If you were able to catch a glimpse of a Lions game this season, there’s a very high chance that you’ve seen their newest safety at work.
After playing the last couple of years with the Baltimore Ravens, James Ihedigbo signed a two-year deal with the Detroit Lions on March 24th, 2014.
Ihedigbo seemed to fit in just fine with the rest of the Lions secondary. Ihedigbo finished second on Detroit’s number one ranked defense with three interceptions. Glover Quin finished with 7.
Growing up in Northampton, Massachusetts, Ihedigbo played high school football at Amherst Regional High School, where he was a two-time All-Western Massachusetts and All-League Selection.
During his senior year in High School, Ihedigbo rushed for 1,012 yards and 18 touchdowns, while totaling over 2,000 all-purpose yards, as well as receiving the Defensive MVP that season. Ihedigbo also played Lacrosse, Track, and excelling at Basketball, where he received All-County honors.
After selecting to play college football at the University of Massachusetts, Ihedigbo was redshirted his first year. In 2003, the following season, Ihedigbo started 10 of 12 games for UMass, picking off 4 passes, making a total of 74 tackles with two forced fumbles and was named the team’s most improved defensive player. In 2004, James had 52 tackles, but no interceptions. In his third year at Massachusetts, Ihedigbo switched to strong safety from costless safety and ranked sixth on the team in total tackles with 45.
In his redshirt junior year, he was named to the Atlantic 10 conference third team and started at strong safety for a team which allowed the fewest points in all of Division I-AA football. He finished third in the conference with 7.5 sacks. As a senior he had 72 tackles, 5 quarterback sacks, 3 interceptions, and 4 forced fumbles. During his last college season, he was a he was a candidate for the Buck Buchanan Award and a Walter Camp All-American as well as a senior captain. He also received UMass team MVP for 2006.
Undrafted in 2007, Ihedigbo joined the New York Jets minicamp and signed a rookie contract. In the second game of the preseason against the Minnesota Vikings, Ihedigbo injured his hand and missed the rest of the season as the Jets placed him on the injured reserve.
In 2008, Ihedigbo began the season on the practice squad. He was promoted to the active roster on October 29th, 2008 when former safety Eric Smith went down with an injury. On November 23rd, 2008, Ihedigbo recorded his first tackle NFL tackle against the Tennessee Titans in a 34-13 Jets win. During the 2008 season, he played in 8 games and had 8 tackles.
Ihedigbo made the Jets as a backup safety in the 2009 season. In a 16-13 overtime loss to the Buffalo Bills on October 18th, 2009, Ihedigbo and fellow Jet Marques Murrell threw punches at Bills tight end Derek Fine, causing Ihedigbo to be ejected from the game and face a $5,000 fine. Jets coach Rex Ryan benched Ihedigbo and Murrell for the following game against the Oakland Raiders.
On December 13th, 2009, Ihedigbo recorded his first NFL sack on Josh Freeman of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. In the AFC divisional playoff game, the Jets played the San Diego Chargers. In the fourth quarter of the game, San Diego’s Antonio Cromartie was returning the ensuing kick-off, but during the return Ihedigbo stripped the ball out of his hands for a forced fumble. The Jets went on to win 17-14. James Ihedigbo finished the season with 19 tackles, 2 sacks, and 1 forced fumble in 15 games.
On March 22, 2010, Ihedigbo signed a one-year deal with the New York Jets.
The Jets were considered by many to be Super Bowl contenders. They opened the season on September 13th, 2010 against the Baltimore Ravens. In the Jets new home, MetLife Stadium, Ihedigbo recorded his first tackle of the year, but James Ihedigbo recorded his first sack of the season in week 4 against the Buffalo Bills and quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick. He finished with two tackles as the Jets won 38 to 14.
The Jets were in first place in their division with a 6-2 record going into week 10 against the Cleveland Browns. James had 2 tackles and his second sack of the year in the fourth quarter and the Jets won the game in overtime when Mark Sanchez threw a touchdown pass to Santonio Holmes for the victory.
In week 12, the Jets were playing the Cincinnati Bengals on a Thanksgiving game on the NFL Network. While late in the 3rd quarter, Steve Weatherford punted a ball that touched one of the Bengals players. Ihedigbo noticed this and jumped on the ball giving the Jets the ball. Later on that drive because of the Ihedigbo fumble recovery, the Jets scored on a touchdown pass from Mark Sanchez to Santonio Holmes. The Jets ended up winning 26-10 and pushed their record to 9-2.
This kept them in first place, tied with the Patriots.
The next week the Jets were tied for first place with the New England Patriots and playing their game in New England, James Ihedigbo sacked Tom Brady late in the 1st quarter, but the Jets struggled all night as the Jets lost 45-3, dropping them out of first place.
The Jets ended the season with 11 wins and 5 loses and finished in 2nd place in the AFC east behind the Patriots. The Jets won the AFC wildcard playoff game 17-16 over the Indianapolis Colts. The Jets played the New England Patriots in the AFC Divisional round as Ihedigbo would finish with two tackles as the Jets would upset the Patriots 28-21 to get to the AFC championship game.
The following week, the Jets lost to the Pittsburgh Steelers and missed the Super Bowl by one game for the second straight year.
James Ihedigbo ended the year with 22 total tackles and 3 sacks.
After the NFL lockout ended Ihedigbo became a costless agent.
The Jets had three costless agent safeties: Brodney Pool, Eric Smith, and James Ihedigbo. The Jets decided to sign Pool and Smith and let Ihedigbo go.
Ihedigbo signed with the New England Patriots on August 19, 2011.
James Ihedigbo got his first tackle with the Patriots in Week 2 against the San Diego Chargers.
In his first game against his former team the New York Jets Ihedigbo had a career high 6 tackles in a New England win 30-21.
Two weeks later playing the Pittsburgh Steelers, he had eight tackles in one game, which was a career-high for him.
Ihedigbo became a starter with the Patriots after a number of other defensive backs were either cut or injured.
Prior to the start of the season, Pro Bowl safeties Brandon Meriweather as well as fellow starter James Sanders were cut.
In Week 10, The Patriots played the Jets again, and Ihedigbo lead the Patriots with seven tackles as New England won 37-16.
Through ten games in the 2011 season, Ihedigbo started 6 games and made 42 tackles. At the end of the regular season the Patriots went 13-3 and had the best recorded in the American Football Conference.
In the Divisional Round of the playoffs, Ihedigbo had seven tackles in a 45-10 win over the Denver Broncos.
The Patriots made the AFC Championship game and played the Baltimore Ravens. James Ihedigbo had eight tackles and a sack in that game. The Patriots would eventually win 23-20.
Before the Super Bowl, Coach Bill Belichick said that James Ihedigbo would start at safety in the Super Bowl.
James Ihedigbo started the game and made five tackles but the New England Patriots would lose to the New York Giants 21-17.
Ihedigbo played all 16 games in 2011, starting in 12 of them. He had a career high in tackles with 69, which landed him fifth most in tackles on the team that season.
Ihedigbo was re-signed June 22, 2012. He was later released after the end of the 2012 NFL preseason, on August 31, 2012.
On September 2, 2012, Ihedigbo signed with the Baltimore Ravens.
In his first game as a Raven, Ihedigbo recorded two tackles in a win over the Cincinnati Bengals.
In week 3 of the 2012 NFL season, the Ravens played the New England Patriots, the team that had released Ihedigbo at the beginning of the season. Ihedigbo played in the game but mostly on special teams. The Ravens won 31-30 to increase their record to 2-1.
After the game Ihedigbo said "Anytime you get a chance to go against your former team, it's kind of personal." "I went into this game with that kind of mentality and when you put the history of these two teams on top of it, it just became a very personal and emotional thing. It was great the way it turned out. It couldn't be any sweeter. We just persevered through everything, all adversity that took place in the game from the things that were in our control, the penalties and the things that were outside our control," Ihedigbo said. "When it all accumulates in a win, we're very excited."
The Ravens faced the Patriots again in the AFC Championship, the fourth season in a row that Ihedigbo played in the AFC Championship.
The Ravens beat the Patriots 28-13, and qualified for the Super Bowl for the first time in 12 years. The Ravens defeated the San Francisco 49ers, 34–31, in Super Bowl XLVII.
On March 12, 2013 it was announced that the Baltimore Ravens re-signed James Ihedigbo to a one-year contract.
At the end of the 2013 pre-season coach John Harbaugh announced that Ihedigbo would start at safety in week 1 for the Ravens.
In the second quarter in a game versus the Cincinnati Bengals, Ihedigbo got his first career interception from Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton. Later in the 4th quarter of the same game Ihedigbo intercepted Dalton again. He also recorded 9 tackles.
In his first season with the Detroit Lions, James Ihedigbo showed that he belongs with the NFL’s best ranked defense. Ihedigbo recorded 2 sacks, 4 interceptions, 8 pass break-ups, 3 forced fumbles (One that was recovered), as well as 66 tackles on the season.
James was born to Nigerian immigrants Rose and Apollos Ihedigbo. In 2008, James Ihedigbo founded the HOPE Africa Foundation to help provide educational services for underprivileged communities in Africa. The foundation offers a wealth of assistance to these communities in the form of scholarships, mentoring, funding, and developmental projects. Ihedigbo is also involved in the Nigerian Agricultural Technical Community College, founded by his parents
If you’re a fan of the Detroit Lions, Ihedigbo is a very fun player to look. He is a player with enough hustle and dedication to stop the offense than any other player in the league.
Follow James on Twitter: @JamesIhedigbo