Akeem Brian Davis-Gaither (born September 21, 1997) is an American professional football linebacker for the Cincinnati Bengals of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Appalachian State.
| No. 59 – Cincinnati Bengals | |||||||||||||||
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| Position: | Linebacker | ||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||
| Born: | September 21, 1997 Thomasville, North Carolina, U.S. | ||||||||||||||
| Height: | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | ||||||||||||||
| Weight: | 238 lb (108 kg) | ||||||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||||||
| High school: | Thomasville (NC) | ||||||||||||||
| College: | Appalachian State (2015–2019) | ||||||||||||||
| NFL draft: | 2020 / round: 4 / pick: 107 | ||||||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||||||
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| Roster status: | Active | ||||||||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||||||
| Career NFL statistics as of 2023 | |||||||||||||||
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Early life
editDavis-Gaither attended Thomasville High School in Thomasville, North Carolina. As a senior in 2015, he had 115 tackles with five sacks and also had eight rushing touchdowns as a running back. He committed to Appalachian State University to play college football.
College career
editDavis-Gaither played at Appalachian State from 2015 to 2019.[1][2] As a senior in 2019, he was the Sun Belt Conference Defensive Player of the Year after recording 101 tackles, five sacks and an interception.[3][4] For his career, Davis-Gaither had 201 tackles, 6.5 sacks and the interception.[5]
Professional career
edit| Height | Weight | Arm length | Hand span | Bench press | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 ft 1+1⁄2 in (1.87 m) |
224 lb (102 kg) |
31+1⁄8 in (0.79 m) |
9+1⁄2 in (0.24 m) |
21 reps | ||||||||
| All values from NFL Combine[6][7] | ||||||||||||
Davis-Gaither was selected by the Cincinnati Bengals in the fourth round with the 107th pick of the 2020 NFL draft.[8] In Week 17 against the Baltimore Ravens, Davis-Gaither recorded his first career interception off a pass thrown by Lamar Jackson during the 38–3 loss.[9]
On November 9, 2021, Davis-Gaither was placed on injured reserve after suffering a foot injury in Week 9.[10] In 2022, Davis recorded a career high 46 tackles and his first fumble recovery. He also intercepted a pass in the Bengals wildcard playoff win against the Ravens.
On March 13, 2024, Davis-Gaither signed a one-year contract extension with the Bengals.[11]
References
edit- ^ Joyce, Ethan (June 24, 2024). "Akeem Davis-Gaither wondered if App State would be the right place for him. Now his patience is paying off". Winston-Salem Journal. Retrieved July 25, 2024.
- ^ Behr, Steve (September 11, 2023). "Davis-Gaither gives App State power and quickness at LB". Watauga Democrat. Retrieved July 25, 2024.
- ^ Duprez, Mike. "Davis-Gaither thrilled over award". The Dispatch.
- ^ Journal, Ethan Joyce Winston-Salem. "No. 21 App State's Darrynton Evans, Akeem Davis-Gaither win Sun Belt offensive and defensive player of the year awards". Winston-Salem Journal.
- ^ How Appalachian State’s Davis-Gaither went from afterthought to a top LB in NFL Draft
- ^ "Akeem Davis-Gaither Draft and Combine Prospect Profile". NFL.com. Retrieved February 12, 2022.
- ^ "Akeem Davis-Gaither, Appalachian State, OLB, 2020 NFL Draft Scout, NCAA College Football". draftscout.com. Retrieved February 12, 2022.
- ^ Marcum, Jason (April 25, 2020). "Bengals select Akeem Davis-Gaither in Round 4 of 2020 NFL Draft". Cincy Jungle. Retrieved April 27, 2020.
- ^ "Baltimore Ravens at Cincinnati Bengals - January 3rd, 2021". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved January 3, 2021.
- ^ "Bengals Make Four Roster Moves Ahead Of The Bye". Bengals.com. November 9, 2021.
- ^ "Bengals Re-Sign Akeem Davis-Gaither". Bengals.com. March 13, 2024.