NaJee Thompson
{{Short description|American football player (born 2000)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2024}}
{{Infobox NFL biography
| name = NaJee Thompson
| image =
| image_size =
| alt =
| caption =
| current_team =
| number =
| position = Cornerback
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|2000|07|07}}
| birth_place = Boiling Springs, South Carolina, U.S.
| death_date =
| death_place =
| height_ft = 5
| height_in = 10
| weight_lb = 205
| high_school = Boiling Springs
| college = Georgia Southern (2018–2022)
| undraftedyear = 2023
| pastteams =
- Minnesota Vikings ({{NFL Year|2023|2024}})
| status =
| highlights =
| statseason = 2023
| statweek =
| statlabel1 = Total tackles
| statvalue1 = 7
| statlabel2 = Pass deflections
| statvalue2 =
| statlabel3 = Interceptions
| statvalue3 =
| statlabel4 = Interception yards
| statvalue4 =
| statlabel5 = Forced fumbles
| statvalue5 =
| statlabel6 = Fumble recoveries
| statvalue6 = 1
| statlabel7 = Defensive touchdowns
| statvalue7 =
| statlabel8 =
| statvalue8 =
| pfr = ThomNa00
}}
NaJee Thompson (born July 7, 2000){{Cite web |title=NaJee Thompson (CB) |url=https://www.espn.com/nfl/player/_/id/4361382/najee-thompson |access-date=2024-12-10 |website=ESPN.com}} is an American professional football cornerback. He played college football for the Georgia Southern Eagles and was signed by the Vikings as an undrafted free agent after the 2023 NFL draft.
Early life
Thompson was born in Boiling Springs, South Carolina.{{Cite web |title=NaJee Thompson – Football (CB) |url=https://gseagles.com/sports/football/roster/najee-thompson/5136 |website=Georgia Southern Eagles Athletics}} He played high school football for the local team at Boiling Springs High School, where he played as a safety and wide receiver.{{Cite web |title=Najee Thompson (FS/WR) |url=https://www.hudl.com/profile/5261539/Najee-Thompson |website=hudl.com}}
He was rated as a two-star athlete prospect by 247Sports, ranked the 50th player in South Carolina.{{Cite web |title=Najee Thompson (WR) |url=https://247sports.com/player/najee-thompson-46041975/high-school-194083/ |website=247sports.com}} He received offers from the Central Michigan Chippewas, the UMass Minutemen, the South Carolina State Bulldogs, the Western Carolina Catamounts and the Georgia Southern Eagles. He enrolled at Georgia Southern on June 1, 2018.
College career
Thompson attended the Georgia Southern University and played college football for the Georgia Southern Eagles. In his first three seasons, from 2018 through 2020, he played at wide receiver. In the 2021 season, he switched to cornerback.{{Cite news |last=Fielder |first=Kevin |date=June 13, 2023 |title=Vikings 90-man roster player profile: CB Najee Thompson |url=https://vikingswire.usatoday.com/lists/vikings-90-man-roster-player-profile-cb-najee-thompson/ |access-date=2024-12-10 |work=USA Today}}
Professional career
{{NFL predraft
| height ft = 5
| height in = 10 3/8
| weight = 200
| dash = 4.60
| ten split = 1.63
| twenty split = 2.70
| shuttle = 4.56
| cone drill = 7.40
| vertical = 32.0
| broad ft = 9
| broad in = 8
| bench = 13
| arm span = 32 3/4
| hand span = 9 1/8
| note = All values from Pro Day{{Cite web |title=2023 NFL Draft Scout NaJee Thompson College Football Profile |url=https://draftscout.com/dsprofile.php?PlayerId=1050516&DraftYear=2023 |access-date=December 13, 2023 |website=DraftScout.com}}
}}
After not being drafted in the 2023 NFL draft, Thompson was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Minnesota Vikings on April 29, 2023.{{Cite news |date=April 29, 2023 |title=Vikings Agree to Terms with 15 Undrafted Free Agents |url=https://www.vikings.com/news/undrafted-free-agents-2023-nfl-draft |work=Vikings.com}}{{Cite magazine |last=Ragatz, Will |date=May 7, 2023 |title=Vikings UDFA Profile: Georgia Southern CB NaJee Thompson |url=https://www.si.com/nfl/vikings/news/vikings-udfa-profile-georgia-southern-cb-najee-thompson |magazine=Sports Illustrated}}{{Cite news |last=Craig, Mark |date=August 18, 2023 |title=Vikings rookie NaJee Thompson makes mark on special teams by flashing special speed |url=https://www.startribune.com/minnesota-vikings-najee-thompson-training-camp-special-teams/600297261/ |work=Star Tribune}} On August 29, 2023, the Vikings announced that he had made the initial 53-man roster.{{Cite web |last=Peters |first=Craig |date=August 29, 2023 |title=Vikings Set Initial 53-Man Roster for 2023 |url=https://www.vikings.com/news/roster-moves-initial-53-man-waived-injured-2023 |access-date=October 24, 2023 |website=Vikings.com}}
Thompson was waived on August 21, 2024,{{cite web | last=Peters | first=Craig | title=Vikings Sign Offensive Lineman Matt Cindric | website=Vikings.com | date=2024-08-21 | url=https://www.vikings.com/news/matt-cindric-offensive-lineman-signed | access-date=2024-10-14}} but returned to the team on injured reserve. {{cite web | last=Knoop | first=Trent | title=Vikings place Najee Thompson on season-ending IR | website=Vikings Wire|publisher=USA Today | date=2024-08-23 | url=https://vikingswire.usatoday.com/2024/08/23/vikings-place-najee-thompson-on-season-ending-ir/ | access-date=2024-12-10}}
On April 23, 2025, Thompson was waived by the Vikings following a failed physical.{{cite web |last1=Alper |first1=Josh |title=Vikings waive DB NaJee Thompson |url=https://www.nbcsports.com/nfl/profootballtalk/rumor-mill/news/vikings-waive-najee-thompson |website=NBC Sports |access-date=24 April 2025}}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- [https://gseagles.com/sports/football/roster/najee-thompson/5136 Georgia Southern Eagles bio]
{{DEFAULTSORT:Thompson, NaJee}}
Category:American football cornerbacks
Category:American football wide receivers
Category:Georgia Southern Eagles football players
Category:Minnesota Vikings players
Category:People from Boiling Springs, South Carolina
Category:Players of American football from Spartanburg County, South Carolina
{{Defensiveback-stub}}