John McCargo (born August 19, 1983) 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 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 was drafted by the
Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills are a professional American football team based in the Buffalo metropolitan area. The Bills compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. ...
in the first 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 ...
. 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
North Carolina State
North Carolina State University (NC State) is a public land-grant research university in Raleigh, North Carolina. Founded in 1887 and part of the University of North Carolina system, it is the largest university in the Carolinas. The universit ...
. McCargo also played for the
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football team based in Tampa, Florida. The Buccaneers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South divisio ...
and
Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago. The Bears compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) North division. The Bears have won nine NF ...
.
Professional career
Buffalo Bills
Many draft experts considered McCargo a late-2nd or early-3rd round pick before 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 ...
. Because of this, many people were shocked when the Bills traded up to select him in the first round with the 26th overall selection.
McCargo spent most of the 2006 season on injured reserve. He passed out at training camp his rookie season, mainly because he had to run difficult drills in hot weather at his 300-pound frame. He was the second string defensive tackle behind
Larry Tripplett in 2007, and played in all 16 games.
On October 14, 2008, McCargo was traded to the
Indianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. The Colts compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) South division. Since the 2008 ...
for an undisclosed draft pick, having been beaten out in the depth chart by
Kyle Williams. However, after failing his physical the following day, the trade was voided and McCargo was returned to the Bills.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
McCargo signed with the
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football team based in Tampa, Florida. The Buccaneers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South divisio ...
on August 20, 2011. He was waived on September 2.
On November 8, 2011, the Buccaneers re-signed McCargo to fill a roster void caused by a season-ending injury to
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 thi ...
. McCargo was again cut the next day after the Buccaneers signed
Albert Haynesworth.
A week later McCargo was once-again re-signed, following a season-ending knee injury to
George Johnson. On May 2, 2012, the Buccaneers again released McCargo.
Chicago Bears
McCargo signed with the
Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago. The Bears compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) North division. The Bears have won nine NF ...
on May 10, 2012. During the second game of the preseason against the
Washington Redskins
The Washington Commanders are a professional American football team based in the Washington metropolitan area. The Commanders compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) N ...
, McCargo recovered a fumble by Redskins running back
Antwon Bailey.
On August 26, the Bears waived McCargo.
Personal life
In October 2017, McCargo was arrested on gun and drug charges in
Virginia
Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...
. There had also been a warrant out for his arrest after domestic violence charges were brought against him in
California
California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...
.
References
External links
Official website
{{DEFAULTSORT:McCargo, John
1983 births
Living people
People from Charlotte County, Virginia
Players of American football from Virginia
American football defensive tackles
NC State Wolfpack football players
Buffalo Bills players
Tampa Bay Buccaneers players
Chicago Bears players