James Michael Meder (born April 12, 1991) 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 ...

defensive tackle. He played college football at Ashland University. He has been nicknamed the "Pierogi Prince of Parma."

Early years

Meder 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 ...

Valley Forge High School Valley Forge High School is located in Parma Heights, Ohio, a suburb of Cleveland. It is one of three high schools in the Parma City School District, which is one of the largest school districts in the state of Ohio, serving the cities of Parma, P ...

Parma Heights, Ohio Parma Heights is a city in Cuyahoga County, Ohio, United States and a western suburb of Cleveland. Parma Heights is surrounded on the north, east and south by the larger city of Parma. The cities of Brook Park and Middleburg Heights form most of t ...

. He was named first-team all-conference and was tabbed the defensive player of the year as a senior. He was also named second-team All-Ohio. Meder

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 in wrestling and three times in football. He was a state runner-up in the

OHSAA The Ohio High School Athletic Association (OHSAA) is the governing body of athletic programs for junior and senior high schools in the state of Ohio. The OHSAA governs eligibility of student athletes, resolves disputes, organizes levels of compe ...

Division I heavyweight class in wrestling his senior year.

College career

Meder played football for the

Ashland Eagles The Ashland Eagles are the athletic teams that represent Ashland University, located in Ashland, Ohio, in Division II intercollegiate sports of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). The Eagles are members of the Great Midwest Athl ...

from 2010 to 2013.

Professional career

Baltimore Ravens

Meder signed 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 it ...

on May 11, 2014 after going undrafted in the 2014 NFL draft. He was released by the Ravens on August 30 and signed to the team's practice squad on August 31, 2014. He was released by the Ravens on November 10, 2014.

Cleveland Browns

Meder was signed to 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 ...

' practice squad on November 12, 2014. He was promoted to the active roster on December 27, 2014. He made his NFL debut on December 28, 2014 against the Baltimore Ravens. On March 7, 2016, the Browns re-signed Meder. On December 24, 2016, Meder blocked a potential-game tying 32-yard field goal with 3:49 left in the game against the San Diego Chargers to help the Browns win their first game of the season and snap a 17-game losing streak. They won the game by a score of 20–17. He was then named AFC Special Teams Player of the Week, becoming the first defensive lineman in Browns history to win the award. On November 21, 2017, Meder was placed on injured reserve with an ankle injury. Meder was waived by the Browns on September 2, 2018.

Seattle Seahawks

On January 14, 2019, Meder signed a reserve/future contract with the Seattle Seahawks. He was released on August 31, 2019.

Detroit Lions

On December 18, 2019, Meder was signed by the Detroit Lions.

References

External links

Cleveland Browns bio
{{DEFAULTSORT:Meder, Jamie Living people 1991 births People from Parma Heights, Ohio Seattle Seahawks players Players of American football from Cuyahoga County, Ohio American football defensive tackles Ashland Eagles football players Baltimore Ravens players Cleveland Browns players Detroit Lions players