Al Blades
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Miami, Florida, U.S.
| No. 45 | |
|---|---|
| Position | Safety |
| Personal information | |
| Born | March 19, 1977 |
| Died | March 20, 2003 (aged 26) Miami, Florida, U.S. |
| Height | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) |
| Weight | 207 lb (94 kg) |
| Career information | |
| College | Miami (FL) |
| NFL draft | 2001: undrafted |
| Career history | |
| Awards and highlights | |
| |
Alphonso Blades (March 19, 1977 – March 20, 2003) was an American professional football safety who went to the University of Miami.[1][2][3][4][5] He was selected as a first-team All-Big East player at Miami.[6] He spent two years with the San Francisco 49ers.[7][8] In March 2003, he was the passenger of former Plantation High School teammate Martel Johnson who was driving Blades' 1999 Mazda Millenia when it hit another car which they were racing. Both died in the crash.[9][10]
Blades attended Plantation High School. He accepted a football scholarship from the University of Miami. In 1996, he sat out the season with a medical redshirt. In 1997, he suffered a season-ending knee injury during the first fall practice.
As a sophomore in 1998, he started 7 games and was fourth on the team with 82 tackles. He had a 60-yard interception return for a touchdown against Rutgers University.
As a junior in 1999, he was named the starter at free safety, registering 89 tackles (third on the team). He had 13 tackles against Florida State University. He made 20 tackles against Syracuse University.
As a senior in 2000, he contributed to the team's 11-1 record. He posted 87 tackles (second on the team). He was named the National Defensive Player of the Week for his 16 tackle performance against Virginia Tech. He had 17 tackles in the 2000 Orange Bowl. He finished his career with 258 tackles (125 solos), 2 forced fumbles, 3 interceptions, 10 passes defensed and 4 fumble recoveries.[11]