Quentin Groves facts for kids
Groves with the Raiders in October 2010
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| No. 54, 52, 53 | |||||||||||||
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| Position: | Linebacker | ||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||
| Born: | July 5, 1984 Greenville, Mississippi |
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| Died: | October 15, 2016 (aged 32) Trinidad |
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| Height: | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) | ||||||||||||
| Weight: | 265 lb (120 kg) | ||||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||||
| High school: | Greenville (MS) Weston | ||||||||||||
| College: | Auburn | ||||||||||||
| NFL Draft: | 2008 / Round: 2 / Pick: 52 | ||||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||||
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| * Offseason and/or practice squad member only | |||||||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||||
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| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||||||
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Quentin Dominic Groves (July 5, 1984 – October 15, 2016) was an American football player. He played as a linebacker. He was chosen by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the second round of the 2008 NFL Draft. Before that, he played college football at Auburn University. Groves also played for several other NFL teams. These included the Oakland Raiders, Arizona Cardinals, Cleveland Browns, Houston Texans, Tennessee Titans, and Buffalo Bills.
Groves was known as a great player. He was named to important watchlists for the 2007 college football season. He was especially good at getting sacks (tackling the quarterback). He even tied the Auburn University record for career sacks with 26.
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High School Football Star
Quentin Groves played football for four years at Greenville Weston High School. He played both tight end (an offensive position) and defensive end (a defensive position). As a junior, he made 89 tackles and 15 sacks. He also forced seven fumbles. In his senior year, he had 86 tackles and 22 sacks.
His amazing high school performance earned him many honors. He was chosen for the USA Today All-USA second-team. ESPN.com also rated him as the third-best defensive end in the country. Besides football, Groves was also a talented athlete in other sports. He played basketball, competed in track and field (discus, long jump, 100-meter dash), and was on the power lifting team.
College Career at Auburn
Quentin Groves played college football for the Auburn Tigers. He became a key player on their defense.
2004 Season Highlights
In 2004, Groves was a redshirt freshman. This means he was in his second year at college but his first year playing. He played as a defensive end, focusing on getting sacks. In a game against Kentucky, he tied an Auburn record. He had four sacks in that single game. He also forced two fumbles, one of which led to a touchdown. Groves finished the season tied for the team lead with 7.5 sacks. He was recognized as a top freshman player by many sports groups.
2005 Season Overview
Groves played in all 12 games during the 2005 season. He started in three of those games. He ended the season with 21 tackles and six sacks. He was third on the team in sacks.
2006 Season Success
In 2006, Groves started all 13 games for Auburn. He helped his team finish with a great 11-2 record. A big moment was Auburn's 27-17 win over Florida. Groves sacked Florida's quarterback three times in one quarter. He also forced a fumble that stopped Florida from scoring. His play against Florida earned him national and conference awards. He was also named SEC Defensive Lineman of the Week for his play against Alabama. Groves led the team with 9.5 sacks that season. He was named to the All-SEC First Team.
2007 Senior Year
Before the 2007 season, Groves was ranked as one of the top players in the country. He was on watchlists for major defensive awards. He started his senior year with 23 career sacks. This was only three sacks away from Auburn's school record. In the first game, he had two sacks. One sack caused a fumble that led to a touchdown.
Later in the season, Groves got a foot injury. He dislocated three toes. This injury kept him out of a few games. When he returned, he recorded another sack against LSU. This sack tied the Auburn career sack record. Groves finished his college career as part of the winningest senior class in Auburn history. They won 50 games during their time there.
Before the NFL Draft
Before joining the NFL, players go through many tests. These tests help teams decide who to draft.
Physical Tests
Quentin Groves showed his athletic ability at the NFL Combine. This is where players perform physical tests. He ran the 40-yard dash in 4.75 seconds. He also had a vertical jump of 35 inches. These numbers showed he was a strong and fast player.
Heart Condition
During medical tests for the NFL, doctors found that Groves had a heart condition. It's called Wolff–Parkinson–White syndrome. This condition can make the heart beat very fast. It happens because of extra electrical pathways in the heart. Groves had a minor surgery called ablation to fix this. After the surgery, his doctors said he was completely healed. He was ready to play professional football.
Professional NFL Career
Quentin Groves played for several teams in the NFL.
Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jacksonville Jaguars drafted Groves in 2008. He was the 52nd player chosen overall. The Jaguars even traded up to pick him.
Oakland Raiders
In 2010, Groves was traded to the Oakland Raiders. He played for them for two seasons.
Arizona Cardinals
Groves signed with the Arizona Cardinals in 2012. He played one season with the team.
Cleveland Browns
In 2013, Groves joined the Cleveland Browns. He played for them for one season before being released.
Houston Texans
Groves signed with the Houston Texans in 2014. He was with the team during the preseason.
Tennessee Titans
After leaving the Texans, Groves signed with the Tennessee Titans in September 2014.
Buffalo Bills
In 2015, Groves signed with the Buffalo Bills. He was released by the team before the regular season began.
Personal Life
Quentin Groves was born in Greenville, Mississippi. He had two brothers, Antonial and Bennett.
In 2006, he married Treska Baptiste. She was also an athlete at Auburn, on the track team. Treska was from Trinidad. Quentin and Treska had two children together: a son named Que’Mani Kassan Shiloh and a daughter named Que’Jaah.
Quentin Groves passed away on October 15, 2016, at the age of 32. He died from a heart attack.
