Cameron Jordan

At 35 years old, Cameron Jordan has this physical status:

High school career

Jordan was born in Chandler, Arizona, the son of former Minnesota Viking tight end Steve Jordan. He attended Chandler High School in Chandler, Arizona, where he played football and track for the Chandler Wolves. After registering 85 tackles and 17.5 quarterback sacks in football, he received All-State honors his senior year. Jordan was ranked as the #37 strongside defensive end of the class of 2007. Rivals.com ranked him as a three-star recruiter.

Jordan, who was also a top-notch track & field performer in the discus throw, was one of the state's top performers in the discus throw. At the 2007 5A I State Meet, he claimed the state title in the discus, with a top-throw of 53.54 meters (175 ft 7 in), while also placing 10th in the shot put tournament, with a throw of 14.01 meters (45 ft, 11 in).

College career

Jordan played primarily in the defensive end at Berkeley's University of California. He was coached by head coach Jeff Tedford and defensive coordinator Bob Gregory. He appeared in 50 of 51 possible games and made 32 starts at Cal from 2007–10. In 2010, Jordan received an honorable mention in All-American (Pro Football Weekly) and first-team All-Pac-10 as a senior, after two consecutive honorable mention All-Pac-10 campaigns in 2008 and 2009.

He finished his collegiate career with 175 tackles, while adding 34.0 tackles for loss (-122 yards) and 16.5 sacks (-89 yards) to rank just outside the top 10 in each of the following two categories. He had one interception, five pass breakups, four fumble recoveries, and five touchdown recoveries. He had a total of 41 yards and two touchdowns.

Professional career

Jordan was an integral part of Marvin Lewis' North team's 2011 Senior Bowl, losing 24–10 to the South on January 29, 2011. His overall success during senior Bowl practice boosted his draft stock and made him a clear first round pick in the forthcoming draft. Jordan was a member of the NFL Scouting Combine and positional drills, as well as other drills.

On March 9, 2011, he attended Cal's pro day but decided against his combine numbers rather than doing defensive end drills. Jordan was predicted to be a first round pick by NFL draft experts and scouts at the conclusion of the pre-draft process. DraftScout.com and Sports Illustrated rated him as the second best defensive end prospect in the draft, and third best defensive end in the draft by NFL analysts Gil Brandt and Brian Billick.

In the first round (24th overall) of the 2011 NFL Draft, the New Orleans Saints selected Jordan. Jordan was the fifth defensive end drafted in 2011, behind J. J. Watt, Robert Quinn, Ryan Kerrigan, and Adrian Clayborn. He was mistakenly drafted by the Cleveland Browns after the draft was ended, who meant to notify USC tightend Jordan Cameron for "biographical details."

The New Orleans Saints announced Jordan on August 2, 2011 that he had agreed to a four-year, $7.73 million contract with six-year guarantees and a signing bonus of $4.12 million.

Jordan was supposed to start training camp, but after the Saints brought veteran free agent Turk McBride, he saw competition for his position. After Will Smith was suspended for the first two games of the regular season, head coach Sean Payton named Jordan and McBride the starting defensive ends.

In the Green Bay Packers' season-opener, he made three combined tackles in their 42–34 loss, his first career regular season appearance and first career appearance. Jordan made his first career appearance on running back Ryan Grant and had a four-yard game on the opening drive. In the Saints' 26-20 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 6, Jordan recorded a season-high six combined tackles on October 16, 2011. During a 45–17 victory over the Carolina Panthers in Week 17, Jordan had three combined tackles and made his first sackage in his career. In the second quarter, Jordan suspended quarterback Cam Newton for a five-yard loss, but was suspended for a horse collar tackle. Jordan had 31 total tackles (19 solo), four pass deflections, and a sack in 16 games and 15 starts in his rookie season in 2011.

The New Orleans Saints finished first in the NFC South with a 13-3 record and a playoff berth. Jordan appeared in his first playoff game and made one tackle against the Detroit Lions in the Wild Card Round on January 7, 2012. Jordan was credited with his first appearance in the playoffs this week. During a 35-32 Divisional Round loss to the San Francisco 49ers, he had six solo tackles and a pass deflection.

Gregg Williams, the defensive coordinator, was not fired after the 2011 season and was replaced by former St. Louis Rams head coach Steve Spagnuolo. To begin the regular season, Spagnuolo retained Jordan and Will Smith as the starting defensive ends. In their 40–32 loss, Jordan appeared in the New Orleans Saints' season-opener against the Washington Redskins, accumulating a season-high 11 combined tackles (six solo) against the Washington Redskins. During a 28–13 victory over the Philadelphia Eagles, Jordan made seven combined tackles and a season-high three sacks on quarterback Michael Vick. When sacking Michael Vick for a 12-yard loss on the Eagles' first drive, Jordan also caused a fumble. Jordan played in all 16 games in 2012 (41 solo), three pass deflections, three forced fumbles, and two fumble recoveries. In 2012, the New Orleans Saints set a new Orleans record of 7–9. Due to the New Orleans Saints bounty case, head coach Sean Payton was suspended for the entire season.

After the defense allowed an NFL record 7,042 total yards in 2012, the New Orleans Saints fired defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo on January 24, 2013. The defense will now be based on a 3-4 defense, according to head coach Sean Payton. Jordan was more suited to play in a 3-4 defensive alliance, according to NFL analyst Mike Mayock during the draft. Jordan and Akiem Hicks were the starting defensive ends for the regular season, as well as nose tackle Brodrick Bunkley.

In the Saints' 16-14 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on September 15, 2013, he registered a season-high six combined tackles and a sack. During a 31–7 victory over the Arizona Cardinals, Jordan made four combined tackles and two sacks on Cardinals quarterback Carson Palmer. Jordan, who had a season-high of six combined tackles and stole a pass in the Saints' 17-13 victory over the Atlanta Falcons, tied for his season-high of six combined tackles. Jordan was selected to play in the 2014 Pro Bowl, his first Pro Bowl pick. Jordan appeared in all 16 games in 2013 and had 47 total tackles (29 solo), 12.5 sacks, four pass deflections, two forced fumbles, and two fumble recoveries.

The New Orleans Saints finished second in the NFC South with an 11–5 record and a Wild Card berth. In the NFC Wild Card Round's 26-24 victory over the Philadelphia Eagles on January 4, 2014, Jordan made four combined tackles and had 1.5 sacks on quarterback Nick Foles. During a 23–15 loss to the Seattle Seahawks in the Divisional Round this week, he made six combined tackles and sacked quarterback Russell Wilson.

In 2014, head coach Sean Payton retained Jordan, Akiem Hicks, and Brodrick Bunkley as the starting defensive line. During a 44-23 victory over the Green Bay Packers, Jordan made three combined tackles and made a season-high two sacks on quarterback Aaron Rodgers. Jordan played in the Saints' 35–32 victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers on November 30, 2014, making his first career interception in the Saints' 35-32 victory. Jordan intercepted a pass by Steelers' quarterback Ben Roethlisberger that was supposed for wide receiver Markus Wheaton but was returned for a six-yard gain in the third quarter. In the Saints' 23–20 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, quarterback Josh McCown scored a season-high six combined tackles and made 1.5 sacks on him. He appeared in all 16 games in 2014 and finished with 51 total tackles (32 solo), five passes defense, and an interceptor.

The Saints agreed to a five-year, $55 million contract with an outstanding signing bonus of $15 million on June 2, 2015. He also has a $22.69 million guarantee at signing, performance compensation, and the possibility of opt-out in 2019.

The New Orleans Saints converted their base defense to a 4-3 defense during training camp. In his defensive end role, head coach Sean Payton also referred to Jordan as a "Jack linebacker." The offensive coordinator Rob Ryan, as well as defensive tackle John Jenkins and Kevin Williams, announced Jordan and Akiem Hicks as the starting defensive ends for the 2015 regular season. The New Orleans Saints fired defensive coordinator Rob Ryan and promoted defensive assistant Dennis Allen to defensive coordinator in his place on November 16, 2015. In the Saints' first six games of 2015, Ryan's defense allowed the fourth most points in 2014 and allowed an average of 31.5 points per game. During a 31–21 victory over the Atlanta Falcons on October 15, 2015, Jordan earned a season-high six combined tackles, caused a fumble, and fired a sack, with a season-high three sacks on quarterback Matt Ryan. In the Saints' 27–21 victory over the Indianapolis Colts in Week 7, he made two solo tackles and two sacks. Jordan played in 16 games in 2015 and ended the season with 45 combined tackles (32 solo), ten sacks, five pass deflections, two fumble recoveries, and a forced fumble.

Jordan was selected to play in the 2016 Pro Bowl as an injury replacement for New England Patriots defensive end Chandler Jones on January 26, 2016. He was ranked 99th among the NFL Top 100 Players of 2016 and was named a 2015 Pro Football Focus second-team All-Pro.

Jordan continued his defensive end job alongside a redesigned offensive line that included Paul Kruger, defensive tackles Tyeler Davison and Nick Fairley. During a 25-23 loss to the Denver Broncos in Week 10, Jordan had a season-high nine combined tackles as well as a sack. He appeared in all 16 games and made 58 total tackles (40 solo), six pass deflections, and a forced fumble. Jordan received an overall rating of 92.1 and was ranked third among all edge rushers in 2016.

Jordan and Alex Okafor the starting defensive ends of the regular season, as well as defensive tackles Tyeler Davison and Sheldon Rankins, were named by head coach Sean Payton.

In the Saints' 29-19 loss to the Minnesota Vikings on September 11, 2017, Jordan made four combined tackles, a pass deflection, and a sack. His firing brought his overall record to 47.5 sacks, enough to overthrowrown Charles Grant as the eighth in franchise history. During a 52-38 victory over the Detroit Lions on October 15, 2017, Jordan made four combined tackles, two sacks, and made an interception for his first career touchdown. Jordan intercepted a pass by quarterback Matthew Stafford, which was originally intended for tight end Eric Ebron, and scored a touchdown in the fourth quarter. His appearance against the Lions earned him NFC Defensive Player of the Week. During a 30–10 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on November 5, 2017, he had season-high seven combined tackles and 1.5 sacks. Jordan was named to the 2018 Pro Bowl on December 19, 2017, marking his third pick of his career. He appeared in all 16 games and made 62 combined tackles (48 solo), a career-high 13 sacks, 11 pass deflections, two punched fumbles, an intercept, and a touchdown. Jordan received a overall rating of 96.2 from Pro Football Focus, the highest grade among all qualifying edge rushers in 2017. The Saints had an 11-5 record and gained the NFC South. In the 31-26 victory over the Carolina Panthers in the Wild Card Round, he had three combined tackles and two passes defensed. In the Minnesota Vikings' Divisional Round loss, he had two combined tackles. He was ranked 26th by his peers on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2018.

Jordan earned his first two sacks of the season on Tyrod Taylor during the 21–18 victory over the Cleveland Browns in week two. Jordan had two more sacks on Matt Ryan during the 43–37 overtime victory in the Atlanta Falcons' game the following week. During week 12 against the Falcons on Thanksgiving Day, Jordan got two more sacks on Matt Ryan, the 31–17 victory. Jordan was a season high 7 tackles and sacked Dak Prescott twice against the Dallas Cowboys on Thursday Night Football. Jordan's second dismissal of the game was a strip sack, which he recovered later in the fourth quarter. Despite Jordan's stellar play, the Saints would go on to lose the game by a score of 13–10. During the 28–14 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Jordan sacked Jameis Winston twice during the previous week's game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. With two sacks, this was Jordan's third game in a row. Jordan had 12 sacks, 49 total tackles, 21 quarterback kicks, six passes defensed, and one forced fumble in the 2018 season.

The Saints had a 13-3 record, won the division, and were granted a first-round bye for the playoffs. During Jordan's 20–14 victory over the Philadelphia Eagles in the Divisional Round, he had three combined tackles and one pass defense. During the 26–23 overtime loss to the Los Angeles Rams, Jordan added three combined tackles and a quarterback hit during the NFC Championship loss to the Los Angeles Rams.

Jordan was signed by the Saints to a three-year, $52.5 million contract extension, keeping him under control until the 2023 season. Jordan earned his first dismissal of the season on Deshaun Watson in Week 1 against the Houston Texans. In week 2 against the Los Angeles Rams, Jordan was fired and prompted a fumble on Jared Goff, leading to a fumble. Jordan foiled a fumble off Goff and returned it for a touchdown in the second quarter. The referees had initially dismissed the play as ineffective. However, a replay showed that Jordan screamed a fumble, but his return for a touchdown did not count because the game had already been blown dead. Jordan became outraged and referred to the referees as "foot locker" after the game. During the 13–6 victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars, Jordan sacked Gardner Minshew twice twice. Jordan sacked Mitch Trubisky twice twice in the 36–25 victory, the Saints' sixth victory of the season, a week after. In the 26-18 victory over the Atlanta Falcons on Thanksgiving Day, Jordan led his season high 6 tackles and sacked Matt Ryan 4 times. For his appearance, Jordan was named NFC Defensive Player of the Week.

Jordan had 52 combined tackles (38 solo), a career-high 15.5 sacks, one fumble recovery, and three pass deflections in 16 games. During Jordan's 26-20 overtime loss against the Minnesota Vikings, he had three tackles and sacked Kirk Cousins once during the Wild Card Round of the playoffs.

During the 24–9 victory over Jordan, three sacks were recorded on Matt Ryan during Week 11. With the 31–3 victory over the Denver Broncos in Week 12, Jordan was sacking wide receiver Kendall Hinton. For his appearance in November, Jordan was named NFC Defensive Player of the Month. After punching Chiefs' guard Andrew Wylie, Jordan was suspended from the game against the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 15.

In a 9-0 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 15, Jordan had two sacks, five tackles, and a forced fumble, earning NFC Defensive Player of the Week. In an 18-10 victory over the Panthers, Josh Had eight tackles, 3.5 sacks, and three tackles for loss, earning his second NFC Defensive Player of the Week award of the season.

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