Rhondy Weston (born June 7, 1966) is an American former professional football player who was a defensive tackle in the National Football League (NFL) for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He played college football at the University of Florida. The Dallas Cowboys selected him in the third round of the 1989 NFL draft.
| No. 77 | |||||||
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| Position: | Defensive tackle Defensive end | ||||||
| Personal information | |||||||
| Born: | June 7, 1966 Belle Glade, Florida, U.S. | ||||||
| Height: | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) | ||||||
| Weight: | 275 lb (125 kg) | ||||||
| Career information | |||||||
| High school: | Glades Central (Belle Glade, Florida) | ||||||
| College: | Florida | ||||||
| NFL draft: | 1989 / round: 3 / pick: 68 | ||||||
| Career history | |||||||
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| * Offseason and/or practice squad member only | |||||||
| Career highlights and awards | |||||||
| Career NFL statistics | |||||||
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Early life
editWeston was born in Belle Glade, Florida. He attended Glades Central High School, where he played defensive tackle for the Glades Central Raiders.
As a senior, he was recognized as a high school All-American. One of his teammates was future NFL player Louis Oliver.
College career
editWeston accepted a football scholarship from the University of Florida, and played for head coach Galen Hall's Florida Gators football team from 1985 to 1988.
As a freshman, he was a backup and had 2 sacks in the third game of the season against Mississippi State University. The next year he was named the starter at right defensive tackle and posted 96 tackles, including a season-high 15 tackles against the University of Georgia.
As a junior in 1987, he was a first-team All-SEC selection and an honorable-mention All-American, after finishing the year with 54 tackles, 14 tackles for loss (second on the team) and 6 sacks (second on the team), although he played the final four games with a broken jaw he suffered in a nightclub fight. He was a part of a defense that was third in the nation in pass defense (123.6 yards per game), fourth in total defense (247.8) and recorded back-back shutouts for the first time in school history since 1956.
As a senior, Weston was part of a dominant defensive line, along with Trace Armstrong and Jeff Roth. He suffered injuries in the preseason that kept him from starting 2 of the season's first 5 games. He returned against Mississippi State University, tallying 4 tackles (2 for loss), 2 passes defensed and his only career interception. Against Memphis State University, he had a season-high 10 tackles, one sack and one forced fumble. He finished the year with 49 tackles, 15 tackles for loss (led the team), 10 sacks (led the team), 5 passes defensed, one forced fumble, was a second-team All-SEC selection and an honorable-mention All-American.
Professional career
editDallas Cowboys
editWeston was selected by the Dallas Cowboys in the third round (68th overall pick) of the 1989 NFL draft.[1] After having a disappointing training camp, he was waived on August 29 and replaced with defensive tackle Dean Hamel.[2]
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
editIn 1989, Weston was claimed by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and eventually released on September 4.[3] He was signed to the team's practice squad on September 6.[4] He was promoted to the active roster during the regular season and played in twelve games, with two starts, at defensive end. He had two quarterback sacks and a fumble recovery.
Cleveland Browns
editOn March 8, 1990, Weston signed with the Cleveland Browns as a free agent, but suffered a right knee injury and was placed on the injured reserve list on September 8.[5] He never fully recovered and was waived injured on August 19, 1991.[6]
Personal life
editWeston's mother died in a car accident when he was a junior in college.[7] He donated one of his kidneys to childhood friend Tommy Duhart, who had battled severe diabetes.[8]
He later returned to Gainesville and completed his bachelor's degree in health and human performance, graduating from the University of Florida in 2010.
See also
edit
References
edit- ^ "1989 NFL Draft Listing". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved March 30, 2023.
- ^ "Buccaneers Release Venice's Mitchell". Retrieved March 30, 2023.
- ^ "Bucs Cut Roster to 47 Players". Retrieved March 30, 2023.
- ^ "Bucs re-sign six, including Weston". Retrieved March 30, 2023.
- ^ "Transactions". Retrieved March 30, 2023.
- ^ "Transactions". Retrieved March 30, 2023.
- ^ "Tragedy Forces UF Tackle Weston To Grow Up Quickly". Retrieved March 30, 2023.
- ^ "Father of Pitt's Duhart realizes dream". Retrieved March 30, 2023.
Bibliography
edit- Carlson, Norm, University of Florida Football Vault: The History of the Florida Gators, Whitman Publishing, LLC, Atlanta, Georgia (2007). ISBN 0-7948-2298-3.
- Golenbock, Peter, Go Gators! An Oral History of Florida's Pursuit of Gridiron Glory, Legends Publishing, LLC, St. Petersburg, Florida (2002). ISBN 0-9650782-1-3.
- Hairston, Jack, Tales from the Gator Swamp: A Collection of the Greatest Gator Stories Ever Told, Sports Publishing, LLC, Champaign, Illinois (2002). ISBN 1-58261-514-4.
- McCarthy, Kevin M., Fightin' Gators: A History of University of Florida Football, Arcadia Publishing, Mount Pleasant, South Carolina (2000). ISBN 978-0-7385-0559-6.
- Nash, Noel, ed., The Gainesville Sun Presents The Greatest Moments in Florida Gators Football, Sports Publishing, Inc., Champaign, Illinois (1998). ISBN 1-57167-196-X.