University and was drafted by the Denver Broncos in the fourth round of the 2012 NFL Draft.
Nolan Alexander Carroll II is a former American football cornerback. He was selected by the Miami Dolphins in the fifth round of the 2010 NFL Draft. He played college football at Maryland. He has also played for the Philadelphia Eagles and Dallas Cowboys.
Alterraun Ennis Verner is an American former professional football player who was a cornerback in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the UCLA Bruins, earning first-team All-American honors. Verner was selected by the Tennessee Titans in the fourth round of the 2010 NFL Draft. He was voted second-team All-Pro and named to the Pro Bowl with the Titans in 2013. He also played for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Miami Dolphins.
Amari Spievey is a former American football safety. He played college football at Iowa. He was considered one of the top cornerback prospects for the 2010 NFL Draft. He was picked in the 3rd round in the 2010 NFL Draft. On August 31, 2013, he was released by the Lions.
Worrell Williams is a former American football linebacker. He was signed by the Redwoods as an undrafted free agent in 2009. He played college football at California. He was also a member of the San Francisco 49ers and the Denver Broncos.
Trumaine Monte Johnson is a former American football cornerback. He played college football at University of Montana, and was drafted by the St. Louis Rams in the third round of the 2012 NFL Draft.
Casey Hayward Jr. is an American football cornerback who is a free agent. He played college football at Vanderbilt. Hayward was drafted by the Green Bay Packers in the second round of the 2012 NFL Draft and has played in the National Football League (NFL) for the Packers, San Diego / Los Angeles Chargers, Las Vegas Raiders, and Atlanta Falcons.
Shaquille Green Thompson is an American football linebacker for the Carolina Panthers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Washington Huskies, earning first-team All-American honors in 2014. He also had a short stint playing baseball with the Boston Red Sox organization as part of their rookie team in the Gulf Coast League. Since being drafted he has played a hybrid safety and linebacker position for the Panthers, also known as "the Big Nickel".
Bradley Roby is an American football cornerback for the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League (NFL). He was selected by the Denver Broncos in the first round of the 2014 NFL draft. He played college football at Ohio State. He has also played for the Houston Texans and the New Orleans Saints.
Marcus Peters is an American football cornerback who is a free agent. He was selected by the Kansas City Chiefs in the first round of the 2015 NFL Draft and has also been a member of the Los Angeles Rams, Baltimore Ravens, and Las Vegas Raiders. He played college football at Washington.