Nicholas F. Usher (born January 22, 1995) is an American professional football defensive lineman for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats of the Canadian Football League (CFL).
| Hamilton Tiger-Cats | |
 Usher with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in 2024 | |
| Born: | January 22, 1995 Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
|---|---|
| Career information | |
| Status | Active |
| CFL status | American |
| Position(s) | Defensive lineman |
| Height | 6 ft 3 in (191 cm) |
| Weight | 235 lb (107 kg) |
| College | UTEP |
| High school | Serra High |
| Career history | |
| As player | |
| 2017 | Seattle Seahawks* |
| 2017 | New England Patriots* |
| 2018–2019 | Edmonton Eskimos |
| 2020 | Las Vegas Raiders* |
| 2021–2023 | Montreal Alouettes |
| 2023 | BC Lions |
| 2024–present | Hamilton Tiger-Cats |
| *Offseason and/or practice squad member only | |
| Career stats | |
| |
College career
editUsher played college football for the UTEP Miners from 2013 to 2016.[1] He spent the first three seasons as a defensive lineman before moving to linebacker in his senior year.[2]
Professional career
editSeattle Seahawks
editAfter not being selected in the 2017 NFL draft, Usher signed with the Seattle Seahawks as an undrafted free agent on May 12, 2017.[2] However, he was released before the start of preseason on July 29, 2017.[2]
New England Patriots
editOn August 28, 2017, Usher signed with the New England Patriots.[2] He played in one pre-season game and was released with the final training camp cuts that year.[3]
Edmonton Eskimos
editOn October 4, 2017, Usher signed a practice roster agreement with the Edmonton Eskimos and later a futures contract for the 2018 season.[4] He played in his first professional game on July 13, 2018, against the Toronto Argonauts where he recorded three defensive tackles.[5] That year, he played in eight regular season games where he had seven defensive tackles, three special teams tackles, one sack, and one forced fumble.[5]
In 2019, Usher played in all 18 regular season games where he had 36 defensive tackles, six sacks, and three forced fumbles.[5] He also played in his first career post-season games, in the East Semi-Final and East Final, the latter of which the Eskimos lost to the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.[5] He was granted an early release on January 2, 2020, in order to sign with a National Football League team.[6]
Las Vegas Raiders
editUsher signed with the Las Vegas Raiders in January 2020, but was waived during training camp with an injury designation on August 24, 2020.[7]
Montreal Alouettes
editOn February 9, 2021, it was announced that Usher had signed with the Montreal Alouettes.[8] In a pandemic-shortened 2021 season, Usher played in all 14 regular season games where he had 35 defensive tackles, five sacks, and one forced fumble.[5]
Usher signed a two-year contract extension with the Alouettes on January 24, 2022.[9] For the 2022 season, he played in 13 regular season games where he had 29 defensive tackles and three sacks.[10] In 2023, he started in the first five games for the Alouettes, recording five defensive tackles and a sack, before being released on July 23, 2023.[11]
BC Lions
editOn August 15, 2023, Usher signed a practice roster agreement with the BC Lions.[12] He played in four regular season games where he had one defensive tackle. He became a free agent upon the expiry of his contract on February 13, 2024.[13]
Hamilton Tiger-Cats
editOn February 20, 2024, Usher signed with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.[14]
Personal life
editUsher was born in Los Angeles, California, to parents Norman and Geraldine Usher.[1] He has one brother and one sister.[1]
References
edit- ^ a b c "Nick Usher". UTEP Miners. Retrieved June 25, 2022.
- ^ a b c d "Patriots Sign Three Players". New England Patriots. August 28, 2017.
- ^ "Alouettes sign up and coming pass rusher Nick Usher". 3DownNation. February 9, 2021.
- ^ "Transactions – Football player trades and signings". Canadian Football League. Retrieved June 25, 2022.
- ^ a b c d e "Nick Usher". Canadian Football League. Retrieved June 25, 2022.
- ^ "Eskimos Release Usher To Pursue NFL Opportunity". Edmonton Elks. January 2, 2020.
- ^ "Raiders waive Nick Usher with injury designation". NBC Sports. August 24, 2020.
- ^ "Migrating East: Sewell agrees to terms with Alouettes". Montreal Alouettes. February 9, 2021.
- ^ "Alouettes re-sign defensive-end Nick Usher to two-year deal". Montreal Gazette. January 24, 2022.
- ^ "2023 CFL Guide Book" (PDF). Canadian Football League. Archived from the original (PDF) on June 8, 2023. Retrieved August 20, 2023.
- ^ "Montreal Alouettes release veteran DE Nick Usher". 3DownNation. July 23, 2023.
- ^ "Lions Add American Defensive Lineman Nick Usher". BC Lions. August 15, 2023.
- ^ "Official 2024 Free Agent Tracker". Canadian Football League. Retrieved February 14, 2024.
- ^ "Transactions – Football player trades and signings". Canadian Football League. Retrieved February 22, 2024.