Dontari Poe (born August 18, 1990) 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 with ...
nose tackle
A defensive tackle (DT) is a position in American football that will typically line up on the line of scrimmage, opposite one of the offensive guards, however he may also line up opposite one of the tackles. Defensive tackles are typically the la ...
. He played
college football
College football (french: Football universitaire) refers to gridiron football played by teams of student athletes. It was through college football play that American football rules first gained popularity in the United States.
Unlike most ...
at
Memphis
Memphis most commonly refers to:
* Memphis, Egypt, a former capital of ancient Egypt
* Memphis, Tennessee, a major American city
Memphis may also refer to:
Places United States
* Memphis, Alabama
* Memphis, Florida
* Memphis, Indiana
* Memp ...
and was drafted by the
Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Chiefs compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) West division.
The tea ...
11th overall in the
2012 NFL Draft
The 2012 NFL draft was the 77th annual meeting of National Football League (NFL) franchises to select newly eligible American football players for their rosters. The draft, which is officially called the "NFL Player Selection Meeting", was held ...
. Though primarily a defensive lineman, at 6 ft 3 in and 346 lbs, he is also known for being the largest player to either rush or pass for a touchdown while also having a 100% pass completion percentage, passing TD, and rushing TD.
High school career
Poe entered
Wooddale High School in
Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis is a city in the U.S. state of Tennessee. It is the seat of Shelby County in the southwest part of the state; it is situated along the Mississippi River. With a population of 633,104 at the 2020 U.S. census, Memphis is the second-mos ...
, without any prior football experience. His coach, Cedric Miller, had spotted Poe practicing with the
marching band
A marching band is a group of instrumental musicians who perform while marching, often for entertainment or competition. Instrumentation typically includes brass, woodwind, and percussion instruments. Most marching bands wear a uniform, ofte ...
in the summer before Poe's freshman year at Wooddale, and told him to report to football practice the next day.
By his junior season, he was an all-state honorable mention defensive lineman and credited with 63 tackles and eight sacks. Besides his hometown school
Memphis
Memphis most commonly refers to:
* Memphis, Egypt, a former capital of ancient Egypt
* Memphis, Tennessee, a major American city
Memphis may also refer to:
Places United States
* Memphis, Alabama
* Memphis, Florida
* Memphis, Indiana
* Memp ...
, he was recruited by
Auburn
Auburn may refer to:
Places Australia
* Auburn, New South Wales
* City of Auburn, the local government area
*Electoral district of Auburn
*Auburn, Queensland, a locality in the Western Downs Region
*Auburn, South Australia
*Auburn, Tasmania
*Aub ...
,
Colorado
Colorado (, other variants) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It encompasses most of the Southern Rocky Mountains, as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of t ...
, and
Mississippi
Mississippi () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States, bordered to the north by Tennessee; to the east by Alabama; to the south by the Gulf of Mexico; to the southwest by Louisiana; and to the northwest by Arkansas. Miss ...
.
Ole Miss invited him to their annual Junior Day. Particularly keen on early playing time, Poe also liked Auburn, because "they have two defensive tackles
Quentin Groves
Quentin Dominic Groves (July 5, 1984 – October 15, 2016) was an American football linebacker. He was drafted by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the second round of the 2008 NFL Draft and played college football at Auburn. He also played for the ...
and
Pat Sims
Patrick Sims (born November 29, 1985) is a former American football defensive tackle. He was drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals in the third round of the 2008 NFL Draft and has also played for the Oakland Raiders. He played college football a ...
that are leaving early, so there is a good chance I will play early if I go there."
Also a talented
shot put
The shot put is a track and field event involving "putting" (throwing) a heavy spherical ball—the ''shot''—as far as possible. The shot put competition for men has been a part of the modern Olympics since their revival in 1896, and women's ...
ter, Poe earned the Class 3-A title at the state meet with a throw of as a junior. In his senior year, he defended his title with a throw of , and also won the
discus throw
The discus throw (), also known as disc throw, is a track and field event in which an athlete throws a heavy disk (mathematics), disc—called a discus—in an attempt to mark a farther distance than their competitors. It is an classical antiqui ...
in the state meet with a personal best throw of . Poe claimed city, district and region track titles as a senior.
Poe was regarded only as a two-star prospect by both
Rivals.com
Rivals.com is a network of websites that focus mainly on college football and basketball recruiting in the United States. The network was started in 1998 and employs more than 300 personnel.
History
Rivals.com was founded in 1998 by Jim Heckma ...
and
Scout.com
Scout Media is an integrated sports publishing company that produces Internet content covering hundreds of professional and college teams across America. The company was founded in 2001 and was acquired by Fox Sports in 2005. In 2013, Fox Sports ...
. He was ranked No. 92 by Scout, in a crop of defensive tackles that was highlighted by
Marcus Forston
Marcus Forston (born September 28, 1989) is an American football defensive tackle who is currently a free agent. Forston was signed by the New England Patriots as an undrafted free agent in 2012. He played college football for the University ...
and
DeAngelo Tyson
DeAngelo Tyson (born April 12, 1989) is a former American football defensive end. He was selected in the seventh round, 236th overall, by the Baltimore Ravens in the 2012 NFL Draft. He played college football at Georgia.
Early life and high s ...
, while Rivals did not have him listed among their top 75 defensive tackles, but as the No. 19 overall prospect out of Tennessee.
College career
Poe played for the
Memphis Tigers football
The Memphis Tigers football team represents the University of Memphis in college football in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision. The Tigers play in the American Athletic Conference as an all-sports member. They play home games at Si ...
team of the
University of Memphis
}
The University of Memphis (UofM) is a public university, public research university in Memphis, Tennessee. Founded in 1912, the university has an enrollment of more than 22,000 students.
The university maintains the Herff College of Engineering ...
from 2009 to 2011. As a
redshirt
Redshirt, Red Shirt, or Redshirts may refer to:
Entertainment
* ''Red Shirts'' (film), a 1952 film about Anita Garibaldi by Franco Rossi
* Redshirt (stock character), originally derived from ''Star Trek'', a stock character who dies soon after b ...
freshman in 2009, he played in 11 of 12 games for the Tigers—he did not play against
Houston
Houston (; ) is the most populous city in Texas, the most populous city in the Southern United States, the fourth-most populous city in the United States, and the sixth-most populous city in North America, with a population of 2,304,580 in ...
(November 21) due to a death in his family—including six starts at nose tackle, and finished the year with 27 tackles, including 18 solo stops. He led the team in tackles for losses with seven, and tied for the team lead in forced fumbles with three. He also added two
quarterback sack
In gridiron football, a sack occurs when the quarterback (or another offensive player acting as a passer) is tackled behind the line of scrimmage before throwing a forward pass, when the quarterback is tackled behind the line of scrimmage in th ...
s, which tied for third-most. His performance earned him a
Conference USA
Conference USA (C-USA or CUSA) is an intercollegiate athletic conference whose current member institutions are located within the Southern United States. The conference participates in the NCAA's Division I in all sports. C-USA's offices are l ...
All-Freshman Team selection.
In his sophomore year, Poe became a consistent starter on the defensive line. He was one of six Tigers to start all 12 games in 2010, and ended the year ranked fifth on the team in tackles with 41, and fourth in TFL with 6.5 (for a total loss of 27 yards). In the season opener against
Mississippi State
Mississippi State University for Agriculture and Applied Science, commonly known as Mississippi State University (MSU), is a public land-grant research university adjacent to Starkville, Mississippi. It is classified among "R1: Doctoral Univers ...
, he registered three tackles (all solo stops), all of which limited the Bulldogs to three or fewer yards, including one that was for a loss of four yards. In a game versus
UTEP
The University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) is a public research university in El Paso, Texas. It is a member of the University of Texas System. UTEP is the second-largest university in the United States to have a majority Mexican American stude ...
, Poe had a season-high seven tackles, four of which limited the Miners to fewer than three yards. He also managed to sack UTEP quarterback
Trevor Vittatoe
Trevor Vittatoe (born January 1, 1988) is a former American football quarterback. Until June 21, 2012, he was on the roster of the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League (NFL). He was signed by the Chicago Bears as an undrafted free ...
on a 3rd-and-8 in the first quarter for a loss of five yards. In October at
Louisville
Louisville ( , , ) is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Kentucky and the 28th most-populous city in the United States. Louisville is the historical seat and, since 2003, the nominal seat of Jefferson County, on the Indiana border.
...
, Poe registered six tackles (four solo). In recognition of his successful season, Poe earned an All-Conference-USA honorable mention.
Prior to his junior season, he drew attention for his weight room performance and was named one of the "10 strongest men in college football" by ''
ESPN
ESPN (originally an initialism for Entertainment and Sports Programming Network) is an American international basic cable sports channel owned by ESPN Inc., owned jointly by The Walt Disney Company (80%) and Hearst Communications (20%). The ...
''′s
Bruce Feldman
Bruce Feldman is an American racing driver from San Ramon, California. He won the 1988 Barber Saab Pro Series championship. He also competed in the 1992 Indy Lights season.
Racing career
Feldman Started racing in go karts at age 10 and that was ...
. During the season, Poe started all 12 games on the defensive line and recorded at least one tackle in each game, tallying 33 tackles, 18 of which were solo stops. He also ranked third on the team with eight TFLs (for a loss of 26 yards). In November, in a game against
Marshall
Marshall may refer to:
Places
Australia
* Marshall, Victoria, a suburb of Geelong, Victoria
Canada
* Marshall, Saskatchewan
* The Marshall, a mountain in British Columbia
Liberia
* Marshall, Liberia
Marshall Islands
* Marshall Islands, an i ...
, Poe tied his career high in tackles with eight. He was selected second-team All-Conference USA, and was listed as an honorable mention All-America pick by ''
Pro Football Weekly
''Pro Football Weekly'' (sometimes shortened to ''PFW'') is an American sports magazine, founded in 1967, and website that covers the National Football League (NFL). It was owned by Pro Football Weekly LLC and headquartered in Riverwoods, Illinoi ...
'', which evaluates players on NFL prospects and draft value rather just college production.
On December 23, 2011, Poe announced that he would forgo his senior season and enter the
2012 NFL Draft
The 2012 NFL draft was the 77th annual meeting of National Football League (NFL) franchises to select newly eligible American football players for their rosters. The draft, which is officially called the "NFL Player Selection Meeting", was held ...
. Soon thereafter, he announced that he signed with agent
Jimmy Sexton
Jimmy Dale Sexton (born December 15, 1951) is an American former professional baseball infielder. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Seattle Mariners, Houston Astros, Oakland Athletics, and St. Louis Cardinals. Sexton signed his fi ...
of
Creative Artists Agency
Creative Artists Agency LLC (CAA) is an American talent and sports agency based in Los Angeles, California. It is regarded as an influential company in the talent agency business and manages numerous clients. In March 2016, CAA had 1,800 emplo ...
. He concluded his college career having played in 35 contests (30 starts), recording 101 tackles (57 unassisted), 21.5 TFL, five sacks, four pass break-ups and four forced fumbles.
Professional career
2012 NFL Draft
Entering the
NFL Combine
The NFL Scouting Combine is a week-long showcase occurring every February at Lucas Oil Stadium (and formerly at the RCA Dome until 2008) in Indianapolis, where college football players perform physical and mental tests in front of National Footba ...
as a potential first rounder, Poe impressed with an "epic workout performance" according to
ESPN
ESPN (originally an initialism for Entertainment and Sports Programming Network) is an American international basic cable sports channel owned by ESPN Inc., owned jointly by The Walt Disney Company (80%) and Hearst Communications (20%). The ...
's
Todd McShay
Todd Marshall McShay (born March 22, 1977) is an American football television analyst and commentator.
Early life
McShay attended North Shore Christian School in Lynn, Massachusetts and then Swampscott High School in Swampscott, Massachusetts, ...
, who afterwards projected him to go as high as No. 11 to the
Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Chiefs compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) West division.
The tea ...
.
NFL.com draft analyst
Mike Mayock
Michael Francis Mayock (born August 14, 1958) is a former American football executive and former player who served as the general manager of the Las Vegas Raiders of the National Football League (NFL) from 2019 to 2021. Mayock was a safety with ...
upgraded Poe from No. 3 to No. 1 in his defensive tackle positional ranking.
Poe particularly impressed with a 4.98 sec 40-yard dash, despite at being the fifth-heaviest defensive linemen to weigh in at the NFL Combine since 2000—behind only
Terrence Cody
Terrence Bernard Cody, Jr. (born June 28, 1988) is a former American football defensive tackle. He played college football for the University of Alabama.. He was selected by the Baltimore Ravens in the second round of the 2010 NFL Draft and pla ...
, Ahmad Childress,
Frank Okam
Franklin Nonyelu Okam, Jr. (born October 16, 1985) is an American football coach and former defensive tackle who is the defensive line coach for the Las Vegas Raiders of the National Football League (NFL). He previously served as an assistant co ...
, and
Alameda Ta'amu. Additionally, he recorded 44 repetitions in the bench press, which tied
Brodrick Bunkley
Brodrick Bunkley (born November 23, 1983) is a former American football nose tackle. He was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in the first round of the 2006 NFL Draft. He played college football at Florida State. Bunkley also played for the Denv ...
for fourth-most since 2000. Due to his raw athleticism, some in the media afterwards compared him to
All-Pro
All-Pro is an honor bestowed upon professional American football players that designates the best player at each position during a given season. All-Pro players are typically selected by press organizations, who select an "All-Pro team," a list th ...
defensive lineman
Haloti Ngata
Etuini Haloti Ngata (; born January 21, 1984) is a former American football defensive tackle. He played college football for the University of Oregon and earned consensus All-American honors. Ngata was drafted by the Baltimore Ravens in the fi ...
.
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, Obama was the first African-American president of the U ...
referred to Poe while making a guest appearance on ''
The B.S. Report
''The B.S. Report'' was an ESPN podcast, that occasionally touched on mature subjects, hosted by Bill Simmons. It featured interviews with athletes, sports commentators, pop-culture experts and friends of Simmons. The B.S. Report had no fixed pub ...
'' stating; "They just had the Combine and they were talking about some guy who's like 340 and runs a 4.8 and has a three-foot vertical," Obama said. "I don't know what you do if a guy like that hits you."
Poe was originally perceived as "the ideal two-gap 3–4 nose tackle" due to his massive frame, but former NFL defensive lineman
John Thornton described Poe as "more of a move guy than a big space eater," able to play in a 4–3 defense, too. However, Thornton also uttered concerns over Poe's mediocre college career. According to Jonathan Bales of ''
The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
'', Poe was "the ultimate boom-or-bust prospect—loaded with potential, but failing to capitalize on it in college." The ''
Sporting News
The ''Sporting News'' is a website and former magazine publication owned by Sporting News Holdings, which is a U.S.-based sports media company formed in December 2020 by a private investor consortium. It was originally established in 1886 as a pr ...
'' compared Poe to
Ryan Sims
Ryan O'Neal Sims (born May 4, 1980) is a former American Football defensive tackle. Sims' professional career began in 2002 with the Kansas City Chiefs, for whom he played through the end of the 2006 season. He has also been a member of the Tampa ...
and
Jimmy Kennedy
James Kennedy (20 July 1902 – 6 April 1984) was a Northern Irish songwriter. He was predominantly a lyricist, putting words to existing music such as "Teddy Bears' Picnic" and "My Prayer" or co-writing with composers like Michael Carr, Wi ...
, two highly selected lineman who "were immensely talented yet struggled because of inconsistent effort and competitiveness."
In March 2012, Poe's draft stock peaked when he was listed at No. 9 by ESPN's
Mel Kiper, Jr.
Mel Kiper Jr. (; born July 25, 1960) is an analyst covering American football for ESPN. He has appeared on ESPN's annual NFL draft coverage since 1984, providing in-depth information on the nation's potential draft picks.
Career
Kiper said th ...
, and No. 6 by ''
Sports Illustrated
''Sports Illustrated'' (''SI'') is an American sports magazine first published in August 1954. Founded by Stuart Scheftel, it was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the National Magazine Award for General Excellence twic ...
''′s Don Banks. "He'll be overdrafted," an unnamed NFL scout told the ''
Times of Trenton
''The Times'' is a daily newspaper owned by Advance Publications that serves Trenton and the Mercer County, New Jersey area, with a strong focus on the government of New Jersey. The paper had a daily circulation of 77,405, with Sunday circulati ...
'', while nevertheless acknowledging that "he's the most athletic over 300-pound man in this draft, or a lot of other drafts." After analysing game tape, Mike Mayock downgraded Poe from No. 1 to No. 4 among defensive tackles, describing him as "a freaky athlete with a good motor" who, however, "needs to get into a good locker room with a mentor in that defensive line group" to develop into a high-quality NFL player. While acknowledging his lack of production in college,
Bucky Brooks
William Eldridge "Bucky" Brooks Jr. (born January 22, 1971) is a sportswriter and former professional American football player. He played for five National Football League (NFL) teams in a five-year career, primarily as a kick returner.
Brooks i ...
pointed out "Poe's blue-chip qualities (size, athleticism and strength) and the immense importance of the
ose tackleposition". According to ''
The Sporting News
The ''Sporting News'' is a website and former magazine publication owned by Sporting News Holdings, which is a U.S.-based sports media company formed in December 2020 by a private investor consortium. It was originally established in 1886 as a pr ...
''s Russ Lande, Poe's draft stock plummeted in the weeks before the draft, amid concerns over his poor production at Memphis.
''
Sports Illustrated
''Sports Illustrated'' (''SI'') is an American sports magazine first published in August 1954. Founded by Stuart Scheftel, it was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the National Magazine Award for General Excellence twic ...
'' graded Poe as the No. 2 defensive tackle in the draft, behind only
Fletcher Cox. Eventually, he was the first defensive lineman off the board, selected eleventh overall by the
Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Chiefs compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) West division.
The tea ...
. Poe was the highest drafted player from Memphis since
Keith Simpson (No. 9 in
1978
Events January
* January 1 – Air India Flight 855, a Boeing 747 passenger jet, crashes off the coast of Bombay, killing 213.
* January 5 – Bülent Ecevit, of Republican People's Party, CHP, forms the new government of Turkey (42nd go ...
), and the highest drafted player from
Conference USA
Conference USA (C-USA or CUSA) is an intercollegiate athletic conference whose current member institutions are located within the Southern United States. The conference participates in the NCAA's Division I in all sports. C-USA's offices are l ...
ever. He was also the third defensive lineman Kansas City selected in the first round within five years, following
Glenn Dorsey
Glenn Jamon Dorsey (born August 1, 1985) is a former American football nose tackle. He played college football for Louisiana State University (LSU), received All-America honors twice, and was recognized as the top college defensive player of the ...
and
Tyson Jackson. Chiefs head coach,
Romeo Crennel
Romeo Crennel (born June 18, 1947) is a former American football coach, who was the senior advisor for football performance for the Houston Texans of the National Football League (NFL). A former long-time coaching assistant to Bill Parcells, Cre ...
, said he was not worried about Poe's mediocre college statistics, "because he played every down at 350 pounds and he played every position on the line in every game."
Kansas City Chiefs
2012 season
Poe was expected to succeed veteran
Kelly Gregg
Kelly Michael Gregg (born November 1, 1976) is a radio personality and a former American football nose tackle. He currently contributes to various radio programs in Oklahoma City on 107.7 "The Franchise". He was drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals ...
at the defensive tackle position in Kansas City's 3–4 defense, although head coach Crennel acknowledged that "it's going to take a while for
oeto get adjusted." On the eve of training camp, July 26, 2012, Poe agreed to terms with the Chiefs, signing a four-year deal with a fifth-year team option. Per team policy, financial terms of the deal were not disclosed, but it was reported to be worth about $11 million. Competing with
Anthony Toribio
Anthony Terrell Toribio (born March 1, 1985) is a former American football defensive tackle. He was signed by the Miami Dolphins as an undrafted free agent in 2008 and also spent time on the practice squad for the Green Bay Packers. Toribio then ...
and
Jerrell Powe for the starting nose tackle spot left void by Gregg, Poe disappointed in training camp. "He needs to work on technique, he needs to work on understanding the system, he needs to get the calls correct all the time. He's got a ways to go," said Crennel.
After spending the first three preseason games on the bench, Poe was moved into the starting lineup after Toribio injured his
ankle
The ankle, or the talocrural region, or the jumping bone (informal) is the area where the foot and the leg meet. The ankle includes three joints: the ankle joint proper or talocrural joint, the subtalar joint, and the inferior tibiofibular join ...
. He established himself as a starter, and remained in the starting lineup for his entire rookie season, starting all 16 regular season games at nose tackle and being a three-down player for most of the season. He recorded 38 tackles, including 28 unassisted. Even though he did not record a
quarterback sack
In gridiron football, a sack occurs when the quarterback (or another offensive player acting as a passer) is tackled behind the line of scrimmage before throwing a forward pass, when the quarterback is tackled behind the line of scrimmage in th ...
, he was credited for his contributions as an inside rusher in obvious passing situations.
Particularly, his efforts against the
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional American football team based in Pittsburgh. The Steelers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) North division. Founded in , the Steel ...
in Week 10 and
Cincinnati Bengals
The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional American football team based in Cincinnati. The Bengals compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. The c ...
in Week 11 were praised.
In Week 15, he registered a season-best five tackles in a loss against
Oakland
Oakland is the largest city and the county seat of Alameda County, California, United States. A major West Coast port, Oakland is the largest city in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area, the third largest city overall in the Bay A ...
.
According to ''
The Sporting News
The ''Sporting News'' is a website and former magazine publication owned by Sporting News Holdings, which is a U.S.-based sports media company formed in December 2020 by a private investor consortium. It was originally established in 1886 as a pr ...
'', Poe as a rookie appeared to be more advanced in grasping the Chiefs' two-gap system than either Dorsey or Jackson as a rookie.
"I'm a much better player than when I first got here," Poe told the publication. "I came here a little afraid, but now I kind of know what's going on."
The ''
Kansas City Star
''The Kansas City Star'' is a newspaper based in Kansas City, Missouri. Published since 1880, the paper is the recipient of eight Pulitzer Prizes. ''The Star'' is most notable for its influence on the career of President Harry S. Truman and as ...
'' named Poe the Chiefs' Rookie of the Year.
2013 season
After not recording a quarterback sack in his rookie season, Poe tallied 3.5 sacks over the first two games of the
2013 NFL season. Increasingly drawing double-teams afterwards, he only added one sack over the rest of the season. Twelve games into his sophomore season, Poe lined up on 804 defensive snaps, which was 85 more than any other defensive tackle in the NFL that season. After the 2013 season concluded, Poe was selected to participate in the annual
Pro Bowl
The National Football League All-Star Game (1939–1942), Pro Bowl (1951–2022), or Pro Bowl Games (starting in 2023) is an annual event held by the National Football League (NFL) featuring the league's star players.
The format has changed thro ...
.
2014 season
During the 2014 season, Poe started all 16 games with six sacks and a pass defended on 46 tackles. He was selected to the Pro Bowl for a second year in a row.
2015 season
During Week 11 against the
San Diego Chargers
The San Diego Chargers were a professional American football team that played in San Diego from 1961 until the end of the 2016 season, before relocating to Los Angeles, where the franchise had played its inaugural 1960 season. The team is now ...
, Poe became the heaviest player in NFL history to rush for a touchdown. He was only the sixth defensive lineman to rush for a touchdown. In 15 games, Poe made 39 tackles, 1 sack, 1 forced fumble, and 1 fumble recovery.
2016 season
Poe scored his second rushing touchdown in as many attempts—this time actually receiving a lateral pass—in an October game against the Oakland Raiders in a play called "Hungry Pig Right" where four players lined up in a diamond formation sending "over 1,100 pounds rushing toward the end zone."
In a December 25 game against the
Denver Broncos
The Denver Broncos are a professional American football franchise based in Denver. The Broncos compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) West division. The team is headquart ...
in Week 16, Poe became the largest player in NFL history to throw a touchdown pass. After being put in on offense, he lined up in the
wildcat formation
Wildcat formation describes a formation for the offense in football in which the ball is snapped not to the quarterback but directly to a player of another position lined up at the quarterback position. (In most systems, this is a running back, b ...
, took the direct snap, faked a run up the middle, then threw a touchdown pass to tight end
Demetrius Harris
Demetrius Harris (born July 29, 1991) is an American football tight end who is a free agent. He played college basketball at University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee, which has no college football program. He was signed by the Kansas City Chiefs as ...
while jumping in the air. In the post game press conference, Chiefs head coach
Andy Reid
Andrew Walter Reid (born March 19, 1958) is an American football coach who is the head coach for the Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League (NFL). Reid was previously head coach of the Philadelphia Eagles from 1999 to 2012. From 200 ...
called the play the "Bloated Tebow pass" referring to a play when
Tim Tebow was the quarterback at
Florida
Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...
and he threw a touchdown pass while jumping after faking a quarterback sneak. In 16 games, Poe finished the year with 27 tackles, a forced fumble, 1.5 sacks, and three passes defended.
Atlanta Falcons
On March 16, 2017, Poe signed a one-year, $8 million contract with the
Atlanta Falcons
The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta. The Falcons compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. The Falcons joined th ...
. Poe made a bonus of $125,000 after passing his July 26 weigh-in. He started all 16 games, making 39 tackles (4 for loss), 2.5 sacks, 10 quarterback pressures and 2 passes defensed.
Carolina Panthers
![Alex Smith (45326544141)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/ca/Alex_Smith_%2845326544141%29.jpg)
On March 15, 2018, Poe signed a three-year, $27 million contract with the
Carolina Panthers
The Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Panthers compete in the National Football League (NFL), as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. T ...
. In his first season in Carolina, Poe started all 16 games, recording 32 tackles, 6 quarterback pressures and one sack.
In 2019, Poe played in 11 games with 8 starts, before suffering a torn quad in Week 12 against the
New Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans. The Saints compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. Since 1975, the te ...
. He was placed on injured reserve on November 27, 2019. He finished the season with 19 tackles and four sacks.
The Panthers declined the option on Poe's contract making him a free agent in 2020.
Dallas Cowboys
![Dontari Poe 2020](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/45/Dontari_Poe_2020.jpg)
On April 9, 2020, Poe signed a two-year contract with the
Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football team based in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The Cowboys compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East divisi ...
. He was placed on the active/
physically unable to perform list
Physically unable to perform (PUP) is a roster designation used in the National Football League (NFL) for players who suffered injuries during football-related activities prior to the start of training camp. Players on the PUP list may participate ...
at the start of training camp on July 28, 2020. He was moved back to the active roster on August 18, 2020. He was expected to start alongside
Gerald McCoy
Gerald Keith McCoy Jr. (born February 25, 1988) is an American football defensive tackle who is a free agent. He played college football at Oklahoma, where he earned consensus All-American honors, and was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers ...
at
defensive tackle
A defensive tackle (DT) is a position in American football that will typically line up on the line of scrimmage, opposite one of the offensive guards, however he may also line up opposite one of the tackles. Defensive tackles are typically the la ...
until he was lost for the season with a quadriceps tear injury. Poe started the first seven games mostly alongside
Trysten Hill
Trysten Hill (born March 25, 1998) is an American football defensive end for the Arizona Cardinals of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at UCF.
Early years
Hill attended Suwannee High School in Live Oak, Florida, ...
, while registering 9 tackles and no sacks. He was part of a struggling defense, especially against the run. In the season opener against the
Los Angeles Rams
The Los Angeles Rams are a professional American football team based in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. The Rams compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) West division. The Rams play ...
, he became the first Cowboy to
kneel during the national anthem since the start of the movement in 2016.
His defensive snaps began to decrease in Week 5, until being released on October 28, as part of a roster purge that included free agency acquisitions
Everson Griffen
Everson Griffen (born December 22, 1987) is an American football defensive end who is a free agent. A graduate of Agua Fria High School, Griffen attended and played college football at USC. He was selected by the Vikings in the fourth round of ...
and
Daryl Worley
Daryl Worley (born February 22, 1995) is an American football cornerback for the Baltimore Ravens of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at West Virginia, and was drafted by the Carolina Panthers in the third round of ...
.
Team owner and general manager
Jerry Jones
Jerral Wayne Jones (born October 13, 1942) is an American businessman who has been the owner, president, and general manager of the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League (NFL) since February 1989.
Early life
Jones was born in Los Ange ...
, attributed the move due to Poe's lackluster performance and being overweight.
Career statistics
Personal life
The youngest of three brothers (Pierre and Robert, Jr.), Poe grew up in the
Whitehaven
Whitehaven is a town and port on the English north west coast and near to the Lake District National Park in Cumbria, England. Historically in Cumberland, it lies by road south-west of Carlisle and to the north of Barrow-in-Furness. It is th ...
neighborhood of Memphis, Tennessee.
Peter Schrager of ''
Fox Sports
Fox Sports is the brand name for a number of sports channels, broadcast divisions, programming, and other media around the world.
The ''Fox Sports'' name has since been used for other sports media assets. These assets are held mainly by the Fo ...
'' compared Poe's background to
Michael Oher
Michael Jerome Oher (; né Williams Jr.; born May 28, 1986) is a former American football offensive tackle who played in the National Football League (NFL) for eight seasons, primarily with the Baltimore Ravens. He played college football at t ...
's, which has been the subject of the 2006 book ''
The Blind Side: Evolution of a Game''.
With a loan from his agent, Jimmy Sexton, Poe bought his mother a 2012
Cadillac Escalade
The Cadillac Escalade is a full-size luxury SUV engineered and manufactured by General Motors. It was Cadillac's first major entry into the SUV market. The Escalade was introduced for the 1999 model year in response to competition from the Merced ...
for her birthday in January 2012. He later also bought her a house in the upscale
Collierville suburb of Memphis.
He was the only player to kneel for the National Anthem while with the Dallas Cowboys.
References
External links
*
Memphis Tigers bio
{{DEFAULTSORT:Poe, Dontari
1990 births
Living people
Players of American football from Memphis, Tennessee
American football defensive tackles
Memphis Tigers football players
Kansas City Chiefs players
Atlanta Falcons players
Carolina Panthers players
Dallas Cowboys players
Unconferenced Pro Bowl players