Jamarca Sanford
Encyclopedia
Jamarca Deshaun Sanford is an American football
player for the Minnesota Vikings
. He was drafted by the Vikings in the seventh round of the 2009 NFL Draft
as the 231st pick. He formerly played college football
as a safety for the Ole Miss Rebels
at the University of Mississippi
.
and 25 quarterback sack
s. In 2003, his senior year, he was ranked 9th in the USA Today
national ranking for seniors. That year, he had 98 tackles, seven QB sacks, four forced fumble
s and three interceptions
. South Panola that year went to the 5A Mississippi state championship undefeated and took the game, with Sanford voted "Most Valuable Player".
Sanford received a number of other recognitions for his high school playing. The Clarion-Ledger
named him Top 40, All-State and All-Region. He also received All-State honors, Class 5A first team, as an outside linebacker from the Mississippi Association of Coaches and All-Region team by PrepStar. He made the roster of the Mississippi-Alabama All-Star Classic in Mobile, Alabama
in 2004. He was also included on a number of superlative player lists; the Max Emfinger Super South Top 200 ranked him at 7 among strong safeties in 2003, Rivals.com
listed him 19th in the state, and The Sun Herald
placed him among its Top 30 Prep Recruits.
, where his cousins Toward Sanford, Eddie Strong and Kevin Thomas played, but though he was signed to the team he was redshirted
until 2005. That year, after briefly trying several positions, Sanford topped the depth chart
as a strong safety, starting
10 out of 11 games in that position.
Sanford turned in a strong performance in the 2005 season, for which he lettered
. With 58 tackles in the season, including 40 solos, Sanford ranked fourth for tackles on his team, but first among SEC freshmen and 12th among all league defensive backs at 5.3 stops per game. He also had two fumble recoveries, which tied him 6th in the conference, one interception and one pass-break up. As with high school, Sanford's playing drew attention. CollegeFootballNews.com named him First Team Preseason Redshirt Freshman All-America, while SEC Coaches and Sporting News gave him First Team Freshman All-SEC honors. Sporting News also named him Third Team Freshman All-America.
In 2006, Sanford started four games as a linebacker
with another seven as strong safety. Earning his second letter for this season, he was again fourth on his team for tackles, with 64. He also was credited with 1.5 QB sacks.
Sanford took his third letter in 2007, when as a strong safety he started 10 games. Athlon
named him Preseason Third Team All-SEC that year. That year, he had 83 tackles to his credit, averaging 8.3 per game, placing him third on his team and sixth in the SEC. He was fourth on his team for tackles for losses with 5.5 and pass break-ups with 4. He also forced two fumbles and blocked a punt
.
In his senior year of 2008, for which he earned his fourth letter, Sanford continued as a strong safety, starting all 13 games and standing as team captain
. He was given the 2008 Chucky Mullins
Courage Award and wore the number "38" in honor of that Ole Miss defensive back, who had been rendered quadriplegic
during a game against Vanderbilt
in 1989 before dying of a pulmonary embolism
related to his injury in 1991. He made 82 tackles that year, ranking second, but coming in first in solo stops at 56. Two forced fumbles tied him at first on the team. His honors for the season included the Birmingham Alumni Club's 2008 Leadership Award and being named to Phil Steel's Midseason All-SEC third team.
. In the 2009 NFL Draft
, Sanford was selected as the 231st overall pick in the 7th round by the Minnesota Vikings
. It was in the 1997 NFL Draft
that cousin Rudd was the 20th pick by Minnesota in the 1st round.
Another cousin, Eddie Strong, went undrafted in the 2003 NFL Draft
but signed as a free agent rookie with the New York Giants
in May 2003. He was released by New York 3 months later in August.
In 2011 Sanford was named the starting Free Safety after the original starter Mideau Williams was released. The 2 years before he was a special teams Safety getting on average 15 tackles a year. As of Week 6 of the 2011 NFL Season Sanford has 27 tackles and 2 interceptions both of which were in 1 game.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
player for the Minnesota Vikings
Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Vikings joined the National Football League as an expansion team in 1960...
. He was drafted by the Vikings in the seventh round of the 2009 NFL Draft
2009 NFL Draft
The 2009 NFL Draft was the seventy-fourth annual meeting of National Football League franchises to select newly eligible football players. The draft took place at Radio City Music Hall in New York City on April 25 and 26, 2009. The draft consisted of two rounds on the first day starting at 4:00...
as the 231st pick. He formerly played college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
as a safety for the Ole Miss Rebels
Ole Miss Rebels football
The football history of the University of Mississippi , includes the formation of the first football team in the state and is 26th on the list of college football's all-time winning programs...
at the University of Mississippi
University of Mississippi
The University of Mississippi, also known as Ole Miss, is a public, coeducational research university located in Oxford, Mississippi. Founded in 1844, the school is composed of the main campus in Oxford, four branch campuses located in Booneville, Grenada, Tupelo, and Southaven as well as the...
.
Early years
The son of James and Shirley Taylor, Sanford's talent in football was recognized at South Panola High School, where he earned a career record of 320 tacklesTackle (football move)
Most forms of football have a move known as a tackle. The primary purposes of tackling is to disposses an opponent of the ball, to stop the player from gaining ground towards goal or to stop them from carrying out what they intend....
and 25 quarterback sack
Quarterback sack
In American football and Canadian football, a sack occurs when the quarterback is tackled behind the line of scrimmage before he can throw a forward pass, or when the quarterback is tackled behind the line of scrimmage in the "pocket" and the intent of what he was going to do is unclear...
s. In 2003, his senior year, he was ranked 9th in the USA Today
USA Today
USA Today is a national American daily newspaper published by the Gannett Company. It was founded by Al Neuharth. The newspaper vies with The Wall Street Journal for the position of having the widest circulation of any newspaper in the United States, something it previously held since 2003...
national ranking for seniors. That year, he had 98 tackles, seven QB sacks, four forced fumble
Fumble
A fumble in American and Canadian football occurs when a player, who has possession and control of the ball loses it before being downed or scoring. By rule, it is any act other than passing, kicking or successful handing that results in loss of player possession...
s and three interceptions
Interception (football)
An interception, intercept or pick is a move in many forms of football, including Canadian and American football, as well as rugby league, rugby union, Australian rules football and Gaelic football, which involves a pass, either by foot or hand, being caught by an opposition player, who usually...
. South Panola that year went to the 5A Mississippi state championship undefeated and took the game, with Sanford voted "Most Valuable Player".
Sanford received a number of other recognitions for his high school playing. The Clarion-Ledger
The Clarion-Ledger
The Clarion-Ledger is the Pulitzer Prize winning daily newspaper of Jackson, Mississippi. It is the second oldest company in the state of Mississippi and is one of only a few newspapers in the nation that continues to circulate statewide...
named him Top 40, All-State and All-Region. He also received All-State honors, Class 5A first team, as an outside linebacker from the Mississippi Association of Coaches and All-Region team by PrepStar. He made the roster of the Mississippi-Alabama All-Star Classic in Mobile, Alabama
Mobile, Alabama
Mobile is the third most populous city in the Southern US state of Alabama and is the county seat of Mobile County. It is located on the Mobile River and the central Gulf Coast of the United States. The population within the city limits was 195,111 during the 2010 census. It is the largest...
in 2004. He was also included on a number of superlative player lists; the Max Emfinger Super South Top 200 ranked him at 7 among strong safeties in 2003, Rivals.com
Rivals.com
Rivals.com is a network of websites that focus mainly on college football and basketball recruiting. The network was started in 1996 and currently employs more than 300 personnel.-Schools:The individual collegiate sites can be found...
listed him 19th in the state, and The Sun Herald
The Sun Herald
The Sun Herald is a U.S. newspaper based in Biloxi, Mississippi, that serves readers along the Mississippi Gulf Coast. It is owned by The McClatchy Company, one of the largest newspaper publishers in the United States....
placed him among its Top 30 Prep Recruits.
College career
In 2004, Sanford attended the University of MississippiUniversity of Mississippi
The University of Mississippi, also known as Ole Miss, is a public, coeducational research university located in Oxford, Mississippi. Founded in 1844, the school is composed of the main campus in Oxford, four branch campuses located in Booneville, Grenada, Tupelo, and Southaven as well as the...
, where his cousins Toward Sanford, Eddie Strong and Kevin Thomas played, but though he was signed to the team he was redshirted
Redshirt (college sports)
Redshirt is a term used in American college athletics that refers to a delay or suspension of an athlete's participation in order to lengthen his or her period of eligibility...
until 2005. That year, after briefly trying several positions, Sanford topped the depth chart
Depth chart
In sports, a depth chart is used to show the placements of the starting players and the secondary players. Generally a starting player will be listed first or on top while a back-up will be listed below...
as a strong safety, starting
Starting lineup
A starting lineup in sports is an official list of the set of players who will actively participate in the event when the game begins. The players in the starting lineup are commonly referred to as starters, whereas the others are substitutes or bench players.The starters are commonly the best...
10 out of 11 games in that position.
Sanford turned in a strong performance in the 2005 season, for which he lettered
Varsity letter
A varsity letter is an award earned in the United States for excellence in school activities. A varsity letter signifies that its winner was a qualified varsity team member, awarded after a certain standard was met.- Description :...
. With 58 tackles in the season, including 40 solos, Sanford ranked fourth for tackles on his team, but first among SEC freshmen and 12th among all league defensive backs at 5.3 stops per game. He also had two fumble recoveries, which tied him 6th in the conference, one interception and one pass-break up. As with high school, Sanford's playing drew attention. CollegeFootballNews.com named him First Team Preseason Redshirt Freshman All-America, while SEC Coaches and Sporting News gave him First Team Freshman All-SEC honors. Sporting News also named him Third Team Freshman All-America.
In 2006, Sanford started four games as a linebacker
Linebacker
A linebacker is a position in American football that was invented by football coach Fielding H. Yost of the University of Michigan. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up approximately three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage, behind the defensive linemen...
with another seven as strong safety. Earning his second letter for this season, he was again fourth on his team for tackles, with 64. He also was credited with 1.5 QB sacks.
Sanford took his third letter in 2007, when as a strong safety he started 10 games. Athlon
Athlon
Athlon is the brand name applied to a series of x86-compatible microprocessors designed and manufactured by Advanced Micro Devices . The original Athlon was the first seventh-generation x86 processor and, in a first, retained the initial performance lead it had over Intel's competing processors...
named him Preseason Third Team All-SEC that year. That year, he had 83 tackles to his credit, averaging 8.3 per game, placing him third on his team and sixth in the SEC. He was fourth on his team for tackles for losses with 5.5 and pass break-ups with 4. He also forced two fumbles and blocked a punt
Punt (football)
In some codes of football, a punt is a play in which a player drops the ball and kicks it before it touches the ground. A punt is in contrast to a drop kick, in which the ball touches the ground before being kicked....
.
In his senior year of 2008, for which he earned his fourth letter, Sanford continued as a strong safety, starting all 13 games and standing as team captain
Captain (sports)
In team sports, a captain is a title given to a member of the team. The title is frequently honorary, but in some cases the captain may have significant responsibility for strategy and teamwork while the game is in progress on the field...
. He was given the 2008 Chucky Mullins
Chucky Mullins
Roy Lee "Chucky" Mullins was an American football player at Ole Miss best known for the devastating football injury that left him a quadriplegic....
Courage Award and wore the number "38" in honor of that Ole Miss defensive back, who had been rendered quadriplegic
Quadriplegia
Tetraplegia, also known as quadriplegia, is paralysis caused by illness or injury to a human that results in the partial or total loss of use of all their limbs and torso; paraplegia is similar but does not affect the arms...
during a game against Vanderbilt
Vanderbilt University
Vanderbilt University is a private research university located in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. Founded in 1873, the university is named for shipping and rail magnate "Commodore" Cornelius Vanderbilt, who provided Vanderbilt its initial $1 million endowment despite having never been to the...
in 1989 before dying of a pulmonary embolism
Pulmonary embolism
Pulmonary embolism is a blockage of the main artery of the lung or one of its branches by a substance that has travelled from elsewhere in the body through the bloodstream . Usually this is due to embolism of a thrombus from the deep veins in the legs, a process termed venous thromboembolism...
related to his injury in 1991. He made 82 tackles that year, ranking second, but coming in first in solo stops at 56. Two forced fumbles tied him at first on the team. His honors for the season included the Birmingham Alumni Club's 2008 Leadership Award and being named to Phil Steel's Midseason All-SEC third team.
Minnesota Vikings
Sanford follows in the footsteps of another one of his cousins, Dwayne RuddDwayne Rudd
Dwayne Rudd is an American football linebacker who is a free agent in the National Football League, having not played in the NFL since 2003. During his career he played for the Minnesota Vikings, the Cleveland Browns and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers...
. In the 2009 NFL Draft
2009 NFL Draft
The 2009 NFL Draft was the seventy-fourth annual meeting of National Football League franchises to select newly eligible football players. The draft took place at Radio City Music Hall in New York City on April 25 and 26, 2009. The draft consisted of two rounds on the first day starting at 4:00...
, Sanford was selected as the 231st overall pick in the 7th round by the Minnesota Vikings
Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Vikings joined the National Football League as an expansion team in 1960...
. It was in the 1997 NFL Draft
1997 NFL Draft
The 1997 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 19–20, 1997. No teams elected to claim any players in the supplemental draft that...
that cousin Rudd was the 20th pick by Minnesota in the 1st round.
Another cousin, Eddie Strong, went undrafted in the 2003 NFL Draft
2003 NFL Draft
The 2003 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. The draft is known officially as the "NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting" and has been conducted annually since 1936. The draft was held April 26–27, 2003 at the Theatre at...
but signed as a free agent rookie with the New York Giants
New York Giants
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey, representing the New York City metropolitan area. The Giants are currently members of the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
in May 2003. He was released by New York 3 months later in August.
In 2011 Sanford was named the starting Free Safety after the original starter Mideau Williams was released. The 2 years before he was a special teams Safety getting on average 15 tackles a year. As of Week 6 of the 2011 NFL Season Sanford has 27 tackles and 2 interceptions both of which were in 1 game.