Roosevelt Blackmon

Roosevelt Blackmon III (born September 10, 1974) is an American former professional football player who was a cornerback for two seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Morris Brown Wolverines and was selected by the Green Bay Packers in the fourth round of the 1998 NFL draft. He split the 1998 season with the Packers and the Cincinnati Bengals before playing the 1999 season with the Bengals. Blackmon later was a member of the BC Lions of the Canadian Football League (CFL) and the Dallas Desperados of the Arena Football League (AFL). After his playing career, he served as a high school coach.

Early life Blackmon was born on September 10, 1974, in Pahokee, Florida, but grew up in nearby Belle Glade. His father was nicknamed "Frog", leading to Blackmon receiving the nickname "Tadpole". In seventh grade, he failed to make his middle school football team and instead served as a trainer, which Blackmon said meant water boy. Although he was successful in making the team the next year, he saw limited action and only caught one pass, which was a 42-yard touchdown. Weighing as a freshman and as a sophomore, he was told by coaches that he was not big enough to play football. After high school, he decided to attend Bethune–Cookman University. In addition to serving as assistant equipment manager, Blackmon also worked night shifts for the supermarket chain Winn-Dixie, "working from 11 p.m. to 7 a.m. each day". He also had a 95-yard interception return touchdown during the 1996 season. Professional career Prior to the 1998 NFL draft, Blackmon was, along with eventual first-overall pick Peyton Manning, one of two subjects of an NFL Films documentary, depicting "a classic rags-to-riches story in Blackmon and the media darling story in Manning". He ended up being selected by the Green Bay Packers in the fourth round (121st overall) of the draft. Prior to the regular season, he suffered a turf toe injury. Nevertheless, Blackmon made the final roster and appeared in the first three games of the 1998 season for the Packers, recording no statistics while the team won each game. However, he was waived by the Packers on September 30. Blackmon returned for the 1999 season. After being inactive for three of the first four games in 1999, he saw playing time at cornerback due to injuries in the Bengals' Week 5 game against the Cleveland Browns, recording an interception which helped them win 18–17. He started the next two games, but suffered a severe sprained ankle and then did not appear in any games the rest of the season, officially being placed on injured reserve on December 24. In five games played, three as a starter, Blackmon tallied 18 tackles and four pass deflections, while the Bengals compiled a record of 4–12. He was released by the Bengals on August 14, 2000, prior to the 2000 regular season. He signed with the Dallas Desperados of the Arena Football League (AFL) on March 14, 2002, but then was released four days later. Blackmon concluded his NFL career with 20 games played, three as a starter, while posting 18 tackles, four pass deflections and an interception. After his football career, he served as an assistant football coach at Glades Central until being promoted to head coach in 2011. He served three seasons in that position and compiled a record of 25–12, with an appearance in the Class 5A regional finals in his first season. He did not return as football coach in 2014, but remained with the school as track and field coach. Blackmon later became a defensive assistant for the football team at Oxbridge Academy in 2017.