Karlos Montez Dansby (born November 3, 1981) 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 ...

outside linebacker Linebacker (LB) is a playing position in gridiron football. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage and the defensive linemen. They are the "middle ground" of defenders, ...

. 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 ...

for

Auburn University Auburn University (AU or Auburn) is a public land-grant research university in Auburn, Alabama. With more than 24,600 undergraduate students and a total enrollment of more than 30,000 with 1,330 faculty members, Auburn is the second largest uni ...

and received All-American recognition. He was drafted 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) West division, and play t ...

in the second round of the

2004 NFL Draft The 2004 NFL draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 24–25, 2004 at the Theater at ...

, and has also played for 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 pla ...

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 ( ...

, and

Cincinnati Bengals The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional American football team based in Cincinnati. The Bengals compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. The c ...

Early years

Dansby was an All-State linebacker and wide receiver at Woodlawn High School in

Birmingham, Alabama Birmingham ( ) is a city in the north central region of the U.S. state of Alabama. Birmingham is the seat of Jefferson County, Alabama's most populous county. As of the 2021 census estimates, Birmingham had a population of 197,575, down 1% fr ...

, where he was a letterman in

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...

, basketball, and track. He caught 51 passes for 857 yards and five touchdowns on offense, 81 tackles, six sacks, three interceptions, and two fumble recoveries on defense as a senior. In

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appr ...

, he played as a

power forward The power forward (PF), also known as the four, is one of the five traditional Basketball positions, positions in a regulation basketball game. Traditionally, power forwards have played a role similar to center (basketball), centers. When on Of ...

, earning All-state honors as a junior. In

track & field Track and field is a sport that includes athletic contests based on running, jumping, and throwing skills. The name is derived from where the sport takes place, a running track and a grass field for the throwing and some of the jumping events ...

, he competed in the jumping events and got a PR of 6.73 meters in the

long jump The long jump is a track and field event in which athletes combine speed, strength and agility in an attempt to leap as far as possible from a takeoff point. Along with the triple jump, the two events that measure jumping for distance as a gr ...

as a junior.

College career

Dansby played for the

Auburn Tigers football The Auburn Tigers football program represents Auburn University in the sport of American college football. Auburn competes in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and the Western Division o ...

team while attending

from 2000 to 2003. He was a Butkus Award semi-finalist regarded as one of the premier defenders in college football. While he began his Auburn career at wide receiver, he shifted to outside linebacker as a sophomore. In 36 games for the Tigers, he recorded 218 tackles (128 solos) with 10 quarterback sacks, 31 stops for losses, seven forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries, 15 pass deflections, and eight interceptions for 107 yards in returns. He was First-team

All-America The All-America designation is an annual honor bestowed upon an amateur sports person from the United States who is considered to be one of the best amateurs in their sport. Individuals receiving this distinction are typically added to an All-Am ...

and a first-team All-

Southeastern Conference The Southeastern Conference (SEC) is an American college athletic conference whose member institutions are located primarily in the South Central and Southeastern United States. Its fourteen members include the flagship public universities of ...

selection as a senior when he had 84 tackles (50 solo), 5.5 sacks, 13 stops for losses, 6 pass deflections, 4 caused fumbles. In 2002, he was a First-team All-SEC with 76 tackles (32 solo), 4 sacks, 10 stops for losses, 3 interceptions, 4 pass deflections, 2 fumble recoveries, and 2 caused fumbles.

Professional career

Arizona Cardinals

The

selected Dansby in the second round (33rd overall) of the

. Dansby was the third linebacker drafted in 2004. On August 4, 2004, the Arizona Cardinals signed Dansby to a four-year, $3.95 million contract that includes a

signing bonus A signing bonus or sign-on bonus is a sum of money paid to a new employee (including a professional sports person) by a company as an incentive to join that company. They are often given as a way of making a compensation package more attractive ...

of $2.45 million. Throughout training camp, Dansby competed to be a starting outside linebacker against Levar Woods. Head coach

Dennis Green Dennis Earl Green (February 17, 1949 – July 21, 2016) was an American football coach. During his National Football League (NFL) career, Green coached the Minnesota Vikings for 10 seasons. He coached the Vikings to eight playoff appearances in ...

named Dansby the backup outside linebacker to start the regular season in 2004, behind Levar Woods and James Darling. He started in the Arizona Cardinals' season-opener at 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 arri ...

and made two solo tackles in their 17–10 loss. On September 26, 2004, Dansby earned his first career start after surpassing Levar Woods on the Cardinals' depth chart. Dansby recorded four combined tackles and made his first career sack on quarterback

Michael Vick Michael Dwayne Vick (born June 26, 1980) is a former American football quarterback. Regarded as having transformed the quarterback position with his rushing abilities, he is the NFL leader in quarterback rushing yards and was the league's firs ...

during a 6–3 loss at 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 Week 3. In Week 7, he recorded two combined tackles, two pass deflections, and made his first career interception during a 25–17 victory against 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 club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) West, which they rejoined in 2002 as ...

. On November 14, 2004, Dansby recorded five solo tackles, deflected a pass, and made two sacks on quarterback

Kurt Warner Kurtis Eugene Warner (born June 22, 1971) is an American former football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 12 seasons, primarily with the St. Louis Rams and Arizona Cardinals. His career, which saw him ascend fr ...

before exiting in the fourth quarter of the Cardinals' 17–14 victory against 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 club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East division. ...

in Week 10. He was inactive during the Cardinals' Week 11 loss at 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 club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. T ...

due to a neck injury he sustained the previous week. In Week 13, he collected a season-high seven solo tackles in a 26–12 loss at the

Detroit Lions The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit. The Lions compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) North Division. The team play their home games at Ford ...

. Dansby finished his rookie season in

2004 2004 was designated as an International Year of Rice by the United Nations, and the International Year to Commemorate the Struggle Against Slavery and its Abolition (by UNESCO). Events January * January 3 – Flash Airlines Flight 6 ...

with 60 combined tackles (43 solo), five sacks, five pass deflections, an interception, and a forced fumble in 15 games and 11 starts. Dansby entered training camp slated as a starting outside linebacker in 2005. Head coach Dennis Green named Dansby and

Orlando Huff Orlando Huff (born August 14, 1978) is a former American Football linebacker. He was drafted by the Seattle Seahawks in the fourth round of the 2001 NFL Draft. He played college football at Fresno State. Huff was also a member of the Seattle Sea ...

the starting outside linebackers to start the regular season. He started in the Arizona Cardinals' season-opener against the

and recorded three solo tackles, two pass deflections, two interceptions, a sack, and scored the first touchdown of his career during a 42–19 loss. Dansby intercepted a pass by Giants' quarterback

Eli Manning Elisha Nelson Manning (born January 3, 1981) is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 16 seasons with the New York Giants. A member of the Manning football dynasty, he is the youngest son o ...

and returned it for an 18-yard touchdown in the second quarter. In Week 7, he collected a season-high 11 combined tackles (nine solo) and made a sack in the Cardinals' 20–10 victory against 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 h ...

. He was sidelined during a Week 11 victory at the

after suffering a groin injury. On December 24, 2005, he made four solo tackles, a pass deflection, and returned an interception by quarterback Mike McMahon for an 11-yard touchdown in a 27–21 win against the

Philadelphia Eagles The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia. The Eagles compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East division. The team plays ...

. He finished the 2005 season with 88 combined tackles (69 solo), four sacks, four pass deflections, three interceptions, and two touchdowns in 15 games and 15 starts. In 2007, he started all 14 games he played and led team with 117 tackles, marking second season with 100+ tackles (103 in 2005). On February 14, 2008, he was given the Cardinals'

franchise tag In the National Football League (NFL), the franchise tag is a designation a team may apply to a player scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent. The tag binds the player to the team for one year if certain conditions are met. Each team has on ...

. He has been franchised twice by Arizona, in 2008 and 2009. Cardinals signed franchised Dansby to a one-year, $8.065 million contract. In 2008, Dansby led the Cardinals to the Super Bowl while again totaling over 100 tackles and making 4 sacks and intercepting two passes. Karlos Dansby's 2009 franchise tag guaranteed him $9.7 million in salary in 2009 and would make him an unrestricted free agent in 2010. In a first-round playoff game against the

Green Bay Packers The Green Bay Packers are a professional American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Packers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. It ...

on January 10, 2010, Dansby recovered a fumble in overtime by Green Bay quarterback

Aaron Rodgers Aaron Charles Rodgers (born December 2, 1983) is an American football quarterback for the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League (NFL). Rodgers began his college football career at Butte College in 2002 before transferring to the ...

and returned it 17 yards for the game-winning touchdown in the highest scoring game in NFL postseason history.

Miami Dolphins

On March 5, 2010, Dansby signed with the

to a five-year, $43 million contract with $22 million guaranteed, which made it the richest contract for an inside linebacker in NFL history until

Patrick Willis Patrick L. Willis (born January 25, 1985) is an American former football middle linebacker who played his entire eight-year career with the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League (NFL). He was drafted by the 49ers in the first roun ...

signed a five-year, $50 million contract with the San Francisco 49ers. Dansby was released from the team on March 12, 2013.

Arizona Cardinals (second stint)

On May 10, 2013, Dansby signed a one-year deal to return to the

Cleveland Browns

On March 11, 2014, Dansby signed a four-year, $24 million contract with the

. The deal included $14 million guaranteed. He was released by the Browns on March 16, 2016.

Cincinnati Bengals

Dansby signed with the

on March 29, 2016.

Arizona Cardinals (third stint)

On March 10, 2017, Dansby signed a one-year contract with the Cardinals. In Week 9, Dansby picked off

C. J. Beathard Casey Jarrett "C. J." Beathard ( ; born November 16, 1993) is an American football quarterback for the Jacksonville Jaguars of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Iowa and was drafted in the third round of the 201 ...

in a 20–10 win over the 49ers, earning him NFC Defensive Player of the Week. He retired at the end of the season having never been selected for 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 ...

despite having more career tackles than Hall of Famer

Brian Urlacher Brian Urlacher (; born May 25, 1978) is an American former football linebacker who spent his entire 13-season career in the National Football League (NFL) with the Chicago Bears. He played college football for the New Mexico Lobos, where he bec ...

; he had 1,422 tackles to Urlacher's 1,361. However, he played on mostly mediocre teams for most of his career; he only made the playoffs twice and played on a winning team only one other time.

NFL career statistics

Personal life

Dansby trains at EVO Ultrafit in Phoenix, AZ. His family is from Birmingham, AL.

References

External links

Cleveland Browns bio

ESPN Player Profile
{{DEFAULTSORT:Dansby, Karlos 1981 births Living people Players of American football from Birmingham, Alabama African-American players of American football American football linebackers Auburn Tigers football players Arizona Cardinals players Miami Dolphins players Cleveland Browns players Cincinnati Bengals players People from Southwest Ranches, Florida 21st-century African-American sportspeople 20th-century African-American people