Tyrel Dodson
Tyrel Dodson (born June 25, 1998) is an American football linebacker for the Buffalo Bills of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Texas A&M.
| No. 25 – Buffalo Bills | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Position: | Linebacker | ||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||
| Born: | June 25, 1998 Franklin, Tennessee, U.S. | ||||||||
| Height: | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) | ||||||||
| Weight: | 237 lb (108 kg) | ||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||
| High school: | Centennial HS (Franklin, TN) | ||||||||
| College: | Texas A&M | ||||||||
| Undrafted: | 2019 | ||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||
| |||||||||
| Roster status: | Active | ||||||||
| Career NFL statistics as of 2022 | |||||||||
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| Player stats at NFL.com · PFR | |||||||||
Early life and college career
Dodson grew up in Franklin, Tennessee, raised by his single mother Angela,[1] and was rated a 4-star prospect by 24/7 Sports and Rivals after garnering several awards as a high school senior at Centennial High School. He attended college at Texas A&M University, choosing to play for their college football team over other schools such as Arkansas, Kentucky, Missouri, and others. As a freshman in 2016, Dodson recorded 27 tackles, including 1.5 for a loss, and recorded a fumble recovery as a reserve linebacker. He garnered a team-leading 105 tackles as a sophomore, with 11.0 for a loss and 5.5 quarterback sacks in addition to 3 interceptions and 6 pass breakups. After a strong junior year in which he finished third on the team with 61 tackles, Dodson announced that he would forgo his senior year and declare for the NFL draft.[2]
Professional career
| Height | Weight | Arm length | Hand span | 40-yard dash | 10-yard split | 20-yard split | 20-yard shuttle | Three-cone drill | Vertical jump | Broad jump | Bench press | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 ft 0+3⁄8 in (1.84 m) |
237 lb (108 kg) |
31+3⁄4 in (0.81 m) |
9+1⁄8 in (0.23 m) | 4.60 s | 1.61 s | 2.68 s | 4.50 s | 7.59 s | 35.0 in (0.89 m) | 9 ft 10 in (3.00 m) | 24 reps | |
| All values from NFL Combine/Pro Day[3][4] | ||||||||||||
Dodson signed with the Buffalo Bills as an undrafted free agent following the 2019 NFL Draft. Following an incident in Arizona in which he was arrested and accused of domestic violence, Dodson received a six-game suspension after pleading guilty to misdemeanor disorderly conduct charges.[5] He was later waived and re-signed to the practice squad upon finishing his suspension.[6]
Dodson made his first regular season appearance on September 13, 2020, during a 27–17 win over the New York Jets. He entered in place of starting middle linebacker Tremaine Edmunds, who suffered a shoulder injury, and was himself injured later in the game.[7] Dodson recorded his first career sack during the game, taking down Jets quarterback Sam Darnold.[8] With Edmunds out the following week against the Miami Dolphins, Dodson made his first career start.[9] He was placed on injured reserve on October 24, 2020.[10] He was activated on December 12, 2020.[11]
Dodson played in 16 games in the 2021 season and recorded 15 tackles. On February 10, 2022, Dodson signed a one-year contract extension with the Bills.[12]
On March 14, 2023, Dodson signed another one-year contract extension.[13]
Personal life
Dodson was the first alumnus from Centennial High School to make it into the NFL. He hosted a football camp for the school in 2021.[1]
NFL career statistics
| Legend | |
|---|---|
| Bold | Career high |
References
- Skurski, Jay (July 17, 2021). "Bills linebacker Tyrel Dodson's first football camp a reminder of how far he's come". The Buffalo News. Retrieved August 3, 2021.
- Tarpley, Jeff. "Former A&M LB Dodson officially signs rookie deal with Bills". Gigem247. Retrieved September 5, 2020.
- "Tyrel Dodson Draft and Combine Prospect Profile". NFL.com. Retrieved April 16, 2023.
- "2019 NFL Draft Scout Tyrel Dodson College Football Profile". DraftScout.com. Retrieved April 16, 2023.
- Louis-Jacques, Marcel (September 12, 2019). "Bills rookie LB Dodson suspended 6 games". ESPN.com. Retrieved September 5, 2020.
- "Bills add LB Tyrel Dodson, Brandon Hitner to practice squad". Bills Wire. November 6, 2019. Retrieved September 5, 2020.
- "Bills linebacker injuries don't appear to be long term, Sean McDermott says". The Buffalo News. September 14, 2020. Retrieved September 16, 2020.
- Parrino, Matt (September 14, 2020). "Bills' Tremaine Edmunds, Matt Milano 'day-to-day' after suffering injuries vs. Jets". syracuse. Retrieved September 16, 2020.
- "Bills' Tyrel Dodson: Set to start Week 2". CBSSports.com. Retrieved September 20, 2020.
- "Bills place four players on the Reserve/COVID-19 list; four players elevated from practice squad". BuffaloBills.com. October 24, 2020.
- "Bills activate Tyrel Dodson". BuffaloBills.com. December 12, 2020. Retrieved January 27, 2021.
- "Bills linebacker and special teamer Tyrel Dodson signs a one-year contract". BuffaloBills.com. February 10, 2022.
- Glab, Maddy (March 14, 2023). "LB Tyrel Dodson re-signs with Bills on one-year deal". BuffaloBills.com. Retrieved March 15, 2023.