Dee Winters
De'Monderick "Dee" Winters (born October 17, 2000) is an American football linebacker for the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at TCU.
No. 53 – San Francisco 49ers | |||
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Position: | Linebacker | ||
Personal information | |||
Born: | Brenham, Texas, U.S. | October 17, 2000||
Height: | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) | ||
Weight: | 227 lb (103 kg) | ||
Career information | |||
High school: | Burton (Burton, Texas) | ||
College: | TCU (2019–2022) | ||
NFL Draft: | 2023 / Round: 6 / Pick: 216 | ||
Career history | |||
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Roster status: | Active | ||
Career highlights and awards | |||
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Career NFL statistics as of Week 4, 2023 | |||
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Player stats at NFL.com · PFR |
Early life
Winters was born on October 17, 2000, and grew up in Burton, Texas, a small town west of Houston that had only one gas station.[1] He played football at Burton High School and was a two-way player, although he was primarily used at wide receiver.[2] A three-star recruit, he ranked as the 87th-best player in the state and committed to TCU over Arkansas, Northwestern, Arizona State and Texas Tech.[2][3]
College career
Although recruited as a safety, Winters' position was quickly changed to linebacker when he arrived at TCU.[4] As a true freshman, he appeared in 11 games, two of which he started, and posted 28 tackles and a sack.[2] The following year, he won the starting job, started all 10 matches and placed second on the team with 65 tackles, 9.5 of which were for a loss.[3][5] He remained a starter in 2021, starting all 12 games and leading TCU with 74 tackles while being third on the team with five tackles-for-loss.[3]
As a senior in 2022, Winters led a defense that brought TCU to the national championship game, earning first-team All-Big 12 honors after tallying 79 tackles, the fourth-best on the squad, a team-leading 14.5 TFLs (tied with Dylan Horton), and 7.5 sacks, placing second on the team.[3] He was named most valuable player of their playoff semifinals win over Michigan after recording seven tackles, three of which were for a loss, a pass breakup and a 29-yard interception return touchdown.[3] After the season, he was invited to the Senior Bowl.[3] At the time of his graduation, Winters was the career leader in stops among active TCU players.[3]
Professional career
Height | Weight | Arm length | Hand span | 40-yard dash | 10-yard split | 20-yard split | 20-yard shuttle | Vertical jump | Broad jump | Bench press | ||
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5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) |
227 lb (103 kg) |
31+5⁄8 in (0.80 m) |
8+5⁄8 in (0.22 m) | 4.49 s | 1.56 s | 2.59 s | 4.46 s | 31.5 in (0.80 m) | 9 ft 9 in (2.97 m) | 20 reps | ||
Sources:[6][7] |
Winters was drafted by the San Francisco 49ers in the sixth round (216th overall) of the 2023 NFL Draft.[8]
References
- "NFL Draft Profile: Dee Winters, Linebacker, TCU Horned Frogs". Sports Illustrated. March 29, 2023.
- Davison, Drew (November 9, 2020). "LB Dee Winters making small town of Burton proud". Fort Worth Star-Telegram. p. B7 – via Newspapers.com.
- Garrett, Tommy (April 9, 2023). "Dee Winters, LB, TCU | NFL Draft Scouting Report". Pro Football Network.
- Wilson, Davis (April 2, 2023). "Football: Dee Winters Works at TCU's Pro Day in Front of All 32 NFL Teams". Sports Illustrated.
- Craven, Mike (July 28, 2022). "The Lone Star 50: TCU linebacker Dee Winters checks in at No. 30". Dave Campbell's Texas Football.
- "Dee Winters Draft and Combine Prospect Profile". NFL.com. Retrieved May 1, 2023.
- "2023 NFL Draft Scout Dee Winters College Football Profile". DraftScout.com. Retrieved May 1, 2023.
- McDonald, Briana (April 29, 2023). "49ers Select LB Dee Winters with the No. 216 Pick in the 2023 NFL Draft". 49ers.com. Retrieved April 30, 2023.