Emari Demercado
{{Short description|American football player (born 1999)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2024}}
{{Infobox NFL biography
| name = Emari Demercado
| image =
| image_size =
| alt =
| caption =
| current_team = Arizona Cardinals
| number = 31
| position = Running back
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1999|1|20}}
| birth_place = Inglewood, California, U.S.
| death_date =
| death_place =
| height_ft = 5
| height_in = 9
| weight_lb = 215
| high_school = Downey
(Downey, California)
| college = Saddleback (2017)
TCU (2018–2022)
| undraftedyear = 2023
| pastteams =
- Arizona Cardinals ({{NFL Year|2023}}–present)
| status = Active
| highlights =
| statseason = 2024
| statweek =
| statlabel1 = Rushing yards
| statvalue1 = 507
| statlabel2 = Rushing average
| statvalue2 = 6.2
| statlabel3 = Rushing touchdowns
| statvalue3 = 3
| statlabel4 = Receptions
| statvalue4 = 37
| statlabel5 = Receiving yards
| statvalue5 = 223
| statlabel6 = Receiving touchdowns
| statvalue6 =
| statlabel7 = Return yards
| statvalue7 = 64
| statlabel8 = Return touchdowns
| statvalue8 =
| pfr = DemeEm00
}}
Emari Demercado (born January 20, 1999) is an American professional football running back for the Arizona Cardinals of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Saddleback before transferring to TCU and was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Cardinals after the 2023 NFL draft.
Early life
Demercado grew up in Inglewood, California, and attended Century Community Charter School in the heart of Inglewood. He also attended Downey High School. He committed to play college football at Saddleback College, a junior college in Mission Viejo, California.{{cite web |title=Emari Demercado |url=https://www.on3.com/db/emari-demercado-41649/recruiting/ |website=ON3 |access-date=May 2, 2023}} He is of Jamaican descent.{{Cite web |last=Gershman |first=Zach |date=October 27, 2023 |title=BJ Ojulari Representing Not Only Cardinals, But Nigeria |url=https://www.azcardinals.com/news/bj-ojulari-representing-not-only-cardinals-but-nigeria |access-date=March 10, 2024 |website=AZCardinals.com}}
College career
Demercado played one year at Saddleback under head coach Mark McElroy, rushing for 1,026 yards and 15 touchdowns and bringing in 54 receptions for 443 yards and two touchdowns.{{cite web |title=Emari Demercado (RB) - Saddleback |url=https://saddlebackbobcats.com/sports/fball/2017-18/players/emaridemercado72z7 |website=Saddleback College Athletics |access-date=May 2, 2023}} On May 6, 2018, he committed to Texas Christian University (TCU).{{Cite web |last=Holland |first=EJ |date=May 6, 2018 |title=TCU lands commitment from JUCO RB Emari Demercado |url=https://www.dallasnews.com/sports/2018/05/06/tcu-lands-commitment-from-juco-rb-emari-demercado/ |access-date=May 2, 2023 |website=Dallas Morning News}}
Demercado played for five years at TCU and racked up 1,615 rushing yards and 10 rushing touchdowns on 4.8 yards per carry and 40 receptions for 277 yards and a touchdown.{{Cite web |title=Emari Demercado College Stats, School, Draft, Gamelog, Splits |url=https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/players/emari-demercado-1.html |access-date=March 10, 2024 |website=Sports Reference }} His best season came in 2022 where he recorded 121 carries for 681 yards and six touchdowns and had 13 catches for 65 yards and a touchdown. In TCU's first playoff game, Demercado rushed for a career-high 150 yards and a touchdown.{{Cite web |date=January 9, 2023 |title=Downey High alum Emari Demarcado reaches big stage in college football championship |url=https://www.thedowneypatriot.com/articles/downey-high-alum-emari-demarcado-reaches-big-stage-in-college-football-championship |access-date=May 2, 2023 |website=The Downey Patriot}} He also rushed for 59 yards in the National Championship Game.{{cite web |title=Georgia vs TCU Box Score |url=https://www.espn.com/college-football/boxscore/_/gameId/401442010 |website=ESPN |access-date=May 2, 2023}}
After the season Demercado declared for the 2023 NFL draft.{{Cite web |last=Hodges |first=Russell |date=January 16, 2023 |title=TCU RB Emari Demercado declares for the 2023 NFL Draft |url=https://www.frogsowar.com/2023/1/16/23557980/tcu-rb-emari-demercado-declares-for-the-2023-nfl-draft |access-date=May 2, 2023 |website=Frogs O' War}}
Professional career
{{NFL predraft
| height ft = 5
| height in = 9 3/8
| weight = 213
| dash = 4.44
| ten split = 1.58
| twenty split = 2.56
| shuttle = 4.15
| cone drill = 7.00
| vertical = 32.0
| broad ft = 9
| broad in = 11
| bench = 19
| arm span = 32 5/8
| hand span = 9 1/2
| note = All values from Pro Day{{Cite web |url=https://draftscout.com/dsprofile.php?PlayerId=1047880&DraftYear=2023 |title=2023 NFL Draft Scout Emari Demercdo College Football Profile |access-date=July 12, 2023 |website=DraftScout.com}}
}}
After not being selected in the 2023 NFL Draft, Demercado signed with the Arizona Cardinals as an undrafted free agent.{{Cite web |last=Urban |first=Darren |date=May 1, 2023 |title=ASU's Kyle Soelle Highlights Cardinals Undrafted Free Agent Class |url=https://www.azcardinals.com/news/asu-s-kyle-soelle-highlights-cardinals-2023-undrafted-free-agent-class |access-date=March 10, 2024 |website=AZCardinals.com}} On August 29, 2023, the Cardinals announced that he had made the initial 53-man roster.{{Cite web |last=Urban |first=Darren |date=August 29, 2023 |title=The Initial 53, And Knowing The List Will Change |url=https://www.azcardinals.com/news/the-initial-cardinals-53-and-the-list-knowing-it-will-change-2023 |access-date=March 10, 2024 |website=AZCardinals.com}} In Week 5 against the Bengals, Demercado had his first professional rushing touchdown in the 34–20 loss.{{Cite web |last=Gershman |first=Zach |date=October 8, 2023 |title=After James Conner Injury, Emari Demercado Gets The Call |url=https://www.azcardinals.com/news/after-james-conner-injury-emari-demercado-gets-the-call |access-date=2024-07-06 |website=AZCardinals.com }} He appeared in 14 games and made two starts in the 2023 season, finishing with 58 carries for 284 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns to go with 21 receptions for 119 receiving yards.{{Cite web |title=Emari Demercado 2023 Game Log |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/D/DemeEm00/gamelog/2023/ |access-date=2024-07-06 |website=Pro Football Reference }}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
{{footballstats|yahoo=40430}}
- [https://www.azcardinals.com/team/players-roster/emari-demercado/ Arizona Cardinals bio]
- [https://saddlebackbobcats.com/sports/fball/2017-18/bios/demercado_emari_c61i Saddleback Bobcats bio]
- [https://gofrogs.com/sports/football/roster/emari-demercado/14439 TCU Horned Frogs bio]
{{Arizona Cardinals roster navbox}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Demercado, Emari}}
Category:Players of American football from Inglewood, California
Category:American football running backs
Category:American sportspeople of Jamaican descent
Category:Saddleback Gauchos football players
Category:TCU Horned Frogs football players