Bradley Roby

At 31 years old, Bradley Roby has this physical status:

Bradley Roby (born May 1, 1992) is an American football cornerback for the Houston Texans of the National Football League (NFL).

He was drafted by the Denver Broncos in the first round of the 2014 NFL Draft.

He played college football at Ohio State.

Early years

A native of Suwanee, Georgia, Roby attended Peachtree Ridge High School, where he was an All-State receiver and defensive back for the Lions program. He recorded 42 tackles and six interceptions along with 29 receptions for 526 yards as a senior. He scored 11 touchdowns: five on receptions, two on punt returns and one each via a rush and kick, interception and a fumble return. He was a four-time school scholar-athlete. He was also a standout basketball player.

In addition to football, Roby was on the school's track & field team. He won the 100 meters at the 2009 Region 7 AAAAA Championships, with a career-best time of 10.72 seconds, and also finished third in the 200 meters with a career-best time of 22.49 seconds. He also competed in long jump.

Regarded as a three-star recruit by ESPN.com, Roby was listed as the No. 42 athlete in the nation in 2010. Roby initially planned to sign his national letter of intent to play wide receiver at Vanderbilt, but later decided to change his mind after receiving interest from Ohio State to play defensive back.

Personal life

Roby was raised by his mother, Betty Roby, in Suwanee, Georgia, and admires her for raising him as a single mother. His father, James Roby, was not around during his childhood. He has a dog named Young Nino, and is good friends with Steve Atwater after growing up being friends with his son, Steve Atwater Jr.

On July 24, 2013, Roby was arrested and charged with misdemeanor battery. The police report states that the Bloomington Police responded to a call at 2:40AM at Dunkirk Bar. When they arrived, Roby was being detained by private security after an incident where he was removed from the establishment after he attempted to start a fight with another patron. Roby re-entered the establishment to try to find his friends and was stopped by security. While being confronted, he allegedly struck the security guard in the chest and was immediately taken down by force until police arrived. On August 21, 2013, the case was conditionally dismissed after Roby pleaded guilty to misdemeanor disorderly conduct and agreed to complete a pre-trial diversion program. Under the terms of the agreement, Roby was required to stay out of legal trouble until August 16, 2014.

On April 22, 2014, Roby was charged with physical control of a motor vehicle while under the influence of drugs or alcohol from an incident that occurred on April 20. The police report filed with Franklin County court states Columbus Police responded to a call about a drunk driver of a Dodge Charger that nearly hit kids walking on the sidewalk. The officers arrived to find Roby passed out in the driver seat of his vehicle. After Roby did not respond to officers, they opened the door to the vehicle and smelled an alcohol like odor. It appeared Roby was under the influence after another officer responded and conducted a field sobriety test, which he failed. On April 29, 2014, Roby pleaded guilty to physical control of a motor vehicle while under the influence of drugs or alcohol and was charged with a suspended sentence of 180 days in jail. Under the terms of the sentence, he was required to attend a three-day driver intervention program and pay a $375 fine plus court costs.

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College career

Roby attended Ohio State University from 2010 to 2013. Roby stepped up and started all 13 games at cornerback in 2011, after redshirting the 2010 season as a true freshman. With three interceptions and also 47 tackles, he was tied for the team lead and finished third. Roby intercepted a pass against Nebraska in 2012, delivering a touchdown for the first time in the country in 2012. He was named a second-team All-American by the Associated Press, and first-team All-Big Ten while leading the nation in passes with 19. He had 63 tackles and two interceptions. After averaging 69 tackles, 16 passes shielded (T3rd in the Big Ten), three interceptions, and two blocked punts, he was named first-team All-Big Ten in 2013.

Roby will leave school early to enter the 2014 NFL Draft, according to Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer on November 20, 2013.

Professional career

Roby had been expected to be a first or second round pick in the 2013 NFL Draft but decided against it for his junior season. After suffering a knee injury in December, Roby was unable to participate in Senior Bowl or the 2014 East-West Shrine Game. He was one of 59 collegiate defensive backs to attend the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis, Indiana. Roby completed almost all of the combine drills but decided against doing the three-cone drill. In the 40-yard dash, he came in fifth, tied for fifth in the short shuttle, tied for 11th in the vertical jump, and tied for 13th in the bench press. Roby attended Ohio State's pro day on March 7, 2014, but chose to remain on his combine numbers rather than doing coverage drills and the three-cone drill. The pro day for all 32 clubs featured team representatives and scouts from all 32 franchises. He was charged with driving a car under the influence on April 22, 2014 (see Personal life). Roby had private meetings and workouts with many franchises, including the San Diego Chargers, Pittsburgh Steelers, Buffalo Bills, Detroit Lions, and Cincinnati Bengals, during the draft process. Roby was expected to be a first or early second round pick by NFL draft experts and scouts at the conclusion of the pre-draft process. Mike Mayock, the fourth-best cornerback in the draft, was ranked as the fifth-best cornerback by NFLDraftScout.com, and Sports Illustrated ranked him as the seventh-best cornerback.

In the first round (31st overall) of the 2014 NFL Draft, the Denver Broncos selected Roby. He was the fifth cornerback pick in 2014. Roby most likely dropped due to character issues, according to head coach John Fox. Roby spent time in prison before his OVI arrest and was told that they were going to pick him with the 24th overall pick. Since speaking with the San Diego Chargers several times, he also showed a keen interest. Both teams voted in favor of the new cornerbacks and cut others off the draft. Jason Vertt, a cornerback for TCU, was drafted by the Bengals, who named Miche Dennard (24th overall) and the Bengals drafted Michigan State cornerback Darqueze Dennard (24th overall).

The Denver Broncos agreed Roby to a four-year, $6.95 million contract that includes five percent guaranteed and a signing bonus of $3.37 million.

He competed against Chris Harris Jr., Tony Carter, and Kayvon Webster for the starting cornerback position throughout training camp. Roby was the third cornerback on the depth chart to begin the 2014 season, behind veterans Aqib Talib and Chris Harris Jr.

During Denver's 31–24 victory, he made his rookie appearance in the Denver Broncos' season-opener against the Indianapolis Colts, he had a season-high seven solo tackles and three pass deflections. Roby made a crucial deflection while covering Reggie Wayne in the fourth quarter, securing the Broncos' win. In Week 6, Roby had three combined tackles, two pass deflections, and his first arrest on New York Jets quarterback Geno Smith. Roby made two combined tackles, two pass deflections, a forced fumble, and his first interception appearance in the Broncos' 43-21 loss on November 2, 2014. During a 41–17 victory over the Oakland Raiders, he had four combined tackles, defended two passes, and intercepted quarterback Derek Carr. Roby made his first appearance in his career on November 23, 2014, with four solo tackles and a pass deflection during a 39–36 victory over the Miami Dolphins. Roby finished his rookie season in 2014 with a career-high 65 combined tackles (63 solo), 13 pass interceptions, one suspended, one suspended, and one forced fumble in 16 games and two starts.

With a 12–4 record, the Denver Broncos finished first in the AFC West, clinching a playoff berth. During a 24–13 loss to the Indianapolis Colts in the AFC Divisional round on January 11, 2015, Roby played in his first playoff game, collecting two solo tackles, a pass deflection, and intercepted Andrew Luck. During the offseason, the Broncos and head coach John Fox decided to split up.

Roby was named the starting nickelback and the third cornerback on the team behind Aqib Talib and Chris Harris Jr. to begin the regular season, according to head coach Gary Kubiak.

The Broncos won by 31–24 over the Kansas City Chiefs after Roby fumbled Jamaal Charles for a touchdown in the final seconds of the fourth quarter. During the Broncos' 24–12 victory over the Detroit Lions, he made two solo tackles, deflected a pass, and intercepted Matthew Stafford. In a 34–27 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers on December 20, 2015, Roby tied his season-high with five solo tackles. He had 40 combined tackles (34 solo), ten pass deflections, an interceptor, and a fumble revival in 16 games and four starts for the 2015 season. Pro Football Focus' secondary school placed the Broncos first in overall grade and was designated as the "No Fly Zone." In 2015, Roby received an overall rating of 81.0 by PFF.

With a 12–4 record and a first round bye, the Denver Broncos finished first in their division and finished first in their division. He made three solo tackles and sparked a big fumble by Steelers running back Fitzgerald Toussaint on January 17, 2016, enabling the Steelers' running back Fitzgerald Toussaint to set up a go-ahead touchdown drive by the Broncos and beat the Pittsburgh Steelers on January 17, 2016. He intercepted a tipped pass by teammate Aqib Talib on a two-point conversion to win by the New England Patriots in a fourth-quarter 20–18 victory. In the Broncos' 24–10 victory over the Carolina Panthers on February 7, 2016, Roby appeared in Super Bowl 50 for two solo tackles and three pass deflections.

For the second straight season, Roby was still the third cornerback under defensive coordinator Wade Phillips. During a 27-19 victory over the San Diego Chargers on October 30, 2016, Roby recorded a season-high seven combined tackles, deflected two passes, and returned an interception off Philip Rivers for a 49-yard touchdown. It was the first time Roby had intercepted a touchdown. In Denver's 20-ten victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars, he had three solo tackle, defended two plays, and returned an interception by Blake Bortles for a 51-yard touchdown. Roby finished the season with 39 combined tackles (34 solo), eight pass deflections, two interceptions, two touchdowns, and two interceptions, two touchdowns, and two interceptions, as well as a suspension in 16 games and four starts. The Denver Broncos finished third in the AFC West with a 9–7 record and did not qualify for the playoffs without quarterback Peyton Manning leading the offense. Gary Kubiak, the head coach, resigned early in the season after citing injuries with his health. According to Pro Football Focus, the Denver Broncos' secondary was ranked fourth. Roby received a total grade of 58.9, ranking him 83rd among cornerbacks in 2016.

The Denver Broncos reported on April 18, 2017 that they exercised Roby's rookie contract in a fifth-year, $8.52 million contract. Under new head coach Vance Joseph's reign as the third cornerback behind Talib and Harris in the 2017 regular season.

He was playing in the Denver Broncos' season-opener against the Los Angeles Chargers on Monday Night Football and had five combined tackles, two pass deflections, and intercepted quarterback Philip Rivers' pass attempt to set up a touchdown drive by the Broncos in their 24-21 victory. During a 51–23 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles on November 5, 2017, Roby recorded a season-high five solo tackles and deflected a pass. He finished the 2017 season with 42 combined tackles (35 solo), a career-high 17 pass intercept, an interceptor, and one sack in 16 games and four starts. Roby appeared in 64 games in a row and hasn't missed a game in over four seasons. The Denver Broncos finished last in the AFC West with a 5-11 record and did not qualify for the playoffs for the second season in a row. Roby was given an overall rating of 84.0 in 2017 and his class ranked 25th among all cornerbacks.

Roby had performed well in his time as a backup, and the general consensus going into the 2018 season was that he was a top-quality defensive back deserving of a full-time start. Broncos president of football operations John Elway recommended that Talib go to the Rams and then move Roby to one of Denver's two starting cornerbacks, despite this consensus. Roby had a miserable 2018 season, with his Pro Football Focus player grade falling to just 59.9. In a comment made on national television by commentator Jason Witten on Monday night Night Football broadcasting, his head coach publicly branded him "inconsistent," and the low point came when he was called out on national television by commentator Jason Witten for apparent lack of motivation on Monday Night Football.

Roby signed a one-year, $10 million deal with the Houston Texans on March 14, 2019. In week 1 against the New Orleans Saints, Roby made his Texans debut against the New Orleans Saints. Roby had 9 tackles in the 30-28 loss of the game. Roby was intercepted by Tom Brady on Sunday Night Football, and the 28-22 victory gave him his first interception of the season. During the 23-20 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Roby intercepted a pass thrown by Jameis Winston and returned it for a 27-yard touchdown.

Roby decided to commit three years to the Texans on April 3, 2020. Roby had his first interception of the season against the Tennessee Titans in Week 6 after losing 42–36 overtime. Roby was suspended six games on November 30, 2020, for breaching the NFL's performance-enhancing drug policy.

Roby was traded to the New Orleans Saints in exchange for a 2022 third round pick and a conditional 2023 sixth round pick on September 8, 2021.

In a 31–6 loss on Thanksgiving, Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills recorded his first interception as a Saint and of the season against Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills.

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