William Middleton (born July 28, 1986) 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 ...

cornerback A cornerback (CB) is a member of the defensive backfield or secondary in gridiron football. Cornerbacks cover receivers most of the time, but also blitz and defend against such offensive running plays as sweeps and reverses. They create tur ...

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). He was drafted by 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 ...

in the fifth round of the

2009 NFL Draft The 2009 NFL Draft was the seventy-fourth annual meeting of National Football League (NFL) franchises to select newly eligible football players. The draft took place at Radio City Music Hall in New York City, New York, on April 25 and 26, 2009. T ...

. 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 Furman. Middleton was also a member of 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 ...

Jacksonville Jaguars The Jacksonville Jaguars are a professional American football team based in Jacksonville, Florida. The Jaguars compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) South division. The team play ...

and

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 ...

Early years

Middleton attended Marist High School where he totaled 148 tackles, 10 interceptions, six pass deflections, two kickoff returns for touchdowns, and two blocked punts. He also recorded a school record 103-yard interception return and averaged 27.0 yards on 21 kickoff returns. He was named First-team All-county and All-region honors in 2003 after helping his squad to a 14-1 record and state championship.

College career

As a senior at Furman he started 12 games, making 95 tackles (38 solo), 8.5 tackles for loss, 13 passes defensed, 5.0 sacks and four interceptions. He was a First-team Little All-American and All-Conference selection. As a junior in 2007 he started at right cornerback in all 11 games and totaled 53 tackles, including three for-loss, three interceptions, and nine pass deflections. In 2006 Middleton won starting job at right cornerback and helped Furman to an 8-4 campaign that included a third straight playoff appearance. He compiled 38 tackles, including four for a loss, four passes defensed, and a pair of fumble recoveries. He also led the team in kickoff returns averaging 23.1 yards on 25 returns, good for fourth in the Southern Conference. In 2005, he registered playing time as both a backup cornerback and kickoff return specialist. He averaged 22.0 yards on 32 returns and ranked fourth in the Southern Conference in kickoff return average.

Professional career

First stint with Falcons

Middleton was drafted by the

in the fifth round of the

. He was waived by the team on September 5, 2009.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Middleton was claimed off waivers by the

Tampa 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 September 6, 2009, only to be released on September 10.

Second stint with Falcons

Middleton was re-signed to the

practice squad In sports, the practice squad, also called the taxi squad or practice roster, is a group of players signed by a team but not part of their main roster. Frequently used in gridiron football, they serve as extra players during the team's practices, ...

on September 14, 2009.

Jacksonville Jaguars

Middleton was signed off the Falcons' practice squad by the

on September 20, 2009. He was placed on injured reserve on November 27, 2012.

San Diego Chargers

On July 28, 2013, Middleton signed with the

. He was released on August 30, 2013.

References

External links

Furman Paladins bioTampa Bay Buccaneers bio
{{DEFAULTSORT:Middleton, William 1986 births Living people Players of American football from New York City Players of American football from Atlanta American football cornerbacks Furman Paladins football players Atlanta Falcons players Tampa Bay Buccaneers players Jacksonville Jaguars players San Diego Chargers players