Josh Brent facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Josh Brent

Brent in 2012
No. 92, 95
Position:	Defensive tackle
Personal information
Born:	(1988-01-30) January 30, 1988 (age 37) Tulare, California, U.S.
Height:	6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
Weight:	321 lb (146 kg)
Career information
High school:	Central Catholic (Bloomington, Illinois)
College:	Illinois
Supplemental draft:	2010 / Round: 7
Career history
Dallas Cowboys (2010–2012, 2014)
Career NFL statistics
Total tackles: 46 Sacks: 1.5 Forced fumbles: 1
Player stats at PFR

Joshua Aaron Price-Brent (born January 30, 1988) is a former American professional football player. He played as a defensive tackle for the Dallas Cowboys in the National Football League (NFL). Josh Brent played college football for the Illinois Fighting Illini. The Cowboys chose him in the 2010 NFL supplemental draft. His football career ended early due to a car accident in 2012. This accident sadly involved his teammate, Jerry Brown.

Early Life and High School Football

Josh Brent was born in Tulare, California, on January 30, 1988. He grew up in Bloomington, Illinois. There, he went to Central Catholic High School.

High School Achievements

As a junior, Josh was a star player. He made 109 tackles and 6 sacks. He earned many awards, including All-State honors. In his senior year, he continued to excel. He had 90 tackles and 8 sacks. He was named an All-American by PrepStar and SuperPrep. The Chicago Tribune also named him first-team All-State.

Top Recruit Status

After high school, Brent was a highly sought-after player. Rivals.com and Scout.com rated him as a four-star recruit. He was ranked among the top 100 recruits in the country. SuperPrep called him the 11th-best player in the Midwest. He was also ranked as a top defensive tackle.

Other Sports in High School

Besides football, Josh Brent was also a talented athlete in other sports. He played basketball for four years. He also competed in track and field. As a freshman, he reached the state finals in the shot put. He was a state runner-up in shot put as a sophomore and junior. He earned all-state honors three times in track.

College Football Career

Josh Brent attended the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign. He played football for the Fighting Illini.

Freshman and Sophomore Seasons

In 2007, as a freshman, Brent played in 10 games. He made 8 tackles and had 0.5 sacks. In 2008, during his sophomore year, he played in 10 games. He started 8 of those games. He recorded 34 tackles and 1.5 sacks.

Junior Year and College Totals

As a junior in 2009, he started all 12 games. He had 29 tackles, 3 sacks, and 3 forced fumbles. He finished his college career with 71 tackles. He also had 5 sacks and 3 forced fumbles. He played in 33 games, starting 20 of them.

Professional Football Career

Brent decided to enter the NFL after his junior year. He missed the deadline for the main NFL draft. So, he became eligible for the 2010 supplemental draft.

Joining the Dallas Cowboys

The Dallas Cowboys selected him in the seventh round. This was the first time the Cowboys drafted a player this way since 1995. As a rookie, he impressed many by making the team. He had a broken left hand early in training camp. During his first season, he played about 15 plays per game. He recorded 17 tackles.

Challenges and Retirement

In 2012, Brent began to get more playing time. He was becoming an important player on the defensive line. He was filling in for an injured teammate, Jay Ratliff. On December 8, 2012, Josh Brent was involved in a car accident. His teammate, Jerry Brown, was a passenger in the car. Sadly, Jerry Brown passed away in the accident. This happened one day before a big game against the Cincinnati Bengals.

The Cowboys team learned about the accident while flying to Cincinnati. The players held emotional meetings. They hung the jerseys of Brent and Brown in their locker room. The Cowboys went on to win that game 20–19. After the accident, Brent was placed on a special list by the team.

For Jerry Brown's memorial service, his mother, Stacey Jackson, showed support for Brent. She asked him to meet with the family and sit with them. For the next game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, teammates invited Brent to sit on the Cowboys sideline. However, he later decided to leave the sideline. After this, the NFL and the team did not allow him on the sidelines for the rest of the season.

Josh Brent announced his retirement on July 18, 2013. He wanted to focus on personal matters outside of football. After a period away from the game and working on personal challenges, he was allowed to return to the NFL. On November 11, 2014, he was activated from the team's suspended list. He had missed a lot of time and needed to get back into playing shape. He returned to game action in week 12. He played in three games as a reserve player. He then missed the last four games due to a calf strain. He made two tackles in the Cowboys' playoff games.

Brent was placed on the reserve/retired list on May 8, 2015. Head coach Jason Garrett said that Brent was focusing more on his life away from football. He also mentioned how impressed they were with Brent's recovery. On September 25, 2015, the Cowboys announced that Brent had accepted a position in their scouting department.