Position: Linebacker Name Tahir Whitehead Parents Quadira Whitehead College: Temple Education Temple University | Spouse Shannon Whitehead Weight: 242 lb (110 kg) Height 1.88 m | |
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Date of birth: (1990-04-02) April 2, 1990 (age 25) Place of birth: Jersey City, New Jersey Role American football linebacker Current team Detroit Lions (#59 / Linebacker) Siblings Janavia Whitehead, Dariq Whitehead, Quaheem Whitehead Profiles | ||
High school: Newark (NJ) West Side | ||
2nd annual tahir whitehead camp
Tahir Ali Whitehead (born April 2, 1990) is an American football linebacker for the Detroit Lions of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for Temple University. He was selected by the Lions in the fifth round of the 2012 NFL Draft.
Contents
- 2nd annual tahir whitehead camp
- Wild int by tahir whitehead sets up stafford s td pass can t miss play nfl wk 2 highlights
- Early years
- College career
- Professional career
- Personal life
- References
Wild int by tahir whitehead sets up stafford s td pass can t miss play nfl wk 2 highlights
Early years
A native of Newark, New Jersey, Whitehead played high school football at West Side High School, where he was part of the team that won the 2007 state sectional championship.
College career
Whitehead played four years for Temple from 2008 through 2011. After primarily playing on special teams as a freshman and sophomore, Whitehead carved out a starting role in the 2010 season and finished sixth on an 8-4 Temple team with 56 tackles, including 7.5 tackles for a loss. As a senior in 2011, Whitehead had 70 tackles, five sacks, and 13.5 tackles-for-loss for a Temple team that went 9-4 and won a bowl game for the first time since 1979. Whitehead was named a Second Team All-MAC selection following the season.
Professional career
Following his collegiate career, Whitehead was selected in the fifth round of the 2012 NFL Draft by the Detroit Lions. Whitehead was one of three Temple players drafted that year, joining Bernard Pierce and Evan Rodriguez.
Similar to how his collegiate career began, Whitehead spent his first two seasons with the Lions primarily playing on special teams. Whitehead finally cracked the regular linebacker rotation in 2014 and on October 11, 2014, tallied his first two interceptions against the Minnesota Vikings' rookie quarterback Teddy Bridgewater. Whitehead would finish the 2014 season with 86 tackles, two interceptions and five pass deflections.
During the 2015 season, Whitehead finished the season with a combined 50 tackles (39 solo), a career-high two sacks, one interception, one fumble recovery and a career-high six pass defenses.
On March 11, 2016, the Lions re-signed Whitehead to a two-year, $8 million contract.
Whitehead had a breakout 2016 season and finished with a career-high 132 tackles, a total that was the ninth most in the NFL.
Personal life
Tahir is the nephew of former NFL defensive end Willie Whitehead. Whitehead is married and has three sons.