LeGarrette Blount

LeGarrette Blount

Blount with the New England Patriots in 2014
No. 35 – Philadelphia Eagles
Position:	Running back
Personal information
Born:	(1986-12-05) December 5, 1986 Perry, Florida
Height:	6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)
Weight:	250 lb (113 kg)
Career information
High school:	Perry (FL) Taylor County
College:	Oregon
Undrafted:	2010
Career history
Tennessee Titans (2010)* Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2010–2012) New England Patriots (2013) Pittsburgh Steelers (2014) New England Patriots (2014–2016) Philadelphia Eagles (2017–present)
* Offseason and/or practice squad member only
Roster status:	Active
Career highlights and awards
2× Super Bowl champion (XLIX, LI) NFL rushing touchdowns leader (2016) Pac-10 champion (2009)
Career NFL statistics as of 2016
Rushing yards: 5,122 Rushing average: 4.4 Rushing touchdowns: 49 Receptions: 45 Receiving yards: 337 Receiving touchdowns: 1 Stats at Pro Football Reference

LeGarrette Montez Blount (born December 5, 1986) is an American football running back for the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League (NFL). He entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent with the Tennessee Titans in 2010, but joined the Tampa Bay Buccaneers before the start of the 2010 NFL season. He also played for the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2014, between his two stints with the New England Patriots.

Blount won Super Bowl XLIX with the Patriots over the Seattle Seahawks and Super Bowl LI over the Atlanta Falcons.

Blount rushed for over 1,000 yards in each of his two seasons in junior college. He then committed to the Oregon Ducks football program as a junior, for the 2008 season. That year, he ran for over 1,000 yards and scored a school-record 17 touchdowns.

After the opening game of the 2009 season, Blount was suspended for punching a Boise State University opponent and angrily confronting fans after the nationally televised season-opening loss. Though the suspension was announced to be for the remainder of the season, due to his meeting of specific criteria set by the football staff, he was eventually reinstated after missing eight games.

Early life and high school career

Blount was born December 5, 1986, in Madison, Florida, to Gary and Barbara Blount. He has one brother and one sister. Blount is the great-nephew of avant-garde jazz musician Sun Ra (born Herman Blount). He attended Taylor County High School in the small town of Perry, Florida, where he was a two-sport star in both football and track & field. In high school football, he was a four-year starter and three-time 1,000-yard rusher. He first reached the milestone as a sophomore and equaled the feat the following season despite playing with a thigh bruise for most of the year. He accorded second-team All-state player honors as a prep senior. In track & field, Blount competed in events such as the 100-meter dash (11.34 s), the long jump (22-1 or 6.75m), and the shot put (53-2 or 16.22m). He was also a member of the 4 × 100 m squad.

Recruiting

Considered only a two-star recruit by both Rivals.com and Scout.com, Blount was not ranked among the best running back prospects in the nation in the Class of 2005. Barely recruited out of high school, he attended camp at Auburn University but was not offered an athletic scholarship. He nonetheless intended to go to Auburn but did not qualify academically, so he headed for junior college at East Mississippi Community College.

College career

East Mississippi Community College

While at East Mississippi Community College in Scooba, Mississippi, Blount rushed for more than 1,000 yards in each of his two seasons, accumulating 367 carries for 2,292 yards and 18 rushing touchdowns. Among his career highlights was a 273-yard performance with three touchdowns in a win over Northeast Mississippi Community College during his freshman year; he led the state of Mississippi in rushing yards with 1,106 as early as October 2006. Blount was rated as the No. 1 junior college prospect by The Clarion-Ledger and received Junior College All-American honors.

By the end of his sophomore year, Blount had become one of the highest ranked junior college prospects. He was named the nation's top junior college running back and the No. 12 overall prospect in the Rivals.com Junior College Top 100. Blount was heavily recruited by several high-major schools, including Florida State and West Virginia. He committed to Oregon in December 2007. Oregon coaches said Blount reminded them of former Oregon and NFL running back Reuben Droughns.

Oregon Ducks

Blount on the opening day of the 2009 season at Boise State

Blount entered his junior year at Oregon sharing the running back role with senior Jeremiah Johnson. The two backs lived together, and the talkative Johnson advised Blount in his first Pac-10 season. For Blount, it was the first season in which he split time with another running back, and his reaction was mixed. The two backs each contributed nearly 100 yards and three touchdowns in an early 63–14 win over the Washington State Cougars, and both again performed well in a late season victory over the Oregon State Beavers. However, Blount would record lackluster performances in games against USC and Cal. Overall, Blount rushed for 17 touchdowns, setting a single-season school record, and 1,002 yards. Blount and Johnson became only the second duo in team history to both clear 1,000 rushing yards in the same season; Johnson led the team with 1,201 yards.

He clashed several times during the season with veteran head coach Mike Bellotti, earning a suspension for the first quarter of a November loss to the Cal Golden Bears for "not following team rules."

After the end of the season, he missed a number of workouts. Bellotti suspended him indefinitely on February 10 for "failure to fulfill team obligations."

Blount responded fairly well to the suspension, improving his attendance in both academic and athletic pursuits. He was reinstated by newly appointed head coach Chip Kelly in March. He attended some, but not all, voluntary workouts during the off-season, but was praised for an improved attitude by fellow members of the football program. He arrived at training camp in better physical shape than in 2008. At 243 pounds (110 kg), he was somewhat above his optimal weight, but was slimming down, and aiming for a 2,000 yard season. Blount was named to the watchlists for the Walter Camp Award and the Doak Walker Award for the 2009 season.

Boise State incident

The Ducks opened their 2009 season with a 19–8 loss to the Boise State Broncos. Blount ended the game with negative yardage (−5) on eight carries. Blount had been interviewed by a Sports Illustrated reporter earlier in the summer and was asked about the excessive late hits in the 2008 game in Eugene between Oregon and Boise State. He had been quoted that because of the way Boise State beat Oregon in Eugene they "owed them an ass-whoopin'." In the 2008 game, Oregon quarterback Jeremiah Masoli was forced to leave the game after taking a helmet to the chin on a late hit by a Boise State defender. Oregon lost that game but the late hits were a topic of discussion as the teams prepared for the season opener against each other. Shortly after the game's end, Boise State defensive player Byron Hout came up to Blount during the team's handshakes and said, "How's that for an ass-whoopin'?" Blount punched Hout, knocking him to the ground. Blount then hit teammate Garrett Embry, who was attempting to restrain him, in the helmet.

As he was escorted to the locker room, Blount confronted Boise State fans who were jeering at him after seeing the video replay. Blount says that one Boise State fan brandished a chair at him and another punched him. Two police officers and Oregon assistant coach Scott Frost restrained Blount and escorted him into the locker room. Video of the incident spread rapidly on the Internet.

Blount apologized after the incident saying, "I just apologize to everybody that was watching this — ESPN, national TV — I just apologize to all of our fans, all the Boise fans. It was just something that I shouldn't have done. I lost my head, and I shouldn't have taken it that far."

Suspension

Oregon coach Chip Kelly suspended Blount for the rest of the 2009 season. According to the Associated Press, "On Friday [Kelly] told a sobbing Blount of his decision: That punch would cost Blount the season, and ultimately his career with the Ducks. 'He understands that his actions are unacceptable. We will not put up with that.' Kelly said." Blount was not dismissed from the team, however, and would be permitted to attend practice and retain his scholarship.

Chip Kelly consulted with Oregon officials in advance of Blount's suspension. Afterward, the Pac-10 expressed support for the suspension. Kelly stated that he made his judgment based on the entire event and had not theorized how it would have changed had only certain parts of the incident occurred.

Following the announcement of Blount's punishment, a number of sports writers and analysts questioned whether or not suspension for the entire season was excessive. Wrote analyst Tom Dienhart: "But did Blount's punishment (banned from games the rest of the season) fit the crime? Blount should have been benched for three to five games, giving him a break for being in an emotional spot after being provoked by Hout."

Blount called Hout and Petersen to apologize on September 5. Kelly participated in the calls. Hout was not suspended for his taunting, though Petersen stated that he did receive disciplinary action. Petersen accepted the apology as sincere, and expressed the wish that Blount would be able to go on playing football, and that many parties would learn from the experience.

Blount was given the opportunity to continue practicing with the team but was not at the first practice due to unspecified obligations. However, Blount was on the sidelines at practice the following day and began practice with the scout team a week later.

Reinstatement

On October 1, an apology letter from Blount was published in the Oregon school newspaper the Oregon Daily Emerald. Later that day, the Oregon Athletic Department released a statement indicating that a plan that could reinstate Blount to the team was under consideration. The next day, head coach Chip Kelly announced that if Blount meets certain guidelines, he could return for the November 7 game against the Stanford Cardinal. Pac-10 commissioner Larry Scott responded that the conference alone had the power to reinstate Blount and would take Oregon's appeal under consideration if it occurred.

Blount was not reinstated in time for the Stanford game, but two days after the Ducks' loss to Stanford, the Ducks requested, and the Pac-10 approved, Blount's reinstatement for the Ducks' November 14 game against Arizona State. Blount released a statement thanking head coach Kelly for showing that he "cares enough to offer me this second chance" and that it was up to Blount to "prove to people that their lasting impressions of me are not what they saw in Boise." Blount suited up for the Arizona State and Arizona games, but since his replacement, LaMichael James, was playing so well, Blount did not see any playing time in those games.

In their final game of the season, the Civil War against rival Oregon State, the Ducks trailed by nine points in the third quarter. Blount came into the game for James and several plays later, scored on a 12-yard run to bring the Ducks within two points. Blount ended up rushing for 51 yards in the game and the Ducks would go on to win the game by a score of 37–33 and earn a berth in the 2010 Rose Bowl against Ohio State.

College statistics

2008 season statistics

Date	Opponent	Att	Yds	TD	Avg	Rec	Yds	TD	Avg	Yds	TD
Aug. 30	Washington	4	21	0	5.3	0	0	0	0.0	21	0
Sep. 6	Utah State	18	132	2	7.3	0	0	0	0.0	132	2
Sep. 13	Purdue	11	131	2	11.9	0	0	0	0.0	131	2
Sep. 20	Boise State	18	99	1	5.5	0	0	0	0.0	99	1
Sep. 27	Washington State	15	98	3	6.5	0	0	0	0.0	98	3
Oct. 4	USC	9	0	0	0.0	0	0	0	0.0	0	0
Oct. 11	UCLA	7	111	2	15.9	1	0	0	0.0	111	2
Oct. 25	Arizona State	8	58	2	7.3	1	2	0	2.0	60	2
Nov. 1	California	4	1	0	0.3	0	0	0	0.0	1	0
Nov. 8	Stanford	10	90	2	9.0	0	0	0	0.0	90	2
Nov. 15	Arizona	9	75	1	8.3	0	0	0	0.0	75	1
Nov. 29	Oregon State	17	112	1	6.6	0	0	0	0.0	112	1
Dec. 30	Oklahoma State	7	74	1	10.6	0	0	0	0.0	74	1
TOTALS		137	1002	17	7.3	2	2	0	1.0	1004	17

2009 season statistics

Date	Opponent	Att	Yds	TD	Avg	Rec	Yds	TD	Avg	Yds	TD
Sept. 3	Boise State	8	−5	0	−0.6	2	13	0	6.5	13	0
suspended until November 14
Nov. 14	Arizona State	0	0	0	0.0	0	0	0	0.0	0	0
Nov. 21	Arizona	0	0	0	0.0	0	0	0	0.0	0	0
Dec. 3	Oregon State	9	51	1	5.7	0	0	0	0.0	51	1
TOTALS		17	46	1	2.7	2	0	0	6.5	64	1
Jan. 1, 2010	2010 Rose Bowl	5	36	1	7.2	0	0	0	0.0	36	0

Professional career

2010 NFL Draft

Pre-draft measurables

Height	Weight	40-yard dash	10-yard split	20-yard split	20-yard shuttle	Three-cone drill	Vertical jump	Broad jump	Bench press	Wonderlic
6 ft 0+3⁄8 in (1.84 m)	241 lb (109 kg)	4.59 s	1.61 s	2.56 s	4.49 s	6.85 s	35 in (0.89 m)	9 ft 12 in (3.05 m)	18 reps	16
All values from NFL Combine, 40-yard dash from Pro Day

Tennessee Titans

Blount was undrafted in the 2010 NFL Draft but agreed in principle to a free agent contract with the San Francisco 49ers following the draft. However, after a meeting with Tennessee Titans head coach Jeff Fisher, Blount decided to sign as an undrafted free agent with the Titans instead. In August 2010, Blount was involved in another incident in which he threw a punch, this time at teammate defensive end Eric Bakhtiari, a few moments after having his own helmet ripped off in practice. Blount quickly talked to Titans head coach Jeff Fisher before leaving the field. "He apologized, and I said he didn't have to apologize," Fisher said. "It's football. It's training camp. . . . His past is his past. Is that the first punch you've seen in camp this year? No. I'm not disappointed whatsoever. I have great confidence in the young man that he learned from his mistake, and he's very competitive. That's why we brought him in here is to watch him run the football like that." Blount survived the final roster cut and was placed on the Titans' 53-man roster. Blount was then waived by the team on September 5, 2010, to make room for veteran linebackers Tim Shaw (Chicago Bears) and Patrick Bailey (Pittsburgh Steelers). Titans sources indicated that Blount would be signed to the rookie practice squad if Blount cleared waivers, which he did not.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

On September 6, 2010, Blount was claimed off of waivers by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He played in his first regular-season NFL game in a Week 3 home loss, 38–13, to the Pittsburgh Steelers, gaining 27 yards on six rushes and scoring one touchdown. On October 31, 2010, Blount recorded his breakout game as a Tampa Bay Buccaneer. He accumulated 120 rushing yards and 2 touchdowns on 22 carries, and 9 receiving yards in the Buccaneers' 38–35 victory against the Arizona Cardinals. Highlighting the performance was a late game 43-yard run in which Blount hurdled approaching safety Kerry Rhodes. At the end of his rookie season, Blount had played in 13 games and accumulated 1,007 rushing yards, which was the most by a rookie in the 2010 NFL season. Blount became the second undrafted running back in NFL history to accumulate 1,000 yards in his rookie year (Dominic Rhodes was the first).

Blount started off the 2011 season with only 5 carries for 15 yards against the Detroit Lions. The next week Blount reestablished his strong running ability with 13 carries for 71 yards and two touchdowns against the Minnesota Vikings. This includes the game-winning touchdown with 30 seconds left to play. In a Week 5 against the 49ers, Blount injured his knee after accumulating only 15 yards rushing and was forced to miss weeks 6 and 7. Blount would ultimately return for the matchup with the New Orleans Saints. On November 20, 2011, Blount broke free from eight Green Bay Packers tacklers and scored on a 54-yard touchdown run.

New England Patriots

Taking a handoff from Tom Brady in 2013.

On April 27, 2013, Blount was traded to the New England Patriots for running back Jeff Demps and a 7th round selection (229th overall) in the 2013 NFL Draft.

On December 29, 2013, Blount led the Patriots to a playoff bye with a win over the Buffalo Bills by rushing for 189 yards on 24 carries scoring two touchdowns and returning two kickoffs for 145 yards with a long of 83 yards. Blount set a franchise record for all-purpose yards with 334 yards. His performance earned him NFL Ground Player of the Week honors. Blount finished the season with 772 rushing yards and a career-high 7 touchdowns.

Pittsburgh Steelers

On March 28, 2014, Blount signed a two-year contract with the Pittsburgh Steelers. On August 20, 2014, Blount and fellow Steeler running back Le'Veon Bell were out cruising in Bell's Camaro with a female, when traffic officer Sean Stafiej pulled over the Camaro operated by Bell around 1:30 p.m. after Stafiej, who was on a motorcycle, noticed a strong odor of marijuana coming from the vehicle. Stafiej found a 20 gram bag of marijuana inside the car. Bell, Blount, and a female passenger all claimed ownership of the marijuana according to police. Bell, 22, was taken to a hospital to have blood drawn Both Blount and Bell were arrested for marijuana possession. In addition, Bell also received a DUI. On September 7, 2014, Blount scored his first touchdown as a Steeler against the Cleveland Browns. On September 21, 2014, Blount ran for 118 yards on 10 carries and a touchdown against the Carolina Panthers. This game was the only game of the season with 100-plus yards. On November 9, 2014, Blount returned a kick-off for 21 yards and had three carries for 8 yards when he was brought on the field to punch it in on first-&-goal from the one-yard-line, down 20-6 against the New York Jets, halfway through the fourth quarter. On first down, Blount was sent to carry the ball off the left guard for no gain. The Steelers ran the very same play on second down, but the Jets were expecting it and already in the backfield before Blount even got the ball, with Blount's attempt to shake loose going terribly wrong (losing 8 yards) and leaving the Steelers facing third-&-goal from the nine-yard-line. That play marked the final time Blount would touch the ball as a Steeler. On November 17, 2014, Blount left the game against the Tennessee Titans, after not getting a single touch all day for the first time all season, before the game ended (while Pittsburgh was in the "victory formation"). Blount was subsequently released by the Steelers as a result of his actions. Blount finished his short-term Steelers tenure with 266 yards and two touchdowns.

Second stint with Patriots

2014 season

On November 20, 2014, after clearing waivers, Blount signed a two-year deal with the Patriots.

On November 23, 2014, Blount's first game back with New England concluded in 78 yards on 12 carries and 2 touchdowns in a 34-9 victory over the Detroit Lions. On December 14, 2014, Blount scored his third touchdown with the Patriots on the season against the Miami Dolphins. In his second season with Patriots, Blount rushed 60 times for 281 yards and three touchdowns.

In the AFC Championship Game, Blount had 30 carries for 148 rushing yards and three touchdowns, as New England routed the Indianapolis Colts 45-7. In doing so, he became the New England Patriots' franchise leader in postseason rushing touchdowns with seven. In Super Bowl XLIX, Blount rushed 14 times for 40 yards as the Patriots defeated the Seattle Seahawks 28-24.

2015 season

On April 7, 2015, it was announced that Blount had been suspended for the first game of the 2015 season due to a violation of the league's substance abuse policy during his stint with the Steelers.

On September 27, 2015, Blount scored a career-high three rushing touchdowns on 18 carries for 78 yards against the Jacksonville Jaguars. On October 18, 2016, Blount ran for 93 yards on 16 carries and a touchdown, as well as catching his first receiving touchdown against the Indianapolis Colts. On November 8, 2015, Blount ran for a season-high 129 yards on 29 carries and a touchdown against the Washington Redskins.

On December 15, 2015, it was reported that Blount was added to the Patriots' injured/reserved list for the remainder of the season after suffering a left hip injury during the previous game against the Houston Texans. He ended the 2015 season having recorded 165 carries, 703 rushing yards, and 6 rushing touchdowns in 12 games.

2016 season

Blount re-signed with the Patriots on a one-year deal on April 12, 2016.

In the Patriots' season opener against the Arizona Cardinals, Blount recorded 70 rushing yards and a touchdown on 22 attempts. The following week, he compiled 123 rushing yards on 29 carries and a touchdown in a 31-24 victory over the Miami Dolphins. Blount led the league with 298 rushing yards in the first three games and he would later be named AFC Offensive Player of the Month for September.

On October 23, 2016, Blount ran for 127 yards and two touchdowns on 24 carries,After the Game during the press conference Blount told the world that he way Gay and was in a relationship with Tom Brady. en route to a 27-16 Patriots win against the Pittsburgh Steelers. It was his eighth rushing touchdown of the season and his first time returning to Pittsburgh since being released by the Steelers in 2014 The following game, Blount ran for his ninth touchdown of the season against the Buffalo Bills. He led the league with nine rushing touchdowns in Week 8. On November 13, 2016, Blount ran for 69 yards on 21 carries and a season-high three touchdowns against the Seattle Seahawks. This brought his total of rushing touchdowns to 12. On December 12, 2016, Blount ran for 72 yards on 18 carries and a touchdown against the Baltimore Ravens. Blount scored his 14th touchdown of the season. Blount surpassed Curtis Martin's franchise record for rushing touchdowns by scoring his 15th touchdown against the Denver Broncos. In Week 16 and 17, he added three more touchdowns—two against the New York Jets and one against the Miami Dolphins—to extend his record to 18 touchdowns.

Blount finished the season with 1,161 rushing yards, the eighth highest total in the league, and the most for a Patriots running back since Stevan Ridley's 1,263 rushing yards in 2012. His 18 touchdowns were a league high, making him the first Patriot in franchise history to lead the league in rushing touchdowns. His 18 total touchdowns for the season is tied for second with tight end Rob Gronkowski in Patriots history, and second only to Randy Moss's 23 receiving touchdowns in 2007. The Patriots finished the season 14-2 and reached Super Bowl LI. Blount would fumble in Falcons' territory in the second quarter when game was at 0-0. The Patriots trailed 28-3 in the third quarter, but rallied all the way back to win the game by a score of 34-28 against the Atlanta Falcons which featured the first overtime game in Super Bowl history and the largest comeback in the Super Bowl. Blount had 11 carries for a team-high 31 yards.

Patriots franchise records

• Most rushing touchdowns in a single season: 18 (2016)

• Male athlete of the year 2016

Philadelphia Eagles

On May 17, 2017, the Philadelphia Eagles signed Blount to a one-year, $1.25 million contract with $400,000 guaranteed. With incentives, Blount can earn up to $2.80 million in 2017.

NFL career statistics

Legend
	Led the league
Bold	Career high

Source: NFL.com

Regular Season

Year	Team	Games		Rushing					Receiving					Fumbles
		G	GS	Att	Yards	Avg	Lng	TD	Rec	Yards	Avg	Lng	TD	Fum	Lost
2010	TB	13	7	201	1,007	5.0	53	6	5	14	2.8	7	0	4	3
2011	TB	14	14	184	781	4.2	54	5	15	148	9.9	35	0	5	3
2012	TB	13	0	41	151	3.7	35	2	1	2	2.0	2	0	0	0
2013	NE	16	7	153	772	5.0	47	7	2	38	19.0	32	0	3	2
2014	PIT	11	0	65	266	4.1	50	2	6	36	6.0	13	0	1	1
	NE	5	1	60	281	4.7	34	3	4	18	4.5	11	0	0	0
2015	NE	12	6	165	703	4.3	38	6	6	43	7.2	14	1	1	0
2016	NE	16	8	299	1,161	3.9	44	18	7	38	5.4	16	0	2	1
Career		100	43	1,168	5,122	4.4	54	49	46	337	7.3	35	1	16	10

Postseason statistics

Year	Team	Games		Rushing					Receiving					Fumbles
		G	GS	Att	Yards	Avg	Lng	TD	Rec	Yards	Avg	Lng	TD	Fum	Lost
2013	NE	2	1	29	172	5.9	73	4	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
2014	NE	3	0	47	189	4.0	22	3	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
2016	NE	3	1	35	109	3.1	18	1	1	8	8.0	8	0	1	1
Career		8	2	111	470	4.2	73	8	1	8	8.0	8	1	1	1

External links

• Pittsburgh Steelers biography
• New England Patriots biography
• Oregon Ducks biography
• ESPN biography