Roosevelt Blackmon

Blackmon was born on September 10, 1974, in Pahokee, Florida, but grew up in Belle Glade.^[1][2] His father was nicknamed "Frog", leading to Blackmon receiving the nickname "Tadpole".^[3] In seventh grade, he failed to make his middle school football team and instead served as a trainer, which Blackmon said meant water boy.^[4] Although he was successful in making the team the next year, he saw limited action and only caught one pass, which was a 42-yard touchdown.^[4] Blackmon attended Glades Central High School but was not allowed to play football until his senior year.^[1][5] Weighing 98 pounds (44 kg) as a freshman and 120 pounds (54 kg) as a sophomore, he was told by coaches that he was not big enough to play football.^[5]

Blackmon served as the team's trainer until he was finally successful in making the team as a senior after increasing his weight to 155 pounds (70 kg).^[4][5] A wide receiver, he was named second-team all-area in his lone season, but had no college teams that sent him scholarship offers.^[4][5][6] After high school, he decided to attend Bethune–Cookman University.^[3]

Blackmon only attended Bethune–Cookman for a semester before returning home.^[3] For eight months, he worked as a gravedigger and used car salesman, while continuing to train in football.^[2][3] He said, "A lot of times it was 95 to 98 degrees, and the dirt is hard. It was a challenge to get the grave dug."^[5] After eight months, he decided he would try to play college football at Morris Brown College for the Wolverines, as his cousin was a student there.^[2] According to The Post-Crescent, "Blackmon bought a bus ticket and showed up on campus, much to the surprise of the team's coach, since it was too late to enroll for the fall semester".^[2] Unable to enroll, he "begged to be the assistant equipment manager" and gained this position, serving as waterboy and handling "towels [and] balls".^[3][7] In addition to serving as assistant equipment manager, Blackmon also worked night shifts for the supermarket chain Winn-Dixie, "working from 11 p.m. to 7 a.m. each day".^[4]

While serving as assistant equipment manager, Blackmon practiced in drills with the football team.^[4] He was able to enroll at Morris Brown in January 1994 and later walked-on to the football team as a defensive back, quickly winning a starting role.^[3][4] During his freshman year in 1994, Blackmon recorded five interceptions and returned one for an 88-yard touchdown.^[2] He posted his first two interceptions, as well as two fumble recoveries, in his first game.^[6] He later was put on scholarship and also joined Morris Brown's track and field team as a sprinter, earning All-America honors in 1996 and 1997 while placing top six in the 100 metres at the NCAA Division II championships.^[4][6] During the 1996 football season, Blackmon also served as the team's return specialist and in a 16–8 win over Alabama A&M, he had two punt return touchdowns, both 87 yards long, on back-to-back punts.^[2][5][8] He also had a 95-yard interception return touchdown during the 1996 season.^[2] Blackmon was a first-team All-American return specialist and an All-Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) selection at cornerback for his junior year.^[5][6]

Blackmon suffered a hairline fracture in his back in the first game of his senior year but returned after a five-game absence, serving as a key player in several of their victories.^[5][6] During the season, Morris Brown won five of six games in which Blackmon played, while they lost four of five games in which he was inactive.^[2] One of his coaches said, "He's meant the difference between W's and L's. Besides his leadership, he's a guy who is going to make something happen. Having him out there means you're going to shut down one side in the secondary. His ability to return punts is a bonus. The kid is special."^[6] At the conclusion of his collegiate career, he competed at the 1998 Senior Bowl, where he impressed against many players from the NCAA Division I level.^[2] Across his four years playing for Morris Brown, Blackmon posted thirteen interceptions and had eight touchdowns.^[9]

Prior to the 1998 NFL draft, Blackmon was, along with eventual first-overall pick Peyton Manning, one of two subjects of an NFL Films documentary, depicting "a classic rags-to-riches story in Blackmon and the media darling story in Manning".^[10][11] He ended up being selected by the Green Bay Packers in the fourth round (121st overall) of the draft.^[1] The Green Bay Press-Gazette noted that he had "the tangibles the Packers seek in their cornerbacks", citing his size of 6 feet 1 inch (1.85 m) and his ability to run the 40-yard dash in under 4.5 seconds, while the paper noted that what he needed to improve on was "experience and polish".^[12] Prior to the regular season, he suffered a turf toe injury.^[13] Nevertheless, Blackmon made the final roster and appeared in the first three games of the 1998 season for the Packers, recording no statistics while the team won each game.^[14] However, he was waived by the Packers on September 30.^[1]

One day after his waiving by the Packers, Blackmon was claimed off waivers by the Cincinnati Bengals.^[1] He appeared in 12 games for the Bengals as a special teams player, recording no statistics.^[1][10] The 1998 Bengals compiled a record of 3–13.^[15] Blackmon returned for the 1999 season.^[1] In preseason, he also practiced as a wide receiver; his ability to play there as well as at cornerback and on special teams led teammates to nickname him "Jim Thorpe".^[16] After being inactive for three of the first four games in 1999, he saw playing time at cornerback due to injuries in the Bengals' Week 5 game against the Cleveland Browns, recording an interception which helped them win 18–17.^[7] Blackmon started for the first time in his NFL career the next week against the Pittsburgh Steelers, recording a pass deflection which prevented a touchdown.^[7][17] He started the next two games,^[14] including being tasked with covering future Pro Football Hall of Famer Marvin Harrison against the Indianapolis Colts,^[10][18] but suffered a severe sprained ankle and then did not appear in any games the rest of the season, officially being placed on injured reserve on December 24.^[1][19] In five games played, three as a starter, Blackmon tallied 18 tackles and four pass deflections, while the Bengals compiled a record of 4–12.^[1][20] He was released by the Bengals on August 14, 2000, prior to the 2000 regular season.^[1]

In April 2001, Blackmon signed with the BC Lions of the Canadian Football League (CFL), although he later left the team before the regular season.^[21][22] He signed with the Dallas Desperados of the Arena Football League (AFL) on March 14, 2002, but then was released four days later.^[23][24] Blackmon concluded his NFL career with 20 games played, three as a starter, while posting 18 tackles, four pass deflections and an interception.^[1]

During the 1999 offseason, Blackmon established a children's football camp in his hometown.^[25] After his football career, he served as an assistant football coach at Glades Central until being promoted to head coach in 2011.^[26][27] He served three seasons in that position and compiled a record of 25–12, with an appearance in the Class 5A regional finals in his first season.^[27] He did not return as football coach in 2014, but remained with the school as track and field coach.^[27] Blackmon later became a defensive assistant for the football team at Oxbridge Academy in 2017.^[27]