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Drayton Florence
refer to caption
Florence playing for the Panthers in 2013
No. 29, 21, 31
Position: Cornerback
Personal information
Born: (1980-12-19) December 19, 1980 (age 44)
Ocala, Florida, U.S.
Height: 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)
Weight: 193 lb (88 kg)
Career information
High school: Vanguard (Ocala)
College:
  • Chattanooga (1999–2000)
  • Tuskegee (2001–2002)
NFL Draft: 2003 / Round: 2 / Pick: 46
Career history
Career NFL statistics
Total tackles: 486
Forced fumbles: 3
Fumble recoveries: 4
Pass deflections: 103
Interceptions: 20
Defensive touchdowns: 4
Player stats at PFR

Drayton Florence Jr. was an American football player. He was born on December 19, 1980. He played as a cornerback for 11 seasons. He was part of the National Football League (NFL). Before joining the NFL, he played college football. He played for the Chattanooga Mocs and Tuskegee Golden Tigers. The San Diego Chargers picked him in the second round of the 2003 NFL draft.

College Football Journey

Drayton Florence started his college football career. He played for the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. This was from 1999 to 2000. Later, he moved to Tuskegee University. He played there from 2001 to 2002.

Tuskegee University Achievements

At Tuskegee, Drayton set an amazing school record. He scored three touchdowns from interceptions. This means he caught the ball from the other team and ran it all the way to their end zone. In his final year, he was named a first-team All-America player. This was a big honor for him. He was also the highest-drafted player from Tuskegee University to join the NFL. In 2014, he was even put into the Tuskegee University Hall of Fame. After his football career, he earned a bachelor's degree. He studied sport management at the University of North Florida.

Professional Football Career

Drayton Florence began his professional career in 2003. He was picked by the San Diego Chargers. This was a big step for him. He was the 46th player chosen in the entire draft. He was also the second cornerback the Chargers picked that year.

Playing for the San Diego Chargers

When he first joined the Chargers, Drayton was expected to play as a nickel back. This is a special defensive player. He could also fill in as a safety. But Drayton worked hard. He became a regular starting cornerback for the team. He played alongside another great player, Quentin Jammer.

Important Games and Moments

In the 2007 playoffs, the Chargers played against the New England Patriots. During this game, Drayton made a mistake. He got a penalty for hitting a Patriots player. This penalty gave the Patriots a chance to score. They ended up winning the game 24-21.

Drayton was also fined $15,000 by the NFL. This happened after a game against the Houston Texans. He hit their quarterback, Matt Schaub, in a way that was not allowed. The league said it was helmet-to-helmet contact. Schaub got a concussion and could not finish the game.

Time with the Jacksonville Jaguars

On March 1, 2008, Drayton signed a big contract. He joined the Jacksonville Jaguars. His contract was worth $36 million over six years. But he only played one season with them. He was released from the team in February 2009.

Joining the Buffalo Bills

Drayton signed with the Buffalo Bills on March 3, 2009. He quickly became a starting player for the team. He was very good at getting the ball back for his team. He scored a touchdown by returning a fumble against the Bengals. He also scored another touchdown by returning an interception against Minnesota. These two touchdowns happened just two weeks apart! In 2011, he scored the winning touchdown against the New England Patriots. He re-signed with the Bills for three more years in 2011. But he was released in May 2012.

Other NFL Teams

After leaving the Bills, Drayton played for a few other teams.

  • He signed with the Denver Broncos in May 2012. He was released a few months later.
  • He then joined the Detroit Lions in September 2012. This was his first time playing for them.
  • In March 2013, he signed with the Carolina Panthers. He was expected to bring his experience to help the younger players. He was cut by the Panthers in August 2013. But he was re-signed later that same month.
  • He had a second time with the Detroit Lions in August 2014. But he was released again shortly after.

On May 1, 2015, Drayton Florence officially retired from the NFL.

NFL Career Statistics

Year Team GP Tackles Fumbles Interceptions
Cmb Solo Ast Sck FF FR Yds Int Yds Avg Lng TD PD
2003 SD 16 20 20 0 0.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2
2004 SD 13 36 31 5 0.0 0 0 0 4 54 14 40 0 7
2005 SD 13 54 47 7 0.0 0 0 0 1 9 9 9 0 11
2006 SD 16 66 54 12 0.0 0 0 0 3 24 8 23 0 16
2007 SD 16 61 55 6 0.0 0 1 0 2 4 2 4 0 10
2008 JAX 15 36 32 4 0.0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 3
2009 BUF 14 60 49 11 0.0 0 0 0 1 7 7 7 0 11
2010 BUF 16 58 49 9 0.0 1 1 27 3 42 14 40 1 15
2011 BUF 16 50 41 9 0.0 1 1 0 3 64 21 30 1 12
2012 DET 8 19 17 2 0.0 0 0 0 1 29 29 29 0 7
2013 CAR 14 26 19 7 0.0 0 0 0 2 40 20 38 1 9
Career 157 486 414 72 0.0 3 4 0 20 273 14 40 3 103

Personal Life

Drayton Florence has a cousin who also played football. His cousin is Carlos Wright. Carlos was a wide receiver for the Chicago Rush.

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