Eldridge Small

Eldridge Small (August 2, 1949^[1] – May 11, 2015) was an American professional football player who was a cornerback for the New York Giants of the National Football League (NFL) from 1972 to 1974.

Small was born in Houston, Texas,^[1] and attended Wheatley High School before playing college football for the Texas A&I Javelinas from 1968 to 1971 as a wide receiver and defensive back.^[2] As a receiver, he had 20 touchdowns in his college career, made 167 receptions, and had 2,547 receiving yards.^[3] Small was the Javelinas' all-time receptions leader until 2013, when Robert Armstrong surpassed his total.^[4] In 1971, Small was chosen as a member of the Little All-America team. Texas A&I won two National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics national championships during his time with the team.^[2] The university's Javelina Hall of Fame inducted Small in 1991.^[4]

In the 1972 NFL draft, the Giants selected Small in the first round with the 17th overall pick,^[1] which they had obtained from the New England Patriots in a trade for defensive end Fred Dryer.^[5] He played in 34 games for the Giants over three seasons, intercepting one pass, in 1974, and amassing 353 kick return yards.^[1] In 1975, the Giants traded Small to the Cleveland Browns, but he was released before the start of the regular season.^[6] Following his NFL career, he began coaching in the Houston Independent School District, working for Sterling High School as an offensive coordinator.^[2] On May 11, 2015, when he was 65 years old, Small died.^[4]