Je'Rod Cherry
{{Short description|American football player (born 1973)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2024}}
{{Use American English|date=February 2024}}
{{Infobox NFL biography
| name = Je'Rod Cherry
| number = 37, 30, 25
| position = Safety
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1973|5|30}}
| birth_place = Charlotte, North Carolina, U.S.
| height_ft = 6
| height_in = 1
| weight_lb = 215
| high_school = Berkeley (Berkeley, California)
| college = California
| draftyear = 1996
| draftround = 2
| draftpick = 40
| pastteams =
- New Orleans Saints ({{NFL Year|1996|1999}})
- Oakland Raiders (2000)*
- Philadelphia Eagles ({{NFL Year|2000}})
- New England Patriots ({{NFL Year|2001|2004}})
| highlights =
- 3× Super Bowl champion (XXXVI, XXXVIII, XXXIX)
| statlabel1 = Total tackles
| statvalue1 = 131
| statlabel2 = Sacks
| statvalue2 = 3.0
| statlabel3 = Fumble recoveries
| statvalue3 = 2
| statlabel4 = Passes defended
| statvalue4 = 4
| pfr = CherJe20
}}
Je'Rod LePatrick Cherry (born May 30, 1973) is an American former professional football player who was a safety in the National Football League (NFL) from 1996 to 2004. He played college football for the California Golden Bears. Cherry won three Super Bowls with the New England Patriots. After his football career, he became a radio talk show host for WKNR AM 850 in Cleveland, and sideline analyst/reporter for the Cleveland Browns Radio Network.
Biography
Born in Charlotte, North Carolina,{{cite web|title=Je'Rod Cherry|url=http://www.nfl.com/player/je%27rodcherry/2500056/profile|publisher=NFL|access-date=September 6, 2012}} Cherry graduated from Berkeley High School at Berkeley, California in 1991 and was a standout athlete in football and track.
Cherry red-shirted his freshman year and played on the California Golden Bears football team from 1992 to 1995.{{cite news|last=Gay|first=Nancy|title=It's Official -- Gilbertson Out at Cal|url=http://www.sfgate.com/sports/article/It-s-Official-Gilbertson-Out-at-Cal-Kasser-3019064.php|access-date=September 6, 2012|newspaper=San Francisco Chronicle|date=November 21, 1995}} In his senior season, Cherry had 91 tackles and an interception and returned 18 kickoffs for a 21.4 yard average. For his junior and senior years, Cherry was an All-Pac-10 honorable mention and Pac-10 All-Academic selection.{{cite web|title=Je'Rod Cherry|url=http://archive.patriots.com/alumni/index.cfm?ac=alumnibiosdetail&bio=12371|publisher=New England Patriots|access-date=September 6, 2012}} With a 3.2 GPA, Cherry received his Bachelor of Arts degree in political science from UC Berkeley in 1996 and a Master of Arts in education from the University of California, Berkeley Graduate School of Education in 2000.
He was drafted by the New Orleans Saints in the 1996 NFL draft.{{Cite web |title=1996 NFL Draft Listing |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/years/1996/draft.htm |access-date=2023-03-30 |website=Pro-Football-Reference.com |language=en}} In 2000, Cherry signed with the Oakland Raiders, then a month later he signed with the Philadelphia Eagles. After his stint with the Eagles, Cherry signed with the New England Patriots, where he earned Super Bowl rings in Super Bowls XXXVI, XXXVIII, and XXXIX as a special teams player before retiring in 2004.
Cherry made an immediate impact for the Patriots on special teams in 2001 and 2002. In 2001, he tied for 3rd in ST tackles with 12 and led the Patriots with 6 ST tackles during their Super Bowl run in the postseason. In 2002, he again ranked 3rd in ST tackles with 12 during the regular season. During the 2003 regular season, he finished with 13 ST tackles and recorded 1 ST tackle in the Super Bowl against Carolina. In 2004, Cherry again recorded 13 ST tackles and had 2 ST tackles against Pittsburgh in the AFC Championship Game.
NFL career statistics
| class="wikitable mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"
! colspan="2"| Legend |
| style="background:#afe6ba; width:3em;"|
| Won the Super Bowl |
| Bold
| Career high |
=Regular season=
| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" | ||||||||||||||
| rowspan="2"| Year
!rowspan="2"| Team !colspan="2"| Games !colspan="4"| Tackles !colspan="4"| Interceptions !colspan="4"| Fumbles | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Comb | Solo | Ast | Sck | Int | Yds | TD | Lng | FF | FR | Yds | TD | |
| 1996 | NOR
| 13 || 0 || 8 || 6 || 2 || 0.0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 1 || 0 || 0 | |||||||||||||
| 1997 | NOR
| 16 || 0 || 6 || 6 || 0 || 0.0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 | |||||||||||||
| 1998 | NOR
| 14 || 0 || 27 || 23 || 4 || 2.0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 | |||||||||||||
| 1999 | NOR
| 16 || 0 || 28 || 26 || 2 || 0.0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 | |||||||||||||
| 2000 | PHI
| 13 || 0 || 7 || 7 || 0 || 0.0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 1 || 0 || 0 | |||||||||||||
| 2001 | style="background:#afe6ba; width:3em;"| NWE
| 16 || 0 || 15 || 11 || 4 || 0.0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 | |||||||||||||
| 2002 | NWE
| 16 || 0 || 13 || 9 || 4 || 0.0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 | |||||||||||||
| 2003 | style="background:#afe6ba; width:3em;"| NWE
| 11 || 0 || 16 || 15 || 1 || 1.0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 | |||||||||||||
| 2004 | style="background:#afe6ba; width:3em;"| NWE
| 12 || 0 || 11 || 9 || 2 || 0.0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 | |||||||||||||
| colspan="2"| | 127 | 0 | 131 | 112 | 19 | 3.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
=Playoffs=
| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" | ||||||||||||||
| rowspan="2"| Year
!rowspan="2"| Team !colspan="2"| Games !colspan="4"| Tackles !colspan="4"| Interceptions !colspan="4"| Fumbles | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Comb | Solo | Ast | Sck | Int | Yds | TD | Lng | FF | FR | Yds | TD | |
| 2000 | PHI
| 2 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0.0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 | |||||||||||||
| 2001 | style="background:#afe6ba; width:3em;"| NWE
| 3 || 0 || 4 || 2 || 2 || 0.0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 | |||||||||||||
| 2003 | style="background:#afe6ba; width:3em;"| NWE
| 3 || 0 || 2 || 2 || 0 || 0.0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 | |||||||||||||
| 2004 | style="background:#afe6ba; width:3em;"| NWE
| 3 || 0 || 5 || 4 || 1 || 0.0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 | |||||||||||||
| colspan="2"| | 11 | 0 | 11 | 8 | 3 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Post-NFL career
After his retirement, Cherry moved to Macedonia, Ohio,[https://www.cleveland.com/browns/index.ssf/2008/10/nfl_insider_cherrys_donation_r.html NFL Insider: Cherry's donation rings clear ex-defensive back's heart and soul | cleveland.com] Retrieved 2018-06-09. and in 2009 became a talk show host and NFL analyst for WKNR AM 850 in Cleveland.{{Cite Twitter profile|JRCherry3}} In 2013, following WKNR becoming a flagship station for the Cleveland Browns, Cherry also became a game-day pregame host for the Browns radio network. In 2022, he became part of the main game broadcast team as sideline analyst and reporter.
Cherry is a Christian and attends Bible studies with other players.{{cite web|url=http://www.cbn.com/700club/features/sports_superbowlxxxix_playercomments.aspx|title=Super Bowl Faith: Comments from the Players|author=Andrew Knox, Shawn Brown|year=2012|publisher=Christian Broadcasting Network|quote=Je’Rod Cherry–"We have evangelism going on within the team that definitely has an affect [sic] on what we’re doing out here today because guys are actually seeking God. Guys are here, like Don Davis, he’s an integral part of this. He holds a Bible study every Thursday and then he also helps with the chapel, and we’re growing in the Word."|access-date=19 March 2014}} Each year, Cherry goes to Heartland Community Church in Medina, Ohio, where he discusses his work as a sports analyst and his spiritual journey with the congregation there.{{cite web|url=http://www.heartlandcommunity.org/files/Heartlandcommunity/PDF%20Files/JeRod%20Cherry%20-%202012.pdf|title=Meet Three-Time Super Bowl Champion Former New England Patriot Je'Rod Cherry|year=2012|publisher=Heartland Community Church|access-date=16 April 2012|quote=Je’Rod will be speaking about his football experiences as a member of the 3-time Super Bowl champions, the New England Patriots, his work as a sports analyst, and also about his spiritual journey.}} {{Dead link|date=February 2020 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} In 2008, Cherry raffled off his first Super Bowl ring with the proceeds going to charity. The event raised over $200,000.{{cite web|url=https://www.celebritiesforcharity.org/raffles/RaffleID_SuperBowlRing.cfm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303172118/https://www.celebritiesforcharity.org/raffles/RaffleID_SuperBowlRing.cfm |url-status=dead |archive-date=2016-03-03 |title=Je'Rod Cherry Super Bowl XXXVI Ring Raffle |publisher=Celebrities for Charities |access-date=2009-02-27 }} The ring is currently{{When|date=March 2014}} with a collector in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
Awards and honors
- Two-time All Pac-10 Academic Team - 1994, 1995
- Three-time Super Bowl winner - XXXVI, XXXVIII, XXXIX (as a member of the New England Patriots)
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- [http://archive.patriots.com/alumni/index.cfm?ac=alumnibiosdetail&bio=12371 New England Player Page]
{{Saints1996DraftPicks}}
{{Super Bowl XXXVI}}
{{Super Bowl XXXVIII}}
{{Super Bowl XXXIX}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cherry, Jerod}}
Category:American football safeties
Category:Berkeley High School (Berkeley, California) alumni
Category:California Golden Bears football players
Category:New England Patriots players
Category:New Orleans Saints players
Category:Oakland Raiders players
Category:Philadelphia Eagles players
Category:Players of American football from Berkeley, California
Category:Players of American football from Charlotte, North Carolina
Category:American sports radio personalities
Category:UC Berkeley Graduate School of Education alumni
Category:People from Macedonia, Ohio
Category:Players of American football from Summit County, Ohio