Alacce O'Brien Schofield (born April 3, 1987) is an American former professional

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...

player who was a

linebacker Linebacker (LB) is a playing position in gridiron football. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and typically line up three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage and so back up the defensive linemen. They play closer to the line ...

in the

National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a Professional gridiron football, professional American football league in the United States. Composed of 32 teams, it is divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National ...

(NFL). He was selected by the

Arizona Cardinals The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in the Phoenix metropolitan area. The Cardinals compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC West, West division. The ...

in the fourth round of the

2010 NFL draft The 2010 NFL draft was the 75th annual meeting of National Football League (NFL) franchises to select newly eligible football players. The 2010 NFL draft, draft took place over three days, at Radio City Music Hall in New York City, with the first ...

and played for them for three seasons. He was also a member of the

Seattle Seahawks The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle. The Seahawks compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC West, West division. The club entered the NFL a ...

during their

Super Bowl XLVIII Super Bowl XLVIII was an American football game between the American Football Conference (AFC) champion 2013 Denver Broncos season, Denver Broncos and National Football Conference (NFC) champion 2013 Seattle Seahawks season, Seattle Seahawks to ...

championship season and 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 of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South division. The Falcons were founded o ...

. He played

college football College football is gridiron football that is played by teams of amateur Student athlete, student-athletes at universities and colleges. It was through collegiate competition that gridiron football American football in the United States, firs ...

for the

Wisconsin Badgers The Wisconsin Badgers are the College athletics in the United States, athletic teams representing the University of Wisconsin–Madison. They compete as a member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) NCAA Division I, Division I ...

. As a fifth year

redshirt Redshirt, Red Shirt, or Redshirts may refer to: Sports * Redshirt (college sports) Redshirt, in United States college athletics, is a delay or suspension of an athlete's participation in order to lengthen their period of eligibility. Typically ...

senior

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 ...

for the 2009 Wisconsin Badgers he ranked second in the nation in

tackles Tackle may refer to: * In football: ** Tackle (football move), a play in various forms of football ** Tackle (gridiron football position) A tackle is a playing position in American football. Historically, in the one-platoon system prevalent ...

for a loss (TFLs) and second in the

Big Ten Conference The Big Ten Conference (stylized B1G, formerly the Western Conference and the Big Nine Conference, among others) is a collegiate List of NCAA conferences, athletic conference in the United States. Founded as the Intercollegiate Conference of Fa ...

quarterback sack In gridiron football, a sack occurs when the quarterback (or another offensive player acting as a passer) is tackle (football move), tackled behind the line of scrimmage before throwing a forward pass, when the quarterback is tackled behind the l ...

s. For the

2009 NCAA Division I FBS football season The 2009 NCAA Division I FBS football season was the highest level of college football competition in the United States organized by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). The regular season began on September 3, 2009, and ended o ...

, he earned several second-team and honorable mention

All-American The All-America designation is an annual honor bestowed on outstanding athletes in the United States who are considered to be among the best athletes in their respective sport. Individuals receiving this distinction are typically added to an Al ...

recognitions by various publications. He was a first-team 2009 All-Big Ten Conference selection. He earned the defensive

MVP MVP most commonly refers to: * Most valuable player, an award, typically for the best performing player in a sport or competition * Minimum viable product, a concept for feature estimating used in business and engineering MVP may also refer to: ...

award at the

2010 East–West Shrine Game The 2010 East–West Shrine Game was the 85th staging of the all-star college football exhibition game featuring NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision players. The game featured over 100 players from the 2009 college football season, and pro ...

, but was injured during practice for the 2010 Senior Bowl the subsequent week.

Early life

Schofield attended North Chicago Community High School. In high school, Schofield was a

Lake County, Illinois Lake County is a County (United States), county located in the northeastern corner of the U.S. state of Illinois, along the shores of Lake Michigan. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it has a population of 714,342, making it th ...

2003 All-county second-team selection and 2004 first-team selection in football. He was also a special mention All-state selection in 2004. In basketball, he was an All-county honorable mention for 2004–05. In high school, he played

wide receiver A wide receiver (WR), also referred to as a wideout, and historically known as a split end (SE) or flanker (FL), is an eligible receiver in gridiron football. A key skill position of the offense (American football), offense, WR gets its name ...

as a sophomore,

as a junior and end,

, receiver, fullback,

placekicker In gridiron football, the placekicker (PK), or simply kicker (K), is the player responsible for attempts at scoring Field goal (football), field goals and extra points. In most cases, the placekicker also serves as the team's kickoff specialist ...

kick returner A return specialist or kick returner is a player on the special teams unit of a gridiron football team who specializes in returning punts and kickoffs. There are few players who are exclusively return specialists; most also play another positio ...

and

punt returner A return specialist or kick returner is a player on the special teams unit of a gridiron football team who specializes in returning punt (gridiron football), punts and kickoff (gridiron football), kickoffs. There are few players who are exclusivel ...

as a senior. He also ran track. Scout.com rated him as the 55th best

high school football High school football, also known as prep football, is gridiron football played by High school (North America), high school teams in the United States and Canada. It ranks among the most popular high school sports, interscholastic sports in both c ...

linebacker in the country. Rivals.com ranked him as the 24th best defensive end in the country and the 24th best football prospect in Illinois.

College career

Schofield did not appear in any games for the 2005 Badgers and recorded no statistics although he appeared in five games for the 2006 Badgers. He recorded his first tackle on September 15 for the 2007 Badgers against

The Citadel Bulldogs The Citadel Bulldogs are the athletic teams that represent The Citadel. All sports participate in the NCAA Division I except football, which competes in the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS). Since 1936, varsity sports have ...

and his first sack and TFL on August 30 for the 2008 team against the

Akron Zips The Akron Zips are the intercollegiate athletic teams that represent the University of Akron in Akron, Ohio, United States. The Zips compete in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) at the NCAA Division I, Division I level as a memb ...

. He concluded his career with a total of 17 sacks and 33 TFLs. He also accumulated 4 forced

fumble A fumble in gridiron football occurs when a player who has possession and control of the ball loses it before being downed (tackled), scoring, or going out of bounds. By rule, it is any act other than passing, kicking, punting, or successful h ...

s. On June 7, 2007, 20-year-old Schofield lost his 19-year-old brother, Joshua, who drowned on a beach in Zion, IL. He was the 2009

runner-up in sacks with 12 to

Ryan Kerrigan Patrick Ryan Kerrigan (born August 16, 1988) is an American professional football coach and former player who is the assistant linebackers and pass rush specialist coach for the Washington Commanders of the National Football League (NFL). He pla ...

and runner-up in TFLs with 24.5 to Brandon Graham. He ranked second in the nation in TFLs/game. At the conclusion of the

2009 Big Ten Conference football season The 2009 Big Ten Conference football season was the 114th for the conference, and saw 2009 Ohio State Buckeyes football team, Ohio State conclude the regular season as Big Ten Conference champion for the 5th consecutive time, their 34th Big Ten ...

he was a 2009 First-team All-Big Ten selection by the coaches and media. He concluded his career for

Wisconsin Badgers football The Wisconsin Badgers football program represents the University of Wisconsin–Madison in the sport of American football. Wisconsin competes in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and the Bi ...

with the 2009 team in the December 29,

2009 Champs Sports Bowl The 2009 Champs Sports Bowl was a college football bowl game between the Miami Hurricanes of the Atlantic Coast Conference and the Wisconsin Badgers of the Big Ten Conference. Played at the Citrus Bowl in Orlando, Florida, the game started at 8:0 ...

. For the

, he was a second-team

selection by Scout.com and an honorable mention by ''

College Football News ''College Football News'' (''CFN'') is a magazine and website published by College Football News, Inc., headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. News coverage includes scores, statistics, rankings, and reports on college football games. Analysis incl ...

'', ''

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 a circulation of over one million to win the National Magazine Award for General Excellen ...

'', and ''

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, Illin ...

''. During the season, he was the October 4, 2009, Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week for his performance of October 3 against the

Minnesota Golden Gophers The Minnesota Golden Gophers (commonly shortened to Gophers) are the college athletics, college sports teams of the University of Minnesota. The university fields a total of 21 (9 men's, 12 women's) teams in both men's and women's sports and com ...

. He was selected as a midseason semifinalists for the

Bednarik Award The Chuck Bednarik Award is presented annually to the defensive player of the year in college football as judged by the Maxwell Football Club to be the best in the United States. The award is named for Chuck Bednarik, a former college and profess ...

. The January 23, 2010,

East–West Shrine Game East West (or East and West) may refer to: *East–West dichotomy, the contrast between Eastern and Western society or culture Arts and entertainment Books, journals and magazines *'' East, West'', an anthology of short stories written by Salm ...

, in which he earned defensive MVP, was his last game. He recorded an

interception In Ball game, ball-playing Competitive sport, competitive team sports, an interception or pick is a move by a player involving a pass of the ball—whether by foot or hand, depending on the rules of the sport—in which the ball is intended for ...

on a Max Hall

pass Pass, PASS, The Pass or Passed may refer to: Places *Pass, County Meath, a townland in Ireland *Pass, Poland, a village in Poland *El Paso, Texas, a city which translates to "The Pass" * Pass, an alternate term for a number of straits: see Li ...

and made three solo tackles in the game. Schofield was projected to play

in the NFL. During the week of practice at the Shrine Game, he performed with the linebackers in order to demonstrate his NFL potential for

scouts Scouting or the Scout Movement is a youth social movement, movement which became popularly established in the first decade of the twentieth century. It follows the Scout method of informal education with an emphasis on practical outdoor activi ...

. However, in the subsequent week of practice for the January 30, 2010, Senior Bowl, Schofield tore his anterior cruciate ligament.

Professional career

Arizona Cardinals

Schofield was selected in the fourth round of the 2010 NFL draft, 130th overall, by the Arizona Cardinals. Since Schofield was injured, he was considered a good value because his talent level was near first round draft choice level. He was expected to begin the

2010 NFL season The 2010 NFL season was the 91st regular season (NFL), regular season of the National Football League (NFL) and the 45th of the Super Bowl era. The regular season began with the National Football League Kickoff game, NFL Kickoff game on NBC S ...

on the physically unable to perform list but return late in the year as an outside linebacker. Although he played on the

defensive line In gridiron football, a lineman is a player who specializes in play at the line of scrimmage. The linemen of the team currently in possession of the ball are the offensive line (OL), while linemen on the opposing team are the defensive line (D ...

in college, he was projected to play

outside linebacker Linebacker (LB) is a playing position in gridiron football. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and typically line up three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage and so back up the defensive linemen. They play closer to the lin ...

for the Cardinals who had

Joey Porter Joseph Eugene Porter Sr. (born March 22, 1977) is an American professional football coach and former player. He played as a linebacker in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Colorado State Rams and was selec ...

and Will Davis on their roster. Schofield signed a 4-year contract on July 27, 2010. On August 31, he was placed on the reserve/non-football injury list. He made his NFL debut on October 31, 2010, in Week 8, against the

Tampa Bay Buccaneers The Tampa Bay Buccaneers (colloquially known as the Bucs) are a professional American football team based in Tampa, Florida. The Buccaneers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC S ...

. Schofield forced a fumble against the

Minnesota Vikings The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis. The Vikings compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. Founded in 1960 as ...

on November 7 on kick coverage that was recovered for a touchdown. Schofield recorded his first NFL sack on December 25, 2010, when he sacked QB Stephen McGee for an 11-yard loss in a 27-26 Arizona win over 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 of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. T ...

. In the Cardinals January 2, 2011, regular season finale against the

San Francisco 49ers The San Francisco 49ers (also written as the San Francisco Forty-Niners and nicknamed the 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 ...

, Schofield sacked QB

Alex Smith Alexander Douglas Smith (born May 7, 1984) is an American former professional football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 16 seasons. He played college football for the Utah Utes, earning first-team All-American ho ...

for a 5-yard loss. He had his first two-sack game on December 18, 2011, against

Seneca Wallace Seneca Sinclair Wallace (born August 6, 1980) is an American former professional football player who was a quarterback in the National Football League (NFL). He currently serves as the quarterbacks coach for the St. Louis Battlehawks of the U ...

on back-to-back fourth quarter plays of an

overtime Overtime is the amount of time someone works beyond normal working hours. The term is also used for the pay received for this time. Normal hours may be determined in several ways: *by custom (what is considered healthy or reasonable by society) ...

victory over the

Cleveland Browns The Cleveland Browns are a professional American football team based in Cleveland. The Browns compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. The team is named after ...

. He became a starter during the

2012 NFL season The 2012 NFL season was the 93rd season of the National Football League (NFL) and the 47th of the Super Bowl era. It began on Wednesday, September 5, 2012, with the defending Super Bowl XLVI champion New York Giants falling to the Dallas Cowbo ...

. On July 25, 2013, he was released by the Arizona Cardinals.

Seattle Seahawks

On July 27, 2013, Schofield was claimed off waivers by the

. He posted a sack of

Cam Newton Cameron Jerrell Newton (born May 11, 1989) is an American former professional American football, football player who was a quarterback in the National Football League (NFL) for 11 seasons, primarily with the Carolina Panthers. He is the NFL le ...

in his debut with the 2013 Seahawks against 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 of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South division. The t ...

. After helping the Seahawks win

, he became a free agent. On March 11, 2014, Schofield and the

New York Giants The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Giants compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. The ...

agreed on a two-year, $8 million contract. However, the deal was called off due to a problem with his physical. He re-signed with the Seahawks on May 2, 2014.

Atlanta Falcons

On March 12, 2015, Schofield signed with the

. After the 2015 season, Schofield became a free agent. On September 21, 2016, Schofield rejoined the

after agreeing to a one-year contract. He was released on October 4, 2016.

NFL career statistics

Regular season

Playoffs

Personal life

Schofield is the eldest of five children of Anthony and Dawn Schofield. Schofield's younger brother,

Admiral Admiral is one of the highest ranks in many navies. In the Commonwealth nations and the United States, a "full" admiral is equivalent to a "full" general in the army or the air force. Admiral is ranked above vice admiral and below admiral of ...

, played basketball at the

University of Tennessee The University of Tennessee, Knoxville (or The University of Tennessee; UT; UT Knoxville; or colloquially UTK or Tennessee) is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Knoxville, Tennessee, United St ...

and was drafted 42nd overall in the

2019 NBA draft The 2019 NBA draft was held on June 20, 2019. It took place at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, Brooklyn, New York. National Basketball Association (NBA) teams took turns selecting amateur United States college basketball players and other eligible p ...

by the

Philadelphia 76ers The Philadelphia 76ers, also known colloquially as the Sixers, are an American professional basketball team based in the Philadelphia metropolitan area. The 76ers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Atlan ...

and later traded to the

Washington Wizards The Washington Wizards are an American professional basketball team based in Washington, D.C. The Wizards compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference. The team plays i ...

. His uncle Andre Carter played

safety Safety is the state of being protected from harm or other danger. Safety can also refer to the control of recognized hazards in order to achieve an acceptable level of risk. Meanings The word 'safety' entered the English language in the 1 ...

at Clemson. Schofield is a cousin of both

Vonnie Holliday Dimetry Giovonni Holliday (born December 11, 1975) is an American former professional football player who was a defensive end in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the North Carolina Tar Heels and was selected by ...

and

Bobby Engram Simon J. "Bobby" Engram III (born January 7, 1973) is an American professional football coach and former wide receiver who is the wide receivers coach for the Washington Commanders of the National Football League (NFL). Engram played college fo ...

who both have had long

careers.

References

External links

Schofield
at NCAA.org
ESPN profile
at

ESPN.com ESPN.com is the official website of ESPN. It is owned by ESPN Internet Ventures, a division of ESPN Inc. History Since launching in April 1995 as ESPNET.SportsZone.com (ESPNET SportsZone), the website has developed numerous sections including ...

Schofield's professional profile
at CBSSports.com
Wisconsin Badgers bio
{{DEFAULTSORT:Schofield, Obrien 1987 births Living people American football defensive ends American football linebackers Arizona Cardinals players Atlanta Falcons players Sportspeople from Camden, South Carolina People from Great Lakes, Illinois Seattle Seahawks players Players of American football from Lake County, Illinois Wisconsin Badgers football players 21st-century African-American sportsmen 20th-century African-American sportsmen