Jalen Ramsey: From Collegiate Standout to NFL Star

Jalen Ramsey, born on October 24, 1994, has carved out an impressive career in American professional football. Currently a safety for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League (NFL), Ramsey's journey began long before his professional debut, marked by exceptional achievements in high school and a standout college career at Florida State University.

Early Life and High School Career

Born in Smyrna, Tennessee, to Lamont and Margie Ramsey, Jalen was exposed to a disciplined environment early on. His father, Lamont, served as a District Chief in the Fire Department and later became Jalen's dedicated training coach. Ramsey's athletic prowess was evident from a young age, particularly in track and field.

Ramsey had a highly decorated high school track career. On May 24, 2013, in his final high school track meet, Ramsey shattered the Tennessee state record in the long jump with a mark of 25 feet 3.25 inches (7.7026 m), breaking the 16-year-old record set in 1997. As of 2016, no other athlete in TSSAA history has surpassed the 25-foot mark. Ramsey competed in events ranging from the 100 meters to the shot put. As a sprinter, he recorded personal best times of 10.50 in the 100-meter dash, 21.44 in the 200-meter dash, and 48.02 in the 400-meter dash. Ramsey established personal bests in the high jump at 6 feet 8 inches (2.03 m) and the triple jump 47 feet 7 inches (14.50 m).

College Career at Florida State University

Ramsey's transition to Florida State University (FSU) was highly anticipated, considering his five-star recruit status. He chose FSU over reported scholarship offers from Alabama, Arkansas, Auburn, Clemson, Florida, Mississippi State, Nebraska, Ohio State, Oregon, Penn State and Southern California, among others, according to his 247Sports recruiting profile. Ramsey was rated as a five-star recruit and ranked as the No. 16 prospect and No. 2 cornerback nationally, per the 247Sports Composite rankings. The addition of Ramsey to Florida State's 2013 recruiting class helped it reach the top 10 in many rankings.

Freshman Year Success

Ramsey made an immediate impact, starting all 14 games for the Seminoles as a true freshman in 2013. He was the first true freshman to start a game at cornerback for the team since Deion Sanders in 1985. Ramsey wore jersey #13 during his freshman year when Florida State won the National Championship over Auburn. In Ramsey's first game at Florida State, he became the first Florida State true freshman to start at cornerback since Deion Sanders in 1985 and he delivered immediately. On the Panthers' second drive of the game, quarterback Tom Savage dropped back and attempted a pass down the left-hash mark. Ramsey broke on it immediately, snagged his first career interception at the Florida State 45 and returned it 31 yards to set up a Seminoles touchdown.

Read also: Reagor's Rise at TCU

Versatility and Athleticism

Beyond football, Ramsey continued to excel in track & field at Florida State as a relay sprinter and long jumper. He was a three-time All-Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) honoree as a member of the Florida State Indoor and Outdoor championship track and field team in 2013. Ramsey was also a three-time All-ACC honoree in 2014 as a member of Florida State's track and field team, as an elite long jumper and member of the school's 4x100-meter relay team. During the 2014 season, Ramsey's best outdoor long jump mark was 25 ft 0 in (7.62 m) and his top indoor jump was 24 ft 11 in (7.59 m), ranking second nationally among NCAA Division I football players.

Key Moments and Statistics

In Ramsey's 41 college games, Florida State went 37-4, including 27 consecutive wins to start his college career. Florida State went 14-0 and won the national championship in 2013, when he started every game, then it went 13-1 in 2014 as it made a run to the first-ever College Football Playoff.

Some notable games during his college career include:

Florida State 41, Pittsburgh 13 | Sept. In Ramsey's first game at Florida State, he became the first Florida State true freshman to start at cornerback since Deion Sanders in 1985 and he delivered immediately.
Florida State 37, Oklahoma State 31 | Aug. In Florida State's first game since winning the BCS national championship against Auburn in January 2014, Florida State opened up the 2014 season with a 37-31 win over Oklahoma State in Arlington, Texas.
Florida State 56, North Carolina State 41 | Sept.
Florida State 30, Miami 26 | Nov. No. 2 Florida State traveled to Miami in mid-November, as it pursued a second consecutive national championship, and Florida State found itself in a 16-0 hole early in the second quarter. But it was able to rally, outscoring Miami 20-3 in the second half, to win by four points and stay undefeated. Ramsey had a career-high four passes defended, an interception, a forced fumble and three tackles, including a tackle for loss.
Florida State 14, Boston College 0 | Sept. Ramsey helped Florida State shut out Boston College in its first conference game and first road game of the 2015 season.

In his junior year at FSU, Ramsey had 37 solo tackles, 15 assists, nine passes defended, one sack, and one fumble recovery. Ramsey played both safety spots and corner throughout his time at the university.

Comparisons and Accolades

Then-Florida State coach Jimbo Fisher, on comparisons between Ramsey and Deion Sanders (from the Miami Herald): "Give him a break before we put him in Deion's category. Fisher (from the Miami Herald): "He's very mature beyond his years and I think that's what allowed him to be able to [start]. Ramsey's mother, Margie Tidwell (from the Miami Herald): "Football means a lot to him. Brentwood High School coach Jamie Redmon (from the Miami Herald): "He's the best I've ever coached. Redmon (from the Miami Herald): "He's a phenomenal track athlete also. We asked him to run track because we needed help, so he does the whole decathlete deal - he wins it his first year. High jumped like 6 feet 8 inches, long jumper 24 [to] 25 feet. Ramsey's father, Lamont (from the Miami Herald): "He was a wide receiver and running back also while he was in high school.

Florida State cornerback P.J. Williams (from the Orlando Sentinel): "He's a big corner. He's real physical. The AP's Joedy McCreary, on Florida State's win over Wake Forest in 2013: "Florida State tied a school record with six interceptions, returned turnovers for touchdowns on consecutive plays and gave the offense short fields throughout a 59-3 rout of Wake Forest on Saturday that clinched a spot in the Atlantic Coast Conference title game. Florida State safety Tyler Hunter (from the Tampa Tribune): "I could tell from the first day on 7-on-7. He was out there covering Rashad (Greene) and Kenny (Shaw) and (Kelvin Benjamin) just like he had been playing for two or three years. The Tampa Tribune: "Lamarcus Joyner, of all people, had to tell Ramsey to calm down with his physicality early on in practice. The Florida State senior is one of the hardest hitters in the country and plays with reckless abandon. But even he thought Ramsey was a bit too aggressive in practice drills. NoleSports.com's Natalie Pierre, before Ramsey's sophomore season: "This season is all about the details for Jalen Ramsey. After putting together a freshman All-American season last year, the versatile defensive back enters this season with an expanded role in Florida State's talent-filled secondary. In preparation for his sophomore campaign where he will play multiple positions, in addition to being a team leader for the reigning national champions, Ramsey has spent countless hours in the Seminoles' meeting rooms watching film of former FSU defensive back Lamarcus Joyner.

Fisher, a day after Ramsey was kicked out of practice (from NoleSports.com): "We had a great talk. I get upset. I'm emotional, too. Jalen does too. Jalen's as good a football player as we've got - one of the best ones I've ever been around in the secondary. Fisher, on the "star" position Ramsey played (from the AP): "People don't realize the complication and multiplicity of playing that position and the uniqueness you have to have. He is very rare because sometimes taller guys have a harder time, believe that or not. He is so athletic and he bends. The Tallahassee Democrat's Safid Deen, prior to Ramsey's junior season: "Florida State fans got a glimpse of the Seminoles' special teams plans for 2015 when junior defensive back Jalen Ramsey was back returning punts and kickoffs during the spring game in April. Ramsey is one of the team's most electric players with his size, speed, athleticism and toughness. Fisher, on using Ramsey in special teams as a returner (from the Tallahassee Democrat): "Why would you not put one of your best players back there? How is that a risk? What are you risking? That your best player doesn't touch the ball?

Ramsey, before the 2014 BCS national championship (from the South Florida Sun Sentinel): "I want to let the world know who I am. Ramsey, before the 2014 BCS national championship (from the South Florida Sun Sentinel): "I'm a bigger guy and I like to put my hands on little receivers. Nothing against receivers nowadays, but most of them aren't like our receivers - they aren't physical like that. Ramsey, on his physicality (from the Tampa Tribune): "I kind of had to moderate it during the season a little bit. Especially at the beginning, I wanted to get real physical with those boys. So I lowered it a little bit, but not too much, to be honest. They just got used to it. Ramsey, on his role as a sophomore (from the AP): "I just feel like everybody's noticed me over the past few weeks, but it's been there throughout the whole season. Ramsey, on the "star" position in Florida State's defense (from the AP): "It's probably the most exciting job on the field. I like to play with the quarterbacks. I like to play with the receivers too. They think they know when I'm blitzing sometimes and they think they know when I'm covering sometimes. (from the St. Ramsey, on being used as a returner as a junior (from the Tallahassee Democrat): "(Head coach Jimbo) Fisher and Coach (Lawrence) Dawsey put me back there, and I stay in their ear about it all the time. When they put me back there, I'm going to make something happen.

NFL Draft and Early Career

Coming out of Florida State, Ramsey was projected a first round pick by NFL draft experts and scouts. On March 29, 2016, Ramsey chose to participate at Florida State's pro day, along with Roberto Aguayo, Lamarcus Brutus, Terrance Smith, and 20 other prospects. Team representatives and scouts from 31 NFL teams attended, with the Cincinnati Bengals opting not to, and among them included general managers Doug Whaley (Buffalo Bills), Kevin Colbert (Pittsburgh Steelers), Jason Licht (Tampa Bay Buccaneers), Jon Robinson (Tennessee Titans), and Steelers' head coach Mike Tomlin.

Jacksonville Jaguars (2016-2019)

The Jacksonville Jaguars selected Ramsey with the fifth overall pick in the 2016 NFL Draft. On May 19, 2016, Ramsey suffered a small meniscus tear during rookie training camp. On May 24, Ramsey underwent surgery to repair the torn meniscus. Throughout training camp, he competed against Davon House, Prince Amukamara, Aaron Colvin, Dwayne Gratz, and Josh Johnson to be the starting cornerback.

On September 11, 2016, Ramsey made his professional regular season debut and first career start in the against the Green Bay Packers and recorded three combined tackles (two solo) during a 27-23 loss. During Week 8, he tallied eight combined tackles (four solo) in the 36-22 road loss to the Tennessee Titans. On December 18, 2016, Ramsey made four solo tackles, five pass deflections, forced a fumble, and had his first career interception off a pass thrown by Brock Osweiler to wide receiver Will Fuller during a narrow 21-20 road loss to the Houston Texans. Following the game, the Jaguars fired head coach Gus Bradley after falling to a 2-12 record. Offensive line coach Doug Marrone was appointed interim head coach for the remainder of the season.

Ramsey entered training camp as the de facto No. 1 starting cornerback. Head coach Doug Marrone named Ramsey the No. 1 starting cornerback and paired him with A. J. Bouye, as they both led a revamped secondary that included Aaron Colvin, Barry Church, and Tashaun Gipson. On September 24, 2017, Ramsey recorded two solo tackles, deflected a pass, and intercepted a pass by Joe Flacco as the Jaguars routed the Baltimore Ravens 44-7. On October 8, 2017, Ramsey collected a season-high seven solo tackles, a season-high four pass deflections, and intercepted a pass by Ben Roethlisberger to tight end Vance McDonald during a 30-9 victory at the Pittsburgh Steelers. On November 5, 2017, Ramsey was ejected during a 23-7 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals after an altercation that began with him pushing Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver A. J.

On April 25, 2019, the Jaguars exercised the fifth-year option on Ramsey's rookie contract that was guaranteed for one-year, $13.73 million. Head coach Doug Marrone selected Ramsey to be the No. 1 starting cornerback for the third consecutive season and paired him with A. J.

Los Angeles Rams (2019-2023)

The previous day, the Los Angeles Rams had placed starting cornerback Aqib Talib on injured reserve due to a rib injury. Following the trade, the Rams subsequently traded away former starting cornerback Marcus Peters. Head coach Sean McVay named Ramsey the No.

On December 21, 2019, Ramsey recorded four solo tackles, two pass deflections, and had his first interception as a member of the Rams on a pass thrown by Jimmy Garoppolo to wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders during a 34-31 loss at the San Francisco 49ers on Saturday Night Football. On September 13, 2020, Ramsey started in the Los Angeles Rams' home-opener against the Dallas Cowboys and set a season-high with six solo tackles and made one pass deflection during their 20-17 victory. On October 4, 2020, Ramsey recorded five combined tackles (four solo) as the Rams defeated the New York Giants 17-9. Following the game, it was reported Ramsey was involved in a physical altercation with his ex-girlfriend's brother, Giants' wide receiver Golden Tate, due in part to Ramsey's comments against Tate's sister Breanna who he had two children with. On October 10, 2020, Ramsey was fined $15,625 for his role in the postgame fight. On October 26, 2020, he had four solo tackles, one pass deflection, and made his only interception of the season on a pass by Nick Foles intended for tight end Jimmy Graham during a 24-10 win against the Chicago Bears.

On June 13, 2021, Ramsey announced during the Rams minicamp that he would change his number to No. 5 per the new NFL jersey number rule. Ramsey entered training camp slated as the de facto No. 1 starting cornerback. On September 12, 2021, Ramsey started in the Los Angeles Rams' home-opener against the Chicago Bears and racked up a season-high nine combined tackles (seven solo) and broke up a pass during a 34-14 victory. In Week 2, he made three combined tackles (one solo), a pass deflection, and intercepted a pass thrown by Jacob Eason to tight end Jack Doyle late in the fourth quarter to secure a 27-24 win at the Indianapolis Colts. On December 13, 2021, the Rams placed him on COVID-19/reserve list and he subsequently missed their Week 14 win at the Arizona Cardinals on Monday Night Football. In Week 18, Ramsey recorded three solo tackles, made one pass deflection, and intercepted a pass by Jimmy Garoppolo to tight end George Kittle in the endzone during a 27-24 loss at the San Francisco 49ers. The Rams finished the season atop the NFC West with a 12-5 record and clinched a playoff berth. On January 17, 2022, the Rams defeated the Cardinals in the Wild Card Round 34-11. The following week, Ramsey made four combined tackles (three solo) and one pass deflection during a 30-27 win at the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the Divisional Round. On January 30, 2022, he had one solo tackle and two pass deflections as the Rams defeated the San Francisco 49ers 20-17 in the NFC Championship Game to advance to the Super Bowl.

In Week 3, he racked up a season-high eight solo tackles and made two pass deflections during a 20-12 win at the Arizona Cardinals. In Week 9, Ramsey collected a season-high nine combined tackles (six solo) and broke up two passes as the Rams lost 16-13 at the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Miami Dolphins (2023)

On October 28, 2023, the Dolphins officially activated Ramsey from injured reserve and added him to their active roster. Head coach Mike McDaniel immediately inserted him into the role as the No. 1 starting cornerback, supplanting Eli Apple, and paired him with Kader Kohou.

Pittsburgh Steelers (Present)

The Dolphins hired Anthony Weaver as their new defensive coordinator after mutually parting ways with Vic Fangio. Head coach Mike McDaniel retained Ramsey as the No. 1 starting cornerback and he started alongside Kendall Fuller. In Week 10, he racked up six combined tackles (four solo) as the Dolphins defeated his former team in a 23-15 victory at the Los Angeles Rams. The following week, Ramsey had five solo tackles, had two pass deflections, and intercepted a pass by Gardner Minshew to wide receiver Jakobi Meyers during a 34-19 win over the Las Vegas Raiders on Week 11. During the season opener against the New York Jets, Ramsey had two tackles and a game-sealing hit on wide receiver Garrett Wilson with 18 seconds left to give the Steelers a narrow 34-32 victory. In Week 6, Ramsey recorded his first career multi-sack game, putting up two sacks during a 23-9 victory over the Cleveland Browns. In Week 11, Ramsey punched Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase after being spit on, and was ejected from the game.

Personal Life and On-Field Persona

Ramsey is a Christian. Ramsey was known for his trash talk both on and off the field, primarily during his time with Jacksonville. Notable examples include Ramsey's altercation with Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver A. J. Green in 2017, which was caused by his trash talk, and banter between him and Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Tyreek Hill prior to a 2018 matchup between the Jaguars and Chiefs. In an August 2018 interview with GQ, Ramsey also offered his unfiltered opinions of several NFL quarterbacks, criticizing Joe Flacco, Josh Allen, Andrew Luck, Eli Manning, Ben Roethlisberger, Matt Ryan, and Jared Goff, among others. During a game against the rival Seattle Seahawks in 2019, Ramsey engaged in an altercation with Seahawks’ then-rookie receiver DK Metcalf.

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