Neiko Thorpe facts for kids
Thorpe with the Oakland Raiders in 2015
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| Free agent | |||||||||
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| Personal information | |||||||||
| Born: | February 1, 1990 Southfield, Michigan, U.S. |
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| Height: | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | ||||||||
| Weight: | 210 lb (95 kg) | ||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||
| High school: | Tucker (Tucker, Georgia) | ||||||||
| College: | Auburn | ||||||||
| Undrafted: | 2012 | ||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||
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| As coach: | |||||||||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||
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Neiko Thorpe (born February 1, 1990) is an American former professional football player. He used to play as a cornerback, which is a defensive position. After his playing career, he became a coach. He is currently a defensive assistant for the Seattle Seahawks in the National Football League (NFL).
Neiko Thorpe started his NFL journey in 2012 when he signed with the Kansas City Chiefs. He wasn't chosen in the main draft, so he was called an undrafted free agent. Before playing professionally, he played college football for Auburn. He was part of the amazing 2010 team that won the BCS National Championship.
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Early Life and High School Football
Neiko Thorpe grew up in Tucker, Georgia, and went to Tucker High School. He was a fantastic athlete there. In his senior year, he was picked for the Under Armour All-America team, which is a big honor for high school football players.
As a junior, he made 18 sacks. A sack is when a defensive player tackles the quarterback behind the line of scrimmage. This earned him an honorable mention for all-county. In his senior year, he had 64 tackles, which means he stopped the player with the ball 64 times. He also had 11 pass breakups, stopping the other team from catching the ball. He made three interceptions, catching the ball from the other team's quarterback. He also forced a fumble, making the other team drop the ball.
Besides football, Neiko was also a talented track athlete. He ran hurdles, which are races where you jump over obstacles. He had great times in the 110-meter hurdles and 300-meter hurdles.
Experts in football recruiting thought highly of Neiko. Rivals.com saw him as a three-star recruit, meaning he was a good prospect. They ranked him as the 35th best safety in the country in 2008. Scout.com thought he was the 11th best cornerback.
College Football at Auburn
Neiko Thorpe played college football for the Auburn team. He started playing right away as a first-year student, also known as a true freshman. He helped the team in 11 games, playing on special teams and as a corner. Special teams are units used for plays like kickoffs and punts. He made 29 tackles in total. Because of his great start, he was chosen for the Coaches’ All SEC-Freshmen Team.
In his very first college game, he led his team with seven tackles. In his first game as a starter, he made his first interception and ran the ball back 59 yards! He finished his freshman year tied for the second-most interceptions on his team.
In 2009, Neiko started all 13 games. He had an impressive 84 tackles, with 56 of them being solo tackles (meaning he made the tackle all by himself). This was a breakout season for him. He continued to make big plays, including an interception against West Virginia that stopped them from scoring. He set a personal best with 11 tackles in one game against Arkansas. He also broke up several passes, showing his speed and skill. He ended the year with a fantastic performance in the Outback Bowl, making a career-high 14 tackles. He even made a game-saving tackle on the very last play of the game in overtime!
As a junior, Neiko was named to the Coaches’ Second-team Preseason SEC. He lived up to this ranking throughout the season. He made 10 solo tackles and broke up a pass in one game. Later, he broke his personal record with 12 tackles against Alabama. He also helped his team win the SEC Championship game against South Carolina. Then, Auburn went on to play Oregon in the BCS National Championship Game. Neiko helped his team win this big game, becoming a national champion! He finished his college career with 279 tackles, 7 interceptions, and 34 pass deflections.
Professional Football Career
| Height | Weight | Arm length | Hand size | 40-yard dash | 10-yard split | 20-yard split | 20-yard shuttle | Three-cone drill | Vertical jump | Broad jump | Bench press | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 ft 1+1⁄4 in (1.86 m) |
198 lb (90 kg) |
30+3⁄4 in (0.78 m) |
8+1⁄2 in (0.22 m) |
4.39 s | 1.55 s | 2.56 s | 4.22 s | 7.13 s | 38.0 in (0.97 m) |
11 ft 5 in (3.48 m) |
4 reps | |
| All values are from Auburn’s Pro Day | ||||||||||||
Kansas City Chiefs
After college, Neiko Thorpe signed with the Kansas City Chiefs in 2012 as an undrafted free agent. This means he wasn't picked in the NFL draft but was still signed by a team. He spent some time on the practice squad, which is a group of players who train with the team but aren't on the main roster. He was moved to the active roster, meaning he could play in games. During his time with the Chiefs, he played in nine games and made five tackles.
Toronto Argonauts
In 2013, Neiko signed with the Toronto Argonauts in the Canadian Football League (CFL). He played in their final five games, including a playoff game. He later asked to be released so he could try to play in the NFL again.
Oakland Raiders
In 2014, Neiko signed with the Oakland Raiders. He did well during training camp and made the team's main roster. He played for the Raiders for two seasons before being released in 2016.
Indianapolis Colts
Briefly in 2016, Neiko was picked up by the Indianapolis Colts but was released a few days later.
Seattle Seahawks
On September 13, 2016, Neiko Thorpe signed with the Seattle Seahawks. He became a very important player for their special teams unit. Special teams are groups of players who play during kickoffs, punts, and field goals. Neiko was known as one of the best "gunners" in the league. A gunner is a player who runs down the field very fast to tackle the punt returner.
Neiko re-signed with the Seahawks in 2017 and again in 2019. He became the special teams captain for the Seahawks, showing how much his teammates and coaches trusted him. In late 2019, he had surgery for a sports hernia, which ended his season early.
He re-signed with the Seahawks again in 2020. However, he faced some injuries that season, including a hip injury and a groin injury, which kept him off the field for parts of the year.
After his playing career, Neiko Thorpe returned to the Seattle Seahawks as a coach. He was a coaching intern in 2022 and became a defensive assistant in 2023.
