Je'Rod Cherry
| No. 37, 30, 25 | |||||||||||
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| Position: | Safety | ||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||
| Born: | May 30, 1973 Charlotte, North Carolina, U.S. | ||||||||||
| Height: | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | ||||||||||
| Weight: | 215 lb (98 kg) | ||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||
| High school: | Berkeley (Berkeley, California) | ||||||||||
| College: | California | ||||||||||
| NFL draft: | 1996 / round: 2 / pick: 40 | ||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||
| * Offseason and/or practice squad member only | |||||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||
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| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||||
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Je'Rod LePatrick Cherry (born May 30, 1973) is an American former professional football player who was a safety in the National Football League (NFL) from 1996 to 2004. He played college football for the California Golden Bears. Cherry won three Super Bowls with the New England Patriots. After his football career, he became a radio talk show host for WKNR AM 850 in Cleveland, and sideline analyst/reporter for the Cleveland Browns Radio Network.
Biography
[edit]Born in Charlotte, North Carolina,[1] Cherry graduated from Berkeley High School at Berkeley, California in 1991 and was a standout athlete in football and track.
Cherry red-shirted his freshman year and played on the California Golden Bears football team from 1992 to 1995.[2] In his senior season, Cherry had 91 tackles and an interception and returned 18 kickoffs for a 21.4 yard average. For his junior and senior years, Cherry was an All-Pac-10 honorable mention and Pac-10 All-Academic selection.[3] With a 3.2 GPA, Cherry received his Bachelor of Arts degree in political science from UC Berkeley in 1996 and a Master of Arts in education from the University of California, Berkeley Graduate School of Education in 2000.[3]
He was drafted by the New Orleans Saints in the 1996 NFL draft.[4] In 2000, Cherry signed with the Oakland Raiders, then a month later he signed with the Philadelphia Eagles. After his stint with the Eagles, Cherry signed with the New England Patriots, where he earned Super Bowl rings in Super Bowls XXXVI, XXXVIII, and XXXIX as a special teams player before retiring in 2004.
Cherry made an immediate impact for the Patriots on special teams in 2001 and 2002. In 2001, he tied for 3rd in ST tackles with 12 and led the Patriots with 6 ST tackles during their Super Bowl run in the postseason. In 2002, he again ranked 3rd in ST tackles with 12 during the regular season. During the 2003 regular season, he finished with 13 ST tackles and recorded 1 ST tackle in the Super Bowl against Carolina. In 2004, Cherry again recorded 13 ST tackles and had 2 ST tackles against Pittsburgh in the AFC Championship Game.
Post-NFL career
[edit]After his retirement, Cherry moved to Macedonia, Ohio,[5] and in 2009 became a talk show host and NFL analyst for WKNR AM 850 in Cleveland.[6] In 2013, following WKNR becoming a flagship station for the Cleveland Browns, Cherry also became a game-day pregame host for the Browns radio network. In 2022, he became part of the main game broadcast team as sideline analyst and reporter.
Cherry is a Christian and attends Bible studies with other players.[7] Each year, Cherry goes to Heartland Community Church in Medina, Ohio, where he discusses his work as a sports analyst and his spiritual journey with the congregation there.[8] In 2008, Cherry raffled off his first Super Bowl ring with the proceeds going to charity. The event raised over $200,000.[9] The ring is currently[when?] with a collector in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
Awards and honors
[edit]- Two-time All Pac-10 Academic Team - 1994, 1995
- Three-time Super Bowl winner - XXXVI, XXXVIII, XXXIX (as a member of the New England Patriots)
References
[edit]- ^ "Je'Rod Cherry". NFL. Retrieved September 6, 2012.
- ^ Gay, Nancy (November 21, 1995). "It's Official -- Gilbertson Out at Cal". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved September 6, 2012.
- ^ a b "Je'Rod Cherry". New England Patriots. Retrieved September 6, 2012.
- ^ "1996 NFL Draft Listing". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved March 30, 2023.
- ^ NFL Insider: Cherry's donation rings clear ex-defensive back's heart and soul | cleveland.com Retrieved 2018-06-09.
- ^ "@JRCherry3" on Twitter
- ^ Andrew Knox, Shawn Brown (2012). "Super Bowl Faith: Comments from the Players". Christian Broadcasting Network. Retrieved March 19, 2014.
Je'Rod Cherry–"We have evangelism going on within the team that definitely has an affect [sic] on what we're doing out here today because guys are actually seeking God. Guys are here, like Don Davis, he's an integral part of this. He holds a Bible study every Thursday and then he also helps with the chapel, and we're growing in the Word."
- ^ "Meet Three-Time Super Bowl Champion Former New England Patriot Je'Rod Cherry" (PDF). Heartland Community Church. 2012. Retrieved April 16, 2012.
Je'Rod will be speaking about his football experiences as a member of the 3-time Super Bowl champions, the New England Patriots, his work as a sports analyst, and also about his spiritual journey.
[permanent dead link] - ^ "Je'Rod Cherry Super Bowl XXXVI Ring Raffle". Celebrities for Charities. Archived from the original on March 3, 2016. Retrieved February 27, 2009.
External links
[edit]- 1973 births
- Living people
- Sportspeople from Berkeley, California
- American football safeties
- Berkeley High School (Berkeley, California) alumni
- California Golden Bears football players
- New England Patriots players
- New Orleans Saints players
- Oakland Raiders players
- Philadelphia Eagles players
- Players of American football from Berkeley, California
- Players of American football from Charlotte, North Carolina
- American sports radio personalities
- UC Berkeley Graduate School of Education alumni
- People from Macedonia, Ohio
- Players of American football from Summit County, Ohio