Jason McCourty (born August 13, 1987) 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 ...

cornerback A cornerback (CB) is a member of the defensive backfield or secondary in gridiron football. Cornerbacks cover Wide receiver, receivers most of the time, but also blitz and defend against such Play from scrimmage, offensive running plays as sweep ...

who played 13 seasons 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). Drafted by the

Tennessee Titans The Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee. The Titans compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) South division, and play their hom ...

in the sixth round, 203rd overall, in 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. ...

, he also played for 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 ...

, the New England Patriots, and the

Miami Dolphins The Miami Dolphins are a professional American football team based in the Miami metropolitan area. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member team of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. The team p ...

. In a rare feat, McCourty went from playing for an 0-16 team one year (the 2017 Browns), to winning a Super Bowl the following season ( LIII with the 2018 Patriots). He played college football at

Rutgers Rutgers University (; RU), officially Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, is a public land-grant research university consisting of four campuses in New Jersey. Chartered in 1766, Rutgers was originally called Queen's College, and w ...

. He primarily played

throughout his first eleven NFL seasons, but became the starting free safety for the Miami Dolphins in 2021.

College career

Jason McCourty started 3 years as a

for

Rutgers University Rutgers University (; RU), officially Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, is a public land-grant research university consisting of four campuses in New Jersey. Chartered in 1766, Rutgers was originally called Queen's College, and was ...

. He ended his college career with 148

tackles Tackle may refer to: * In football: ** Tackle (football move), a play in various forms of football ** Tackle (gridiron football position), a position in American football and Canadian football ** Dump tackle, a forceful move in rugby of picking u ...

, 2

interception In ball-playing 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 a player of the same team ...

s, 20 pass breakups and finished second in the

Big East 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 ...

in kickoff returns as a senior. His twin brother, Devin, started alongside him as a cornerback at Rutgers. McCourty graduated with a bachelor's degree in information technology.

Professional career

Coming out of Rutgers, McCourty was not a highly sought after prospect and did not receive an invitation to the

NFL Combine The NFL Scouting Combine is a week-long showcase occurring every February at Lucas Oil Stadium (and formerly at the RCA Dome until 2008) in Indianapolis, where college football players perform physical and mental tests in front of National Foo ...

. On March 23, 2009, he participated at Rutgers' pro day, along with

Kenny Britt Kenneth Lawrence Britt (born September 19, 1988) is a former American football wide receiver. He played college football at Rutgers and was drafted by the Tennessee Titans with the 30th overall pick in the 2009 NFL Draft. He has also played fo ...

, Mike Teel, Tiquan Underwood, Courtney Greene, Kevin Brock, Kevin Malast, and nine other teammates. 41 team representatives and scouts from 27 NFL teams attended Rutgers pro day to scout one of the most talented teams in school history. McCourty ran the fastest time of any player there in the 40-yard dash.

Tennessee Titans

The

selected McCourty in the sixth round (203rd overall) of the

. He was the second player from

that the

drafted after first-rounder

and was the 31st cornerback that was drafted in 2009 draft.

2009

On June 23, 2009, the Tennessee Titans signed McCourty to a four-year, $1.84 million

contract A contract is a legally enforceable agreement between two or more parties that creates, defines, and governs mutual rights and obligations between them. A contract typically involves the transfer of goods, services, money, or a promise to tr ...

. Throughout training camp, he competed for the fifth cornerback spot on the roster against rookie

Ryan Mouton Ryan Mouton (born September 23, 1986) is a former American football cornerback. He was drafted by the Tennessee Titans in the third round of the 2009 NFL Draft. He played college football at Hawaii. Professional career Tennessee Titans Mouton w ...

, DeMarcus Faggins, Tanard Davis, and Jeremy Haynes. Head coach

Jeff Fisher Jeffrey Michael Fisher (born February 25, 1958) is an American football coach who is the head coach and general manager for the Michigan Panthers of the United States Football League (USFL). He is a former cornerback and return specialist. He ...

named McCourty the fourth cornerback on the Titans' depth chart to start the regular season, behind Cortland Finnegan,

Nick Harper Nick Harper (born 22 June 1965) is an English singer-songwriter and guitarist. He is the son of English folk musician Roy Harper. Early life Harper was born in London, England, to the folk singer-songwriter Roy Harper. Nick tells of how he ...

, and Cary Williams. He made his professional regular season debut in the Tennessee Titans' season-opening 13–10 loss at the Pittsburgh Steelers. In Week 3, he made his first career tackle and finished the Titans' 24–27 loss at the New York Jets with three solo tackles. On October 4, 2009, McCourty earned his first career start in place of Cortland Finnegan, who suffered a

hamstring In human anatomy, a hamstring () is any one of the three posterior thigh muscles in between the hip and the knee (from medial to lateral: semimembranosus, semitendinosus and biceps femoris). The hamstrings are susceptible to injury. In quadrupe ...

injury the previous week. McCourty finished the 37–17 loss at the

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 pla ...

with four solo tackles. The following week, he started his second consecutive game in the absence of Finnegan and recorded a season-high eight combined tackles during their 31–9 loss against the Indianapolis Colts. During Week 8, McCourty was surpassed on the depth chart by newly acquired free agent

Roderick Hood Roderick Hood (born October 3, 1981) is a former American football cornerback in the National Football League (NFL). He was signed by the Philadelphia Eagles as an undrafted free agent in 2003 and also played for the Arizona Cardinals, Tennessee ...

. He also missed the Titans' Week 10 victory against the Buffalo Bills due to an injury. McCourty finished his rookie season in with 29 combined tackles (24 solo) in 15 games and three starts.

2010

McCourty entered training camp competing for the job as the starting cornerback against

, rookie

Alterraun Verner Alterraun Ennis Verner (born December 13, 1988) is a former American football cornerback. He played college football for the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). He was drafted by the Tennessee Titans in the fourth round of the 2010 ...

, and Tye Hill after the role was left vacant by the departure of Nick Harper during the off-season. Head coach Jeff Fisher named McCourty the starting cornerback, alongside Cortland Finnegan, to start the regular season. He started the Tennessee Titans' season-opener against the Oakland Raiders and recorded a season-high eight combined tackles and a pass deflection in their 38–13 victory. On September 26, 2010, he collected four combined tackles, broke up a pass, and intercepted a pass by Eli Manning in the endzone before leaving the Titans' 29–10 victory at the New York Giants with an arm injury. It was later reported that McCourty had suffered a broken right forearm and would have to undergo surgery. On September 28, 2010, McCourty underwent surgery and missed the next four games (Weeks 4–7). Upon his return in Week 8, he was relegated to being the third cornerback behind Finnegan and Verner for the rest of the season. On October 31, 2010, McCourty made three solo tackles, a pass deflection, and intercepted a pass by

Philip Rivers Philip Michael Rivers (born December 8, 1981) is an American former football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 17 seasons, primarily with the Chargers franchise. He played college football at NC State and was se ...

during their 33–25 loss at the San Diego Chargers. He finished the season with 47 combined tackles (37 solo), ten pass deflections, and two interceptions in 12 games and six starts.

2011

On January 28, 2011, the Tennessee Titans announced the firing of head coach

after a six-year tenure and a disappointing 6-10 season in 2010. Throughout training camp, McCourty competed against Alterraun Verner for the role as the starting cornerback. Head coach

Mike Munchak Michael Anthony Munchak (born March 5, 1960) is an American professional football coach and former player. A graduate of Penn State, Munchak played left guard for the Houston Oilers from 1982 until 1993 and was a nine-time selection to the Pro B ...

named McCourty the starting cornerback, opposite Cortland Finnegan, to begin the 2011 regular season. In Week 2, McCourty collected four solo tackles, broke up a pass, an interception, and made his first career sack on Baltimore Ravens' quarterback Joe Flacco during their 26–13 victory. On October 9, 2011, he made a season-high 14 combined tackles (eight solo) and deflected a pass in a 38-17 loss at the Pittsburgh Steelers. McCourty was sidelined for the Titans' Week 14 loss to the

New Orleans Saints The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans. The Saints compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. Since 1975, the te ...

due to a concussion he suffered the previous week against the Buffalo Bills. He finished the season with a career-high 103 combined tackles (83 solo, 13 pass deflections), two interceptions, a sack, and a forced fumble in 15 games and 15 starts.

2012

On August 23, 2012, the Tennessee Titans signed McCourty to a six-year, $43 million contract extension that includes $20 million guaranteed and a signing bonus of $9 million. McCourty and Verner entered the regular season as the starting cornerback duo after Cortland Finnegan departed to the

St. Louis Rams The St. Louis Rams were a professional American football team of the National Football League (NFL). They played in St. Louis from 1995 to the 2015 season, before moving back to Los Angeles, where the team had played from 1946 to 1994. The arr ...

in free agency. In Week 5, McCourty recorded a season-high nine combined tackles and deflected a pass during a 30–7 loss at the

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

. On November 11, 2012, he collected a season-high nine solo tackles and deflected a pass as the Titans' routed the

37–3. On December 17, 2012, he made five combined tackles, two pass deflections, and intercepted quarterback

Mark Sanchez Mark Travis John Sanchez (born November 11, 1986) is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 10 seasons. He played college football at the University of Southern California (USC) and was draft ...

twice during a 14–10 victory against the New York Jets. McCourty finished the season with 92 combined tackles (73 solo), a career-high 15 pass deflections, and four interceptions in 16 games and 16 starts.

2013

McCourty and Verner remained the starting cornerbacks to start the 2013 season. In Week 6, McCourty made a season-high nine combined tackles and forced a fumble as the Titans lost 20-13 at the Seattle Seahawks. He finished the season with 65 combined tackles (54 solo) and 11 pass deflections in 16 games and 16 starts. The Tennessee Titans did not qualify for the playoffs for the fifth consecutive season.

2014

On January 4, 2014, the Tennessee Titans fired head coach Mike Munchak after two consecutive losing seasons. Head coach

Ken Whisenhunt Kenneth Moore Whisenhunt (born February 28, 1962) is an American football coach and former tight end who is currently an offensive analyst for Penn State. He played college football at Georgia Tech and was drafted in the twelfth round of the 19 ...

named McCourty the starting cornerback, alongside Coty Sensabaugh, to start the regular season. He started the Tennessee Titans' season-opener at the

Kansas City Chiefs The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Chiefs compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) West division. The ...

and recorded three solo tackles, two pass deflections, and two interceptions off passes by

Alex Smith Alexander Douglas Smith (born May 7, 1984) is an American former quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 16 seasons. He played college football at Utah, where he received first-team All-American honors and won the 2 ...

during their 26-10 victory. In Week 6, McCourty recorded a season-high 11 combined tackles (ten solo) and a pass deflection in the Titans' 16-14 win against the

. McCourty finished the season with 85 combined tackles (77 solo), 11 pass deflections, and three interceptions in 16 games and 16 starts.

2015

McCourty suffered a groin injury that sidelined him for the majority of training camp and the entire preseason. His groin injury ultimately caused him to miss the first three games (Weeks 1-3) after requiring surgery that took place on August 24, 2015. Head coach Ken Whisenhunt named

Perrish Cox Perrish Eugene Cox (born January 10, 1987) is a former American football cornerback and return specialist. He was drafted by the Denver Broncos in the fifth round of the 2010 NFL Draft. He played college football at Oklahoma State. Early yea ...

and Coty Sensabaugh the starting cornerbacks to start the regular season in McCourty's place. McCourty was named a co-defensive captain during the 2015 season. In Week 8, McCourty recorded a season-high seven combined tackles during the Titans' 20-6 loss at the Houston Texans. He aggravated his groin injury during the game and missed the remainder of the season. On November 4, 2015, the Tennessee Titans fired head coach Ken Whisenhunt after a 1-6 start. They promoted tight ends coach Mike Mularkey to interim head coach for the remainder of the season. On November 16, 2015, he was placed on the team's injured reserve with a

groin In human anatomy, the groin (the adjective is ''inguinal'', as in inguinal canal) is the junctional area (also known as the inguinal region) between the abdomen and the thigh on either side of the pubic bone. This is also known as the medial comp ...

injury that required surgery. He finished the season with 15 combined tackles (ten solo) in four games and four starts.

2016

Head coach Mike Mularkey named McCourty and Perrish Cox the starting cornerbacks to start the 2016 regular season. In Week 4, he recorded four combined tackles, deflected a pass, and an interception in the Titans' 27-20 loss at the Houston Texans. On October 27, 2016, McCourty collected a season-high 11 combined tackles (eight solo) and two pass deflections in their 36-22 win against the

. In Week 15, McCourty left the Titans' 19-17 victory at the

in the first quarter after he sustained a chest injury in the first quarter that sidelined him for the last two games (Weeks 16-17) of the season. He finished the season with 69 combined tackles (60 solo), 12 pass deflections, and two interceptions in 14 games and 14 starts.

2017

On April 13, 2017, the Titans released McCourty after eight seasons with the team, after he rejected a pay cut. The Titans had recently signed free agent cornerback Logan Ryan; they were also considering selecting a cornerback in the upcoming

2017 NFL Draft The 2017 NFL Draft was the 82nd annual meeting of National Football League (NFL) franchises to select newly eligible American football players. It was held in front of the Philadelphia Museum of Art on April 27–29, returning to Philadelphia ...

, which had a deep group of cornerbacks available.

Cleveland Browns

On May 16, 2017, the

signed McCourty to a two-year, $6 million contract, with a signing bonus of $1.25 million and a total of $2 million guaranteed. Throughout training camp, he competed for a job as the starting cornerback against Joe Haden, Jamar Taylor, and Briean Boddy-Calhoun. Head coach

Hue Jackson Hue Jackson (born October 22, 1965) is an American football coach who is the head football coach at Grambling State University. An offensive assistant at both the collegiate and professional levels, he held coordinator positions in the Nation ...

named him the starting cornerback, alongside Jamar Taylor, after the Browns released Joe Haden. In Week 2, McCourty made four combined tackles, two pass deflections, forced a fumble on Alex Collins, and intercepted a pass by Joe Flacco during the Browns' 24-10 loss at 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 October 15, 2017, McCourty made a solo tackle, deflected a pass, and returned an interception by

Deshaun Watson Derrick Deshaun Watson (born September 14, 1995) is an American football quarterback for the Cleveland Browns of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Clemson, where he led the team to a national championship in 2 ...

for a 56-yard touchdown in a 33-17 loss at the Houston Texans. The interception returned for a touchdown marked McCourty's first touchdown of his career. He missed two consecutive games (Weeks 7-8) after he suffered an ankle injury. On December 10, 2017, he collected a season-high ten combined tackles (eight solo) in their 27-21 loss to the Green Bay Packers. He finished the season with 69 combined tackles (60 solo), 12 pass deflections, two interceptions, and a touchdown in 14 games and 14 starts. Despite Jason's efforts, the 2017 Cleveland Browns became the second team in NFL history to finish 0–16 after the 2008 Detroit Lions.

New England Patriots

2018

On March 15, 2018, the

traded McCourty to the New England Patriots along with a

2018 File:2018 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2018 Winter Olympics opening ceremony in PyeongChang, South Korea; Protests erupt following the Assassination of Jamal Khashoggi; March for Our Lives protests take place across the Unit ...

seventh-round pick for New England's

sixth-round pick. The trade placed McCourty and his twin brother Devin on the same NFL team for the first time in their careers. Safety Duron Harmon switched his jersey number to 21 so that McCourty could have jersey number 30. McCourty appeared in all 16 regular season games for the Patriots, and started in 12. He finished the 2018 season with 70 combined tackles (54 solo) and 1 interception. McCourty helped the Patriots reach Super Bowl LIII where they beat the Los Angeles Rams 13–3. In the third quarter, with the Patriots leading 3–0, McCourty broke up a pass in the end zone to Rams receiver Brandin Cooks, preventing a touchdown. After the game, Patriots head coach

Bill Belichick William Stephen Belichick (; born April 16, 1952) is an American professional football coach who is the head coach of the New England Patriots of the National Football League (NFL). Additionally, he exercises extensive authority over the Patri ...

called the play "huge.”

2019

On March 13, 2019, McCourty signed a two-year, $10 million contract extension with the Patriots. In week 5 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 ...

, McCourty recorded his first interception of the season off

Colt McCoy Daniel "Colt" McCoy (born September 5, 1986) is an American football quarterback for the Arizona Cardinals of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Texas, where he won several awards and honors as a senior in 2009. McC ...

in the 33-7 win.

2020

Jason and his brother Devin were both named Patriots teams captains for the 2020 season.

Miami Dolphins

McCourty signed with the

on May 7, 2021. He was placed on injured reserve on October 26, 2021. He retired on July 15, 2022.

NFL career statistics

Regular season

Personal life

McCourty's identical twin brother, Devin McCourty, is a

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 ...

safety Safety is the state of being "safe", the condition 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 There are two slightly dif ...

for the New England Patriots. They are among only 13 sets of twins in NFL history . They were the first set to play in a Super Bowl together, as well as the first to win one, doing so in Super Bowl LIII. Jason and Devin McCourty jointly delivered the 2019

commencement address A commencement speech or commencement address is a speech given to graduating students, generally at a university, although the term is also used for secondary education institutions and in similar institutions around the world. The commencement ...

at Rutgers; they also received honorary doctorates from their alma mater. Jason is married to Melissa McCourty and the couple have three children.

References

External links

Tennessee Titans bio
{{DEFAULTSORT:McCourty, Jason 1987 births Living people American twins Twin sportspeople People from Nyack, New York Players of American football from New York (state) American football cornerbacks Saint Joseph Regional High School alumni Sportspeople from the New York metropolitan area Rutgers Scarlet Knights football players Tennessee Titans players Cleveland Browns players African-American players of American football New England Patriots players Miami Dolphins players 21st-century African-American sportspeople 20th-century African-American people Ed Block Courage Award recipients