Thomas DeCoud ( ; born March 19, 1985) 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 ...

free safety. He played college football for the

University of California, Berkeley The University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley, Berkeley, Cal, or California) is a public land-grant research university in Berkeley, California. Established in 1868 as the University of California, it is the state's first land-grant u ...

. He was drafted by the Atlanta Falcons in the third round of the 2008 NFL Draft. DeCoud currently coaches football at California High School.

Early years

DeCoud attended Glencove Elementary School and Hogan Senior High School in

Vallejo, California Vallejo ( ; ) is a city in Solano County, California and the second largest city in the North Bay region of the Bay Area. Located on the shores of San Pablo Bay, the city had a population of 126,090 at the 2020 census. Vallejo is home to th ...

, then attended

Pinole Valley High School Pinole Valley High School is a high school in Pinole, California, United States, in Contra Costa County. First opened in 1967, the school is part of the West Contra Costa Unified School District. Pinole Valley High serves grades 9–12, and has ap ...

Pinole, California Pinole (Spanish for "cornmeal") is a city in Contra Costa County, California, United States. The population was 18,390 at the 2010 census. History The name derives from "pinole", a Nāhuatl word for a kind of flour made from the seeds of ...

and was a letterman in football and

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular court, compete with the primary objective of shooting a basketball (approximately in diameter) through the defender's h ...

. In football, as a senior, he was an All-ACCAL selection. In basketball, he was an All-ACCAL selection. DeCoud graduated from Pinole High School in 2003.

Professional career

Atlanta Falcons

DeCoud was drafted by the Atlanta Falcons in the third round of the 2008 NFL Draft. Playing primarily on special teams in 10 games as a rookie, DeCoud recorded 6 tackles (5 solo). He had a breakout season the next year as he started all 16 games at free safety and compiled 68 tackles (57 solo), 2 sacks, 2 forced fumbles, 7 pass deflections and 3 interceptions. After the season, DeCoud received recognition from USA Today, which listed him on its annual "All-Joe" team. In a SportsCenter interview on September 27, 2012, Decoud played the "Meow Game" from the movie Super Troopers. Decoud was released from the Falcons on March 11, 2014.

Carolina Panthers

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. ...

signed DeCoud to a two-year deal on April 10, 2014. DeCoud made his first start for the Panthers in a 20-14 victory against 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) South division. The cl ...

in week 1. During the home opener in a 24-7 win against the Detroit Lions in week 2, DeCoud recorded 3 tackles and was responsible for a pass deflection deep downfield against

Calvin Johnson Calvin Johnson Jr., (born September 29, 1985) is an American former football wide receiver who played in the National Football League (NFL) for nine seasons with the Detroit Lions. He played college football at Georgia Tech, where he twice ...

which led to an interception by Melvin White. During the Panthers week 5 victory over the Chicago Bears, DeCoud recorded his first interception for the Panthers against

Jay Cutler Jay Christopher Cutler (born April 29, 1983) is an American former professional football player who was a quarterback in the National Football League (NFL) for 12 seasons, primarily with the Chicago Bears. He played college football for the Van ...

to go along with 4 tackles and a pass deflection. He was released on February 17, 2015.

References

External links

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California Golden Bears bioAtlanta Falcons bioCarolina Panthers bio
{{DEFAULTSORT:Decoud, Thomas 1985 births Living people Players of American football from Oakland, California American football safeties California Golden Bears football players Atlanta Falcons players Carolina Panthers players People from Pinole, California National Conference Pro Bowl players Sportspeople from Vallejo, California