Cornelius Ingram facts for kids

Cornelius Ingram was born on June 10, 1985. He is an American former professional football player. He played as a tight end in the National Football League (NFL). Before turning pro, he played both college football and college basketball for the Florida Gators.

The Philadelphia Eagles picked him in the fifth round of the 2009 NFL draft. He spent three seasons with the Eagles. During this time, he mostly played on the team's practice squad. He also spent time with the Detroit Lions and Denver Broncos.

College Sports Career

Ingram received a sports scholarship to attend the University of Florida. He played for the Florida Gators football team from 2004 to 2007. He started by practicing as a quarterback for the scout team. He did not play in any games as a quarterback.

He also joined the Florida Gators basketball team. As a freshman, he played in 19 basketball games.

Switching to Tight End

In 2005, Ingram became a redshirt freshman in football. He changed his position from quarterback to tight end. He played in two football games that season. He also appeared in the 2006 Outback Bowl against the Iowa Hawkeyes. The Gators won that game 31–24.

As a sophomore in 2006, he helped the Florida Gators win the 2006 BCS National Championship. He caught 30 passes for 380 yards that year.

After his junior season in 2007, Ingram was named a second-team All-SEC player. This means he was one of the best tight ends in his college conference. He was also considered for the John Mackey Award. This award goes to the best tight end in the nation.

In August 2008, Ingram hurt his knee badly during practice. Because of this injury, he could not play his entire senior season.

Professional Football Career

Philadelphia Eagles

The Philadelphia Eagles drafted Ingram in the fifth round of the 2009 NFL draft. He was the 153rd player chosen overall. He signed a four-year contract with the team.

Sadly, Ingram tore a major knee ligament during the Eagles' training camp in 2009. This was the same injury that made him miss his last college season. He was placed on the injured reserve list. This meant he could not play that season.

He was released by the Eagles in September 2010. However, he was re-signed to their practice squad later that year. He was released again and then re-signed to the practice squad in December. His contract ended after the season. He signed a new contract with the Eagles in January 2011. He was released again in September 2011.

Detroit Lions

The Detroit Lions signed Ingram to their practice squad in September 2011. He was later placed on their injured list. He was released by the Lions later that month.

Denver Broncos

The Denver Broncos signed Ingram to their practice squad in December 2011. In January 2012, he signed a contract to stay with the Broncos. However, he was released in August 2012 and did not make the main team roster. He was then placed back on the practice squad. He was released by the Broncos for good in September 2012.

Life After Playing Football

In December 2014, Ingram became the head football coach at his old high school, Hawthorne High School (Florida). He had volunteered as a coach there before.

Besides coaching football, Ingram also coaches the Hawthorne girls basketball team. He led them to win the Florida 1A state championships in 2020, 2023, and 2024. His football team was the state runner-up in Florida division 1A in both 2020 and 2021. Ingram led the Hawthorne Hornets to their first state football title in 2022. They beat Northview 13–2 on December 10, 2022. Hawthorne won again the next year, defeating Madison County 22–13.