Eli Apple facts for kids
Apple with the New Orleans Saints in 2019
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| Position: | Cornerback | ||||||||||
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| Personal information | |||||||||||
| Born: | August 9, 1995 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
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| Height: | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | ||||||||||
| Weight: | 203 lb (92 kg) | ||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||
| High school: | Eastern Regional (Voorhees Township, New Jersey) |
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| College: | Ohio State (2013–2015) | ||||||||||
| NFL Draft: | 2016 / Round: 1 / Pick: 10 | ||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||
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| Career NFL statistics as of 2024 | |||||||||||
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| Player stats at PFR | |||||||||||
Eli Apple (born August 9, 1995) is an American professional football player. He plays as a cornerback, which is a defensive position. Eli played college football for the Ohio State Buckeyes. He helped them win the National Championship in 2015. After college, the New York Giants picked him in the first round of the 2016 NFL draft.
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Early Life and High School Football
Eli Apple was born Eli Woodard in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. His mother is from Ghana, and he lived there for a few years as a young child. He grew up in Voorhees Township, New Jersey, and went to Eastern Regional High School.
Eli was a top football player in high school. In 2013, Rivals.com said he was the best player in New Jersey. He was also ranked as the 28th best player in the whole country. Many colleges wanted him to play for them, offering him scholarships. Some of these colleges included Alabama, California, and Michigan.
In February 2012, Eli decided he would play for Ohio State. He chose Ohio State over other great schools like Rutgers and Notre Dame.
College Football Career
Eli started at Ohio State in January 2013. He was considered a top player, ranked highly by ESPN and 247sports. In his first year, he "redshirted," which means he practiced with the team but did not play in games. This allowed him to train and get stronger without using up a year of his college playing eligibility.
He started playing in 2014 as a redshirt freshman. He played in important games like the 2015 Sugar Bowl and the 2015 College Football Playoff National Championship. In his second season with the Buckeyes, Eli was named the Defensive MVP, meaning he was the most valuable defensive player on his team.
Professional Football Journey
Joining the NFL
On January 4, 2016, Eli Apple decided to leave college early to join the 2016 NFL draft. This meant he was ready to become a professional football player. He took part in the NFL Scouting Combine, where players show off their skills to NFL teams. Eli was one of the fastest players in the 40-yard dash.
Experts thought Eli would be picked early in the draft. He was seen as one of the best cornerback prospects.
Playing for the New York Giants
Starting in the NFL (2016)
The New York Giants picked Eli Apple as the 10th player overall in the 2016 NFL draft. He was the second cornerback chosen that year. On May 6, 2016, Eli signed a four-year contract with the Giants.
He started his first professional season as the third cornerback on the team. He also played as the first-team nickelback, a special defensive position. Eli played his first game against the Dallas Cowboys, where he made four tackles. He had a great rookie season, playing in 14 games and starting 11 of them. He made 51 tackles, broke up seven passes, and got his first career interception against the Pittsburgh Steelers. An interception is when a defensive player catches a pass meant for an offensive player.
Second Season with the Giants (2017)
In 2017, Eli was a starting cornerback for the Giants. He made seven tackles in the first game of the season. However, he faced some challenges during this year. He was benched in some games for disciplinary reasons. He also had some disagreements with coaches and teammates.
By December 2017, there were reports of tension between Eli and his teammates. He was suspended for the last game of the season because of his behavior. He finished the 2017 season with 49 tackles and eight pass deflections in 11 games.
Third Season with the Giants (2018)
The Giants got a new coach, Pat Shurmur, who wanted to give Eli a fresh start. Eli was expected to be a starting cornerback again. He played in five games for the Giants in 2018, making 23 tackles.
Moving to the New Orleans Saints
On October 23, 2018, the New York Giants traded Eli Apple to the New Orleans Saints. The Saints needed more players in their defensive backfield because some of their players were injured. Eli immediately became a starting cornerback for the Saints. He joined his former college teammates, Marshon Lattimore and Vonn Bell, on the Saints' defense.
In his first game with the Saints, he made nine tackles. On November 11, 2018, he got his first interception with the Saints in a big win against the Cincinnati Bengals. In 2019, he started 15 games, making 58 tackles and forcing a fumble.
Time with the Carolina Panthers
On May 29, 2020, Eli signed a one-year contract with the Carolina Panthers. He was placed on injured reserve early in the season due to ankle and foot injuries. He was activated in October but was released by the team later that month.
Playing for the Cincinnati Bengals
On March 23, 2021, Eli signed a one-year contract with the Cincinnati Bengals. He played in 16 regular season games and all postseason games as a starter in 2021. He made 49 tackles and had two interceptions. The Bengals made it to Super Bowl LVI that year. Eli re-signed with the Bengals for another year in March 2022. In the 2022 season, he played in 15 games and made 49 tackles.
Miami Dolphins and Los Angeles Chargers
On July 29, 2023, Eli signed a one-year contract with the Miami Dolphins. He joined the team after another cornerback, Jalen Ramsey, got injured. He played in 10 games for the Dolphins.
On October 15, 2024, Eli was signed to the Los Angeles Chargers practice squad. He was later moved to the active roster on November 25, 2024. However, he suffered a hamstring injury in a game against the Baltimore Ravens on November 27, 2024, and was placed on injured reserve. He was activated from injured reserve on January 10, 2025.
NFL Career Statistics
| Legend | |
|---|---|
| Bold | Career high |
| Year | Team | Games | Tackles | Interceptions | Fumbles | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Cmb | Solo | Ast | Sck | PD | Int | Yds | Avg | TD | FF | FR | Yds | TD | |||
| 2016 | NYG | 14 | 11 | 51 | 41 | 10 | 0.0 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2017 | NYG | 11 | 7 | 49 | 41 | 8 | 0.0 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2018 | NYG | 5 | 5 | 23 | 20 | 3 | 0.0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | |
| NO | 10 | 10 | 52 | 42 | 10 | 0.0 | 9 | 2 | 29 | 14.5 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | ||
| 2019 | NO | 15 | 15 | 58 | 53 | 5 | 0.0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2020 | CAR | 2 | 0 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2021 | CIN | 16 | 15 | 49 | 38 | 11 | 0.0 | 10 | 2 | 50 | 25.0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2022 | CIN | 15 | 15 | 49 | 35 | 14 | 0.0 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2023 | MIA | 10 | 4 | 46 | 37 | 9 | 0.5 | 9 | 1 | 8 | 8.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2024 | LAC | 4 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0.0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Total | 102 | 82 | 383 | 312 | 71 | 0.5 | 61 | 6 | 87 | 14.5 | 0 | 3 | 7 | 2 | 0 | ||
Personal Life
Eli Apple was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He was raised by his mother, Annie Apple, and his stepfather, Tim Apple, in Voorhees Township, New Jersey. He is also the nephew of actor and comedian Michael Blackson. In 2012, he officially changed his last name from Woodard to Apple.
