DeWayne Patmon
Encyclopedia
DeWayne Nelson Patmon is a former American football
player. He played as a defensive back
for University of Michigan
from 1997 to 2000 where he won a national championship and three Big Ten Conference
championships and for the New York Giants
from 2001 to 2002. He has also had small parts in a pair of Hollywood film productions.
in San Diego, California
. In high school, he was a 6-foot-1, 185-pound free safety for Patrick Henry's football team and was selected as a first-team All-County player by the San Diego Union-Tribune. As a senior in high school, he received numerous scholarship officers and narrowed his choices to Notre Dame
, Texas
and Michigan. In the end, he said his final decision was easy: "I've always been a Michigan fan. I really didn't like South Bend
and, although I figured I'd start right away at Texas, I decided I'd rather start three years at a school like Michigan." He later added, "As a kid, I wore all the Michigan stuff."
in 1997. He played four years with the Wolverines from 1997 to 2000 and recorded 186 tackles, including 137 solo tackles. He is tied for fourth all-time-time at the University of Michigan with 11 career pass interceptions.
As a freshman, he played in seven games, and started one game at outside linebacker, for the undefeated national champion 1997 Michigan Wolverines football team
's record-setting defense. He was credited by the Associated Press
for having played a "key role" along with William Peterson and James Whitley in Michigan's 21-16 win over Washington State in the 1998 Rose Bowl
.
When Michigan's 1998 co-captain
Marcus Ray
was suspended by the NCAA
for associating with a sports agent
, Patmon started 10 games at strong safety for the 1998 team
. After a 1998 victory over Michigan State
, head coach Lloyd Carr
singled out Patmon for praise: "In particular, DeWayne Patmon really stepped up and played the finest game of his collegiate career. Patmon's interception on the one-yard line was a big play late in that ballgame as were some of his hits on receivers over the middle."
Patmon continued to play at free safety for Michigan, starting eight games for the 1999 team
and ten games for the 2000 team
. The 1998 and 2000 teams were both Big Ten Conference
co-champions.
Patmon's final game for Michigan was the 2001 Citrus Bowl
in which Michigan defeated Auburn 31-28. In the Citrus Bowl, Patmon and sophomore safety Julius Curry each "made key interceptions to halt Auburn drives into Michigan territory."
and signed the following week with the New York Giants
of the National Football League
as an undrafted free agent
. During the 2001 pre-season, Patmon tried out with the Giants seeking a roster spot as "gunner" on punt coverage team. At the time, Patmon described the role of the "gunner
" as follows: "The thing about it is, you've got to forget that it's one-on-two and just pick out one guy and beat him. It's a 10-second fight, one vs. two, and you're using your speed and strength to fight them off. You just try to get them off-balance, outrun them, and see if you can make a play on the ball." He earned a spot on the Giants as a safety.
After playing his first game for the Giants against the Denver Broncos
, Patmon flew with the team to Newark
on September 11, 2001, arriving at 6:00 a.m., before the attack on the World Trade Center
. Interviewed by the San Diego Union-Tribune, Patmon said, "You can still see all the smoke in the sky from here ... Time is standing still right now. You don't think about the NFL or losing a game to the Broncos at a time like this ... A lot of people are suffering right now. It puts everything else in perspective."
Patmon played for the Giants in 2001 and 2002, but was waived in March 2003.
.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
player. He played as a defensive back
Defensive back
In American football and Canadian football, defensive backs are the players on the defensive team who take positions somewhat back from the line of scrimmage; they are distinguished from the defensive line players and linebackers, who take positions directly behind or close to the line of...
for University of Michigan
University of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
from 1997 to 2000 where he won a national championship and three Big Ten Conference
Big Ten Conference
The Big Ten Conference is the United States' oldest Division I college athletic conference. Its twelve member institutions are located primarily in the Midwestern United States, stretching from Nebraska in the west to Pennsylvania in the east...
championships and for the New York Giants
New York Giants
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey, representing the New York City metropolitan area. The Giants are currently members of the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
from 2001 to 2002. He has also had small parts in a pair of Hollywood film productions.
Early years
Patmon attended Patrick Henry High SchoolPatrick Henry High School (San Diego, California)
Patrick Henry High School is a public high school in San Diego, California. It is part of the San Diego Unified School District. It is attended by students in grades 9-12 residing in Del Cerro, San Carlos, Allied Gardens, Mission Valley and the College Area....
in San Diego, California
San Diego, California
San Diego is the eighth-largest city in the United States and second-largest city in California. The city is located on the coast of the Pacific Ocean in Southern California, immediately adjacent to the Mexican border. The birthplace of California, San Diego is known for its mild year-round...
. In high school, he was a 6-foot-1, 185-pound free safety for Patrick Henry's football team and was selected as a first-team All-County player by the San Diego Union-Tribune. As a senior in high school, he received numerous scholarship officers and narrowed his choices to Notre Dame
Notre Dame Fighting Irish football
Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team is the football team of the University of Notre Dame. The team is currently coached by Brian Kelly.Notre Dame competes as an Independent at the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision level, and is a founding member of the Bowl Championship Series coalition. It is an...
, Texas
Texas Longhorns football
The Texas Longhorns football program is the intercollegiate football team representing The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas. The team currently competes in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision as a member of the Big 12 Conference which is a Division I Bowl Subdivision of the National...
and Michigan. In the end, he said his final decision was easy: "I've always been a Michigan fan. I really didn't like South Bend
South Bend, Indiana
The city of South Bend is the county seat of St. Joseph County, Indiana, United States, on the St. Joseph River near its southernmost bend, from which it derives its name. As of the 2010 Census, the city had a total of 101,168 residents; its Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 316,663...
and, although I figured I'd start right away at Texas, I decided I'd rather start three years at a school like Michigan." He later added, "As a kid, I wore all the Michigan stuff."
University of Michigan
Patmon enrolled at the University of MichiganUniversity of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
in 1997. He played four years with the Wolverines from 1997 to 2000 and recorded 186 tackles, including 137 solo tackles. He is tied for fourth all-time-time at the University of Michigan with 11 career pass interceptions.
As a freshman, he played in seven games, and started one game at outside linebacker, for the undefeated national champion 1997 Michigan Wolverines football team
1997 Michigan Wolverines football team
The 1997 Michigan Wolverines football team represented the University of Michigan in the 1997 NCAA Division I-A football season. In its third year under head coach Lloyd Carr, Michigan compiled a perfect 12–0 record, won the Big Ten Conference championship, defeated Washington State in the 1998...
's record-setting defense. He was credited by the Associated Press
Associated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
for having played a "key role" along with William Peterson and James Whitley in Michigan's 21-16 win over Washington State in the 1998 Rose Bowl
1998 Rose Bowl
The 1998 Rose Bowl was a college football bowl game played on January 1, 1998 at the Rose Bowl Stadium in Pasadena, California. It was the 84th Rose Bowl Game. The game featured Michigan beating Washington State by a score of 21–16. The ending of the game is controversial...
.
When Michigan's 1998 co-captain
Captain (sports)
In team sports, a captain is a title given to a member of the team. The title is frequently honorary, but in some cases the captain may have significant responsibility for strategy and teamwork while the game is in progress on the field...
Marcus Ray
Marcus Ray
Marcus Kenyon Ray is an American football coach and former player in the United States. In college, he played for the Michigan Wolverines football team and was a member of the 1997 squad that won a national championship. Ray played professionally in the National Football League for the Oakland...
was suspended by the NCAA
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
for associating with a sports agent
Sports agent
A sports agent procures and negotiates employment and endorsement contracts for an athlete.In return, the sports agent generally receives between 4 and 10% of the athlete's playing contract, and 10 to 20% of the athlete's endorsement contract, though these figures vary...
, Patmon started 10 games at strong safety for the 1998 team
1998 Michigan Wolverines football team
The 1998 Michigan Wolverines football team represented the University of Michigan in the 1998 college football season. The team's head coach was Lloyd Carr. The Wolverines played their home games at Michigan Stadium. The 1998 Wolverines finished the season with a 10–3 record and defeated the...
. After a 1998 victory over Michigan State
Michigan State Spartans football
The Michigan State Spartans football program represents Michigan State University in college football as members of the Big Ten Conference at the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision level...
, head coach Lloyd Carr
Lloyd Carr
Lloyd H. Carr is a former American football player and coach. He served as the head coach at the University of Michigan from 1995 through the 2007 season. Under Carr, the Wolverines compiled a record of 122–40 and won or shared five Big Ten Conference titles...
singled out Patmon for praise: "In particular, DeWayne Patmon really stepped up and played the finest game of his collegiate career. Patmon's interception on the one-yard line was a big play late in that ballgame as were some of his hits on receivers over the middle."
Patmon continued to play at free safety for Michigan, starting eight games for the 1999 team
1999 Michigan Wolverines football team
The 1999 Michigan Wolverines football team represented the University of Michigan in the 1999 college football season. The team's head coach was Lloyd Carr. The Wolverines played their home games at Michigan Stadium. That year Michigan Wolverines football competed in the Big Ten Conference in...
and ten games for the 2000 team
2000 Michigan Wolverines football team
The 2000 Michigan Wolverines football team represented the University of Michigan in the college football 2000 college football season. The team's head coach was Lloyd Carr. The Wolverines played their home games at Michigan Stadium.-Schedule:...
. The 1998 and 2000 teams were both Big Ten Conference
Big Ten Conference
The Big Ten Conference is the United States' oldest Division I college athletic conference. Its twelve member institutions are located primarily in the Midwestern United States, stretching from Nebraska in the west to Pennsylvania in the east...
co-champions.
Patmon's final game for Michigan was the 2001 Citrus Bowl
Citrus Bowl
The Florida Citrus Bowl is a stadium in Orlando, Florida, USA, built for football, which currently seats around 70,000 people....
in which Michigan defeated Auburn 31-28. In the Citrus Bowl, Patmon and sophomore safety Julius Curry each "made key interceptions to halt Auburn drives into Michigan territory."
New York Giants
Patmon went undrafted in the 2001 NFL Draft2001 NFL Draft
The 2001 NFL Draft took place on April 21–22, 2001 at the theater at Madison Square Garden, in New York City. This was the 66th National Football League draft in league history. The draft was broadcast on ESPN both days and eventually moved to ESPN2. No teams elected to claim any players in the...
and signed the following week with the New York Giants
New York Giants
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey, representing the New York City metropolitan area. The Giants are currently members of the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
of the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
as an undrafted free agent
Free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player whose contract with a team has expired and who is thus eligible to sign with another club or franchise....
. During the 2001 pre-season, Patmon tried out with the Giants seeking a roster spot as "gunner" on punt coverage team. At the time, Patmon described the role of the "gunner
Gunner (American football)
In American football, a gunner, also known as a shooter or kamikaze, is a player on kickoffs and punts who specializes in running down the sideline very quickly in an attempt to tackle the kick returner or the punt returner...
" as follows: "The thing about it is, you've got to forget that it's one-on-two and just pick out one guy and beat him. It's a 10-second fight, one vs. two, and you're using your speed and strength to fight them off. You just try to get them off-balance, outrun them, and see if you can make a play on the ball." He earned a spot on the Giants as a safety.
After playing his first game for the Giants against the Denver Broncos
Denver Broncos
The Denver Broncos are a professional American football team based in Denver, Colorado. They are currently members of the West Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
, Patmon flew with the team to Newark
Newark Liberty International Airport
Newark Liberty International Airport , first named Newark Metropolitan Airport and later Newark International Airport, is an international airport within the city limits of both Newark and Elizabeth, New Jersey, United States...
on September 11, 2001, arriving at 6:00 a.m., before the attack on the World Trade Center
World Trade Center
The original World Trade Center was a complex with seven buildings featuring landmark twin towers in Lower Manhattan, New York City, United States. The complex opened on April 4, 1973, and was destroyed in 2001 during the September 11 attacks. The site is currently being rebuilt with five new...
. Interviewed by the San Diego Union-Tribune, Patmon said, "You can still see all the smoke in the sky from here ... Time is standing still right now. You don't think about the NFL or losing a game to the Broncos at a time like this ... A lot of people are suffering right now. It puts everything else in perspective."
Patmon played for the Giants in 2001 and 2002, but was waived in March 2003.
Motion pictures
Following his football career, Patmon appeared as a football player in both the 2004 film Friday Night Lights and the 2005 film Two for the MoneyTwo for the Money (film)
Two for the Money is a 2005 film directed by D. J. Caruso, starring Al Pacino, Matthew McConaughey and Rene Russo. The film is about the world of sports gambling.-Plot:...
.