Xavier Rhodes

Xavier Rhodes (born June 19, 1990) is an American football cornerback for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Florida State, and was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in the first round (25th overall) of the 2013 NFL Draft. With the Vikings, Rhodes made three Pro Bowls and a First-team All-Pro selection.

Xavier Rhodes

Rhodes with the Minnesota Vikings in 2014
No. 27 – Indianapolis Colts
Position:	Cornerback
Personal information
Born:	June 19, 1990 Miami, Florida
Height:	6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
Weight:	218 lb (99 kg)
Career information
High school:	Miami Norland (Miami Gardens, Florida)
College:	Florida State
NFL Draft:	2013 / Round: 1 / Pick: 25
Career history
Minnesota Vikings (2013–2019) Indianapolis Colts (2020–present)
Roster status:	Active
Career highlights and awards
3× Pro Bowl (2016, 2017, 2019) First-team All-Pro (2017) First-team All-ACC (2012) ACC Defensive Rookie of the Year (2010)
Career NFL statistics as of 2020
Total tackles: 414 Interceptions: 12 Pass deflections: 85 Forced fumbles: 3 Fumble recoveries: 0 Defensive touchdowns: 2 Player stats at NFL.com

Early years

Rhodes attended Miami Norland High School in Miami Gardens, Florida, where he was a two-sport star in football and track. He played as a wide receiver, running back, and defensive back for the Miami Norland Vikings football team. As a junior, he recorded more than 1,000 all-purpose yards. In his senior year, he led his school in both rushing and receiving, and earning a spot on the Miami Herald All-Dade team on both the offensive and defensive side of the ball. He played in the 12th annual Nike South Florida All-Star game. He was honored as 6A FSWA first-team All-state selection, and a first-team All-Dade County athlete.[1]

Rhodes also excelled in track & field at Norland. In his first season of track in 2007, he posted a personal-best time of 48.60 seconds in the 400-meter dash.[2] At the 2008 Sam Burley Hall of Fame Meet, he earned a third-place finish in the 200-meter dash event with a time of 22.25 seconds.[3] As a senior, he qualified for the state finals in the 100-meter dash after running a career-best time of 10.70 seconds in the prelims of the regional championship.[4]

Regarded as a three-star recruit by Rivals.com, Rhodes was listed as the No. 75 wide receiver and the No. 91 prospect in the state of Florida.[5] He chose FSU over scholarship offers from West Virginia, Auburn, and Florida International.

College career

Rhodes received an athletic scholarship to attend Florida State University, where he played for coach Jimbo Fisher's Florida State Seminoles football team from 2009 to 2012. He started 38 of 43 games in the secondary in his distinguished college career.

Freshman (redshirt)

As a freshman in 2009, Rhodes played in only two games against Boston College and Georgia Tech on special teams before suffering a hand injury that sidelined him for the rest of the season. He was granted a medical redshirt, preserving him another year of college eligibility.

Freshman

In 2010, Rhodes started all 14 games at the boundary cornerback position and emerged as a promising young star for FSU's vastly improved defense. He used his physical attributes to record 12 pass breakups and four interceptions, good for a share of the team lead. His pass breakups and 16 passes defended led all freshmen nationally. He was credited with three pass breakups in pivotal Atlantic Division wins over Boston College and Clemson. He also intercepted a pass in the end zone against the Tigers which proved to swing the momentum in the Seminoles' 16-13 victory. His previous interceptions came against BYU and NC State. A sure tackler, the Miami native ranked seventh on the team with 58 stops and his 49 solo tackles ranked fourth. Rhodes's ability to play close to the line of scrimmage in coverage enabled him to collect 3.5 tackles for loss on the season and two sacks. He recovered the first two fumbles of his career in FSU's home finale against Florida in a 31-7 rout. He was named one of the top newcomers on defense at the annual Florida State football banquet. In all, he recorded 54 tackles, four interceptions, and two sacks. He was named the ACC Defensive Rookie of the Year and was a consensus freshman All-American.[6][7] He also earned National Defensive Freshman of the Year honors from Collegefootballnews.com.

Sophomore

In his redshirt sophomore season in 2011, Rhodes started as part of a three-man cornerback rotation with Mike Harris and Greg Reid. He made five tackles at Clemson, at Wake Forest, and Duke. Against Maryland, Rhodes tallied a season-high six tackles. He intercepted his first pass of the season against NC State. He finished with four tackles in the win over Notre Dame in the 2011 Champs Sports Bowl. He registered 43 stops (36 solo) on the season with 1.5 tackles for loss, one interception, and four pass-breakups for the season. He was selected as the Mr. Dependable Skill Award winner at the team's annual banquet.

Junior

For his junior season in 2012, Rhodes was named to preseason watchlists for the Bednarik Award and Nagurski Trophy. He was also the only player from the ACC to be named a semifinalist for the Thorpe Award. He defended 10 passes on the season, placing 11th in the ACC and leading all FSU players, while his three interceptions tied for 8th and also tied for the team lead, leading this to earn first-team All-ACC honors. He also added seven pass break-ups which tied for third on the team. He recorded 39 tackles (27 unassisted) and 2.0 tackles for loss. His third interception and eighth career pick came in the ACC Championship Game versus Georgia Tech. The two other picks came against Murray State and at USF. He forced and recovered a fumble in the Orange Bowl against Northern Illinois. He registered a season-high seven tackles at NC State. He anchored an FSU secondary that held nine of the top 10 receivers in the ACC at the time they faced them to a combined 22 catches for 244 yards. In the last 12 games, he was targeted 47 times and allowed just 13 completions for 88 yards with two interceptions and seven pass break-ups. He helped Florida State's defense lead the nation in yards allowed per play (3.86), rank second nationally in total defense (254.14 ypg) and rank in the top six nationally in scoring defense (14.71 ppg), rushing defense (92.29 ypg), pass defense (161.86 ypg), pass efficiency defense (95.43) and opponent three-and-outs (6.29 per game). He earned the Mr. Dependable Skill Award at the team's annual banquet for the second straight year.

Shortly after FSU's 31–10 victory over Northern Illinois in the 2013 Orange Bowl, Rhodes announced his decision to forgo his final year of collegiate eligibility, entering the 2013 NFL Draft. "I did all I could in college. If I was to come back, I don't think my status would be getting any better," said Rhodes.[8]

Statistics

Year	Team	Games		Tackles				Interceptions						Fumbles
		G	GS	Comb	Total	Ast	Sack	PD	Int	Yds	Avg	Lng	TD	FF	FR
2010	Florida State	14	14	58	49	9	2.0	16	4	40	10.0	23	0	1	0
2011	Florida State	13	13	43	36	7	0.0	5	1	0	0.0	0	0	0	0
2012	Florida State	14	14	39	27	12	0.0	10	3	14	4.7	14	0	0	0
Career		43	43	140	112	28	2.0	31	8	54	6.8	23	0	1	0

Professional career

Coming out of Florida State, Rhodes was projected as a first-round selection in the 2013 NFL Draft by Sports Illustrated.[9]

External video
Xavier Rhodes' NFL Combine Workout
Xavier Rhodes' 40-yard dash

Pre-draft measurables

Height	Weight	Arm length	Hand size	40-yard dash	10-yard split	20-yard split	20-yard shuttle	Three-cone drill	Vertical jump	Broad jump	Bench press
6 ft 1 ^1⁄2 in (1.87 m)	210 lb (95 kg)	^3⁄4 in (0.02 m)	9 in (0.23 m)	4.43 s	1.58 s	2.59 s	4.65 s	7.29 s	^1⁄2 in (0.01 m)	11 ft 0 in (3.35 m)	14 reps
All values from NFL Combine[10][11]

2013

The Minnesota Vikings selected Rhodes in the first round (25th overall) of the 2013 NFL Draft. The pick used to select him was acquired from the Seattle Seahawks in a trade for Percy Harvin. He was the fourth cornerback selected in 2013 and was the highest selected defensive back from Florida State since Antonio Cromartie was taken 19th overall by the San Diego Chargers in the 2006 NFL Draft.

External video
Vikings draft Xavier Rhodes 25th overall
NFL Draft Profile: Xavier Rhodes

On July 13, 2013, the Minnesota Vikings signed Rhodes to a four-year, $7.80 million contract that includes $6.33 million guaranteed and a signing bonus of $4.05 million.[12]

Rhodes began training camp slated as a starting cornerback, but saw competition for the role from Josh Robinson.[13] Head coach Leslie Frazier named Rhodes the third cornerback on the depth chart, behind veterans Chris Cook and Josh Robinson.[14] He was also selected to be the starting nickelback in nickel and dime packages.[15]

He made his professional regular season debut and first career start in the Minnesota Vikings' season-opener at the Detroit Lions and recorded three solo tackles in their 34–24 loss. Rhodes made his first career tackle on wide receiver Calvin Johnson after a seven-yard reception in the second quarter.[16] On October 27, 2013, Rhodes recorded a season-high seven solo tackles during a 44–31 loss to the Green Bay Packers. In Week 12, Rhodes earned his first start as an outside cornerback after Josh Robinson sustained a fractured sternum the previous week and was expected to be sidelined for a month.[17] Rhodes recorded a season-high four pass deflections and made four solo tackles during a 26–26 tie at the Green Bay Packers. On December 8, 2013, Rhodes made three solo tackles and three pass deflections before exiting the Vikings' 29–26 loss at the Baltimore Ravens after sustaining an ankle injury.[18] He was sidelined for the last three games of the season (Weeks 15–17).[19] On December 30, 2013, it was announced that the Minnesota Vikings fired head coach Leslie Frazier after finishing fourth in the NFC North with a 5–10–1 record.[20] He finished his rookie season in 2013 with 48 combined tackles (41 solo) and ten pass deflections in 13 games and six starts.[21]

2014

Rhodes entered training camp slated as one of the starting outside cornerbacks.[22] Head coach Mike Zimmer officially named Rhodes the starter to begin the regular season, along with Captain Munnerlyn.[23]

In Week 4, he tied a career-high with four pass deflections and made five combined tackles in the Vikings' 41–28 victory over the Atlanta Falcons.[24] On November 16, 2014, Rhodes collected four combined tackles, broke up a pass, and made his first career interception off a pass by Jay Cutler during a 21–13 loss at the Chicago Bears in Week 11.[24] In Week 16, Rhodes collected a season-high five solo tackles in the Vikings' 37–35 loss at the Miami Dolphins.[24] He finished the season with 49 combined tackles (39 solo), a career-high 18 pass deflections, and an interception in 16 games and 16 starts.[21] His 18 pass deflections led the Vikings' defense and finished fourth among all players in the league. The Minnesota Vikings finished with a 7–9 record, but were able to improve to seventh overall in pass defense after finishing 31st the previous season.

2015

Rhodes was joined by Terence Newman and rookie first round pick Trae Waynes in 2015. Defensive coordinator George Edwards named Rhodes the No. 1 outside cornerback, opposite Terence Newman, to begin the regular season.[25]

He started the Minnesota Vikings' season-opener at the San Francisco 49ers and collected a season-high seven solo tackles in their 20–3 loss.[26] On January 3, 2016, Rhodes made three solo tackles, a pass deflection, and intercepted a pass by Aaron Rodgers during a 20–13 victory at the Green Bay Packers.[26] He finished the 2015 season with a career-high 58 combined tackles (55 solo), ten pass deflections, and an interception in 16 games and 16 starts.[21]

The Minnesota Vikings finished their second season under head coach Mike Zimmer with an 11–5 record and first in the NFC North. On January 10, 2016, Rhodes started in his first career playoff game and recorded four solo tackles and two pass deflections during a 10–9 loss to the Seattle Seahawks in the NFC Wildcard Game.[26]

2016

On May 2, 2016, the Vikings exercised the fifth-year, $8.02 million option on Rhodes' rookie contract.[27] Head coach Mike Zimmer retained Xavier Rhodes and Terence Newman as the starting cornerbacks to begin the regular season.

While preparing to play in the season-opener against the Tennessee Titans, Rhodes sustained a knee injury while stretching on the field. His injury sidelined him for the first two games (Weeks 1–2) of the season.[28] On October 3, 2016, Rhodes recorded two combined tackles, broke up two passes, and intercepted quarterback Eli Manning during a 24–10 victory against the New York Giants on Monday Night Football.[29] He was a key part of the secondary that held Odell Beckham Jr. to only five receptions for 23-yards.[30] In Week 11, Rhodes recorded three combined tackles, two pass deflections, and intercepted two passes by quarterback Carson Palmer in the Vikings' 30–24 victory against the Arizona Cardinals. In the second quarter, he intercepted a pass intended for John Brown and returned it for a 100-yard touchdown [31] On the game, Rhodes allowed a passer rating of 0.0 into his coverage, surrendering as many catches (two, for 16 yards) on seven targets as interceptions and earning the highest-graded game of any player in Week 11 according to Pro Football Focus (PFF) at +94.5.[32][33] Rhodes performance earned him NFC Defensive Player of the Week.[34] On December 20, 2016, Rhodes was voted to the 2017 Pro Bowl, marking the first of his career.[35] In Week 16, Rhodes collected a season-high seven combined tackles during a 38–25 loss at the Green Bay Packers. He finished the season with 52 combined tackles (44 solo), 11 pass deflections, five interceptions, and a touchdown in 14 games and 14 starts.[21] Pro Football Focus ranked him 29th in overall grades among the 111 qualifying cornerbacks in 2016.[36]

The Minnesota Vikings were unable to qualify for the playoffs after finishing third in their division with an 8–8 record. Rhodes was ranked the 66th best player in the NFL on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2017.[37]

2017

On July 30, 2017, the Minnesota Vikings signed Rhodes to a five-year, $70.10 million extension that includes $32.80 million guaranteed and a $12 million signing bonus.[38][12]

Head coach Mike Zimmer named Rhodes and Trae Waynes the starting cornerbacks to start the regular season. On November 23, 2017, Rhodes recorded a season-high five solo tackles, two pass deflections, and intercepted a pass by Matthew Stafford during a 30–23 victory at the Detroit Lions.[39] The following week, he tied his season-high of five solo tackles in the Vikings' 14–9 victory at the Atlanta Falcons in Week 13.[39] On December 19, 2017, it was announced that Rhodes was voted to the 2018 Pro Bowl.[40] He finished the 2017 season with 56 combined tackles (44 solo), ten pass deflections, and two interceptions in 16 games and 16 starts.[21] Pro Football Focus gave Rhodes an overall grade of 80.2, ranking him 44th among all qualified cornerbacks in 2017.[41]

The Minnesota Vikings finished atop their division with a 13–3 record and received a first round bye. On January 14, 2018, Rhodes recorded two solo tackles and two pass deflections during the Vikings' 29–24 win against the New Orleans Saints in the NFC Divisional Round.[39] The Vikings were eliminated from the playoffs the following week after losing 38–7 at the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC Championship Game.[39] He was ranked 55th on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2018.[42]

Rhodes was released by the Vikings on March 13, 2020 after seven seasons.[43]

Indianapolis Colts

On March 30, 2020, Rhodes signed a one-year contract with the Indianapolis Colts.[44][45]

In Week 3 against the New York Jets, Rhodes recorded his first two interceptions (including a 44 yard pick six) as a member of the Colts off of passes thrown by Sam Darnold during the 36–7 win.[46] He was named the AFC Defensive Player of the Week for his performance in Week 3.[47]

Minnesota Vikings franchise records

• Most passes defensed by a rookie: 23 (2013)
• Longest interception return: 100 yards (2016)

NFL career statistics

Regular season

Year	Team	Games		Tackles				Interceptions						Fumbles
		G	GS	Comb	Total	Ast	Sack	PD	Int	Yds	Avg	Lng	TD	FF	FR
2013	MIN	13	6	48	41	7	0.0	10	0	0	0.0	0	0	1	0
2014	MIN	16	16	49	39	10	0.0	18	1	0	0.0	0	0	0	0
2015	MIN	16	16	58	55	3	0.0	11	1	0	0.0	0	0	0	0
2016	MIN	14	14	52	44	8	0.0	11	5	133	26.6	100	1	1	0
2017	MIN	16	16	56	44	12	0.0	10	2	23	11.5	21	0	0	0
2018	MIN	14	14	47	41	6	0.0	7	1	3	3.0	3	0	0	0
2019	MIN	15	15	63	54	9	0.0	6	0	0	0.0	0	0	1	0
Totals		104	97	373	318	55	0.0	73	10	159	15.9	100	1	3	0

[48]

References

1. "Florida State Seminoles Official Athletic Site". Florida State Seminoles.
2. "Sandra Darr Paladin Elite Invitational - Complete Results (Raw)".
3. "Sam Burley Hall of Fame Meet - Complete Results (Raw)".
4. "FHSAA 4A District 13 - Boys (Raw)".
5. "Rivals.com". sports.yahoo.com.
6. "Florida State CB Xavier Rhodes named ACC defensive rookie of the year".
7. "2010 All-Freshman Team".
8. "Seminoles CB Rhodes declares for NFL draft".
9. Banks, Don (January 24, 2013). "2013 NFL Mock Draft 1.0". SI.com.
10. "NFL Events: Combine Player Profiles - Xavier Rhodes". www.nfl.com.
11. "*Xavier Rhodes - Florida State, CB : 2013 NFL Draft Scout Player Profile". www.nfldraftscout.com.
12. "Spotrac.com: Xavier Rhodes contract". Spotrac.com. Retrieved April 20, 2018.
13. Alcaraz, Gil (May 25, 2013). "Minnesota Vikings Training Camp Profile: Xavier Rhodes". RantSports.com. Retrieved April 20, 2018.
14. "Ourlads.com: Minnesota Vikings Depth Chart: 09/05/2013". Iurlads.com. Retrieved April 20, 2018.
15. Katzowitz, Josh (August 22, 2013). "2013 NFL season preview: Minnesota Vikings". CBSSports.com. Retrieved April 20, 2018.
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17. "Josh Robinson injury: Vikings CB out 1 month with fractured sternum". Retrieved April 20, 2018.
18. "NFL Player stats: Xavier Rhodes (2013)". NFL.com. Retrieved April 20, 2018.
19. Fairburn, Matthew (December 9, 2013). "Xavier Rhodes injury: Vikings CB could miss a few weeks after hurting ankle". sbnation.com. Retrieved April 19, 2018.
20. "Leslie Frazier fired by Minnesota Vikings". SI.com. December 30, 2013. Retrieved April 20, 2018.
21. "NFL Player stats: Xavier Rhodes (2013)". NFL.com. Retrieved April 20, 2018.
22. "Three Vikings Training Camp Battles to Watch". sportingsota.com. July 24, 2014. Retrieved April 20, 2018.
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26. "NFL Player stats: Xavier Rhodes (2015)". NFL.com. Retrieved April 20, 2018.
27. Goessling, Ben (May 2, 2016). "Vikings exercise fifth-year options for Sharrif Floyd, Xavier Rhodes". ESPN.com. Retrieved November 2, 2016.
28. "Injured Vikings Xavier Rhodes, Sharrif Floyd will not play Sunday vs. Packers". TwinCities.com. September 16, 2016. Retrieved April 20, 2018.
29. "NFL Player stats: Xavier Rhodes (2016)". NFL.com. Retrieved April 20, 2018.
30. "Vikings' Xavier Rhodes becoming a shutdown cornerback". October 4, 2016.
31. "Xavier Rhodes' 2 Interceptions, TD Give Vikings Spark in 30-24 Win".
32. "5 PFF stats you need to know from NFL Week 11 - NFL Analysis - Pro Football Focus". www.profootballfocus.com.
33. "ARI-MIN grades: Xavier Rhodes' pair of interceptions helps snap Vikings' losing streak - NFL Analysis - Pro Football Focus". www.profootballfocus.com.
34. Lam, Quang M. (November 23, 2016). "Tom Brady, Kirk Cousins among Players of Week". NFL.com.
35. "5 Things to Know About Vikings Selections in 2017 Pro Bowl".
36. "Pro Football Rumors: Xavier Rhodes". profootballrumors.com. Retrieved April 20, 2018.
37. NFL Top 100 Players of 2017 - No. 66 Xavier Rhodes
38. Patra, Kevin (July 30, 2017). "Vikings CB Xavier Rhodes signs $70 million extension". NFL.com.
39. "NFL Player stats: Xavier Rhodes (2017)". NFL.com. Retrieved April 20, 2018.
40. "NFL announces 2018 Pro Bowl rosters". NFL.com. December 19, 2017. Retrieved December 26, 2017.
41. "Pro Football Focus: Xavier Rhodes". profootballfocus.com. Retrieved April 20, 2018.
42. "Xavier Rhodes Makes NFL's Top 100 at No. 55". vikings.com.
43. Peters, Craig (March 13, 2020). "Vikings Terminate Contracts of Joseph & Rhodes; 'Will Remain in Communication' During Free Agency". Vikings.com. Retrieved March 13, 2020.
44. Scott, Jelani (March 26, 2020). "Colts add ex-Vikings CB Xavier Rhodes on 1-year deal". NFL.com.
45. Walker, Andrew (March 27, 2020). "Colts Sign All-Pro Free Agent CB Xavier Rhodes". Colts.com.
46. "New York Jets at Indianapolis Colts - September 27th, 2020". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved September 28, 2020.
47. Gordon, Grant (September 30, 2020). "Seahawks QB Russell Wilson, Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes lead Players of the Week". www.nfl.com. Retrieved September 30, 2020.
48. "Xavier Rhodes Stats". ESPN. ESPN Internet Ventures. Retrieved September 8, 2014.

External links

• Florida State Seminoles bio