Denico Autry facts for kids
Autry with the Tennessee Titans in 2021
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| No. 96 – Houston Texans | |||||||||||
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| Position: | Defensive end | ||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||
| Born: | July 15, 1990 Albemarle, North Carolina, U.S. |
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| Height: | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) | ||||||||||
| Weight: | 285 lb (129 kg) | ||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||
| High school: | Albemarle | ||||||||||
| College: |
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| Undrafted: | 2014 | ||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||
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| Roster status: | Active | ||||||||||
| Career NFL statistics as of 2024 | |||||||||||
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| Player stats at PFR | |||||||||||
Denico Autry, born on July 15, 1990, is an American professional football player. He plays as a defensive end for the Houston Texans in the National Football League (NFL). Before joining the NFL, he played college football at East Mississippi Community College and Mississippi State. He started his NFL journey in 2014 with the Oakland Raiders.
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Early Life and High School Football
Denico Autry grew up in Albemarle, North Carolina. He played high school football for the Albemarle High School Bulldogs. In his final year, he was a star player on defense. He made 104 solo tackles and helped with 38 others. He also had 9.0 sacks, which means he tackled the opposing quarterback behind the line of scrimmage. Autry forced five fumbles and recovered four. His amazing performance earned him the All-SNAP Defensive Player of the Year award. He was also named the Rocky River Conference Defensive Player of the Year. He even played in a special all-star game called the NCCA East-West All-Star game.
College Football Career
Denico Autry began his college football career at East Mississippi Community College. He played for the East Mississippi Lions. In 2011, he helped his team achieve a perfect 12–0 record. They won the state championship and the NJCAA national title. Autry was recognized for his skills and was named to the 2011 NJCAA Football All-America First-team.
After two successful years, he moved to play for the Mississippi State Bulldogs. He played there from 2012 to 2013. During his time at Mississippi State, Autry played in 26 games. He started 23 of those games. He made a total of 73 tackles. He also had 16 tackles for loss and six sacks. Autry forced three fumbles during his two years with the Bulldogs.
Professional Football Journey
Denico Autry joined the NFL in 2014. He was not chosen in the 2014 NFL draft, but the Oakland Raiders signed him. This means he became an undrafted free agent.
Playing for the Oakland Raiders
Autry made his first NFL appearance on October 2, 2014. This was in a game against the Cleveland Browns. In that game, he made two tackles. During his first year in 2014, he played in ten games. He finished the season with thirteen tackles.
In 2015, Autry played in fourteen games for the Raiders. He started eight of those games. He recorded 22 tackles and three sacks. He also deflected three passes and scored one safety. The Raiders kept him on their team for the 2016 and 2017 seasons.
Time with the Indianapolis Colts
On March 14, 2018, Autry signed a contract with the Indianapolis Colts. He played for the Colts for three seasons. In Week 14 of 2018, he had a fantastic game. He recorded a career-high three sacks and forced two fumbles. This was against the Jacksonville Jaguars. The next week, he had two more sacks against the Houston Texans. His great play earned him the AFC Defensive Player of the Week award.
In 2019, Autry played in 14 games. He had 32 tackles, 3.5 sacks, and one forced fumble. He missed the last two games due to an injury. He returned in Week 1 of the 2020 season. He immediately made two sacks against the Jacksonville Jaguars. In Week 8, he had two more sacks against the Detroit Lions. Later in 2020, he was briefly placed on a special list by the team. He returned to play in December. In the playoffs that year, he had 1.5 sacks and forced a fumble against the Buffalo Bills.
Moving to the Tennessee Titans
On March 18, 2021, Denico Autry signed a three-year contract with the Tennessee Titans. He continued to be a strong defensive player for them. In 2023, he had his best season yet. He set a career-high with 11.5 sacks. This was also the most sacks on his team. He also made 50 tackles and forced two fumbles that year.
Joining the Houston Texans
On March 15, 2024, Autry signed a two-year contract with the Houston Texans. In July 2024, he was suspended for six games. This was for violating a league rule.
Career Statistics Highlights
Denico Autry has had a long and successful career in the NFL. As of the 2024 season, he has played in 142 regular season games. He has recorded 323 total tackles. He is also known for his ability to sack the quarterback, with 62.0 sacks in his career. Autry has forced 7 fumbles and recovered 3. He has also deflected 34 passes. In playoff games, he has added 5.0 sacks and forced one fumble.
