Robert Alford (American football)
_2014_02.jpg) Alford in 2014 | |||||||||||||||
| No. 23 Atlanta Falcons | |||||||||||||||
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| Position: | Cornerback | ||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||
| Date of birth: | November 1, 1988 | ||||||||||||||
| Place of birth: | Hammond, Louisiana | ||||||||||||||
| Height: | 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) | ||||||||||||||
| Weight: | 186 lb (84 kg) | ||||||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||||||
| High school: | Hammond (LA) | ||||||||||||||
| College: | Southeastern Louisiana | ||||||||||||||
| NFL Draft: | 2013 / Round: 2 / Pick: 60 | ||||||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||||||
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| Roster status: | Active | ||||||||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||||||
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| Career NFL statistics as of Week 4, 2016 | |||||||||||||||
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Robert Alford (born November 1, 1988) is an American football cornerback for the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League (NFL). He was drafted by the Falcons in the second round of the 2013 NFL Draft. He played college football at Southeastern Louisiana.
Early years
Alford was born in Hammond, Louisiana. He attended Hammond High Magnet School and played high school football and ran track for the Hammond Tornadoes. He was a first-team all-District 7-5A selection at wide receiver, catching 10 touchdown passes as a senior for the Tors. He was chosen as the Tors’ Rookie of the Year as a sophomore.
He was also on the Tornadoes' track & field team, where he competed as a sprinter and jumper. He finished second in the 400-meter dash at the 2007 LHSAA Track and Field Championships, with a time of 49.62 seconds. At the 2008 Region II-5A Championships, he won both the 400 meters, recording a career-best time of 48.68 seconds, and the long jump, setting a personal-best mark of 7.09 meters.[1]
College career
Alford enrolled in Southeastern Louisiana University, where he played for the Southeastern Louisiana Lions football team from 2008 to 2012. After redshirting in 2008, he started nine of the 10 games in 2009, appearing in at cornerback and finished the season with 46 tackles (35 solo), and was also second on the team with five pass breakups. He was granted medical redshirt after missing the 2010 season with an injury. He returned in 2011 and was named second team All-Southland Conference after establishing himself as one of the league’s elite cornerbacks. He started all 11 games for the Lions, and finished second in the Southland with five interceptions and fourth in the league with seven pass breakups. He finished the year with 52 tackles (45 solo), and his five interceptions was the eighth-highest single-season total in school history. In his final season, he was named first team All-Southland conference after finishing the year with 39 tackles (35 solo), including five for loss, four interceptions and eight pass break ups.
Professional career
NFL Draft
Alford was selected in the second round, with the 60th overall pick, by the Atlanta Falcons in the 2013 NFL Draft. He finished the 2013 season with 40 tackles, 2 interceptions, and 1 forced fumble.
Personal life
His brother, Fred Booker, played in the NFL for the New Orleans Saints.[2]