Brandon Meriweather

CAREER: Perhaps the best safety in college football heading into the 2006 season…Member of the 2006 50th Anniversary Playboy Preseason All-America Team…Will be a strong candidate for the Jim Thorpe Award…Named All-America by the Football Writers of America (FWAA) as a junior in 2005…Hard-hitting defensive back who won a starting role at strong safety in spring 2005…Team leader who started most of the 2004 season at free safety…In three seasons has never missed a game, seeing action in 40 games and making 19 starts…Has career totals of 202 tackles (123 solo), 15 tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, four forced fumbles, one fumble recovery, 17 passes defensed and six interceptions…Has a compact frame but can lay a hard hit on opposing receivers…His athletic ability and cover skills helped him develop into a top safety…Has exceptional closing speed….Plays in the slot in the nickel defense…Liberal arts major.

2005 (JUNIOR): Named to the ABC Sports/Cingular All-America team as voted by the Football Writers of America (FWAA)…Selected second-team All-ACC by the conferences sportswriters…Semi-finalist for the Jim Thorpe Award, awarded to the best defensive back in college football…Named to Sports Illustrated’s midseason All-America team…Started the final 11 games of the season and played in all 12 games…Led the team with a career-high 115 tackles (77 solo), adding 13 tackles for loss, seven pass breakups, three QB pressures, one sack, one fumble recovery and two forced fumbles…Tied for the team lead with three interceptions…Made nine or more tackles in six games…Received the team’s Hard Hitter Award for the season…Did not start the season opener at Florida State because of a preseason hamstring injury, but played much of the game after an injury to Anthony Reddick. Tallied seven tackles (four solo), one fumble recovery, two QB pressures, and two pass breakups…Moved to strong safety and started at Clemson a week later, making 11 tackles (nine solo), including one tackle for loss…In the home opener vs. Colorado, tallied 16 tackles (12 solo), including three tackles for loss. Also made his first interception of the year (that led to a field goal) and one pass breakup. Received ACC Defensive Back of the Week honors…Had another stellar game vs. South Florida, with six tackles (two solo), one tackle for loss and made his second interception of the year (in back-to-back games)…Notched 11 tackles (seven solo, two for loss) vs. Duke…Made nine tackles (four solo), with one tackle for loss, one forced fumble and one pass breakup at Temple…Registered 12 tackles (seven solo) and two QB pressures against North Carolina…Tallied 10 tackles (seven solo), with one tackle for loss at Virginia Tech…Got his third interception of the season at Wake Forest, adding seven tackles (five solo, one for a loss)…Made eight tackles (seven solo), with one tackle for loss and one QB pressure vs. Georgia Tech…Made nine tackles (five solo) vs. Virginia…In the Peach Bowl vs. Louisiana State, led the team with 13 tackles (10 solo), including one sack for minus-10 yards and one forced fumble.

2004 (SOPHOMORE): Played in all 12 games, starting seven times…Missed five starts because of a shoulder injury, but still played in every game…For the season, totaled 62 tackles (29 solo), two tackles for loss, a half sack, two forced fumbles, five pass breakups and two interceptions…Was also a standout on special teams…Received the team’s 2004 Hard Hitter Award…Started at free safety in the season opener vs. FSU and notched nine tackles…Against Louisiana Tech, made six tackles, a half sack and one QB pressure…Recorded eight tackles and three pass breakups at Houston…Made five tackles and got his first interception of the season at Georgia Tech…Did not start vs. Louisville because of shoulder injury but made seven tackles and two pass breakups…Returned to a starting role at NC State and tallied three tackles, one pass breakup and one forced fumble…Started and made five tackles at North Carolina…Played as the dime back vs. Clemson, making four tackles…Played as the dime back again at Virginia, making four tackles, one QB pressure and got his second interception of the season…Played as the dime back vs. Wake Forest, making three tackles, one tackle for loss and one forced fumble…Made one tackle vs. Virginia Tech, playing in the dime defense…Started in the Peach Bowl vs. Florida and made seven tackles (three solo).

2003 (FRESHMAN): Played in all 13 games, including his first career start against West Virginia as a nickel back…Was a standout on special teams…Made 22 tackles (14 solo)…Had one assisted tackle at Louisiana Tech and a pass breakup…Recorded a season-high six tackles against East Carolina with five solo stops and a pass breakup…Made two solo tackles at Boston College…Made two solo stops and two assisted tackles against West Virginia, while breaking up a career-high two passes…Made two solo stops in the win over Florida State…Added a solo tackle vs. Temple…Recorded his first career interception at Virginia Tech…Had two tackles against Syracuse, one solo tackle and one assist…Made two assisted tackles and broke up a pass against Rutgers…Registered one solo stop in Miami’s Big East clinching win at Pittsburgh…Made one assist in the Orange Bowl victory over Florida State.

2002 (MEDICAL REDSHIRT): Credited with three solo tackles in limited playing time…Played in three games (Florida A&M, Florida and Temple)…Made 2 solo tackles at Temple…Made 1 tackle in the season opener against FAMU…Qualified for a medical redshirt season per NCAA guidelines after suffering an ankle injury.

HIGH SCHOOL: Apopka…Helped lead his school to the Florida Class 6A state championship as a senior in 2001…Starred as a kick returner, returning four kicks for touchdown as a senior…Played sparingly at quarterback in school’s option offense as a senior…Ranked the No. 15 prospect in Florida regardless of position and the No. 12 defensive back prospect in the nation by SuperPrep…Also a SuperPrep All-American…Rated the No. 25 safety in the nation by TheInsiders.com…The No. 8 defensive back and No. 34 player overall in Florida by Florida Prep Football magazine…The No. 2 safety and No. 10 player overall in Florida by FloridaKids magazine…A two-time first-team Class 6A All-State selection (2000 and 2001)…First-team All-Metro Orlando for three consecutive seasons…Selected to the FACA Coaches All-District team in 2000 and 2001…Member of the Sunshine Network All-Gridiron team…First-team All-Orange County selection in 2000 and 2001…First-team All-Central Florida…Central Florida Player of the Year and Orange County Player of the Year by the Orlando Sentinel…Had 115 tackles, six interceptions and four touchdowns as a senior…Played in the Florida-Georgia All-Star game and was named captain of the defense…Selected team captain by his teammates…Also lettered in track and basketball…Chose Miami over Florida State, Florida and South Carolina…Coached by Rick Darlington.

BRANDON MERIWEATHER’S CAREER STATISTICS

*Medical redshirt season

BRANDON MERIWEATHER’S CAREER HIGHS

Total tackles 16 (vs. Colorado 2005)
Solo tackles 12 (vs. Colorado 2005)
Assists 6 (at Houston 2004)
Interceptions 1 (6 times; last: at Wake Forest 2005)