Jordan Battle
{{Short description|American football player (born 2000)}}
{{Use American English|date=September 2024}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2024}}
{{Infobox NFL biography
| name = Jordan Battle
| image = Jordan Battle, 2021.jpg
| alt =
| caption = Battle with the Alabama Crimson Tide in 2021
| current_team = Cincinnati Bengals
| number = 27
| position = Safety
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|2000|12|14}}
| birth_place = Fort Lauderdale, Florida, U.S.
| height_ft = 6
| height_in = 1
| weight_lb = 215
| high_school = St. Thomas Aquinas {{nowrap|(Fort Lauderdale)}}
| college = Alabama (2019–2022)
| draftyear = 2023
| draftround = 3
| draftpick = 95
| pastteams =
- Cincinnati Bengals ({{NFL Year|2023}}–present)
| status = Active
| highlights =
- PFWA All-Rookie Team (2023)
- CFP national champion (2020)
- 2× Third-team All-American (2021, 2022)
- 2× First-team All-SEC (2021, 2022)
| statweek = 15
| statseason = 2024
| statlabel1 = Total tackles
| statvalue1 = 116
| statlabel2 = Sacks
| statvalue2 = 2.0
| statlabel3 = Pass deflections
| statvalue3 = 7
| statlabel4 = Interceptions
| statvalue4 = 1
| statlabel5 = Fumble recoveries
| statvalue5 = 1
| pfr = BattJo00
}}
Jordan Battle (born December 14, 2000) is an American professional football safety for the Cincinnati Bengals of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Alabama Crimson Tide.
Early life
Battle attended St. Thomas Aquinas High School in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. As a senior he had 27 tackles, three interceptions and a sack.{{Cite web |last=Lichtenstein |first=Adam |date=December 19, 2018 |title=Broward 8A-6A football defensive player of the year: Jordan Battle, St. Thomas Aquinas senior |url=https://www.sun-sentinel.com/sports/highschool/all-county/fl-sp-br-foot-large-dpoy-story.html |access-date=April 20, 2022 |website=Sun-Sentinel.com}} He played in the 2019 Under Armour All-America Game. He originally committed to play college football at Ohio State University but changed his commitment to the University of Alabama.{{Cite web |last=Furones |first=David |date=June 29, 2018 |title=St. Thomas Aquinas All-American safety Jordan Battle commits to Ohio State |url=https://www.nydailynews.com/fl-sp-jordan-battle-ohio-state-20180629-story.html |access-date=April 20, 2022 |website=New York Daily News}}{{Cite web |last=Bean |first=Josh |date=January 1, 2019 |title=Why did DB Jordan Battle flip from Ohio State to Bama? |url=https://www.al.com/sports/2019/01/alabama-db-signee-explains-11th-hour-flip-from-ohio-state.html |access-date=April 20, 2022 |website=AL.com}}
College career
Battle played in 13 games and made four starts as a freshman in 2019. He had 30 tackles, one interception and one sack.{{Cite web |last=Byington |first=Alex |date=September 11, 2019 |title='He's a pro': Freshman DB Jordan Battle proving he belongs among Alabama's starters |url=https://www.montgomeryadvertiser.com/story/sports/2019/09/11/freshman-db-jordan-battle-proving-he-belongs-among-alabamas-starters/2292035001/ |access-date=April 20, 2022 |website=The Montgomery Advertiser}}{{Cite web |last=Suttles |first=Aaron |date=June 16, 2020 |title=The most important Alabama players: No. 9, Jordan Battle |url=https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/1873929/2020/06/16/alabama-most-important-players-2020-jordan-battle/ |access-date=April 20, 2022 |website=The Athletic}} Battle returned his sophomore year in 2020 as a starter.{{Cite web |last=Hudson |first=Brett |date=October 2, 2020 |title=Jordan Battle, thrust into bigger role in Alabama football's secondary, handling it well |url=https://www.tuscaloosanews.com/story/football/2020/10/02/jordan-battle-handling-bigger-role-alabama-football-secondary/3538366001/ |access-date=April 20, 2022 |website=Tuscaloosa News}}{{Cite magazine |last=Martin |first=Tyler |date=September 30, 2020 |title=Alabama's Jordan Battle Transitioning to Leadership Role in Secondary |url=https://www.si.com/college/alabama/bamacentral/alabamas-jordan-battle-transitioning-to-leadership-role-in-secondary |access-date=April 20, 2022 |magazine=Sports Illustrated}} Battle was ejected from the 2021 College Football Playoff National Championship game for targeting.
Professional career
{{NFL predraft
| height ft = 6
| height in = 1
| weight = 209
| dash = 4.55
| ten split = 1.56
| twenty split = 2.62
| shuttle = 4.37
| cone drill = 7.31
| vertical = 29.5
| broad ft = 9
| broad in = 6
| bench = 17
| arm span = 32
| hand span = 8 1/2
| note = Sources:{{Cite web |url=https://www.nfl.com/prospects/jordan-battle/32004241-5447-2711-9552-583ca389703b |title=Jordan Battle Draft and Combine Prospect Profile |website=NFL.com |access-date=April 16, 2023}}{{Cite web |url=https://draftscout.com/dsprofile.php?PlayerId=1030327&DraftYear=2023 |title=2023 NFL Draft Scout Jordan Battle College Football Profile |access-date=April 16, 2023 |website=DraftScout.com}}
}}
Battle was selected by the Cincinnati Bengals in the third round with the 95th overall pick of the 2023 NFL draft.{{Cite web |last=Hobson |first=Geoff |date=April 28, 2023 |title=Bengals Select Alabama S Jordan Battle With Third-Round Pick |url=https://www.bengals.com/news/jordan-battle-safety-nfl-draft-alabama |access-date=August 27, 2023 |website=Bengals.com}}
He started the 2023 season as the second strong safety on the depth chart behind Nick Scott.{{Cite web |date=September 6, 2023 |title=Bengals reveal first depth chart of 2023 season ahead of Week 1 vs. Browns |url=https://bengalswire.usatoday.com/lists/bengals-reveal-first-depth-chart-of-2023-season-week-1-browns/ |access-date=October 15, 2023 |website=Bengals Wire|publisher=USA Today |language=en-US}} Prior to the Bengals Week 12 matchup against the Pittsburgh Steelers, Bengals' defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo declared Battle the starting strong safety over Scott for the remainder of the season due to his stronger tackling abilities.{{Cite web |last=Garrison |first=Drew |date=November 22, 2023 |title=Lou Anarumo names Jordan Battle starter at strong safety |url=https://www.cincyjungle.com/2023/11/22/23972673/jordan-battle-starter-strong-safety-bengals-news-lou-anarumo |access-date=December 2, 2023 |website=Cincy Jungle |language=en}} He finished his first start with eight tackles. The following week against the Jacksonville Jaguars, Battle recorded his first career sack.{{Cite web |date=December 7, 2023 |title=Bengals' Jordan Battle: Notches first career sack on TNF |url=https://www.cbssports.com/fantasy/football/news/bengals-jordan-battle-notches-first-career-sack-on-tnf/ |access-date=January 10, 2024 |website=CBSSports.com |language=en}} During the Bengals' final game of the season in Week 18 against the Cleveland Browns, Battle recorded his first career interception as well as his second career sack.{{Cite web |last=Weber |first=Alex |date=January 7, 2024 |title=WATCH: Jordan Battle hauls in beautiful toe-drag pick for first NFL interception |url=https://www.on3.com/pro/news/jordan-battle-hauls-in-beautiful-toe-drag-pick-for-first-nfl-interception/ |access-date=January 10, 2024 |website=On3 |language=en}} Battle completed his first season with 71 total tackles and five pass deflections, and was named to the PFF and PPWA All-Rookie teams.{{Cite web |last=Wasserman |first=Dalton |date=January 9, 2024 |title=PFF's 2023 All-Rookie Team: C.J. Stroud, Puka Nacua, Kobie Turner and more |url=https://www.pff.com/news/nfl-pff-2023-all-rookie-team-cj-stroud-puka-nacua-kobie-turner-and-more |access-date=January 10, 2024 |website=PFF |language=en}}
In 2024, during Week 15's road victory against the Tennessee Titans, Battle recorded his first career fumble recovery, and returned the football 60 yards for what initially looked like his first touchdown. However, Battle inadvertently dropped the ball inches before crossing the goal line, sending the ball flying out the end zone for what was ultimately ruled a touchback.{{cite magazine |last=Morrison |first=Jay |title='Steak on Jordan' - Bengals Coach, Players React to Jordan Battle Fumble Before Crossing Goal Line |magazine=Sports Illustrated |date=Dec 16, 2024 |url=https://www.si.com/nfl/bengals/bengals-coach-players-react-to-jordan-battle-fumble-before-crossing-goal-line-01jf81ekp88e |access-date=Dec 16, 2024}}{{cite web |title=Cincinnati Bengals at Tennessee Titans - December 15th, 2024 |website=Pro-Football-Reference.com |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/202412150oti.htm | access-date=2024-12-16}}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
{{Commons category}}
{{footballstats|yahoo=40117|espn=4567098|nfl=jordan-battle}}
- [https://www.bengals.com/team/players-roster/jordan-battle/ Cincinnati Bengals bio]
- [https://rolltide.com/sports/football/roster/jordan-battle/7223 Alabama Crimson Tide bio]
{{Cincinnati Bengals roster navbox}}
{{2020 Alabama Crimson Tide football navbox}}
{{Bengals2023DraftPicks}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Battle, Jordan}}
Category:Alabama Crimson Tide football players
Category:American football safeties
Category:Players of American football from Fort Lauderdale, Florida