Elvis Kool Dumervil (born January 19, 1984) 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 ...
defensive end
Defensive end (DE) is a defensive position in the sport of gridiron football.
This position has designated the players at each end of the defensive line, but changes in formation (American football), formations over the years have substantially ...
and
linebacker
Linebacker (LB) is a playing position in gridiron football. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage and the defensive linemen. They are the "middle ground" of defenders, p ...
who played in the
National Football League
The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the ...
(NFL) for 12 seasons. 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
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.
...
, where he won the
Bronko Nagurski Trophy
The Bronko Nagurski Trophy has been awarded annually since 1993 to the collegiate American football defensive player adjudged by the membership of the Football Writers Association of America (FWAA) to be the best in the National Collegiate Athle ...
and
Ted Hendricks Award
The Ted Hendricks Award is given annually to college football's top defensive end. The award is named after Ted Hendricks, a member of both the College Football Hall of Fame and Pro Football Hall of Fame, and is presented by his own foundation. In ...
as a senior, and was selected by 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 the fourth round of the
2006 NFL Draft
The 2006 National Football League Draft, the 71st in league history, took place in New York City, New York, at Radio City Music Hall on April 29 and April 30, 2006. For the 27th consecutive year, the draft was telecast on ESPN and ESPN2, with ad ...
. During his seven seasons with the Broncos, Dumervil was the
NFL sacks leader
This is a list of National Football League players who have led the regular season in sacks each year. Sacks became an official statistic in 1982. Michael Strahan of the New York Giants and T. J. Watt of the Pittsburgh Steelers hold the recor ...
in 2009. He was also named to two
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 ...
s and one first-team
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 ...
. Dumervil spent his next four seasons with the
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 its ...
, where he extended his Pro Bowl selections to five and his first-team All-Pros to two, as well as setting the franchise record for single-season sacks. In his final season, he was a member of the
San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers (also written as the San Francisco Forty-Niners) are a professional American football team based in the San Francisco Bay Area. The 49ers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the league's National ...
.
Early years
Dumervil was born in
Miami, Florida
Miami ( ), officially the City of Miami, known as "the 305", "The Magic City", and "Gateway to the Americas", is a East Coast of the United States, coastal metropolis and the County seat, county seat of Miami-Dade County, Florida, Miami-Dade C ...
. His parents were
Haiti
Haiti (; ht, Ayiti ; French: ), officially the Republic of Haiti (); ) and formerly known as Hayti, is a country located on the island of Hispaniola in the Greater Antilles archipelago of the Caribbean Sea, east of Cuba and Jamaica, and ...
an immigrants to Miami's
Little Haiti
Little Haiti (french: La Petite Haïti, ht, Ti Ayiti), is a neighborhood of Miami, Florida, United States. It is known historically as Lemon City, Little River and Edison. It is home to Haitian immigrant residents, as well as residents from the ...
neighborhood. Dumervil was named after
Elvis Presley
Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977), or simply Elvis, was an American singer and actor. Dubbed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Elvis Presley, one ...
, of whom his father was a fan. Separated when Dumervil was three years old, they raised a total of 10 children.
[Mike Klis]
"Broncos star Dumervil's roots still extend to humble beginnings in Miami"
''Denver Post
''The Denver Post'' is a daily newspaper and website published in Denver, Colorado. As of June 2022, it has an average print circulation of 57,265. In 2016, its website received roughly six million monthly unique visitors generating more than 13 ...
'', February 1, 2010. His half-brother
Curry Burns (born 1981) is a former American football safety.
Dumervil attended
Miami Jackson High School
Miami Jackson Senior High School, also known as Andrew Jackson High School or Jackson High School, is a high school located at 1751 NW 36th Street in the Allapattah neighborhood of Miami, Florida, United States. Its athletic team name is the Gene ...
, where he was a two-sport star in football and track. He played
high school football
High school football (french: football au lycée) is gridiron football played by high school teams in the United States and Canada. It ranks among the most popular interscholastic sports in both countries, but its popularity is declining, part ...
for the Jackson Generals team. Rated among the top 25 defensive ends by most football recruiting publications, Dumervil had a Jackson High School record 78 career sacks.
College career
Despite standing at 5 ft. 11 in., Dumervil was one of the most dominating defensive players in school history and put together one of the most impressive collegiate seasons in 2005. A native of Miami, Fla., Dumervil attended the
University of Louisville
The University of Louisville (UofL) is a public research university in Louisville, Kentucky. It is part of the Kentucky state university system. When founded in 1798, it was the first city-owned public university in the United States and one of ...
, where he played for coach
John L. Smith (2002) and
Bobby Petrino
Robert Patrick Petrino (born March 10, 1961) is an American football coach. He currently serves as the Offensive Coordinator for the Texas A&M Aggies. He is the former head coach for the Missouri State Bears. Previously, he served as the head coa ...
's
Louisville Cardinals football
The Louisville Cardinals football team represents the University of Louisville in the sport of American football. The Cardinals compete in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and compete in ...
team from 2003 to 2005. As a freshman in 2002, Dumervil recorded six tackles and two tackles for loss, but he impressed the coaching staff with his quickness and his high energy. After John L. Smith left, Petrino took over, and Dumervil's career took off. In 2003, he tallied just 28 tackles and two sacks. The Cardinal coaching staff had planned on
redshirting him during the 2002 season, but injuries to other players and a lackluster performance by the defensive line forced him into the rotation.
He showed glimpses of what was to come in 2004, when he tallied 52 tackles, 11.5 tackles for loss and a team-high 10 sacks in guiding the Cardinals to an 11-1 record and a win over Boise State in one of the most anticipated Liberty Bowls in history. His 2005 season was one of the best for a defensive end in both NCAA and school history, when he broke the NCAA single-game sack record (6) in a 31-24 win against the rival
Kentucky Wildcats
The Kentucky Wildcats are the men's and women's intercollegiate athletic squads of the University of Kentucky (UK), a founding member of the Southeastern Conference. The Kentucky Wildcats is the student body of the University of Kentucky. 30,473 ...
, and broke the NCAA record for forced fumbles. His sack total also broke the Big East record set by
Dwight Freeney
Dwight Jason Freeney (born February 19, 1980) is an American former football player who played as a defensive end and outside linebacker for 16 seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Syracuse University, ...
, who was a player that Elvis desired to emulate. He finished that season with a school record 20.5 sacks and 10 forced fumbles, which is still the best in NCAA history. He won several awards for the 2005 season, including the
Bronko Nagurski Trophy
The Bronko Nagurski Trophy has been awarded annually since 1993 to the collegiate American football defensive player adjudged by the membership of the Football Writers Association of America (FWAA) to be the best in the National Collegiate Athle ...
, the
Ted Hendricks Award
The Ted Hendricks Award is given annually to college football's top defensive end. The award is named after Ted Hendricks, a member of both the College Football Hall of Fame and Pro Football Hall of Fame, and is presented by his own foundation. In ...
, and Big East player of the year, and was recognized as a unanimous first-team
All-American.
In the 2006
Gator Bowl
The Gator Bowl is an annual college football bowl game held in Jacksonville, Florida, operated by Gator Bowl Sports. It has been held continuously since 1946, making it the sixth oldest college bowl, as well as the first one ever televised natio ...
,
Virginia Tech
Virginia Tech (formally the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University and informally VT, or VPI) is a Public university, public Land-grant college, land-grant research university with its main campus in Blacksburg, Virginia. It also ...
quarterback
Marcus Vick
Marcus Deon Vick (born March 20, 1984) is a former American football quarterback. He played college football at Virginia Tech, following the career path of his older brother Michael. However, several legal infractions and unsportsmanlike play le ...
intentionally stomped on the back of Dumervil's leg after a whistle. While no penalty was called, the backlash from this play (in combination with a misdemeanor charge for driving with a suspended license) led to Vick's permanent dismissal from the Virginia Tech football team. Vick claimed that he had apologized to Dumervil after the game, while Dumervil disputed that claim and stated that he didn't receive any kind of apology from Vick.
In college, he was known for the "strip-sack" maneuver where he would sometimes strip the ball from ball carriers or quarterbacks.
The product of Miami Jackson High finished his career with 151 career tackles, 42.5 tackles for loss and 32 sacks. He ranks third all-time in tackles for loss and second in sacks, and had his No. 58 jersey honored during festivities at a November 7, 2015, home game against Syracuse.
Records and rankings
*1st - NCAA single game sack total, 6 vs. the
University of Kentucky
The University of Kentucky (UK, UKY, or U of K) is a Public University, public Land-grant University, land-grant research university in Lexington, Kentucky. Founded in 1865 by John Bryan Bowman as the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Kentu ...
(September 1, 2005)
*1st -
Big East Conference
The Big East Conference is a collegiate athletic conference that competes in NCAA Division I in ten men's sports and twelve women's sports. Headquartered in New York City, the eleven full-member schools are primarily located in Northeast and M ...
single season sack total
*2nd - University of Louisville career sacks (to
DeWayne White
Dewayne White (born October 19, 1979) is a former American defensive end. He entered the league as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers top overall selection in the 2003 NFL Draft. Tied a team record by recording at least half-a-sack in six consecutive games ...
)
Professional career
Pre-draft
Despite his collegiate success and comparisons to Colts defensive end
Dwight Freeney
Dwight Jason Freeney (born February 19, 1980) is an American former football player who played as a defensive end and outside linebacker for 16 seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Syracuse University, ...
, Dumervil was selected on the second day of the NFL Draft due to concerns about his small size (5'11", 258 pounds), and the fact that he went without a sack in his final three collegiate games. This may have been due to being consistently double-teamed, but it was perceived by some as a sign of fatigue. Several teams considered moving him to linebacker or only using him in pass rushing situations.
Denver Broncos
Dumervil was drafted in the fourth round of the
2006 NFL Draft
The 2006 National Football League Draft, the 71st in league history, took place in New York City, New York, at Radio City Music Hall on April 29 and April 30, 2006. For the 27th consecutive year, the draft was telecast on ESPN and ESPN2, with ad ...
by 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 ...
. Broncos coach
Mike Shanahan
Michael Edward Shanahan (born August 24, 1952) is a former American football coach, best known as the head coach of the Denver Broncos of the National Football League (NFL) from 1995 to 2008. During his fourteen seasons with the Broncos, he led ...
stated that he planned to keep Dumervil at defensive end.
![Elvis Dumervil 2011](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/65/Elvis_Dumervil_2011.JPG)
Early in his rookie season, Dumervil saw little playing time. However, his minutes increased as the season progressed and he finished the year with 8.5 sacks in 13 games. In the first game of the 2007 NFL season, he would get the first interception of his career. Dumervil would go on to lead the Broncos, and finish among league leaders, with 12.5 sacks in 2007.
His half-brother,
Curry Burns, also played at the
University of Louisville
The University of Louisville (UofL) is a public research university in Louisville, Kentucky. It is part of the Kentucky state university system. When founded in 1798, it was the first city-owned public university in the United States and one of ...
and was drafted by the
Houston Texans
The Houston Texans are a professional American football team based in Houston. The Texans compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division, and play their home ga ...
in the
2003 NFL Draft
The 2003 NFL draft was the procedure by which National Football League (NFL) teams selected amateur college football players. The draft is known officially as the "NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting" and has been conducted annually since 1936 NF ...
.
With the
Josh McDaniels
Joshua Thomas McDaniels (born April 22, 1976) is an American football
head coach for the Las Vegas Raiders of the National Football League (NFL). He began his NFL career in 2001 with the New England Patriots, where he served as the offensive coo ...
coaching regime entering the 2009 season, defensive coordinator
Mike Nolan
Michael Tullis Nolan (born March 7, 1959) is a former American football coach. Nolan previously served as a head coach for the San Francisco 49ers, and a defensive coordinator for the NFL's Baltimore Ravens, New York Jets, Washington Redskins, ...
moved Dumervil around as an outside linebacker in his 3-4 defensive scheme, but keeping him as a defensive end on 4-2-5 passing down situations. Dumervil led the league in sacks with 17, and tied a franchise record with 4 in the Sep 20 game against
Cleveland
Cleveland ( ), officially the City of Cleveland, is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County. Located in the northeastern part of the state, it is situated along the southern shore of Lake Erie, across the U.S. ...
. At the conclusion of the season, Dumervil was a near unanimous selection for the All-Pro Team, receiving 46 out of the 50 total votes. He also finished third in voting for Defensive Player of the Year.
In July 2010, Dumervil signed a six-year $61.5 million contract extension (including $43.168 million in guaranteed payments) to keep him with the Broncos through 2015. However, on August 4, 2010, Dumervil suffered a
torn pectoral muscle
Pectoral muscles (colloquially referred to as "pecs") are the muscles that connect the front of the human chest with the bones of the upper arm and shoulder. This region contains four muscles that provide movements to the upper limbs or ribs.
P ...
during practice, and missed the entire 2010 season.
![Elvis Dumervil in 2014](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/aa/Elvis_Dumervil_in_2014.jpg)
Dumervil's contract specified that if he were on the roster at 2:00 PM MT (4:00 PM ET) on March 15, 2013, his $12 million salary for the 2013 season would be fully guaranteed. The Broncos, looking to free up room under the
salary cap
In professional sports, a salary cap (or wage cap) is an agreement or rule that places a limit on the amount of money that a team can spend on players' salaries. It exists as a per-player limit or a total limit for the team's roster, or both. Sever ...
, reached an agreement to restructure his contract to reduce his 2013 salary cap hit. However, Dumervil and his agent faxed the paperwork six minutes late at 2:06 PM MT, which caused the Broncos to release Dumervil rather than allow the $12 million to be guaranteed. As a result, while the Broncos could have re-signed Dumervil as soon as Saturday, March 16, they accrued $4.869 million in "dead money" against their 2013 cap, in addition to any salary cap hits from the new contract. The snafu led Dumervil to fire his agent.
Baltimore Ravens
2013 season
On March 24, 2013, Dumervil agreed to a 5-year-deal with the
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 its ...
worth $35 million, including $8.5 million in the first year of the deal. Dumervil was given No. 58 – his college number at Louisville and the number of
Peter Boulware
Peter Nicholas Boulware (born December 18, 1974) is an American former professional football player who was a linebacker in the National Football League (NFL) for nine seasons. He played college football for Florida State University, and was re ...
, one of the greatest pass rushers in Ravens' history – with Baltimore because Pro Bowl defensive tackle
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 ...
had worn No. 92 – the number Dumervil wore in Denver – for his entire career with the Ravens.
2014 season
Dumervil finished his 2014 season tying his career high of sacks with 17, as well as forcing two fumbles. The 17 sacks set a new Baltimore Ravens franchise record. Dumervil and
Terrell Suggs
Terrell Raymonn Suggs (born October 11, 1982), nicknamed "T-Sizzle", is an American former professional outside linebacker in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Arizona State, and was recognized as a unanimous Al ...
combined for the most sacks by a pair in the regular season, as Suggs had 12 of his own and the two totaled 29. He was voted to his fourth Pro Bowl and also named to the Associated Press's All-Pro first-team.
2015 season
Dumervil was the highest ranked Raven on the
NFL Top 100 Players of 2015 list, coming in at number 46. He was the third highest ranked outside linebacker, behind fellow All-Pros
Justin Houston
Justin Donovan Houston (born January 21, 1989) is an American football outside linebacker for the Baltimore Ravens of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Georgia, where he earned All-American honors, and was draf ...
and
Von Miller
Vonnie B'VSean Miller (born March 26, 1989) is an American football outside linebacker for the Buffalo Bills of the National Football League (NFL). Miller played college football at Texas A&M, where he earned consensus All-American honors and ...
.
Dumervil's production would slow down drastically in 2015, despite starting all 16 games for the Ravens for the first time.
In Week 3, Dumervil sacked
Andy Dalton
Andrew Gregory Dalton (born October 29, 1987) is an American football quarterback for the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League (NFL). Nicknamed "Red Rifle", Dalton previously played for the Cincinnati Bengals, Dallas Cowboys, and ...
and forced a fumble, which was recovered by linebacker
C.J. Mosley and returned 41 yards for a touchdown. However, the Bengals still won 28-24.
In Week 10, Dumervil sacked
Blake Bortles
Robby Blake Bortles (born April 28, 1992) 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 ...
twice and defended a pass, but he also ruined Baltimore's chances of winning. On what appeared to be the game's final play, the Jaguars got a snap off before the clock could hit zero, Dumervil ran past the Jacksonville offensive line untouched and got to Bortles. However, he was called for a facemask penalty, giving the Jaguars one last chance to win the game, and they did after kicking a 53-yard field goal with no time left. However, it was determined that Baltimore should have won the game regardless, as the Jaguars were not set on the line during the play in which Dumervil was flagged.
Dumervil's final decent performance of the year came against the Browns on Monday Night Football, where he had 1.5 sacks in a 33-27 win. Dumervil ended the year with 6 sacks, a defended pass and a forced fumble.
Dumervil was selected to play in the
2016 Pro Bowl
The 2016 Pro Bowl (branded as the 2016 Pro Bowl presented by USAA for sponsorship reasons) was the National Football League's all-star game for the 2015 season, which was played at Aloha Stadium in Honolulu, Hawaii on January 31, 2016. As of 20 ...
as an alternate, and arrived in Hawaii after an airline mix up that sent his bags to Japan. He recorded one tackle in the game.
2016 season
On March 8, 2017, Dumervil was released by the Ravens.
San Francisco 49ers
On June 5, 2017, Dumervil signed with the
San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers (also written as the San Francisco Forty-Niners) are a professional American football team based in the San Francisco Bay Area. The 49ers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the league's National ...
. In 16 games with the 49ers in 2017, Dumervil recorded 6.5 sacks.
On March 9, 2018, the 49ers did not pick up the 2018 option on Dumervil's contract, making him a free agent.
Retirement
On August 30, 2018, Dumervil announced his retirement from the NFL.
NFL career statistics
References
External links
Louisville Cardinals bio
Baltimore Ravens bio
{{DEFAULTSORT:Dumervil, Elvis
1984 births
Living people
All-American college football players
American Conference Pro Bowl players
American football defensive ends
American football outside linebackers
American sportspeople of Haitian descent
Baltimore Ravens players
Denver Broncos players
Louisville Cardinals football players
Players of American football from Miami
San Francisco 49ers players
Miami Jackson Senior High School alumni
Unconferenced Pro Bowl players
100 Sacks Club
Ed Block Courage Award recipients