Correll Buckhalter

Buckhalter with the Philidephia Eagles on November 2, 2008
No. 28     Denver Broncos
Running back
Personal information
Date of birth: October 6, 1978 (1978-10-06) (age 31)
Place of birth: Collins, Mississippi
Height: 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)	Weight: 217 lb (98 kg)
Career information
College: Nebraska
NFL Draft: 2001 / Round: 4 / Pick: 121
Debuted in 2001 for the Philadelphia Eagles
Career history
As player: Philadelphia Eagles (2001–2008) Denver Broncos (2009–present)
Career highlights and awards
N/A
Career NFL statistics as of week 17, 2008
Rushing yards	2,155
Average	4.5
Rushing Touchdowns	18
Receptions	85
Receiving yards	930
Receiving Touchdowns	4
Stats at NFL.com

Correll Buckhalter (pronounced /kɔrˈɛl/; born October 6, 1978 in Collins, Mississippi) is an American football running back for the Denver Broncos of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in the fourth round of the 2001 NFL Draft. He played college football at Nebraska.

He is a cousin of Cleveland Browns cornerback Brandon McDonald.

[edit] Early years

Buckhalter attended Collins High School (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.

[edit] College career

At the University of Nebraska, 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 at Nebraska. He majored in sociology.

[edit] Professional career

[edit] Philadelphia Eagles

Buckhalter's NFL career has been 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 has seen action at running back as well as kick returner. Through eight games he has 193 yards rushing and a 20.7 yards per return average. The Philadelphia Inquirer suggested that he may be replaced at returner by J. R. Reed.^[1]

[edit] Denver Broncos

On February 27, 2009, Buckhalter signed a four-year, $10 million contract with the Denver Broncos. The deal includes $1.8 million guaranteed.^[2][3]

Despite splitting carries with rookie Knowshon Moreno, after 3 weeks, Buckhalter is 9th in the league with 230 rushing yards and is averaging 7.3 yards per carry, which ranks 2nd behind only Dallas Cowboys running back Felix Jones.

[edit] Personal

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.^[4] In March 2009 prosecutors in a Philadelphia drug dealing case named Buckhalter as a celebrity client of the alleged dealer, Styles N. Beckles^[5]. Buckhalter has not been charged with any crime and strongly denied any link to Beckles^[6].

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.

[edit] Stats

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Eagles Player Page
• Philadelphia Inquirer story about his comeback