Jabari Greer
Encyclopedia
Jabari Amin Greer is an American football
cornerback
for the New Orleans Saints
of the National Football League
. He was signed by the Buffalo Bills
as an undrafted free agent in 2004. He played college football
at Tennessee
.
at age seven. He attended South Side High School
in Jackson, Tennessee
. At South Side, Greer was an all state selection in both football and track. He won seven individual state track championships.
, Greer participated in track and field
as well as football. He broke the 110m hurdles school record that had previously been held by Collin Henderson. Greer was a three-year starter at cornerback
and broke a school record by playing in 51 games. Greer graduated from Tennessee in 2004 with a degree in psychology.
signed Greer on April 26, 2004 as an undrafted free agent. Since then, he has mostly played as a nickelback
or dimeback
and on special teams. In 2008, he started the first 10 games of the season, before suffering an injury.
. Greer became a starter for the Saints and returned an interception for a touchdown in a Monday Night Football
game against the Atlanta Falcons
. Greer was injured on November 8, 2009 and missed most of the rest of the Saints' 2009 regular season
, but returned in time to play a significant role in the playoffs.
After the Saints won Super Bowl XLIV
, Greer's hometown, Jackson, Tennessee, honored him with a celebration at South Side High School on March 5, 2010 called "Jabari Greer Day", and awarded him the key to the city.
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...
cornerback
Cornerback
A cornerback is a member of the defensive backfield or secondary in American and Canadian football. Cornerbacks cover receivers, to defend against pass offenses and make tackles. Other members of the defensive backfield include the safeties and occasionally linebackers. The cornerback position...
for the New Orleans Saints
New Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans, Louisiana. They are members of the South Division of the National Football Conference of 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...
. He was signed by the Buffalo Bills
Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills are a professional football team based in Buffalo, New York. They are currently members of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
as an undrafted free agent in 2004. He played college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
at Tennessee
Tennessee Volunteers football
The Tennessee Volunteers football team are an American college football team at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville . The NCAA Division I team is also a member of the Southeastern Conference ....
.
Early years
Greer was born in Milwaukee and moved to TexasTexas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
at age seven. He attended South Side High School
South Side High School (Jackson, Tennessee)
South Side High School in Jackson, Tennessee is a public high school, part of the Madison County, Tennessee school system. It was created in 1956 by the consolidation of Pinson High School, Malesus High School, J.B. Young High School and Mercer High School...
in Jackson, Tennessee
Jackson, Tennessee
Jackson is a city in Madison County, Tennessee, United States. The total population was 65,211 at the 2010 census. Jackson is the primary city of the Jackson, Tennessee metropolitan area, which is included in the Jackson-Humboldt, Tennessee Combined Statistical Area...
. At South Side, Greer was an all state selection in both football and track. He won seven individual state track championships.
College career
During his college career at TennesseeUniversity of Tennessee
The University of Tennessee is a public land-grant university headquartered at Knoxville, Tennessee, United States...
, Greer participated in track and field
Track and field
Track and field is a sport comprising various competitive athletic contests based around the activities of running, jumping and throwing. The name of the sport derives from the venue for the competitions: a stadium which features an oval running track surrounding a grassy area...
as well as football. He broke the 110m hurdles school record that had previously been held by Collin Henderson. Greer was a three-year starter at cornerback
Cornerback
A cornerback is a member of the defensive backfield or secondary in American and Canadian football. Cornerbacks cover receivers, to defend against pass offenses and make tackles. Other members of the defensive backfield include the safeties and occasionally linebackers. The cornerback position...
and broke a school record by playing in 51 games. Greer graduated from Tennessee in 2004 with a degree in psychology.
Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo BillsBuffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills are a professional football team based in Buffalo, New York. They are currently members of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
signed Greer on April 26, 2004 as an undrafted free agent. Since then, he has mostly played as a nickelback
Nickelback (position)
In American football, a nickelback is a cornerback who serves as the fifth defensive back on the defense. A base defense contains four defensive backs, consisting of two cornerbacks, and two safeties. Adding an extra back makes five, hence the term "nickel", which is the name for 5-cent coins in...
or dimeback
Dimeback
In American football, a dimeback is a cornerback who serves as the sixth defensive back on defense. The third cornerback on defense is known as a nickelback. The dimeback position is essentially relegated to backup cornerbacks who do not play starting cornerback positions...
and on special teams. In 2008, he started the first 10 games of the season, before suffering an injury.
New Orleans Saints
On March 4, 2009, Greer signed a four-year contract with the New Orleans SaintsNew Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans, Louisiana. They are members of the South Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League ....
. Greer became a starter for the Saints and returned an interception for a touchdown in a Monday Night Football
Monday Night Football
Monday Night Football is a live broadcast of the National Football League on ESPN. From to it aired on ABC. Monday Night Football was, along with Hallmark Hall of Fame, and the Walt Disney anthology television series, one of the longest running prime time commercial network television series...
game against the Atlanta Falcons
Atlanta Falcons
The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta, Georgia. They are a member of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
. Greer was injured on November 8, 2009 and missed most of the rest of the Saints' 2009 regular season
2009 New Orleans Saints season
The 2009 New Orleans Saints season is the franchise's 43rd season in the National Football League and the most successful in franchise history in which they won Super Bowl XLIV. The Saints recorded a franchise record 13 victories, an improvement on their 8–8 record and fourth place finish in the...
, but returned in time to play a significant role in the playoffs.
After the Saints won Super Bowl XLIV
Super Bowl XLIV
Super Bowl XLIV was an American football game between the American Football Conference champion Indianapolis Colts and the National Football Conference champion New Orleans Saints to decide the National Football League champion for the 2009 season. The Saints defeated the Colts by a score of...
, Greer's hometown, Jackson, Tennessee, honored him with a celebration at South Side High School on March 5, 2010 called "Jabari Greer Day", and awarded him the key to the city.