American Football Database
Register
Advertisement
Alan Ball
No. 20, 22, 23, 24, 45     
Cornerback
Personal information
Date of birth: (1985-03-29) March 29, 1985 (age 38)
Place of birth: Detroit, Michigan
Career information
College: Illinois
NFL Draft: 2007 / Round: 7 / Pick: 237
No regular season or postseason appearances
Career history
* Dallas Cowboys ( 2007 2011)
Career highlights and awards
* Honorable-mention All-Big Ten (2006)
Total tackles     234
Interceptions     6
Pass deflections     37
Sacks     0.5
Forced fumbles     3
Stats at NFL.com
Stats at pro-football-reference.com

Alan Sheffield Ball (born March 29, 1985) is a former American football cornerback in the National Football League for the Dallas Cowboys, Houston Texans, Jacksonville Jaguars, and Chicago Bears. He was drafted by the Dallas Cowboys in the seventh round of the 2007 NFL Draft. He played college football at the University of Illinois. He was a contestant on the 35th season of Survivor (Heroes v. Healers v. Hustlers), where he placed 15th.

Early years[]

Ball attended Saint Martin de Porres High School in Detroit, Michigan where he helped his team win the 2001 state championship in football. He finished with 15 interceptions, including six in his senior season postseason.

Also a standout track & field athlete, Ball received All-State honors after winning back-to-back 110-meter hurdles state titles as a junior and senior.[1]

College career[]

Ball accepted a football scholarship from the University of Illinois. He appeared in 7 games with 5 starts as a freshman, making 44 tackles, 4 passes defensed and one forced fumble.

He doubled his starts (10) as a sophomore, finishing with 37 tackles (one for loss) and one pass defensed. As a junior, he registered seven starts and led the team with 55 tackles.

His best season came in his final year, when he received honorable-mention All-Big Ten honors, after recording 62 tackles (3 for loss), one interception, and 13 passes defensed. He finished his college career with 199 tackles (8 for loss), 2 interceptions, 23 passes defensed, and one forced fumble.

Professional career[]

Dallas Cowboys[]

Ball was selected by the Dallas Cowboys in the seventh round (237th overall) of the 2007 NFL Draft. He was waived on September 2 and spent the first 14 games of the season on the practice squad, before being activated to the roster on December 11. He made his NFL debut on December 22, against the Carolina Panthers.

In 2009, he was third on the team with 16 special teams tackles. He made an appearance in all 16 games (during the 2009 season) for first time in his career, along with first three starts of his career, collecting 18 tackles and three pass break-ups.

In 2010, with the changes that the NFL was experiencing in the passing game, head coach Wade Phillips thought he could develop into an effective free safety and switched him from his previous cornerback position. He replaced Ken Hamlin and started 16 games, registering 45 tackles, two interceptions, four passes defensed, two forced fumbles and ½ sack.[2] Ball started all 16 contests for first time in his career.

In 2011, he lost his starter job to Abram Elam and returned to a backup cornerback role, registering 32 tackles, one interception, and six passes defensed. He wasn't re-signed at the end of the season.

Houston Texans[]

On June 2, 2012, he was signed by the Houston Texans, reuniting with former Cowboys head coach Wade Phillips.[3] Ball played in 11 games with one start at cornerback and was second on the team with 13 special teams tackles. He was not re-signed at the end of the season.

Jacksonville Jaguars[]

On March 15, 2013, he signed as a free agent by the Jacksonville Jaguars. He was named the starter at right cornerback (15 starts), finishing with career-highs in passes defensed (14), tackles (47) and interceptions (two).[4] The 14 passes defensed were the most by a Jaguars player since Rashean Mathis' 21 in 2006.

The next year, he started the first seven games, before sustaining a biceps injury against the Cleveland Browns and being placed on the injured reserve list on October 28. He registered 22 tackles, one interception, and three passes defensed.[5]

Chicago Bears[]

On March 27, 2015, Ball signed with the Chicago Bears on a one-year deal. He struggled with a foot injury in training camp, but still was able to begin the regular season as a starter, losing his job to Tracy Porter in the fourth game, who went on to start the rest of the year. Ball played primarily in dime packages, ending the year with 20 tackles and five pass breakups.[6]

Arizona Cardinals[]

On August 4, 2016, Ball signed as a free agent with the Arizona Cardinals.[7] He suffered a quadriceps injury a few days after signing. On August 30, he was released with an injury settlement.[8]

Survivor[]

On August 30, 2017, CBS announced that Ball would be included in the cast of season 35 of Survivor.[9] He would initially be placed on Levu (the Heroes tribe). After losing the first immunity challenge, Levu went to Tribal Council, where Ball caused trouble with fellow players JP Hilsabeck and Ashley Nolan, whom he saw as a power couple. At the tribal switch on Day Nine, he remained on the same tribe as Nolan, and they were forced to work together, to try to vote out Joe Mena of the former Soko (Healers) tribe. However, Mena had an idol, which he used to cancel the votes against him, thus sending Ball home. He was the fourth person voted out of the game, placing 15th.

See also[]

  • Survivor: Heroes v. Healers v. Hustlers

References[]

  1. "Alan Ball Profile". http://fightingillini.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=3077. Retrieved June 12, 2018.
  2. "Dallas Cowboys' Alan Ball ready to start for ailing Cowboys secondary". ESPN.com. http://www.espn.com/dallas/nfl/story/_/id/6974840/dallas-cowboys-alan-ball-ready-start-ailing-cowboys-secondary.
  3. "Texans sign defensive back Alan Ball, too". profootballtalk.com. https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2012/06/02/texans-sign-defensive-back-alan-ball-too/. Retrieved June 12, 2018.
  4. "Alan Ball signed with Jaguars for a chance to be a starter". jacksonville.com. http://www.jacksonville.com/sports/football/jaguars/2013-06-11/story/alan-ball-signed-jaguars-chance-be-starter.
  5. "Jacksonville Jaguars CB Alan Ball goes on IR with biceps injury". ESPN.com. http://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/11784757/jacksonville-jaguars-cb-alan-ball-goes-ir-biceps-injury. Retrieved June 12, 2018.
  6. "Bears' free-agent watch: Alan Ball's role diminished". http://www.espn.com/blog/chicago-bears/post/_/id/4701820/bears-free-agent-watch-alan-ball. Retrieved June 12, 2018.
  7. "Cardinals signed 9-year NFL cornerback Alan Ball". https://www.foxsports.com/nfl/story/cardinals-signed-9-year-nfl-cornerback-alan-ball-080416. Retrieved June 12, 2018.
  8. "Arizona Cardinals make 2 moves to reach roster limit". https://www.azcentral.com/story/sports/nfl/cardinals/2016/08/29/arizona-cardinals-cut-qb-jake-coker-10-others/89556766/?hootPostID=a04578801047b30edac5d67de86f58ee. Retrieved June 12, 2018.
  9. Swartz, Tracy (August 30, 2017). "Former Bear, Illinois CB Alan Ball competing on 'Survivor'". Chicago Tribune (Tronc, Inc.). http://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/chicagoinc/ct-ent-bears-alan-ball-survivor-20170830-story.html. Retrieved June 12, 2018.

External links[]

Template:Survivor contestants

Advertisement