Barry Cofield facts for kids
Cofield with the Washington Redskins in 2011
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| Position: | Defensive tackle | ||||||||||
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| Born: | March 19, 1984 Cleveland, Ohio, U.S. |
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| Height: | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) | ||||||||||
| Weight: | 303 lb (137 kg) | ||||||||||
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| High school: | Cleveland Heights (Cleveland Heights, Ohio) |
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| College: | Northwestern | ||||||||||
| NFL Draft: | 2006 / Round: 4 / Pick: 124 | ||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||
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| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||||
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Barry Joseph Cofield Jr. was born on March 19, 1984. He is an American former professional football player. He played as a defensive tackle for 10 seasons in the National Football League (NFL). A defensive tackle is a player on the defensive line who tries to stop the opposing team's offense, especially by tackling the ball carrier or the quarterback.
Cofield was chosen by the New York Giants in the fourth round of the 2006 NFL draft. He also played for the Washington Redskins. Before joining the NFL, he played college football at Northwestern University.
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Early Life and High School Sports
Barry Cofield grew up in Cleveland Heights, Ohio. He went to Cleveland Heights High School. There, he was a very talented athlete and played many sports. He was a "letterman" in football, basketball, baseball, and track. This means he earned special awards for being a key player on these teams.
In football, during his senior year, he was recognized as one of the best players in his region and state. He also received honors in basketball. Experts who scouted young players thought he was a promising defensive end. He decided to play college football at Northwestern University, even though he had offers from other big schools like Vanderbilt and Georgia Tech.
Barry Cofield is also mentioned in a book called Every Tiger Has a Tale, which features famous alumni from Cleveland Heights High.
College Football Career at Northwestern
Cofield played college football at Northwestern University. He played in 49 games during his college career, starting 36 of them. He was a very flexible player, meaning he could play different positions on the defensive line. He played as a right defensive tackle, left defensive end, and left defensive tackle.
During his time in college, he made 197 tackles, which means he stopped the opposing team's ball carrier many times. He also had 6.5 sacks, which is when a defensive player tackles the quarterback behind the line of scrimmage. He helped stop plays behind the line of scrimmage 15.5 times. Cofield also caused 4 fumbles and recovered 3 fumbles, which are big plays that can change the game. In his senior year in 2005, he was named Second-team All-Big Ten, showing he was one of the top players in his conference.
Professional Football Journey
Before the NFL draft, experts thought Cofield would be picked in the third round. Sports Illustrated described him as an "athletic prospect" with "potential." He showed his strength by being able to bench press 465 pounds and squat 660 pounds.
Playing for the New York Giants (First Time)
The New York Giants picked Barry Cofield as the 124th player in the 2006 NFL draft. In his first year, 2006, he started all 16 regular season games as a nose tackle. He led the defensive line with 67 tackles. He also had 1.5 sacks.
In 2007, he played in all 16 regular season games and started all 4 playoff games. He helped the Giants win Super Bowl XLII that season, which is one of the biggest achievements in football. In 2008, Cofield started 15 games, making 43 tackles and 3 sacks. By 2010, his last season with the Giants, he became known for his fun "taser" dance that he would do after sacking the opposing quarterback.
Time with the Washington Redskins
On July 27, 2011, Cofield signed a six-year contract with the Washington Redskins. He was originally a defensive tackle for the Giants, but the Redskins used a different defensive strategy. They changed his position to nose tackle in their 3-4 defense. He was praised for how well he adjusted to this new role, especially since he had little time to learn it because of the 2011 NFL lockout.
Cofield started all 16 games in the 2011 season. He made 25 tackles and had three sacks. He also set a new personal best with eight pass deflections, which means he batted down passes thrown by the opposing quarterback. In November 2012, he was chosen by his teammates to be a co-defensive captain for the Redskins.
In 2014, Cofield had a high ankle sprain and was placed on injured reserve. He returned to play later that season but was released by the Redskins in February 2015.
Back with the New York Giants (Second Time)
On December 17, 2015, Barry Cofield rejoined the New York Giants for a second time.
NFL Career Statistics
Barry Cofield played in 138 regular season games during his NFL career, starting 129 of them. He made a total of 311 tackles, had 19.5 sacks, and forced 4 fumbles. He also recovered 3 fumbles and deflected 25 passes.
In the playoffs, he played in 7 games, starting all of them. He made 14 tackles and forced 1 fumble.
Personal Life
Barry Cofield's unique sack celebration, where he did a "taser" dance, was ranked as one of the best in recent NFL history by Bleacher Report.
