Terrence Cody

Terrence Bernard Cody, Jr. (born June 28, 1988) is an American football nose tackle for the Baltimore Ravens of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the University of Alabama, where he was given the nickname "Mount Cody" for his gargantuan, 360-pound frame. He was selected by the Baltimore Ravens in the second round of the 2010 NFL Draft.

A native of Florida, Cody spent two seasons at Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College, where he helped the Bulldogs to an unbeaten season in 2007. Surprisingly nimble even at a peak weight of more than 400 lb, Cody drew the attention of major Division I programs. He finished his collegiate career at Alabama, where he earned consensus All-American honors twice while anchoring one of college football's best defenses during the 2008 and 2009 seasons. During his senior season with the Alabama Crimson Tide in 2009, he helped lead the Tide to an undefeated 14-0 season including a victory in the 2010 BCS National Championship Game.

Early years
Cody was born in Fort Myers, Florida. As a child, he wore size-10 shoes by the age of eight and was never eligible for the Pop Warner youth leagues because he was always over the weight limit. He attended Riverdale High School in Fort Myers. Already 6 ft and 275 lb as a ninth-grader, Cody began playing high school football and displayed extraordinary athleticism, causing his high school coach, Scott Jones, to predict "he could be making $2 million playing in the NFL" at some point. He played only two years of varsity football: as a freshman and then as a senior. He struggled academically, had to help take care of his seven younger siblings, and ended up “running with the wrong crowd”.

After sitting out his sophomore and junior seasons, Cody dominated as a senior. In a game against North Fort Myers, he had a memorable collision with star running back Noel Devine. “Terrence hit and spun Noel Devine so hard that [Devine] was on the sideline puking,” coach Jones said.

Cody was not ranked among the nation's elite football prospects in 2006 by any recruiting service. Nonetheless he was offered athletic scholarships by the University of Miami and the University of South Florida, but could not qualify academically. Cody eventually signed with Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College.

College career
I haven't seen anybody who's a match for this guy one-on-one. Nobody playing on Saturdays, or Sundays probably.

Mississippi Gulf Coast
Cody played two seasons at Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College in Perkinston, Mississippi as a nose tackle. As a freshman he recorded 48 tackles with 2.5 sacks and an interception. In his sophomore year, he added 31 tackles and 3.5 sacks while anchoring a Bulldog defense that ranked number one in the state in rushing defense and total defense. Mississippi Gulf Coast finished the season with an 12–0 season record and a NJCAA Co-National Championship. Cody was named to the NJCAA All-American first team. He also earned a three-star rating by Rivals.com and was listed as the 47th-best junior college player in the country.

Despite his dominance, he had trouble drawing scholarship offers, as his weight of 410 lb scared off many teams. “A lot of people are just wary of guys that big,” Mississippi Gulf Coast coach Steve Campbell said. “You know when people say that if things seem too good to be true that they usually are. A big guy like that who's that athletic, you just don't believe what you're seeing.” Particularly noted for his lower body strength, Cody had a squat max of 660 lb in junior college.

However, after Cody had his weight down to 385 lb, a number of schools offered him scholarships, including Tennessee, Ole Miss, and Florida State. He was heavily recruited particularly by Alabama Crimson Tide head coach Nick Saban, who was in need of a true nose tackle for his 3–4 defense. Cody recalls Saban telling him, "We need a body like yours in the middle, to stop the run, to change the rhythm of the game." Cody committed to the Crimson Tide on November 29, 2007.

2008 season
Cody made an immediate impact for the Crimson Tide defensive line, recording four tackles—one for loss—in a 34–10 rout of the Clemson Tigers. He and the rest of the defense also held the Tigers, which included stud running backs James Davis and C. J. Spiller, to zero net rushing yards. With his presence in the middle of the Crimson Tide defensive line, Cody earned himself the nickname of “Mount Cody.” By mid-season he was already considered the No. 1 nose tackle prospect for the 2009 NFL Draft by league scouts.

Against Arkansas, Cody dominated Razorbacks center Jonathan Luigs—the 2007 Rimington Trophy winner—and helped the Crimson Tide to a 49–14 win. In a memorable play on a fourth-and-goal from the 1-yard line late in the first half, Cody blasted past Luigs and left guard Wade Grayson to grab running back Michael Smith before he could reach the end zone. In Alabama's rout over Georgia at Sanford Stadium, Cody was instrumental in holding Doak Walker award candidate Knowshon Moreno to just 34 yards rushing. In the seventh game of the season against Ole Miss, he received a knee injury during the third quarter which sidelined him for two weeks.

In the annual Iron Bowl versus rival Auburn, Cody and teammate Bobby Greenwood sacked quarterback Kodi Burns, giving Cody his first half-sack of the season. He also recovered a fumble, which set up an Alabama touchdown. In the 2008 SEC Championship Game versus Florida, Cody recorded three tackles in a 31–20 loss. In the loss, the Crimson Tide allowed 142 yards rushing —the second most in the 2008 season. In the season finale, he recorded one assisted tackle, while holding the Utah Utes to 13 yards rushing. However, Alabama went on to lose the game 31–17, finishing the season 12–2.

Alabama′s rush defense considerably improved in 2008. After giving up 128.4 rushing yards a game in 2007, the Crimson Tide only allowed 78.8 yards per game in 2008. “As far as one guy who has changed our team more than any, you’d have to go with Terrence,” offensive lineman Mike Johnson said. Cody was subsequently given the team’s Defensive Achievement Award for a newcomer who has played a critical role in the effectiveness of his unit.

Despite being commonly regarded as a top prospect, Cody decided to skip the 2009 NFL Draft. On Christmas Day 2008 an "announcement" on his Facebook page said that he was leaving early, but turned out to be a joke by his girlfriend.

2009 season
Prior to the 2009 season Cody dropped about 10 pounds and worked on his conditioning, hoping to keep himself in the game on third-down passing situations. He was often replaced by Josh Chapman on passing downs in 2008. Nick Saban stated Cody needed to reduce his weight to 340 lbs in order to become an every-down player and pass-rusher; he reported for fall practice at 354 lbs, set a goal to reach 345 lbs by the season opener, and eventually dropped his weight to 349 lbs. Only a couple of days before the first game, Cody and a few of his teammates were sidelined with flu-like symptoms. Cody returned after a three-day absence.

Cody was named to the 2009 Lombardi Award, Lott Trophy, and Outland Trophy pre-season watch lists. Rivals.com ranked him as the No. 1 defensive tackle in college football in 2009. On October 14, 2009, Cody and teammate Rolando McClain were announced as two of the twelve finalists for the 2009 Lombardi Award. Cody was also named to The Sporting News and CBS Sports midseason college football All-American teams.

In a game against Tennessee on October 24, Cody blocked his first two field goals of his career, including a 44-yard attempt in the game's final seconds, to secure Alabama's 12–10 win. According to ''Yahoo! Sports''' national columnist Dan Wetzel, Cody earned himself Heisman Trophy consideration with his performance against the Volunteers. A couple of weeks later, Mike Hiserman of the Los Angeles Times also called for Heisman consideration for Cody, describing him as "the best player on what might be college football's top defense."

On November 10, Cody was named one of four finalists for the Lombardi Award, alongside Jerry Hughes, Gerald McCoy and Ndamukong Suh. He was the seventh Crimson Tide player to be named a finalist and the second in a row, joining offensive tackle Andre Smith, who was a finalist for the award in 2008. Former All-American linebacker Cornelius Bennett was the only Alabama player to win the Lombardi Award, capturing the honor in 1986. In the end, Nebraska's Ndamukong Suh won the award. On November 19, Cody joined Pat Angerer, Eric Berry, Jerry Hughes and Ndamukong Suh as the five finalists for the 2009 Nagurski Trophy, but was again beat out by Suh for the award. On November 23, Cody, Brandon Spikes and Suh were announced as the three finalists for the 2009 Bednarik Award, which was eventually won by Suh as well.

In his two seasons at Alabama, Cody helped the Crimson Tide to lead the Southeastern Conference in rushing defense, allowing opponents a rushing average of only 78.8 and 78.1 yards per game in 2008 and 2009, respectively. No individual player reached the 100-yard rushing mark against the Crimson Tide in those two seasons; Anthony Dixon of Mississippi State came closest with 81 yards in 2009. Cody's presence improved Alabama's pass rush despite his not being an effective pass rusher himself. Wrote Michael Casagrande: "The power that comes with his size typically forces opposing lines to focus two players on blocking him, thus creating favorable rushing lanes for unblocked linebackers."

Prior to the 2010 BCS National Championship Game, Cody drew awestruck praise from Texas players and coaches. "They call him Mount Cody. Mount Cody is for a reason. He plays like he’s 450 pounds. He can move like he’s Sergio Kindle," said Longhorns guard Charlie Tanner. Alabama's defense held Texas to 81 yards rushing—more than 70 yards below their season average—on 28 attempts, and helped the Crimson Tide to their first national title since 1992.

Along with Crimson Tide teammates Javier Arenas, Mike Johnson, Leigh Tiffin, and Colin Peek, Cody participated in the 2010 Senior Bowl on January 30, 2010. In the Senior Bowl weigh-in at the Mobile Convention Center, Cody tipped the scales at 370 pounds, which hurt his draft status according to NFL Network draft analyst Mike Mayock.

College awards and honors
• 2007 Junior College First Team All-American

• 2008 AP All-SEC First Team

• 2008 AP All-American

• 2008 AFCA All-American

• 2008 CBS All-American

• 2008 FWAA All-American

• 2008 Rivals.com All-American

• 2008 Sporting News All-American

• 2008 Sports Illustrated All-American

• 2008 Walter Camp All-American Second Team

• 2009 Preseason 1st team All-American

• 2009 Sporting News Midseason All-American

• 2009 CBS Sports Midseason All-American

• 2009 Bednarik Award finalist

• 2009 Lombardi Award finalist

• 2009 Nagurski Trophy finalist

• 2009 AP All-SEC First Team (unanimous selection)

• 2009 CBS Sports All-American

• 2009 Walter Camp All-American

• 2009 FWAA All-American

• 2009 Scout.com All-American 1st team

• 2009 AP All-American 1st team

• 2009 SEC Championship

• 2010 BCS National Championship

2010 NFL Draft
Frequently drawing comparisons to Ted Washington and Shaun Rogers,  Cody was considered one of the rare two-gap nose tackles that NFL teams covet for their 3–4 defenses. Many NFL experts therefore projected Cody to be selected in the first-round of the 2010 NFL Draft. One of the teams interested in Cody was rumored to be his near-hometown Miami Dolphins, who lost their veteran nose tackle Jason Ferguson to injury during the 2009 season.

Some pro scouts, however, were concerned about Cody's weight and said he needed to reduce it to 340 lbs in order to be an effective NFL player. They questioned whether he had the stamina to be a three-down player, or the quickness to be an effective pass rusher, at his college weight of about 360 lbs. ESPN′s K. C. Joyner analyzed Cody's relative playing time in a four-game SEC stretch in October 2009 (at Kentucky, at Mississippi, vs. South Carolina, vs. Tennessee), and found that Cody was in the Alabama defensive lineup on only 122 of 281 plays. Joyner also discovered that during that stretch Cody drew an impressively high amount of double-teams: 63.6 percent, compared to NFL player Albert Haynesworth's 2007 double-team mark of 51.3 percent.

At the 2010 Senior Bowl, Cody disappointed a lot of NFL scouts when he weighed in at 370 lbs, 16 lbs above his official weight according to the 2009 Alabama media guide. In the game, however, Cody "moved pretty well for a 370-pound behemoth" and used "his hands well to create a little space to get penetration". He finished with 1.5 tackles for loss. At the NFL combine, Cody weighed in at 354 lbs pounds, but according to Mike Mayock he was still not worthy of a first-round pick. Cody worked out at API in Pensacola, Florida, along with Sam Bradford, Jason Worilds, and former Alabama teammates Mike Johnson and Roy Upchurch. He made pre-draft visits to the Baltimore Ravens, the New York Jets, the San Diego Chargers, and the Kansas City Chiefs.

At the NFL Combine, Cody ran a 5.62 sec 40-yard dash, the slowest by an eventually drafted defensive tackle since Corey Swinson, a seventh round pick in the 1995 NFL Draft. Cody was selected in the 2nd round (57th overall) by the Baltimore Ravens. He was the highest picked Alabama Crimson Tide defensive tackle since Cornelius Griffin was drafted 42nd overall by the New York Giants in the 2000 NFL Draft.

Baltimore Ravens
At Baltimore, Cody was projected to strengthen a Ravens defense that allowed the fewest rushing yards per carry (3.4) of any NFL team in 2009 and had a streak of 39 consecutive games without allowing a 100-yard rusher—broken when Cincinnati's Cedric Benson rushed for 120 yards on October 11, 2009. Regarded by Ravens director of player personnel Eric DeCosta as a first-round prospect "from an ability standpoint," Cody was expected to compete against Kelly Gregg for the starting nose tackle spot in 2010. The combination of Cody and 345-pound Haloti Ngata gave Baltimore the AFC North’s heaviest interior line, reminiscent of Sam Adams and Tony Siragusa on the 2000–2001 Ravens teams.

Cody signed a four-year, $3.385 million maximum value contract with the Ravens on July 26, 2010. In training camp at McDaniel College, Cody—along with veteran cornerback Walt Harris—failed his conditioning test for the Ravens, and was thus placed on the physically unable to perform (PUP) list. He eventually passed the conditioning test on his third try, allowing him to go to training camp for the Ravens.

In his unofficial NFL debut, a preseason game against the Carolina Panthers, Cody had a solid performance, finishing with five tackles (four solo). His most impressive play came in the first half, when he tackled DeAngelo Williams with one arm for a loss while holding off Panthers center Ryan Kalil with the other. On November 21, he made his first official start, debuting against the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium. Unlike his preseason performance, he was criticized for his poor performance from fans and head coach John Harbaugh. During a play, the Panthers offensive lineman pushed Cody out of the way, allowing Mike Goodson to have a 45-yard run. Cody finished the game without any tackles, as the Ravens defense allowed 120 rushing yards.

Later in the 2010 season, and especially in the playoffs, he stepped up his play though. So much so, in fact, that in the 2011 off-season, the team parted ways with their long-time starting nose tackle Kelly Gregg. Cody spent the entire 2011 season as a full-time starter, registering 34 tackles and helping lead the Ravens defense to be ranked 2nd in the league against the run, ranked 3rd overall.

Personal
By his own admission, Cody grew up poor. His mother worked two jobs, as a traveling nurse and a bus driver, to care for him and his seven younger siblings. His parents were not married, but his father, a construction worker, was a big part of his life until he died in a car accident when Cody was 11. At the end of his junior year of high school, Cody moved in with the family of a high school teammate, Jason Milliken.

In his two years at Alabama, Cody became the Tide's most popular player because of his outsized personality and body. Says quarterback Greg McElroy: "He's an enjoyable person to have on our team, have in the locker room, and (he) has great charisma. He has fun when he plays the game, and that's a big reason why he's so popular."