A. J. Tarpley
{{Short description|American football player (born 1992)}}
{{Use American English|date=April 2025}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2024}}
{{Infobox NFL biography
| name = A. J. Tarpley
| image = A. J. Tarpley (10900280653) (cropped).jpg
| caption = Tarpley with Stanford in 2013
| current_team =
| number = 59
| position = Linebacker
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1992|4|30}}
| birth_place = Plymouth, Minnesota, U.S.
| death_date =
| death_place =
| height_ft = 6
| height_in = 2
| weight_lbs = 225
| high_school = Wayzata (Plymouth)
| college = Stanford
| undraftedyear = 2015
| pastteams =
- Buffalo Bills ({{NFL Year|2015}})
- San Diego Fleet ({{AAF Year|2019}})
- DC Defenders ({{XFL Year|2020}})
| status =
| highlights =
- Second-team All-Pac-12 (2014)
| statlabel1 = Total tackles
| statvalue1 = 8
| statlabel2 = Sacks
| statvalue2 = 1.0
| statlabel3 = Forced fumbles
| statvalue3 = 1
| statlabel4 = Pass deflections
| statvalue4 = 2
| statlabel5 = Interceptions
| statvalue5 = 2
}}
Aubrey Joseph Tarpley (born April 30, 1992) is an American former professional football player who was a linebacker for the Buffalo Bills of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Stanford Cardinal.[http://www.gostanford.com/ViewArticle.dbml?ATCLID=208440471 Stanford Cardinal Athletics Profile - AJ Tarpley] Tarpley was signed by Buffalo as an undrafted free agent in 2015. He played one season with the Bills before announcing his retirement at the age of 23, citing concern over concussions.
College career
Tarpley started all four years for the Stanford Cardinal, compiling 20.5 career tackles for loss, 6.5 sacks, and four interceptions. He earned second-team All-Pac-12 honors as a senior.[http://www.rotoworld.com/player/nfl/10661/aj-tarpley AJ Tarpley - Buffalo Bills]
Professional career
=Buffalo Bills=
Tarpley was signed by the Buffalo Bills as an undrafted free agent following the 2015 NFL draft.[http://www.ruleoftree.com/2015/5/2/8537893/2015-nfl-draft-aj-tarpley-signs-with-the-buffalo-bills-just-an-hour AJ Tarpley signs with the Buffalo Bills just an hour after draft] On November 30, 2015, he was waived.{{Cite web|title = A.J. Tarpley goes from first in to out for Bills|url = http://bills.buffalonews.com/2015/11/30/a-j-tarpley-goes-from-first-in-to-out-for-bills/|website = BN Blitz|access-date = 2015-12-28|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160103192232/http://bills.buffalonews.com/2015/11/30/a-j-tarpley-goes-from-first-in-to-out-for-bills/|archive-date = 2016-01-03|url-status = dead}} On December 2, 2015, the Bills signed Tarpley to the practice squad,{{Cite web|title = Inside The Bills {{!}} Bills add LB AJ Tarpley to practice squad|url = http://www.buffalobills.com/?campaign=buf:fanshare:facebook|access-date = 2015-12-28}} and on December 10, 2015, Tarpley was promoted to the active roster.{{Cite web|title = LB Steward to I-R; Tarpley called up to active roster|url = http://www.buffalobills.com/news/article-1/LB-Steward-to-I-R-Tarpley-called-up-to-active-roster/b74fda22-e3e5-4371-9be6-323bc21827b0|website = www.buffalobills.com|access-date = 2015-12-12|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20151212025708/http://www.buffalobills.com/news/article-1/LB-Steward-to-I-R-Tarpley-called-up-to-active-roster/b74fda22-e3e5-4371-9be6-323bc21827b0|archive-date = 2015-12-12|url-status = dead}} Tarpley recorded his first career interception against the Dallas Cowboys on December 28, 2015.{{Cite web|title = Bills AJ Tarpley picks off Kellen Moore and returns it 35 yards|url = http://www.buffalobills.com/video/videos/Bills_AJ_Tarpley_picks_off_Kellen_Moore_and_returns_it_35_yards/26816754-bfbd-4467-8cb7-a9ca67c35660|website = www.buffalobills.com|access-date = 2015-12-28}}{{Dead link|date=September 2019 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} In Week 17 against the New York Jets on January 3, 2016, Tarpley made the game-ending interception that gave the Bills a 22–17 victory and knocked the Jets out of playoff contention. The interception turned out to be the final play of his career.
On April 6, 2016, Tarpley announced that he was retiring after just one season, citing his health, having suffered his third and fourth career concussions the previous season.[http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2630911-aj-tarpley-retires-latest-details-comments-and-reaction A.J. Tarpley Retires: Latest Details, Comments and Reaction][https://www.nytimes.com/2016/04/08/sports/football/aj-tarpley-buffalo-bills-retires-concussion.html A.J. Tarpley Retires From N.F.L. at Age 23, Citing Concussions] He explained the decision in an essay submitted to Sports Illustrated.[http://mmqb.si.com/mmqb/2016/04/12/nfl-aj-tarpley-buffalo-bills-retirement A.J. Tarpley: Why I Walked Away from Football at 23]
=Return to football=
Less than three years after announcing his retirement, Tarpley returned to football in 2019 when he joined the San Diego Fleet of the Alliance of American Football.{{cite web|last=Goldberg|first=Jeff|url=https://aaf.com/its-go-time-roster-in-place-fleet-excited-for-season-debut|title='It's Go time': Roster in place, Fleet excited for season debut|publisher=Alliance of American Football|date=January 30, 2019|access-date=February 1, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190202041613/https://aaf.com/its-go-time-roster-in-place-fleet-excited-for-season-debut|archive-date=February 2, 2019|url-status=dead}}{{cite web|last=Solares|first=Diego|url=https://eastvillagetimes.com/2019/01/taking-a-look-at-san-diego-fleets-final-52-man-roster/2/|title=Taking a Look at San Diego Fleet's Final 52-man Roster|publisher=East Village Times|date=January 31, 2019|access-date=February 1, 2019}}
In the third game of the 2019 AAF season against the San Antonio Commanders, Tarpley intercepted Logan Woodside and returned it 27 yards for a touchdown. He was subsequently named AAF Defensive Player of the Week.{{cite web|last=Goldberg|first=Jeff|url=https://aaf.com/tarpley-gardner-players-of-the-week|title=A.J. Tarpley and Ja'Quan Gardner named Offensive and Defensive Players of the Week|publisher=Alliance of American Football|date=February 26, 2019|access-date=February 26, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190227060438/https://aaf.com/tarpley-gardner-players-of-the-week|archive-date=February 27, 2019|url-status=dead}} The league ceased operations in April 2019.{{Cite web |last=Rothstein |first=Michael |last2=Wickersham |first2=Seth |date=June 13, 2019 |title=Inside the short, unhappy life of the Alliance of American Football |url=https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/26957796/inside-short-unhappy-life-alliance-american-football |access-date=January 9, 2024 |website=ESPN.com}}
Tarpley later joined the XFL, where he was selected by the DC Defenders in the open phase of the 2020 XFL Draft.{{cite web|last=Talbot|first=Damond|url=https://www.nfldraftdiamonds.com/2019/10/xfl-draft-8/|title=XFL Draft Phase 5: The Final Rounds of the Draft, Find out who was selected|publisher=NFL Draft Diamonds|date=October 16, 2019|access-date=October 23, 2019}} He had his contract terminated when the league suspended operations on April 10, 2020.{{cite news |author=Condotta, Bob |title=XFL suspends operations, terminates all employees, but Jim Zorn says he has hopes league will continue |url=https://www.seattletimes.com/sports/xfl-suspends-operations-terminates-all-employees/ |website=SeattleTimes.com |date=April 10, 2020 |access-date=July 17, 2020}}
Personal life
During his initial retirement, Tarpley worked as a sales representative for Bank of America Merrill Lynch on Wall Street.{{cite web|last=Kercheval|first=Ben|url=https://www.cbssports.com/aaf/news/aaf-2019-a-j-tarpley-who-went-from-the-nfl-to-wall-street-and-back-isnt-done-with-football/|title=AAF 2019: A.J. Tarpley, who went from the NFL to Wall Street and back, isn't done with football|publisher=CBSSports.com|date=February 24, 2019|access-date=February 26, 2019}}