Stephon Gilmore
 Gilmore in 2015 training camp | |||||||||||
| Buffalo Bills | |||||||||||
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| Personal information | |||||||||||
| Born: | September 19, 1990 Rock Hill, South Carolina | ||||||||||
| Height: | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) | ||||||||||
| Weight: | 190 lb (86 kg) | ||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||
| College: | South Carolina | ||||||||||
| NFL draft: | 2012 / round: 1 / pick: 10 | ||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||
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| Roster status: | Injured reserve | ||||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||
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| Career NFL statistics as of 2015 | |||||||||||
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Stephon Stiles Gilmore (born September 19, 1990) is an American football cornerback for the Buffalo Bills of the National Football League (NFL). He was drafted by the Bills tenth overall in the 2012 NFL Draft.[1] He played college football at South Carolina. Gilmore was regarded as one of the best cornerback prospects of his class.[2]
High school career
Gilmore attended South Pointe High School in Rock Hill, South Carolina, where he played football, basketball and ran track. In football, he was a two-way player as quarterback and defensive back, and helped his team to a perfect 15–0 record and the SCHSL AAAA Division II title as a senior. Among his teammates were DeVonte Holloman and Jadeveon Clowney. Playing quarterback on offense, Gilmore rushed for 1,331 yards and 23 touchdowns and passed for 1,771 yards with 14 scores. He earned first-team all-state honors by The State and was named an All-American by Parade and EA Sports. He was also named Mr. Football for the state of South Carolina.
In track & field, Gilmore competed as a sprinter during his junior year in 2008. He recorded a PR of 11.41 seconds in the 100 meters in the prelims of the Taco Bell Classic.[3] At the York County Meet, he took 5th in the 200 meters, at 23.14 seconds, and placed 9th in the 400 meters, with a time of 54.94 seconds.[4] He was also a member of the 4x100m relay (43.10s) squad.
Considered a four-star recruit by Rivals.com, Gilmore was listed as the No. 2 overall prospect from South Carolina in the class of 2009.[5] He chose South Carolina over Alabama, Tennessee, and Clemson.
College career
Gilmore graduated from South Pointe in December 2008 to enroll at South Carolina early, and participate in spring practice. It worked out, as he came out of spring as a starter at cornerback. Appearing in all 12 games for the Gamecocks, Gilmore was the rare true freshman to start at cornerback in the Southeastern Conference in 2009. He had 52 tackles, five tackles for loss, two sacks, and nine passes defended, which earned him Freshman All-American honors by College Football News and Phil Steele.[6] He has occasionally appeared on offense, with a career total of 2 attempted passes (1 complete) and 6 rushes during regular season games. He also completed a 29 yard pass to Alshon Jeffery in the 4th quarter of the 2010 Chick-fil-A Bowl.
Professional career
2012 NFL Draft
On April 26, 2012, Gilmore was selected in the first round (10th overall) by the Buffalo Bills. He was the highest selected Gamecocks defensive back since Dunta Robinson in 2004.
| 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 1 in (1.85 m) |
190 lb (86 kg) |
31 in (0.79 m) |
9+1⁄4 | 4.38 s | 1.47 s | 2.40 s | 3.94 s | 6.61 s | 36 in (0.91 m) |
10 ft 3 in (3.12 m) |
15 reps | |
| All values from NFL Combine[7] | ||||||||||||
Buffalo Bills
On May 17, 2012, Gilmore signed a rookie contract reported to be for four years (including an option for a fifth year) for $12.1 million.[8]
Upon joining the team, Gilmore was penciled in as the teams' number one cornerback and routinely covered the top receivers of opposing teams. Over the course of his rookie season, Gilmore totaled 61 tackles and one interception, coming against the St. Louis Rams on December 9, 2012.
On April 3, 2013, Gilmore changed his jersey number from 27 to 24.[9]
Described as a shutdown cornerback, Gilmore has drawn comparisons to current NFL great Darrelle Revis from NFL Media's Chris Wesseling[10] and Sports Illustrated's Andy Benoit.[11] Incidentally, in 2015 Gilmore will be playing for the same head coach Darrelle Revis developed under, Rex Ryan.[12]
On December 15, 2015, Gilmore had surgery on a torn labrum.[13] On December 16, 2015, Gilmore was placed on Injured Reserve.[13]
Personal Life
On July 12, 2014, Gilmore married his college sweetheart, Gabrielle Glenn.[14] Gabrielle, also an athlete, was a collegiate sprinter for University of South Carolina.[15]
References
- ^ Lourie, Steven. "Buffalo Bills 2012 Draft Grades". Retrieved 2012-04-30.
- ^ "NFL Draft - 2013 CB Draft Prospects", CBSSports.com, retrieved December 9, 2009
- ^ http://sc.milesplit.com/meets/31169/results/64916
- ^ http://sc.milesplit.com/meets/31728/results/65246
- ^ "South Carolina Postseason Top 35 2009", Rivals.com, January 26, 2009
- ^ Cirminiello, Richard (December 8, 2009), "2009 CFN All-Freshman Team: Defense & Special Teams", College Football News
- ^ http://www.nfl.com/combine/profiles/Stephon-Gilmore?id=2533062
- ^ "Stephon Gilmore signs with Bills". NFL. May 17, 2012.
- ^ Gilmore changes number to 24
- ^ Stephon Gilmore a shutdown corner, Bills coaches say
- ^ Stephon Gilmore: A Secret Superstar
- ^ Rex Ryan named coach of the Buffalo Bills
- ^ a b "Bills place CB Stephon Gilmore on injured reserve". ESPN.com. Retrieved 2015-12-17.
- ^ Another One Bites The Dust: Buffalo Bills DB Stephon Gilmore Marries Fiancee Gabrielle
- ^ Gabrielle Glenn Gamecocks bio
External links
- 1990 births
- Living people
- Under Armour All-American football players
- People from York County, South Carolina
- Players of American football from South Carolina
- African-American players of American football
- American football cornerbacks
- Parade High School All-Americans (football)
- South Carolina Gamecocks football players
- Buffalo Bills players