Brandon Spikes

Brandon Spikes (born September 3, 1987) is an American former professional football player who was a linebacker in the National Football League (NFL).[1] He played college football for the Florida Gators, was recognized as an All-American twice and was a member of two BCS National Championship teams. He was selected by the New England Patriots in the second round of the 2010 NFL Draft. He also played for the Buffalo Bills.

Brandon Spikes
refer to caption
Spikes with the Buffalo Bills in 2014
No. 55, 51
Position:Linebacker
Personal information
Born: (1987-09-03) September 3, 1987
Shelby, North Carolina, U.S.
Height:6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
Weight:255 lb (116 kg)
Career information
High school:Crest (Shelby)
College:Florida (2006–2009)
NFL Draft:2010 / Round: 2 / Pick: 62
Career history
 * Offseason and/or practice squad member only
Career highlights and awards
Career NFL statistics
Total tackles:349
Sacks:2.0
Forced fumbles:6
Fumble recoveries:1
Interceptions:2
Player stats at NFL.com

Early years

Spikes was born in Shelby, North Carolina.[2] He attended Crest High School in Shelby, and was a standout high school football player for the Crest Chargers. Coming out of high school, he was considered one of the best linebacker prospects in the nation, and was rated the number one prospect in the state of North Carolina by Rivals.com[3] and 33rd overall best player in the country according to Scout.com.[4] He was also selected to play in the U.S. Army All-American Bowl.

College career
Spikes with the Florida Gators in 2008

Spikes accepted an athletic scholarship to attend the University of Florida over offers from several other colleges. At Florida, he was a four-year letterman, and played for coach Urban Meyer's Florida Gators football team from 2006 to 2009.[5] Spikes appeared in 47 games for Florida with 39 starts at linebacker. He registered 307 tackles (178 solo) in his career, with 31.5 for loss, including 6.5 sacks. He forced two fumbles, recovered four fumbles and had six interceptions which he returned for 139 yards and four touchdowns, more than any other player in the nation and a Florida school record.

Spikes saw limited action in 2006, playing in nine games and recording 15 tackles as the backup to Brandon Siler. He was a member of the Gators' BCS National Championship team which defeated Ohio State. In 2007 Spikes became a starter after Siler was selected in the 2007 NFL Draft. He started all 13 games at middle linebacker recording 131 tackles (81 solo), which was second in the Southeastern Conference. He tied for third in the SEC with 3 fumble recoveries. He also earned first-team All-SEC along with teammate Tim Tebow.[6]

As a junior team captain in 2008, Spikes was a first-team All-SEC selection and a unanimous first-team All-American.[5][7] He was selected as a finalist for the Bronko Nagurski Trophy and a semifinalist for the Lombardi Award and Chuck Bednarik Award. He was a starter at middle linebacker and led the team with 93 tackles on the season, including 8.0 for a loss. He returned two interceptions for a touchdown tying the school record. He made six tackles in the 2009 BCS National Championship Game win over Oklahoma and had seven tackles, two quarterback hurries and broke up one pass in the 2008 SEC Championship Game against Alabama. After his junior season, he decided to forgo early entry into the 2009 NFL Draft and returned to Florida for another season.[8]

In 2009, Spikes' production fell to 68 tackles (36 solo). In an October 31, 2009 game, Spikes was involved in an incident where he attempted to gouge the eyes of Georgia's Washaun Ealey. As a result of this, Florida coach Urban Meyer suspended Spikes for the first half of their next game against Vanderbilt.[9][10] Spikes later announced that he would sit out for the entire game.[11] As a senior team captain, he was one of three finalists for the 2009 Chuck Bednarik Award, a finalist for the 2009 Butkus Award, a first-team All-SEC selection, and a consensus All-American, receiving first-team honors from The Sporting News and the Walter Camp Football Foundation and second-team honors from the Associated Press.[5][7]

Professional career
Pre-draft measurables
HeightWeightArm lengthHand span40-yard dash10-yard split20-yard splitThree-cone drillVertical jumpBroad jump
6 ft 2+7⁄8 in
(1.90 m)		 249 lb
(113 kg)		 33+3⁄8 in
(0.85 m)		 10 in
(0.25 m)		5.05 s1.75 s2.89 s6.97 s29.0 in
(0.74 m)		9 ft 3 in
(2.82 m)
All values from NFL Scouting Combine, except 40 time from Pro Day[12][13]

New England Patriots

Spikes was drafted by the New England Patriots in the second round (62nd overall) of the 2010 NFL Draft.[14] He signed a four-year contract on July 26, 2010.[15] Spikes quickly became a starter at inside linebacker in the Patriots 3–4 defense, alongside Jerod Mayo. Against Baltimore in Week 6 of his rookie season, Spikes recorded 16 tackles in an overtime Patriots win. Spikes recorded his first career interception in a Week 13 win over the New York Jets on Monday Night Football.

On December 10, 2010, prior to the Patriots' Week 14 game against the Chicago Bears, Spikes was suspended four games (the remainder of the 2010 regular season) for a violation of the NFL's banned substances policy,[16] reportedly for an ingredient in Spikes' ADHD medication.[17] The same day, Spikes released the following statement:

"I've been contacted by the NFL and informed that I will be suspended four games for the detection of an illegal substance in a drug test. The substance was a medication that I should have gotten clarification on before taking. It was not a performance enhancer or an illegal drug. The integrity of the game is very important to me. I understand the league's ruling and apologize to my teammates, the fans and the Patriots organization for this mistake."[18]

He finished his rookie season with 61 tackles, one interception, and three passes defensed. With his season shortened by the suspension, he played in 12 games, starting eight.

At the end of the 2011 season, Spikes and the Patriots appeared in Super Bowl XLVI. He started in the game, but the Patriots lost to the New York Giants by a score of 21–17.[19]

On November 16, 2012, Spikes was fined $25,000 for a late hit against the Buffalo Bills in Week 10.[20]

Spikes dealt with a knee injury during the 2013 season, but played in all 16 games. After being late to practice in January 2014, Spikes was placed on injured reserve. Spikes was not re-signed by the team in the offseason.[21]

Buffalo Bills

On March 14, 2014, Spikes agreed to a one-year, $3.25 million contract with the Buffalo Bills.[22] On September 12, 2014, Spikes was fined $8,268 for a late hit on Chicago Bears wide receiver Santonio Holmes.

New England Patriots (second stint)

On May 18, 2015, Spikes agreed to a one-year contract to return to the Patriots. On June 8, 2015, Spikes was released due to a police investigation dealing with an abandoned car belonging to Spikes, which was possibly involved in a hit-and-run.[23] Massachusetts State Police cited Spikes on June 12, 2015 for leaving a scene of an accident with injury, driving negligently, and failing to stay within marked lanes.[24]

Buffalo Bills (second stint)

Spikes signed a one-year contract with the Buffalo Bills on August 7, 2016.[25]

NFL statistics
YearTeamGPCOMBTOTALASTSACKFFFRFR YDSINTIR YDSAVG IRLNGTDPD
2010NE126138230.0000155503
2011NE84732150.0000000001
2012NE159257351.0500000007
2013NE168648380.0010133302
2014BUF165433211.0100000003
2016BUF119450.0000000000
Career783492121372.06102845015

[26]

Personal life

As a child, Spikes was raised by his brother, Breyon Middlebrooks, while their mother, Sherry Allen, worked 12-hour days at a fiberglass plant. In 2003, Middlebrooks was found guilty of first-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison, the result of a drug deal in 2001. He writes to Spikes regularly and watches what games he can from his cell at Scotland Correctional Institute in Laurinburg, North Carolina. He is the younger cousin of former NFL linebacker Takeo Spikes.[27]

He is married to Lela Woods, with whom he shares a daughter, and both of them appeared on Oxygen's special on his Florida teammate Aaron Hernandez.[28]

See also

References
  1. "Brandon Spikes (@bspikes55) • Instagram photos and videos". www.instagram.com. Retrieved February 21, 2019.
  2. Pro-Football-Reference.com, Players, Brandon Spikes. Retrieved September 6, 2011.
  3. "North Carolina Top 30 2006". Rivals.com. January 23, 2006. Retrieved April 27, 2010.
  4. "Top Recruits 2006". Scout.com. Retrieved April 27, 2010.
  5. 2011 Florida Gators Football Media Guide Archived April 2, 2012, at the Wayback Machine, University Athletic Association, Gainesville, Florida, pp. 81, 89, 95, 97, 98, 101, 125, 153–154, 185 (2011). Retrieved August 31, 2011.
  6. Curtis, Dave (December 4, 2007). "Tebow, Spikes make first-team All-SEC". Orlando Sentinel. Archived from the original on January 14, 2010. Retrieved April 27, 2010.
  7. 2012 NCAA Football Records Book, Award Winners, National Collegiate Athletic Association, Indianapolis, Indiana, pp. 11 & 14 (2012). Retrieved September 14, 2012.
  8. Schad, Joe (January 15, 2009). "Spikes, not Harvin, returning to Gators". ESPN.com. Retrieved April 27, 2010.
  9. "Florida suspends Spikes for eye gouge". The Sports Network. Seattle Post-Intelligencer. November 4, 2009. Retrieved November 4, 2009.
  10. Smith, Erick (November 2, 2009). "Florida's Spikes to sit for first half of next game after actions against Georgia". USA Today. Retrieved November 2, 2009.
  11. Low, Chris (November 4, 2009). "Spikes lengthens his suspension to a full game". ESPN.com. Retrieved November 5, 2009.
  12. "Brandon Spikes Draft and Combine Prospect Profile". NFL.com. Retrieved April 27, 2010.
  13. "Brandon Spikes, Florida, ILB, 2010 NFL Draft Scout, NCAA College Football". draftscout.com. Retrieved February 26, 2022.
  14. "2010 NFL Draft Listing". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved May 13, 2023.
  15. Guregian, Karen (July 26, 2010). "Rookie Brandon Spikes agrees to four-year deal with Patriots". Boston Herald. Retrieved July 26, 2010.
  16. Rapoport, Ian (December 10, 2010). "Patriots LB Brandon Spikes has been handed a four-game suspension". The Boston Herald. Retrieved December 10, 2010.
  17. Walker, Monique (December 12, 2010). "Reports: Spikes's drug for ADHD". The Boston Globe. Retrieved December 15, 2010.
  18. Price, Christopher (December 10, 2010). "Source: Pats LB Spikes suspended 4 games". WEEI.com. Retrieved December 10, 2010.
  19. "Super Bowl XLVI - New York Giants vs. New England Patriots - February 5th, 2012". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved December 6, 2017.
  20. "Fines roundup: Tim Dobbins of Texans fined for Jay Cutler hit". National Football League. November 16, 2012. Retrieved November 16, 2012.
  21. Smith, Michael David (January 11, 2014). "Report: Patriots put Spikes on IR after he was late to practice". Profootballtalk.com. Retrieved January 11, 2014.
  22. Brandon Spikes agrees to one-year contract with Bills
  23. "Cops find Brandon Spikes' car abandoned after "hitting a deer"". June 7, 2015.
  24. "Former Patriots LB Brandon Spikes cited in hit-and-run accident". Los Angeles Times. June 12, 2015.
  25. Meyer, Max (August 7, 2016). "Brandon Spikes reunites with Bills on one-year deal". NFL.com. Retrieved August 7, 2016.
  26. "Brandon Spikes Stats". ESPN. ESPN Internet Ventures. Retrieved May 1, 2015.
  27. Long, Mark (January 6, 2009). "Florida's defense finds solid ground with Spikes". USA Today. Associated Press. Retrieved April 27, 2010.
  28. "Fiancée Shayanna Jenkins Reveals How She Reacted When Aaron Hernandez Was Arrested For Murder". Oxygen Official Site. March 17, 2018. Retrieved April 8, 2018.

Bibliography
  • Carlson, Norm, University of Florida Football Vault: The History of the Florida Gators, Whitman Publishing, LLC, Atlanta, Georgia (2007). ISBN 0-7948-2298-3.
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