Javon Mascellus Bullard (born September 5, 2002) is an American professional football safety for the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Georgia Bulldogs, winning two national championships and was selected by the Packers in the second round of the 2024 NFL draft.

Javon Bullard
refer to caption
Bullard with Georgia in 2023
No. 20 – Green Bay Packers
Position:Safety
Personal information
Born: (2002-09-05) September 5, 2002 (age 22)
Eatonton, Georgia, U.S.
Height:5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)
Weight:198 lb (90 kg)
Career information
High school:Baldwin (Milledgeville, Georgia)
College:Georgia (2021–2023)
NFL draft:2024 / round: 2 / pick: 58
Career history
Roster status:Active
Career highlights and awards
Career NFL statistics as of Week 11, 2024
Total tackles:59
Pass deflections:1
Stats at Pro Football Reference

Early life

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Bullard was born on September 5, 2002, in Eatonton, Georgia, moving to Milledgeville, Georgia when he was five.[1][2] He attended Baldwin High School in Milledgeville.[3] A three-star recruit, Bullard committed to play college football at the University of Georgia over offers from Auburn and Tennessee.[4][5]

College career

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As a true freshman in 2021, Bullard appeared in 14 games.[6] Against Charleston Southern, Bullard led Georgia in total tackles with six.[7] He finished the season with 12 total tackles.[8] The following season, Bullard started in the first two games, recording four tackles and one pass breakup.[9] On September 26, 2022, Bullard was arrested on DUI charges.[10][11] He would be suspended for one game before returning against Auburn.[12] Bullard would tally a career-high eight tackles in a victory over Florida.[13] Against undefeated Tennessee, Bullard tallied seven tackles and two sacks in a 27–13 win.[14] The following week, Bullard exited the game with a lower-leg injury, but he returned for the next game against Kentucky.[15][16] In the Peach Bowl, Bullard had a hit on Marvin Harrison Jr. that knocked Harrison out of the game with a concussion.[17] Georgia went on to win the game 42–41, with Bullard being named the game's defensive MVP.[18] During the 2023 College Football Playoff National Championship Game, Bullard recorded two interceptions and a fumble recovery before leaving the game with a shoulder injury.[19] He was named the game's defensive MVP.[20] During the 2023 season, Bullard recorded 55 tackles, a tackle for loss, and two interceptions before declaring for the 2024 NFL draft on December 31, 2023.[21][22]

Professional career

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Pre-draft measurables
Height Weight Arm length Hand span 40-yard dash 10-yard split 20-yard split 20-yard shuttle Three-cone drill Vertical jump Bench press
5 ft 10+12 in
(1.79 m)
198 lb
(90 kg)
30+34 in
(0.78 m)
9 in
(0.23 m)
4.47 s 1.51 s 2.57 s 3.97 s 7.00 s 33.0 in
(0.84 m)
16 reps
All values from NFL Combine/Pro Day[23][24]

Bullard was selected in the second round with the 58th overall pick of the 2024 NFL draft by the Green Bay Packers.[25] He signed his rookie contract on June 3, 2024.[26]

References

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  1. ^ Brugler, Dane. "The Beast: 2024 NFL Draft Guide" (PDF). The Athletic. p. 295. Retrieved April 14, 2024.
  2. ^ "Quick Chat: Javon Bullard". University of Georgia Athletics. August 4, 2023. Retrieved April 15, 2024.
  3. ^ "JAVON BULLARD DAY". Baldwin County Schools. March 17, 2022. Retrieved November 13, 2022.
  4. ^ Graham, Andrew (November 9, 2022). "Kirby Smart reveals his initial thoughts on Javon Bullard during his recruitment". On3. Retrieved November 13, 2022.
  5. ^ Gilmer, Blayne (December 16, 2020). "Javon Bullard, 3 Star Cornerback, Signs With Georgia Football – Bulldawg Illustrated". Bulldawg Illustrated. Retrieved November 20, 2023.
  6. ^ James, Marvin (March 12, 2022). "Georgia Bulldog, Baldwin High alum Javon Bullard celebrated in Milledgeville". WMAZ. Retrieved November 13, 2022.
  7. ^ McKearney, Christian (November 22, 2021). "Bullard leads Dawgs in tackles on Saturday". Baldwin2K. Retrieved November 13, 2022.
  8. ^ McCurley, Lance (September 22, 2022). "Bullard is showing his potential as a starter for the Bulldogs". DawgWatch. Retrieved November 13, 2022.
  9. ^ Pound, Gil (September 16, 2022). "Bullard embracing his role as UGA starter". The Union-Recorder. Retrieved November 13, 2022.
  10. ^ Towers, Chip (September 26, 2022). "Police detail arrest of Georgia football's Javon Bullard". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. ISSN 1539-7459. Retrieved November 13, 2022.
  11. ^ Walsh, Erin (September 25, 2022). "Georgia DB Javon Bullard Arrested on 7 Misdemeanor Charges Including DUI". Bleacher Report. Retrieved November 13, 2022.
  12. ^ Towers, Chip (October 3, 2022). "Georgia's Javon Bullard returns after one-game suspension". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. ISSN 1539-7459. Retrieved November 13, 2022.
  13. ^ Hunte, Syndey (October 31, 2022). "Georgia names players of the week from Florida win". Saturday Down South. Retrieved November 13, 2022.
  14. ^ Pound, Gil (November 5, 2022). "Baldwin's Bullard has big game vs. Tennessee". The Union-Recorder. Retrieved November 13, 2022.
  15. ^ Austin, Brooks (November 13, 2022). "BREAKING: Javon Bullard Exits Mississippi State Contest". BVM Sports. Retrieved November 20, 2023.
  16. ^ Towers, Chip. "No. 1 Georgia Bulldogs have to hold on for win over Kentucky". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. pp. November 19, 2022. ISSN 1539-7459. Retrieved December 28, 2022.
  17. ^ Scarborough, Alex (January 1, 2023). "Ohio State loses Marvin Harrison Jr. in 2nd half due to concussion". ESPN. Archived from the original on January 19, 2023. Retrieved January 19, 2023.
  18. ^ Pound, Gil (January 4, 2023). "Bullard's big plays helped Bulldogs". The Union-Recorder. Retrieved July 20, 2023.
  19. ^ Roberson, Doug (January 9, 2023). "Bullard shines for No. 1 Georgia in national championship". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. ISSN 1539-7459. Retrieved January 10, 2023.
  20. ^ Sam, Doric (January 9, 2023). "Stetson Bennett, Javon Bullard Win 2023 College Football National Championship MVPs". Bleacher Report. Retrieved January 27, 2023.
  21. ^ Emerson, Seth (December 31, 2023). "Georgia DB Javon Bullard declares for NFL Draft". The New York Times. Retrieved May 23, 2024.
  22. ^ Williams, Jonathan (December 31, 2023). "BREAKING: Javon Bullard Announces 2024 NFL Draft Decision". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved December 31, 2023.
  23. ^ "Javon Bullard Draft and Combine Prospect Profile". NFL.com. Retrieved March 27, 2024.
  24. ^ "2024 NFL Draft Scout Javon Bullard College Football Profile". DraftScout.com. Retrieved March 27, 2024.
  25. ^ Spofford, Mike (April 26, 2024). "2024 NFL Draft: Packers select Georgia S Javon Bullard in 2nd round, No. 58 overall". Packers.com. Retrieved April 26, 2024.
  26. ^ "Packers sign S Javon Bullard". Packers.com. June 3, 2024. Retrieved July 9, 2024.
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