Natrez Patrick

Natrez Deshun Patrick (born July 9, 1997) is an American professional football linebacker. He played college football for four seasons for the University of Georgia Bulldogs.

Early life

Patrick was born in Atlanta, Georgia. At Benjamin Elijah Mays High School, Patrick was named USA Today All-USA second-team after recording 111 total tackles (27 for loss) during his senior season. He was named to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution's 2014 All-State Class AAAAA defense and named its 2014 Defensive Player of the Year, as well as the Georgia Sports Writers Association 2014 All-State Class AAAAA first-team and 2014 Defensive Player of the Year. He was named a four-star prospect by Rivals.com, ESPN, Scout.com, and played in the 2015 U.S. Army All American Bowl.

College career Patrick was a four-year starter at Georgia, an explosive player credited by coaches and teammates alike for his leadership qualities.

He enrolled at UGA on January 1, 2015, after receiving offers from two dozen other Power 5 programs.

Patrick was named a preseason All-SEC honoree by Athlon Sports prior to the 2018 season even after a four-game suspension limited his playing time his junior year.

College statistics

Professional career

Los Angeles Rams After going undrafted in the 2019 NFL draft, Patrick was signed as a free agent by the Los Angeles Rams on April 29, 2019.

On September 5, 2020, Patrick was waived by the Rams and signed to the practice squad the next day. He was elevated to the active roster on September 19 for the team's week 2 game against the Philadelphia Eagles, and reverted to the practice squad after the game. He was promoted to the active roster on September 24, 2020. He was waived on November 10, 2020, and re-signed to the practice squad the next day. He was signed to the active roster on November 28, 2020. On January 7, 2021, Patrick was waived by the Rams.

Denver Broncos On January 8, 2021, Patrick was claimed off waivers by the Denver Broncos, but the claim was deferred until after the Super Bowl on February 8. He was waived/injured on June 17, 2021, and placed on injured reserve.

Detroit Lions On May 16, 2022, Patrick signed with the Detroit Lions. He was waived on July 28, 2022.

Montreal Alouettes Patrick was signed by the Montreal Alouettes of the Canadian Football League (CFL) on January 17, 2023. He was listed as a defensive end by the Alouettes. On June 3, 2023, Patrick was released.

Personal life Patrick was arrested three times for misdemeanor marijuana possession, resulting in two suspensions. The last one landed him in a treatment facility that caused him to miss UGA's 2018 Rose Bowl and the National Championship Game, despite a "penny-sized" amount of the drug being found in a teammate's car and being claimed by the vehicle's owner. Charges were subsequently dropped.