Nick Usher

{{Short description|American gridiron football player (born 1995)}}

{{Infobox CFL biography

| name = Nick Usher

| team =

| image = 2024, 75, Nick Usher.jpg

| image_upright = 1

| caption = Usher with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in 2024

| status =

| import = yes

| position1 = Defensive lineman

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1995|01|22}}

| birth_place = Los Angeles, California, U.S.

| number =

| college = UTEP

| high_school = Serra High

| Height_ft = 6

| Height_in = 3

| Weight_lbs = 235

| playing_years1 = {{NFL Year|2017}}

| playing_team1 = Seattle Seahawks*

| playing_years2 = {{NFL Year|2017}}

| playing_team2 = New England Patriots*

| playing_years3 = {{CFL Year|2018|2019}}

| playing_team3 = Edmonton Eskimos

| playing_years4 = {{NFL Year|2020}}

| playing_team4 = Las Vegas Raiders*

| playing_years5 = {{CFL Year|2021|2023}}

| playing_team5 = Montreal Alouettes

| playing_years6 = {{CFL Year|2023}}

| playing_team6 = BC Lions

| playing_years7 = {{CFL Year|2024}}

| playing_team7 = Hamilton Tiger-Cats

| career_footnotes = *Offseason and/or practice squad member only

| career_highlights =

| Honours =

| CFLEastAllStar =

| CFL = nick-usher-2/163602/

}}

Nicholas F. Usher (born January 22, 1995) is an American professional football defensive lineman.

College career

Usher played college football for the UTEP Miners from 2013 to 2016.{{cite web|url=https://utepminers.com/sports/football/roster/nick-usher/3827 |title=Nick Usher |publisher=UTEP Miners |access-date=June 25, 2022}} He spent the first three seasons as a defensive lineman before moving to linebacker in his senior year.

Professional career

= Seattle Seahawks =

After not being selected in the 2017 NFL draft, Usher signed with the Seattle Seahawks as an undrafted free agent on May 12, 2017.{{cite web|url=https://www.patriots.com/news/patriots-sign-three-players-304746 |title=Patriots Sign Three Players |publisher=New England Patriots |date=August 28, 2017}} However, he was released before the start of preseason on July 29, 2017.

= New England Patriots =

On August 28, 2017, Usher signed with the New England Patriots. He played in one pre-season game and was released with the final training camp cuts that year.{{cite web|url=https://3downnation.com/2021/02/09/alouettes-sign-up-and-coming-pass-rusher-nick-usher/ |title=Alouettes sign up and coming pass rusher Nick Usher |publisher=3DownNation |date=February 9, 2021}}

= Edmonton Eskimos =

On October 4, 2017, Usher signed a practice roster agreement with the Edmonton Eskimos and later a futures contract for the 2018 season.{{cite web|url=https://www.cfl.ca/transactions/2017/ |title=Transactions – Football player trades and signings |publisher=Canadian Football League |access-date=June 25, 2022}} He played in his first professional game on July 13, 2018, against the Toronto Argonauts where he recorded three defensive tackles.{{cite web|url=https://www.cfl.ca/players/nick-usher-2/163602/ |title=Nick Usher |publisher=Canadian Football League |access-date=June 25, 2022}} That year, he played in eight regular season games where he had seven defensive tackles, three special teams tackles, one sack, and one forced fumble.

In 2019, Usher played in all 18 regular season games where he had 36 defensive tackles, six sacks, and three forced fumbles. He also played in his first career post-season games, in the East Semi-Final and East Final, the latter of which the Eskimos lost to the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. He was granted an early release on January 2, 2020, in order to sign with a National Football League team.{{cite web|url=https://www.goelks.com/2020/01/02/eskimos-release-usher-pursue-nfl-opportunity/ |title=Eskimos Release Usher To Pursue NFL Opportunity |publisher=Edmonton Elks |date=January 2, 2020}}

= Las Vegas Raiders =

Usher signed with the Las Vegas Raiders in January 2020, but was waived during training camp with an injury designation on August 24, 2020.{{cite web|url=https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2020/08/24/raiders-waive-nick-usher-with-injury-designation/ |title=Raiders waive Nick Usher with injury designation |publisher=NBC Sports |date=August 24, 2020}}

File:2022, 10, Nick Usher.jpg

= Montreal Alouettes =

On February 9, 2021, it was announced that Usher had signed with the Montreal Alouettes.{{cite web|url=https://www.cfl.ca/2021/02/09/migrating-east-sewell-agrees-terms-alouettes/ |title=Migrating East: Sewell agrees to terms with Alouettes |publisher=Montreal Alouettes |date=February 9, 2021}} In a pandemic-shortened 2021 season, Usher played in all 14 regular season games where he had 35 defensive tackles, five sacks, and one forced fumble.

Usher signed a two-year contract extension with the Alouettes on January 24, 2022.{{cite web|url=https://montrealgazette.com/sports/football/cfl/montreal-alouettes/alouettes-re-sign-defensive-end-nick-usher-to-two-year-deal |title=Alouettes re-sign defensive-end Nick Usher to two-year deal |publisher=Montreal Gazette |date=January 24, 2022}} For the 2022 season, he played in 13 regular season games where he had 29 defensive tackles and three sacks.{{cite web |url=https://d3ham790trbkqy.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/2023-CFL-Guide-PDF-for-site.pdf |title=2023 CFL Guide Book |publisher=Canadian Football League |access-date=August 20, 2023 |archive-date=June 8, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230608011405/https://d3ham790trbkqy.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/2023-CFL-Guide-PDF-for-site.pdf |url-status=dead }} In 2023, he started in the first five games for the Alouettes, recording five defensive tackles and a sack, before being released on July 23, 2023.{{cite web|url=https://3downnation.com/2023/07/23/montreal-alouettes-release-veteran-de-nick-usher/ |title=Montreal Alouettes release veteran DE Nick Usher |publisher=3DownNation |date=July 23, 2023}}

= BC Lions =

On August 15, 2023, Usher signed a practice roster agreement with the BC Lions.{{cite web|url=https://www.bclions.com/2023/08/15/lions-add-american-defensive-lineman-nick-usher/ |title=Lions Add American Defensive Lineman Nick Usher |publisher=BC Lions |date=August 15, 2023}} He played in four regular season games where he had one defensive tackle. He became a free agent upon the expiry of his contract on February 13, 2024.{{cite web|url=https://www.cfl.ca/fa24/ |title=Official 2024 Free Agent Tracker |publisher=Canadian Football League |access-date=February 14, 2024}}

=Hamilton Tiger-Cats=

On February 20, 2024, Usher signed with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.{{Cite web |url=https://www.cfl.ca/transactions/2024/ |title=Transactions – Football player trades and signings |publisher=Canadian Football League |access-date=February 22, 2024}}