Jerome McDougle facts for kids

Jerome McDougle (born December 15, 1978) is a former American football player. He played as a defensive end in the National Football League (NFL). The Philadelphia Eagles chose him as the 15th player overall in the 2003 NFL draft. McDougle played college football at the University of Miami. He also played for the New York Giants in the NFL.

College Football Journey

Jerome McDougle was a great defensive player at the University of Miami. He helped his team win a national championship in 2001. That season, the Miami Hurricanes team had a perfect record of 12 wins and no losses.

Playing in the NFL

Joining the Philadelphia Eagles

The Philadelphia Eagles picked Jerome McDougle in the first round of the 2003 NFL draft. He was the 15th player chosen overall. The Eagles traded up to get him. This made him the first player from the University of Miami drafted by the Eagles since Jerome Brown.

Challenges with Injuries

Jerome faced many injuries while playing for the Eagles. In his first year (2003), he missed eight games due to ankle, knee, and hip injuries. In 2004, he had an irregular heartbeat and later sprained his knee. This caused him to miss five more games.

A Difficult Season

In 2005, Jerome had a serious incident outside of football. This event and the surgery he needed kept him from playing the entire 2005 season. He worked hard to recover and returned to practice in 2006.

He played well in some pre-season games. However, he broke two ribs in practice in August 2006. He needed about three weeks to get better. He was able to play again in September 2006.

A Costly Play

During a game in October 2006, Jerome made a play that cost the Eagles. He tackled the opposing quarterback, Bruce Gradkowski. But he was called for a penalty for grabbing the quarterback's face mask. This was a 15-yard penalty.

After the penalty, Jerome reacted strongly. He kicked the referee's flag, which led to another 15-yard penalty for unsportsmanlike conduct. These two penalties gave the other team 30 extra yards. This helped the Tampa Bay Buccaneers score a field goal. The Buccaneers won the game with a very long field goal as time ran out.

Leaving the Eagles

In 2007, Jerome got injured again. He tore a muscle in his arm during a pre-season game. He did not play for the rest of that season. The Eagles released him on August 30, 2008. His time with the Eagles ended with many injuries and disappointments.

Time with the New York Giants

One day after leaving the Eagles, Jerome McDougle signed with the New York Giants. He played for them in 2008. After that season, he became a free agent and did not sign with another team.

Family Life

Jerome has an older brother, Stockar McDougle, who also played in the NFL as an offensive lineman.

NFL Statistics

Jerome McDougle's career statistics in the NFL are shown below.

Key

• GP: games played
• COMB: combined tackles
• TOTAL: total tackles
• AST: assisted tackles
• SACK: sacks
• FF: forced fumbles
• FR: fumble recoveries
• FR YDS: fumble return yards
• INT: interceptions
• IR YDS: interception return yards
• AVG IR: average interception return
• LNG: longest interception return
• TD: interceptions returned for touchdown
• PD: passes defensed