Aaron Jermaine Ross (born September 15, 1982) is a former

American football American football (referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada), also known as gridiron, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular field with goalposts at each end. The offense, the team wi ...

cornerback A cornerback (CB) is a member of the defensive backfield or secondary in gridiron football. Cornerbacks cover Wide receiver, receivers most of the time, but also blitz and defend against such Play from scrimmage, offensive running plays as sweep ...

. He was drafted by the New York Giants in the first round of the 2007 NFL Draft. He won Super Bowl XLII and Super Bowl XLVI with the Giants, twice over the New England Patriots. He played college football at

Texas Texas (, ; Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2020, it is the second-largest U.S. state by ...

, where he won the

Jim Thorpe Award The Jim Thorpe Award, named in memory of multi-sport athlete Jim Thorpe, has been awarded to the top defensive back in college football since 1986. It is voted on by the Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame. In 2017, the award became sponsored by Payco ...

for the nation's top defensive back in 2006. Ross has also played for the

Jacksonville Jaguars The Jacksonville Jaguars are a professional American football team based in Jacksonville, Florida. The Jaguars compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) South division. The team pla ...

and

Baltimore Ravens The Baltimore Ravens are a professional American football team based in Baltimore, Maryland. The Ravens compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) North division. The team plays it ...

Early years

Ross attended

John Tyler High School Tyler High School, formerly known as John Tyler High School, is a public, co-educational secondary school in Tyler, Texas. It is part of the Tyler Independent School District and serves 9th through 12th grade. In 2020, the Tyler I. S. D. school ...

Tyler, Texas Tyler is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the largest city and county seat of Smith County, Texas, Smith County. It is also the largest city in Northeast Texas. With a 2020 census population of 105,995, Tyler was the List of cities in Texa ...

, where he competed as quarterback, wide receiver and

running back A running back (RB) is a member of the offensive backfield in gridiron football. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback to rush the ball, to line up as a receiver to catch the ball, and block. Ther ...

in his three-year career under coach Allen Wilson. He was named second-team Class 5A All-State after posting six interceptions, three fumble recoveries, three blocked kicks and allowing just one touchdown reception as a senior in 2001. As a junior, he returned a fumble and a blocked punt for a score, adding 350 rushing yards (on 46 carries) and five touchdowns and caught five passes for 200 yards and two scores that year. His career-high of 362 all-purpose yards came against

Katy High School Katy High School is a high school located in Katy, Texas which serves grades 9 through 12. It is a part of the Katy Independent School District. The school serves the City of Katy and the unincorporated Harris County community of Cimarron.John ...

in 2001. Ross also registered three interceptions while rushing for a touchdown against

Fair Park High School Fair Park Middle School is a former high school located at 3222 Greenwood Road in Shreveport, Louisiana, U.S. The school was originally named Fair Park High School when it opened in 1928, and it was the second high school in the city. C.E. Byrd Hi ...

that season. His best game was against Marshall High School, when he amassed 272 all-purpose yards, rushed for two touchdowns and had an interception. As a sophomore, Ross played at

Fox Tech High School Fox Technical High School is a public high school located in central San Antonio, Texas ( USA) and classified as a 4A school by the UIL. This school is one of twelve schools in the San Antonio Independent School District. In 2015, the school was ...

San Antonio, Texas ("Cradle of Freedom") , image_map = , mapsize = 220px , map_caption = Interactive map of San Antonio , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = United States , subdivision_type1= State , subdivision_name1 = Texas , subdivision_t ...

. There he rushed for 486 yards and nine touchdowns and caught 11 passes for 382 yards and three scores on offense. He also intercepted five passes and blocked ten kicks. During his time at both schools, he

lettered Calligraphy (from el, link=y, καλλιγραφία) is a visual art related to writing. It is the design and execution of lettering with a pen, ink brush, or other writing instrument. Contemporary calligraphic practice can be defined as "t ...

four times as a sprinter in

track & field Track and field is a sport that includes athletic contests based on running, jumping, and throwing skills. The name is derived from where the sport takes place, a running track and a grass field for the throwing and some of the jumping eve ...

and twice in

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular court, compete with the primary objective of shooting a basketball (approximately in diameter) through the defender's h ...

College career

Ross enrolled at Texas in 2002, but was academically ineligible to play. He played in thirteen games behind

Nathan Vasher Nathaniel DeWayne Vasher (born November 17, 1981) is a former American football cornerback who played seven seasons in the National Football League. He played college football at Texas and was drafted by the Chicago Bears in the fourth round of ...

at left cornerback in 2003, coming up with 27 tackles (23 solos), a stop for a loss and two pass break-ups. He shared right cornerback duties with

Tarell Brown Tarell Lameek Brown (born January 6, 1985) is a former American football cornerback. He was drafted by the San Francisco 49ers in the fifth round of the 2007 NFL Draft. He played college football for the University of Texas. High school career ...

in 2004, appearing in twelve contests. He recorded 36 tackles (28 solos) with an interception and three pass break-ups. He also averaged 7.6 yards on 18 punt returns. As a junior, Ross earned All-

Big 12 Conference The Big 12 Conference is a college athletic conference headquartered in Irving, Texas, USA. It consists of ten full-member universities. It is a member of Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) for all sports. Its ...

honorable mention. He started two games at cornerback and ranked tenth in the nation with a 14.7-yard average on 34 punt returns, returning two for touchdowns. He also had three interceptions with nine pass break-ups. He ranked seventh on the team with 62 tackles (35 solos), adding two stops behind the line of scrimmage. Finally a full-time starter in 2006, Ross made the most of this opportunity. He earned

All-America The All-America designation is an annual honor bestowed upon an amateur sports person from the United States who is considered to be one of the best amateurs in their sport. Individuals receiving this distinction are typically added to an All-Am ...

n and All-Big 12 Conference first-team honors, in addition to being named the Thorpe Award winner (nation’s top defensive back). The Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year ranked third on the squad with 80 tackles (59 solos). He added a sack, two stops for losses and 19 pass deflections. He caused three fumbles, recovered two and picked off six passes. He also scored once while averaging 10.4 yards on 23 punt returns. In 51 games at Texas, Ross started 15 times. He registered 205 tackles (145 solos) with a one-yard sack, five stops for losses of 21 yards and a quarterback pressure. He caused three fumbles and recovered two others, returning one for a touchdown. Ross batted away 33 passes and intercepted ten others for 111 yards in returns (11.1 avg). He also returned 76 punts for 893 yards (11.8 avg) and three scores, adding 53 yards on a pair of kickoff returns (26.5 avg). Ross was part of a Texas recruiting class which contained future NFL players

Rodrique Wright Rodrique Charles Wright (born July 31, 1984) is an American former college and professional football player who currently serves as defensive end coach for the University of Miami football team. He was a defensive end in the National Football Lea ...

Justin Blalock Justin Christopher Blalock (born December 20, 1983) is a former American football offensive guard who played eight seasons with the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the University of Texas, w ...

, Brian Robison,

Kasey Studdard Kasey Studdard (born July 1, 1984) is a former American football offensive guard who played in the National Football League (NFL). The son of former Denver Broncos tackle Dave Studdard, he was drafted by the Texans in the sixth round (183rd overa ...

, Lyle Sendlein, David Thomas,

Selvin Young Selvin Young (born October 1, 1983) is a former American football running back. He was signed by the Denver Broncos as an undrafted free agent in 2007. He played college football at Texas. Early years A three-year starter at Jersey Village High ...

, and

Vince Young Vincent Paul Young Jr. (born May 18, 1983) is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for six seasons. Young was drafted by the Tennessee Titans as the third overall pick in the 2006 NFL Draft, and ...

. This class, cited as one of the strongest college recruiting classes ever, won the 2005 National Championship. Ross was able to top off his career at Texas by winning the prestigious

as the nation's top collegiate defensive back.

Professional career

New York Giants

Ross was drafted in the first round (20th overall) of the 2007 NFL Draft by the New York Giants. He was one of seven Longhorns selected by professional football teams in the 2007 NFL Draft. The others were Michael Griffin (number 19 overall),

(number 39 overall),

Tim Crowder Timothy C. Crowder (born June 30, 1985) is a former American football defensive end. He was drafted by the Denver Broncos in the second round of the 2007 NFL Draft. He played college football at Texas. Crowder has also played for the Tampa Bay ...

(number 56 overall), Brian Robison (number 102 overall),

(number 147 overall),

(number 183 overall). Lyle Sendlein and

were not drafted but signed with NFL teams as free agents. He had first and second career interceptions in week five against the New York Jets, returning his second for his first career touchdown in the same game. As a rookie, Ross recorded 42 tackles, 2.5 tackles for a loss, 1.5 sacks, 9 passes defended and 3 interceptions which he returned a total of 51 yards including a 43-yard touchdown. Later that year, Ross helped the Giants win Super Bowl XLII by starting at corner, recording 12 tackles, 2 tackles for a loss and a pass defended in the Giants' four playoff games. The team beat the New England Patriots in that game. In his second NFL season in 2008, Ross recorded 52 tackles (4 for loss), 8 passes defended and 3 interceptions (58 return yards including a 50-yard TD). The Giants went 12-4 that year, good for the best record in the NFC, but fell to the rivaled

Philadelphia Eagles The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia. The Eagles compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East division. The team play ...

in the Divisional Round of the

2008–09 NFL playoffs The National Football League playoffs for the 2008 season began on January 3, 2009. The postseason tournament concluded with the Pittsburgh Steelers defeating the Arizona Cardinals in Super Bowl XLIII, 27–23, on February 1, at Raymond James S ...

. Ross missed the first 9 games of the 2009 season due to an injured hamstring. He returned in November to play 4 games before re-injuring the hamstring in mid-December. The Giants, despite being out of the playoff picture, ultimately placed Ross on the injured reserve list on December 31, 2009, just days before the final game of the season. Just prior to the 2011 campaign, Ross's teammate

Terrell Thomas Terrell R. Thomas (born January 8, 1985) is a former American football cornerback. He played college football at USC. He was drafted by the New York Giants in the second round of the 2008 NFL Draft. He is also only the second player in NFL ...

was placed on injured reserve, which landed Ross the starting job for the season. The Giants would go on to win Super Bowl XLVI that season against the Patriots again. Ross has recorded 200 tackles, 2.5 sacks, 33 passes defended, and 10 interceptions in 65 NFL games (41 starts).

Jacksonville Jaguars

The

signed cornerback Ross to a three-year, $15 million contract during the March free agency period in 2012. The transition to Jacksonville was difficult for Ross, who won two Super Bowls in New York, as the Jaguars finished 2-14, tied for the league's worst record. His brief tenure in Jacksonville saw Ross battling through injuries and struggling in coverage. Ross drew the ire of Jaguars fans by describing his time in Jacksonville as "a nice paid vacation to Florida". He later apologized. Ross was released after the start of free agency on March 8, 2013 by newly hired general manager Dave Caldwell.

New York Giants (second stint)

Ross signed with the New York Giants on March 12, 2013, just four days after being released by the Jaguars. Ross was placed on the IR (injured reserve) after week 4 of the 2013 NFL season with a back injury, and his season was over.

Baltimore Ravens

On June 20, 2014, Ross signed with the

. On July 24, 2014, Ross tore his Achilles tendon, ending his season.

Cleveland Browns

Ross signed with the

Cleveland Browns The Cleveland Browns are a professional American football team based in Cleveland. Named after original coach and co-founder Paul Brown, they compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (A ...

on August 16, 2015. He was released by the Browns on August 31, 2015.

NFL statistics

Personal life

During his early days at Texas in 2003, Ross began dating Longhorn track and field star,

Sanya Richards Sanya Richards-Ross (née Richards; born February 26, 1985) is a retired Jamaican-American track and field athlete, who competed internationally for the United States in the 400-meter sprint. Her notable accolades in this event include being th ...

, who is a 4-time Olympic Gold Medalist. The two were engaged in 2007 and married on February 26, 2010. Their wedding was featured on an episode of

Platinum Weddings ''Platinum Weddings'' is an American reality television series which premiered on July 23, 2006, on the WE tv cable channel. The series chronicles the lives of couples who are planning their upcoming lavish weddings. The series spawned one spin-of ...

. His life with Sanya is partially chronicled in the weekly reality series Sanya's Glam and Gold.http://www.wetv.com/full-episodes/sanya-s-glam-gold/2623955564001/glam-or-gold Sanya currently appears on ''

The Real Housewives of Atlanta ''The Real Housewives of Atlanta'' (abbreviated ''RHOA'') is an American reality television series that premiered on Bravo on October 7, 2008. Developed as the third installment of ''The Real Housewives'' franchise, it has aired fourteen seaso ...

'' as a full time cast member starting in season 14.

References

External links

Baltimore Ravens bioNew York Giants bio
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ross, Aaron 1982 births African-American players of American football American football cornerbacks Baltimore Ravens players Cleveland Browns players Jacksonville Jaguars players Living people New York Giants players Players of American football from San Antonio Texas Longhorns football players 21st-century African-American sportspeople 20th-century African-American people