Brandon Alexander
{{Short description|American gridiron football player (born 1993)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2024}}
{{Infobox Canadian Football League biography
|name=Brandon Alexander
|image=2021, 37, Brandon Alexander.jpg
|image_upright=0.95
|caption=Alexander with the Blue Bombers in 2021
|team=
|number=
|position=Defensive back
|birth_date={{Birth date and age|1993|09|27|mf=y}}
|birth_place=Orlando, Florida, U.S.
|death_date=
|death_place=
|height_ft=6
|height_in=0
|weight_lbs=190
|high_school=
|college=Central Florida
| playing_years1 = {{NFL Year|2015}}*
| playing_team1 = Atlanta Falcons
| playing_years2 = {{CFL Year|2017|2024}}
| playing_team2 = Winnipeg Blue Bombers
|career_footnotes=
| status = Active
| import = yes
| career_highlights=
|CFLAllStar={{CFL Year|2021}}
|CFLWestAllStar={{CFL Year|2021}}, {{CFL Year|2023}}
|nflnew=
|pfr=
|statlabel1=Games played
|statvalue1=90
|statlabel2=Def. tackles
|statvalue2=268
|statlabel3=ST tackles
|statvalue3=20
|statlabel4=Interceptions
|statvalue4=8
|statlabel5=Quarterback sacks
|statvalue5=0
|statlabel6= Forced fumbles
|statvalue6=7
|CFL=brandon-alexander/163055/
}}
Brandon Alexander (born September 27, 1993) is an American professional football defensive back who is a free agent. He most recently played for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers of the Canadian Football League (CFL). He is a two-time Grey Cup champion after winning with Blue Bombers in 2019 and 2021.
College career
Professional career
Following his collegiate career, Alexander was undrafted in the 2015 CFL draft, but had a mini-camp tryout with the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League (NFL).{{Cite news |url=https://www.bluebombers.com/2019/05/27/brandon-alexander-emerging-leader/ |title=Brandon Alexander {{!}} Emerging Leader |publisher=Winnipeg Blue Bombers |date=May 27, 2019}}{{Cite news |url=https://www.orlandosentinel.com/2015/05/06/ucfs-brandon-alexander-grateful-for-upcoming-tryout-with-atlanta-falcons/ |title=UCF's Brandon Alexander 'grateful' for upcoming tryout with Atlanta Falcons |publisher=Orlando Sentinel |date=May 6, 2015}}
On April 17, 2017, Alexander signed with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.{{Cite news |url=https://www.cfl.ca/transactions/2017/ |title=Transactions – Football Player Trades and Signings |publisher=Canadian Football League |access-date=February 22, 2025}} After earning a starting position following training camp, he played and started in 15 regular season games while missing three due to injury.{{cite web|url=https://static.cfl.ca/wp-content/uploads/2050/11/2024-CFL-Guide-Digital.pdf |title=2024 CFL Guide |publisher=Canadian Football League |access-date=June 9, 2024}} He had 52 defensive tackles, four special teams tackles, four pass knockdowns, two forced fumbles, and one interception that he returned for a touchdown. For his outstanding season in 2017, Alexander was the team's nominee for the most outstanding rookie in the CFL.{{cite news |title=Harris, Randle, Bryant, Medlock and Alexander also up for CFL awards |url=http://winnipegsun.com/sports/football/cfl/winnipeg-bluebombers/nichols-named-bombers-nominee-for-most-outstanding-player |website=Winnipeg Sun |date=November 1, 2017}}
In 2018, Alexander played and started in 14 regular season games where he recorded 36 defensive tackles, four special teams tackles, four pass knockdowns, two forced fumbles, and three interceptions. In the 2019 season, he played in just ten regular season games where he had 38 defensive tackles, four special teams tackles, and four pass knockdowns. He played in all three of the team's post-season games, including his first Grey Cup appearance. Alexander won the 107th Grey Cup with the Blue Bombers when they defeated the Hamilton Tiger-Cats 33–12.{{cite news |title=5 game-changing moments from 107th Grey Cup between the Bombers and Ticats |url=https://www.cbc.ca/sports/football/cfl/cfl-grey-cup-winnipeg-blue-bombers-hamilton-tiger-cats-key-moments-1.5371807 |website=CBC Sports |date=Nov 24, 2019}} He had an interception early in that game when he picked Dane Evans' first pass of the game, which was one of seven turnovers created by Winnipeg.
Alexander did not play in 2020 due to the cancellation of the 2020 CFL season. He signed a one-year contract extension with the Blue Bombers on January 11, 2021.{{cite news |title=Winnipeg Blue Bombers agree to terms on one-year extension with safety Brandon Alexander |url=https://www.bluebombers.com/2021/01/11/winnipeg-blue-bombers-agree-terms-one-year-extension-safety-brandon-alexander/ |website=BlueBombers.com |date=January 11, 2021 |access-date=February 17, 2021}} Throughout the 2021 season, Alexander continued to build his reputation as a hard hitting safety for the Blue Bombers. While being named both a CFL West All-Star and CFL All-Star at safety for the first time, Alexander helped solidify the Blue Bombers' secondary and recorded 36 defensive tackles, two interceptions, and one forced fumble as part of a defence that allowed a league-low 12.9 points per game.{{cite news |title= Hard-hitting Winnipeg safety Brandon Alexander doesn't care about his reputation in opposing locker rooms |url= https://3downnation.com/2021/12/09/hard-hitting-winnipeg-safety-brandon-alexander-doesnt-care-about-his-reputation-in-opposing-locker-rooms/ |website= 3DownNation |date= December 9, 2021}} He made a second appearance in the Grey Cup when the team qualified for the 108th Grey Cup against the hometown Hamilton Tiger-Cats. Alexander would go on to contribute two defensive tackles before suffering a knee injury as the Bombers would go on to win their second consecutive Grey Cup in overtime by a score of 33–25.{{cite web |title= Blue Bombers defeat Tiger-Cats 33-25 in OT to repeat as Grey Cup champions |author= Dan Ralph |url= https://www.cbc.ca/sports/football/cfl/cfl-grey-cup-recap-blue-bombers-tiger-cats-2021-1.6283215 |website= CBC Sports |date= December 12, 2021}}{{Cite news |url=https://3downnation.com/2022/09/16/all-star-safety-brandon-alexander-to-make-first-appearance-of-2022-for-the-bombers/ |title=All-star safety Brandon Alexander to make first appearance of 2022 for the Bombers |publisher=3DownNation |date=September 16, 2022}}
After recovering from a knee injury sustained in the 108th Grey Cup game, Alexander missed the first 13 games of the 2022 season. He played in the final five regular season games where he had eight defensive tackles and a forced fumble. He also played in the 109th Grey Cup where he recorded four defensive tackles in the loss to the Toronto Argonauts. In 2023, Alexander played in 17 regular season games where he had 41 defensive tackles, one pass knockdown, and two interceptions. He also played in both post-season games, including the 110th Grey Cup where he had three defensive tackles and one forced fumble in the loss to the Montreal Alouettes.
Alexander played in 16 regular season games in 2024 where he had a career-high 57 defensive tackles and one forced fumble.{{cite web|url=https://www.cfl.ca/players/brandon-alexander/163055/ |title=Brandon Alexander |publisher=Canadian Football League |access-date=February 21, 2025}} He played in his fifth consecutive Grey Cup game where he had three defensive tackles and one special teams tackle in the Blue Bombers' 111th Grey Cup loss to the Argonauts.{{Cite news |url=https://www.cfl.ca/games/6486/winnipeg-blue%20bombers-vs-toronto-argonauts/#playbyplay |title=Play-by-Play, 111th Grey Cup |publisher=Canadian Football League |date=November 17, 2024}} He became a free agent upon the expiry of his contract on February 11, 2025.{{Cite news |url=https://www.cfl.ca/transactions/2025/ |title=Transactions – Football Player Trades and Signings |publisher=Canadian Football League |access-date=February 21, 2025}}{{Cite news |url=https://www.cfl.ca/fa25/ |title=Official 2025 Free Agent Tracker |publisher=Canadian Football League |access-date=February 21, 2025}}
Personal life
Alexander's father, Derrick, played at defensive end for five years in the NFL.
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- [https://www.cfl.ca/players/brandon-alexander/163055/ CFL bio]
{{107th Grey Cup}}
{{108th Grey Cup}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Alexander, Brandon}}
Category:American football defensive backs
Category:Canadian football defensive backs
Category:UCF Knights football players
Category:Winnipeg Blue Bombers players
Category:21st-century American sportsmen
Category:21st-century African-American sportsmen