Aaron Ross facts for kids
Ross with the New York Giants in 2010
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| No. 31, 20 | |||||||||||
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| Position: | Cornerback | ||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||
| Born: | September 15, 1982 San Antonio, Texas, U.S. |
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| Height: | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) | ||||||||||
| Weight: | 190 lb (86 kg) | ||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||
| High school: | John Tyler (Tyler, Texas) | ||||||||||
| College: | Texas (2002–2006) | ||||||||||
| NFL Draft: | 2007 / Round: 1 / Pick: 20 | ||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||
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| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||||
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| Player stats at PFR | |||||||||||
Aaron Jermaine Ross (born September 15, 1982) is a former American football player. He played as a cornerback in the National Football League (NFL). Aaron Ross won a national championship in college football in 2005 with the Texas Longhorns. In 2006, he won the Jim Thorpe Award as the best defensive back in the country.
The New York Giants picked Ross in the first round of the 2007 NFL draft. He helped the Giants win two Super Bowls, Super Bowl XLII and Super Bowl XLVI. He also played for the Jacksonville Jaguars, Baltimore Ravens, and Cleveland Browns.
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Early Life and High School Football
Aaron Ross grew up in Tyler, Texas. He went to John Tyler High School. There, he played many positions like quarterback, wide receiver, defensive back, and running back.
In his senior year (2001), he was named second-team All-State. He made six interceptions and helped his team a lot on defense. As a junior, he scored touchdowns by returning a fumble and a blocked punt. He also ran for 350 yards and caught passes for 200 yards.
Before John Tyler, Ross played at Fox Tech High School in San Antonio, Texas. He rushed for 486 yards and nine touchdowns there. He also caught 11 passes for 382 yards and three scores. On defense, he intercepted five passes and blocked ten kicks. Besides football, Aaron Ross was also a great sprinter in track and field and played basketball.
College Football Career
Aaron Ross started at the University of Texas in 2002. He couldn't play football that year because of academic rules. In 2003, he played in 13 games as a cornerback. He made 27 tackles and broke up two passes.
In 2004, he shared duties at right cornerback. He had 36 tackles and one interception. He also returned 18 punts, averaging 7.6 yards each. At the end of this season, he won his first Rose Bowl Championship.
As a junior, Ross was recognized as an honorable mention All-Big 12 Conference player. He started two games at cornerback. He was one of the best in the country at returning punts, averaging 14.7 yards on 34 returns. He even returned two punts for touchdowns. He also had three interceptions and broke up nine passes. He helped the Longhorns win the 2005 National Championship.
In 2006, Ross became a full-time starter. He was named an All-American and first-team All-Big 12 Conference player. He also won the Thorpe Award, which goes to the nation's top defensive back. He was named the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year. He had 80 tackles, a sack, and 19 pass deflections. He also caused three fumbles, recovered two, and intercepted six passes. He scored once on a punt return.
During his time at Texas, Aaron Ross played in 51 games and started 15 times. He made 205 tackles and intercepted ten passes. He also returned 76 punts for 893 yards and three touchdowns. He finished his college career by winning the 2006 Alamo Bowl. He was named the defensive MVP of that game.
Aaron Ross was part of a very strong group of players who joined Texas in the same year. Many of them, like Vince Young, later played in the NFL. This group helped Texas win the 2005 National Championship.
Professional Football Career
Aaron Ross was chosen by the New York Giants in the first round of the 2007 NFL draft. He was the 20th player picked overall. Seven players from the Texas Longhorns were drafted that year.
Playing for the New York Giants
In his first year (2007), Ross had his first two career interceptions against the New York Jets. He returned one of them for his first touchdown! As a rookie, he made 42 tackles and 3 interceptions. He helped the Giants win Super Bowl XLII by starting at cornerback. The Giants beat the New England Patriots in that game.
In 2008, his second NFL season, Ross had 52 tackles and 3 interceptions. He returned one interception for a 50-yard touchdown. The Giants had a great record that year (12 wins, 4 losses).
Ross missed many games in 2009 due to a hamstring injury. In 2011, his teammate Terrell Thomas was injured, so Ross became the main starting cornerback. That season, the Giants went on to win Super Bowl XLVI against the Patriots again!
Time with the Jacksonville Jaguars
In 2012, Aaron Ross signed a three-year contract with the Jacksonville Jaguars. This was a tough change for Ross. The Jaguars had a difficult season, finishing with only 2 wins and 14 losses. Ross also dealt with injuries and struggled in games. He later apologized for saying his time in Jacksonville was "a nice paid vacation to Florida." The Jaguars released him in March 2013.
Return to the New York Giants
Just four days after being released by the Jaguars, Ross signed back with the Giants in March 2013. However, his season ended early. He was placed on injured reserve after Week 4 because of a back injury.
Later Career Teams
On June 20, 2014, Ross signed with the Baltimore Ravens. Sadly, he tore his Achilles tendon in July 2014, which ended his season before it even began.
Ross then signed with the Cleveland Browns on August 16, 2015. He was released by the Browns on August 31, 2015.
Personal Life
Aaron Ross started dating Sanya Richards-Ross in 2003 when they were both at the University of Texas. Sanya is a famous track and field athlete who has won four Olympic Gold Medals! They got engaged in 2007 and married on February 26, 2010. Their wedding was even shown on a TV show called Platinum Weddings.
Aaron and Sanya welcomed their first child, Aaron Jermaine Ross II, in 2017. In July 2023, they announced they were expecting their second child, who was born in September 2023.
Their life together was partly shown in a weekly reality TV series called Sanya's Glam and Gold. Sanya also appeared on The Real Housewives of Atlanta for two seasons.
See also
- List of Texas Longhorns football All-Americans
- List of New York Giants first-round draft picks
