Correll Buckhalter (/kəˈrɛl/; born October 6, 1978) is an American former professional football player who was a running back for eight seasons in the National Football League (NFL). After playing college football for the Nebraska Cornhuskers, he was selected by the Philadelphia Eagles in the fourth round of the 2001 NFL draft.[1] He played for the Eagles from 2001 to 2008, with three seasons lost due to injury. He played for the Denver Broncos for two seasons (2009 and 2010).
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| No. 28 | |||||||||||||||
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| Position: | Running back | ||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||
| Born: | October 6, 1978 Collins, Mississippi, U.S. | ||||||||||||||
| Height: | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) | ||||||||||||||
| Weight: | 223 lb (101 kg) | ||||||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||||||
| High school: | Collins | ||||||||||||||
| College: | Nebraska | ||||||||||||||
| NFL draft: | 2001 / round: 4 / pick: 121 | ||||||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||||||
| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||||||||
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Early years
editBuckhalter attended Collins High School in Collins, Mississippi, and was a letterman in football. In football, he rushed for 3,024 yards over the last two years of his high school years. He was selected for the all-state team, and during his junior year when he rushed for 1,302 yards. During his senior year, he rushed for 1,722 yards and 12 touchdowns. Buckhalter graduated from Collins in 1997.
College career
editAt the University of Nebraska–Lincoln, Buckhalter played in 46 games and finished ranked eighth in school history for rushing yards (2,522). He had 11 100+ yard games in college while starting only nine times and scored 27 touchdowns for the Cornhuskers. He majored in sociology.
Professional career
edit| Height | Weight | 40-yard dash | 10-yard split | 20-yard split | 20-yard shuttle | Three-cone drill | Vertical jump | Broad jump | Bench press | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 ft 11+5⁄8 in (1.82 m) |
226 lb (103 kg) |
4.53 s | 1.59 s | 2.62 s | 4.06 s | 7.08 s | 40.0 in (1.02 m) |
10 ft 3 in (3.12 m) |
11 reps | |||
| All values from NFL Combine[2] | ||||||||||||
Philadelphia Eagles
edit
Buckhalter's NFL career was marred by injuries. He missed the 2002 season due to a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee and both the 2004 and 2005 seasons due to a torn patellar tendon in his right knee.
In his rookie season of 2001, Buckhalter showed flashes of the potential the Eagles saw when he was drafted. Sharing the load with Duce Staley, he rushed for 586 yards with 4.5 yards per carry average, breaking Keith Byars team record for rushing yards by a rookie. He scored two touchdowns that season. Unfortunately, that season he was also suspended for a game after he and two teammates were stopped by police and arrested for possession of marijuana. Buckhalter was not charged in the case.
Buckhalter would not return to the field again until the 2003 season. Teaming with Staley and second year Brian Westbrook, he led the team in rushing attempts and rushing touchdowns (eight) gaining 542 yards in the process. Again however, he was suspended by Coach Andy Reid after missing a team meeting.
While still recovering, Buckhalter and Bryan Scott made cameo appearances in the comedy movie, White Men Can't Rap.
The 2006 season marked his first action since the 2003 NFC Championship Game. He played in all 16 games, but started only once. His season totals included 345 rushing yards on 83 carries, 24 receptions, 256 receiving yards and three touchdowns.
After the season, Buckhalter was re-signed by the Eagles for two years.
In 2007, he saw action at running back as well as at kick returner. He had 313 yards rushing and a 21.6 yards per return average.
Denver Broncos
edit
On February 27, 2009, Buckhalter signed a four-year, $10 million contract with the Denver Broncos. The deal included $1.8 million guaranteed.[3][4] In 2009, his ninth season in the NFL, Buckhalter achieved career highs in rushing yardage (642), yards per carry (5.4), and receptions (31).
In 2010, Buckhalter played in 15 games as a reserve. He rushed for 147 yards and also caught 28 passes for 240 yards. He scored 4 total touchdowns.
On July 28, 2011, he was released by Denver.[5]
Personal
editBuckhalter is a cousin of Tampa Bay Buccaneers cornerback Brandon McDonald. Buckhalter has had to deal with adversity over his career. His mother died when he was young and his brother Chris, who played on the Eagles practice squad in 1996, is serving a 20-year sentence for manslaughter.[6] In March 2009 prosecutors in a Philadelphia drug dealing case named Buckhalter as a celebrity client of the alleged dealer, Styles N. Beckles.[7] Buckhalter has not been charged with any crime and strongly denied any link to Beckles.[8]
Buckhalter owns a Quarter Horse stallion named 'Absolutely No Doubt,' who was the national high point Performance Halter Stallion of the American Quarter Horse Association in 2008.
Buckhalter was charged with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and health care fraud by the United States Department of Justice on December 12, 2019.[9] He initially pleaded not guilty,[10] but later pleaded guilty to the charge by July 2020.[11] He was sentenced to 10 months in prison and 300 days of house arrest in October 2021.[12][13]
College statistics
edit| Year | Team | Games | Rush Att. | Rush Yards | Avg. | Rush TDs | Rec. | Rec. Yards | Avg. | Rec. TDs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | Nebraska | 11 | 54 | 311 | 5.8 | 6 | 3 | 6 | 2.0 | 0 |
| 1998 | Nebraska | 12 | 142 | 799 | 5.6 | 8 | 13 | 88 | 6.8 | 0 |
| 1999 | Nebraska | 11 | 111 | 662 | 6.0 | 6 | 3 | 21 | 7.0 | 0 |
| 2000 | Nebraska | 11 | 106 | 750 | 7.1 | 7 | 5 | 85 | 17.0 | 1 |
| Totals | 45 | 413 | 2,522 | 6.11 | 27 | 24 | 200 | 8.33 | 1 |
NFL Statistics
editRegular season
edit| Year | Team | Games | Rushing | Receiving | Kickoff returns | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Att | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | Rec | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | Ret | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | ||
| 2001 | PHI | 15 | 6 | 129 | 586 | 4.5 | 48 | 2 | 13 | 130 | 10.0 | 26 | 0 | 1 | 28 | 28.0 | 28 | 0 |
| 2002 | PHI | 0 | 0 | Did not play due to injury | ||||||||||||||
| 2003 | PHI | 15 | 5 | 126 | 542 | 4.3 | 64 | 8 | 10 | 133 | 13.3 | 27 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2004 | PHI | 0 | 0 | Did not play due to injury | ||||||||||||||
| 2005 | PHI | 0 | 0 | Did not play due to injury | ||||||||||||||
| 2006 | PHI | 16 | 1 | 83 | 345 | 4.2 | 20 | 2 | 24 | 256 | 10.7 | 55 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2007 | PHI | 14 | 2 | 62 | 313 | 5.0 | 30 | 4 | 12 | 87 | 7.3 | 14 | 0 | 37 | 798 | 21.6 | 35 | 0 |
| 2008 | PHI | 14 | 2 | 76 | 369 | 4.9 | 33 | 2 | 26 | 324 | 12.5 | 59 | 2 | 1 | 14 | 14.0 | 14 | 0 |
| 2009 | DEN | 14 | 7 | 120 | 642 | 5.4 | 45 | 1 | 31 | 240 | 7.7 | 30 | 0 | 8 | 184 | 23.0 | 41 | 0 |
| 2010 | DEN | 15 | 0 | 59 | 147 | 2.5 | 13 | 2 | 28 | 240 | 8.6 | 23 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Career | 103 | 23 | 655 | 2,944 | 4.5 | 64 | 21 | 144 | 1,410 | 9.8 | 59 | 6 | 47 | 1,024 | 21.8 | 41 | 0 | |
Postseason
edit| Year | Team | Games | Rushing | Receiving | Kickoff returns | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Att | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | Rec | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | Ret | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | ||
| 2001 | PHI | 3 | 0 | 18 | 110 | 6.1 | 31 | 1 | 4 | 26 | 6.5 | 9 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2003 | PHI | 2 | 0 | 20 | 60 | 3.0 | 9 | 0 | 3 | 31 | 10.3 | 23 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2006 | PHI | 2 | 0 | 9 | 15 | 1.7 | 9 | 0 | 2 | 11 | 5.5 | 8 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2008 | PHI | 3 | 0 | 11 | 55 | 5.0 | 27 | 0 | 4 | 31 | 7.8 | 19 | 0 | 1 | 20 | 20.0 | 20 | 0 |
| Career | 10 | 0 | 58 | 240 | 4.1 | 31 | 1 | 13 | 99 | 7.6 | 23 | 0 | 1 | 20 | 20.0 | 20 | 0 | |
References
edit- ^ "2001 NFL Draft Listing". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved March 18, 2023.
- ^ "Correll Buckhalter College Football Profile". DraftScout.com. Retrieved May 25, 2024.
- ^ Bob Grotz, Update: Buckhalter signs with Broncos, delcotimes.com, 2/27/2009
- ^ CBS4/11 Sports, Broncos Sign Buckhalter, Arrington, kktv.com, 2/27/2009
- ^ Rosenthal, Gregg. "Release Tracker". Pro Football Talk. Retrieved July 29, 2011.
- ^ Justin Kunkel, Tuesday Timeout: Buckhalter's Quest, PhiladelphiaEagles.com, 12/4/07[permanent dead link]
- ^ Alleged Drug Dealer Names Bronco As Client[permanent dead link] Sporting News, March 18, 2009
- ^ Buckhalter Denies Buying Drugs from PA Dealer SI.com, March 19, 2009
- ^ "Ten Former NFL Players Charged in Alleged Nationwide Fraud on Health Care Benefit Program for Retired NFL Players". www.justice.gov. December 12, 2019. Retrieved January 15, 2020.
- ^ Estep, Bill (January 27, 2020). "More former NFL players pleading guilty in health fraud case in Kentucky". Kentucky.com. Retrieved February 21, 2020.
- ^ "Six Former NFL Players Charged in Superseding Indictment Alleging Nationwide Fraud on Health Care Benefit Program for Retired NFL Players". Justice.gov. July 24, 2020. Retrieved January 2, 2021.
- ^ Barnes, Adam (October 26, 2021). "Former NFL players sentenced in multimillion-dollar fraud scheme". TheHill.com. Retrieved May 12, 2022.
- ^ "Former NFL Player Sentenced to Prison for Nationwide Health Care Fraud Scheme". Justice.gov. February 9, 2022. Retrieved May 12, 2022.