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 Week 17, 2024 | |||||||||||
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| Player stats at PFR | |||||||||||
Denico Autry (born 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). A defensive end is a player who tries to stop the other team's offense, especially by tackling the quarterback.
Autry played college football at East Mississippi Community College and Mississippi State. He joined the NFL in 2014 with the Oakland Raiders. He was signed as an undrafted free agent, which means he wasn't chosen in the main NFL draft but was signed by a team afterward.
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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. During his senior year, he was a star player on defense.
He made 104 solo tackles and helped with 38 others. He also got 9.0 sacks, which means he tackled the opposing team's quarterback nine times behind the line of scrimmage. Autry also caused five fumbles and recovered four. His amazing play earned him the All-SNAP Defensive Player of the Year award. He was also named the Rocky River Conference Defensive Player of the Year.
College Football Journey
Autry started his college football career at East Mississippi Community College. He played for the East Mississippi Lions. In 2011, he helped his team have a perfect 12–0 season. They won the state championship and the national title for junior colleges (NJCAA). Autry was recognized as a top player, earning a spot on the 2011 NJCAA Football All-America First-team.
After two successful years, he transferred to Mississippi State University. He played for the Mississippi State Bulldogs in 2012 and 2013. During his time there, he played in 26 games and started 23 of them. He made 73 total tackles, including 16 tackles for loss (tackling a player behind the line of scrimmage). He also had six sacks and forced three fumbles.
Professional NFL Career
Denico Autry began his NFL journey when he signed with the Oakland Raiders on May 20, 2014. Even though he wasn't picked in the main draft, the Raiders saw his talent. He played his first NFL game on October 2, 2014, against the Cleveland Browns. In his first season, he played in ten games and made thirteen tackles.
In 2015, Autry played in fourteen games and started eight for the Raiders. He recorded 22 tackles, three sacks, and deflected three passes. A pass deflection is when a defensive player bats down a pass from the quarterback. He also scored a safety, which is when a defensive player tackles an offensive player in their own end zone.
The Raiders kept Autry for the 2016 and 2017 seasons. He continued to be an important part of their defense.
Indianapolis Colts (2018–2020)
On March 14, 2018, Autry signed a three-year contract with the Indianapolis Colts. He quickly made a big impact with his new team. In one game, he had a career-high three sacks and forced two fumbles. This great performance helped him earn the AFC Defensive Player of the Week award.
In 2019, Autry played in 14 games. He had 32 tackles and 3.5 sacks. He missed the last two games of the season because of a concussion, which is a type of brain injury.
Autry returned strong in 2020. In the first game, he recorded two sacks. Later in the season, he made two more sacks against the Detroit Lions. For a short time in November 2020, he was placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list, which is for players who have or might have COVID-19. He returned to play in December. In the playoffs that year, he had 1.5 sacks and forced a fumble against the Buffalo Bills.
Tennessee Titans (2021–2023)
On March 18, 2021, Denico Autry signed a three-year contract with the Tennessee Titans. He continued his strong defensive play with the Titans.
In 2023, Autry had his best season yet. He set a new personal record with 11.5 sacks, which was the most on his team. He also made 50 tackles and forced two fumbles.
Houston Texans (2024–Present)
On March 15, 2024, Autry signed a two-year contract to play for the Houston Texans. In July, Autry was suspended for six games. This means he was not allowed to play in those games.
Images for kids
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Autry with the Tennessee Titans in 2021
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Autry with the Raiders in 2014
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Autry with the Titans in 2021
