View source for Jeff Demps

{{Short description|American football player and sprinter (born 1990)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2019}}
{{Infobox NFL biography
| name          = Jeff Demps
| image         = Jeff Demps 2018 USATF Outdoor Championships.jpg<!-- Only free-content images are allowed for depicting living people -- see [[WP:NONFREE]]. -->
| image_size    =
| alt           = 
| caption       = Demps in 2018
| current_team  = 
| number        = 42, 32
| position      = [[Running back]]
| birth_date    = {{Birth date and age|1990|1|8|mf=y}}
| birth_place   = [[Winter Garden, Florida]], U.S.
| death_date    = 
| death_place   = 
| high_school   = [[South Lake High School (Florida)|South Lake]]<br>([[Groveland, Florida]])
| college       = [[Florida Gators football|Florida]]
| height_ft     = 5
| height_in     = 7
| weight_lbs    = 191
| undraftedyear = 2012
| pastteams     =
* [[New England Patriots]] ({{NFL Year|2012}})
* [[Tampa Bay Buccaneers]] ({{NFL Year|2013}}–{{NFL Year|2014}})
* [[Indianapolis Colts]] ({{NFL Year|2014}}–{{NFL Year|2015}})*
| status        = 
| highlights    =
* [[BCS National Championship Game|BCS national champion]] ([[2009 BCS National Championship Game|2009]])
| statleague    = NFL
| statweek      = 
| statseason    = 
| statlabel1    = [[Carry (American football)|Rushing attempts]]
| statvalue1    = 1
| statlabel2    = [[Rushing yards]]
| statvalue2    = 14
| statlabel3    = [[Touchdown|Rushing touchdowns]]
| statvalue3    = 
| statlabel4    = [[Reception (American football)|Receptions]]
| statvalue4    = 3
| statlabel5    = [[Receiving yards]]
| statvalue5    = 21
| statlabel6    = [[Touchdown|Receiving touchdowns]]
| statvalue6    =  
|pfr=DempJe00
}}

'''Jeffery Barnard Demps''' (born January 8, 1990) is an American former [[track and field]] athlete and professional [[American football|football]] [[running back (American football)|running back]]. He attended the [[University of Florida]], where he was a running back for the [[Florida Gators football]] team and a [[sprint (running)|sprinter]] for the [[Florida Gators track and field]] team.

He is the only Florida Gator athlete to have won national championships in two sports with his [[2009 BCS National Championship]] and multiple indoor and outdoor track titles over his four-year career.<ref>{{cite web|title=Jeff Demps: 2011 Football Roster|url=http://www.gatorzone.com/football/bios.php?year=2011&player_id=181|publisher=University of Florida|access-date=August 11, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121004153959/http://www.gatorzone.com/football/bios.php?year=2011&player_id=181|archive-date=October 4, 2012|url-status=dead}}</ref> Demps matched the [[100 meters]] [[List of junior world records in athletics|world junior record]] with a time of 10.01 seconds in June 2008.<ref>{{Cite news |url=http://www.postindependent.com/article/20080630/SPORTS/717391452/1075 |title=Records tumbling at U.S. Olympic track trials |newspaper=Glenwood Springs Post Independent |first=Blake |last=Risner |date=June 30, 2008 |access-date=July 31, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120307131327/http://www.postindependent.com/article/20080630/SPORTS/717391452/1075 |archive-date=March 7, 2012 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

In January 2012, Demps decided to focus on the [[2012 United States Olympic Trials (track and field)|2012 United States Olympic Trials]] instead of the [[2012 NFL draft]], pursuing a career in track rather than professional football.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.gatorzone.com/story.php?id=22110 |title=Demps Running Track for Gators and Plans to Pursue Olympics and Pro Career Instead of NFL |date=January 12, 2012 |work=GatorZone.com |first=Scott |last=Carter |access-date=January 13, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924050120/http://www.gatorzone.com/story.php?id=22110 |archive-date=September 24, 2015 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Demps signed a contract with the NFL's [[New England Patriots]] on August 17, 2012.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.myfoxtampabay.com/story/19304639/2012/08/17/olympic-medalist-demps-opts-for-patriots-over-bucs|title=Tampa Bay news, weather forecast, radar, and sports from WTVT-TV - FOX 13 News - FOX 13 Tampa Bay|last=FOX|website=FOX13news|access-date=August 17, 2012|archive-date=July 25, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140725155918/http://www.myfoxtampabay.com/story/19304639/2012/08/17/olympic-medalist-demps-opts-for-patriots-over-bucs|url-status=dead}}</ref> He was a running back for the New England Patriots, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and the Indianapolis Colts. He only had regular season playing time with the Buccaneers.

==Early life==
Demps attended [[South Lake High School (Florida)|South Lake High School]] in [[Groveland, Florida]], where he was a second-team Class 4A all-state selection at running back, gaining 1,401 yards on the ground, along with 16 touchdowns on 157 carries during his senior year. As a junior, he rushed for 21 touchdowns and 1,761 yards on 170 carries, earning second-team all-state Class 3A selection honors. Regarded as a four-star recruit by [[Rivals.com]], Demps was listed as the No. 36 football prospect from the state of Florida in 2008.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://sports.yahoo.com/ncaa/football/recruiting/rankings/rank-1853 |title=Florida Top 100 2008 |work=Rivals.com |date=January 30, 2008 }}</ref>

In track, he ran the 100 meters at the Florida state final, the fastest time recorded at that event at 10.37 seconds. He also clocked a 10.25 at the AAU Junior Olympics, the second-fastest time ever in the state and the fastest clocking recorded by a high school senior that year. Competing at the 2008 [[United States Olympic Trials (track and field)|U.S. Olympic trials]], Demps set a new [[United States high school national records in track and field|national high school record]] with 10.01 seconds, beating [[J-Mee Samuels]]' 10.08 seconds. His time also equaled the 100 meters [[List of world junior records in athletics|world junior record]], originally established by [[Darrel Brown]] in 2003.

==College career==

===Football===
[[File:Jeff Demps (November 28, 2009).jpg|thumb|right|125px|Demps with the [[Florida Gators football|Florida Gators]] in 2009]]
Demps played a key role in Florida's third national title season, rushing 78 times for 605 yards, averaging 7.8 yards per carry as a freshman. During his sophomore season Demps rushed for a career high 745 yards on 99 carries and 7 scores. He also averaged 7.5 yards a carry that season. During his junior season, Demps battled several injuries which caused him to rush for a career low 551 yards on 92 carries and 3 touchdowns. as a senior, Jeff Demps rushed for 569 yards on 98 carries and 6 touchdowns. This included a career long 84-yard touchdown score against Kentucky.

===Statistics===
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Year
! Stat
! Carries
! Yards
! Average
! TD
|- style="text-align:center;"
| 2008
| Rushing
| 78
| 605
| 7.8
| 7
|- style="text-align:center;"
| 2009
| Rushing
| 99
| 745
| 7.5
| 7
|- style="text-align:center;"
| 2010
| Rushing
| 92
| 551
| 6.0
| 3
|- style="text-align:center;"
| 2011
| Rushing
| 98
| 569
| 5.8
| 6
|}

===Track and field===
{{MedalTableTop}}
{{MedalSport | Men's [[athletics (sport)|athletics]]}}
{{MedalCountry |the {{USA}} }}
{{MedalCompetition|[[Olympic Games]]}}
{{Medal|Disqualified| [[2012 Summer Olympics|2012 London]] |[[Athletics at the 2012 Summer Olympics – Men's 4 × 100 metres relay|4×100 m relay]]}}
{{MedalBottom}}

In 2009, Demps competed in four outdoor meets for the Gators' track and field team. He ran the anchor leg of Florida's SEC Championship 4 × 100 m relay team (alongside Jeremy Hall, Calvin Smith Jr., and [[Terrell Wilks]]), which recorded the third-fastest time in school history (38.74) and won Florida's first the 4×100-meter relay title since the 2004 season. Following an injury, Demps only ran a 10.30 over 100 meters at the SEC Championships, placing him ninth overall. At the War Eagle Invitational, Demps helped the Gators win the 4×100-meter relay.

In March 2010, Demps won the [[60 meters]] in 6.56 seconds at the 2010 NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships in [[Fayetteville, Arkansas]]. Three months later at the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships, he beat favored [[Rondel Sorrillo]] by a margin of .13 seconds, claiming the school's first 100-meter NCAA title since [[Bernard Williams (athlete)|Bernard Williams]] won in 2000. Demps' time of 9.96 would have been a new school record had the race not been heavily [[Wind assistance|wind-aided]] (+2.5&nbsp;m/s).<ref>{{Cite news |url=http://www.gatorcountry.com/other_sports/article/demps_wins_in_996_kevkhishvili_repeats/9316 |title=Demps wins in 9.96; Kevkhishvili repeats |work=Florida Gators Country |date=June 11, 2010 }}</ref> He claimed the 2012 NCAA Indoor title over 60 meters with a personal best run of 6.52 in the heats, then time of 6.56 seconds to win the final.<ref>Dunaway, James (March 12, 2012). [http://www.iaaf.org/news/newsid=64362.html Florida and Oregon on top - NCAA Indoors ]. IAAF. Retrieved on 2012-03-22.</ref> At the 85th [[Texas Relays]] in March 2012, Demps won the 100 metres in the university group, ahead of [[Aaron Ernest]] of [[Louisiana State University|LSU]].<ref>{{cite web |author=Special to Gatorsports.com |url=http://www.gatorsports.com/article/20120331/ARTICLES/120339928 |title=Jeff Demps claimed the men's 100 meters university crown |publisher=Gatorsports.com |date=March 31, 2012 |access-date=August 16, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120407221010/http://www.gatorsports.com/article/20120331/ARTICLES/120339928 |archive-date=April 7, 2012 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

On July 25, 2012, Demps was added to the [[United States at the 2012 Summer Olympics#Athletics|2012 U.S. Olympic roster]] as a member of the 4×100 meter relay pool, serving as a replacement for [[Mike Rodgers]], who suffered a stress fracture in his left foot.<ref>{{cite web |author=Special to Gatorsports.com |url=http://www.gatorsports.com/article/20120724/ARTICLES/120729808 |title=Demps added to Olympics roster |publisher=Gatorsports.com |access-date=August 16, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120731013752/http://www.gatorsports.com/article/20120724/ARTICLES/120729808 |archive-date=July 31, 2012 |url-status=dead }}</ref> He raced the first leg of the preliminary second heat and helped the U.S. 4×100 relay team achieve a time of the 37.38 seconds, which was the fastest time of the preliminary round and broke a 20-year-old American record.<ref>{{cite news|title=USA, Jamaica roar into men's 4x100 final with blazing times|url=https://www.usatoday.com/sports/olympics/london/track/story/2012-08-10/olympics-track-relays/56938190/1|publisher=USA Today|access-date=August 11, 2012|date=August 10, 2012}}</ref> The team would go on to win a silver medal in the final round with [[Tyson Gay]] and [[Ryan Bailey (athlete)|Ryan Bailey]] instead of Demps and preliminary teammate Darvis Patton, but as part of the team, Demps still received a medal.<ref>{{cite news|last=Williams|first=JR|title=Former Gator Jeff Demps won't be part Olympic relay final|url=http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/2012-08-11/sports/os-gator-jeff-demps-olympics-relay-0811_1_jeff-demps-usain-bolt-tyson-gay|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150518090612/http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/2012-08-11/sports/os-gator-jeff-demps-olympics-relay-0811_1_jeff-demps-usain-bolt-tyson-gay|url-status=dead|archive-date=May 18, 2015|access-date=August 11, 2012|newspaper=Orland Sentinel|date=August 11, 2012}}</ref> The medal was later stripped, after Gay admitted to using a banned substance.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/news/article.cfm?c_id=4&objectid=11448647 | title=Should you be stripped of medal when a teammate dopes? | publisher=New Zealand Herald | date=May 14, 2015 | access-date=May 14, 2015}}</ref> Demps is still competing at a high level to this day. During the 2018 season, Demps has won the Cayman Invitational and the Bermuda Invitational track meets both in the 100m. He also placed 6th in the USATF National Championships with a time of 10.02 seconds.

====Personal bests====
{| class="wikitable"
|-
!Event
!Time (seconds)
!Venue
!Date
|-
|[[60 meters]]
|6.52<ref name="iaaf.org">{{cite web|url=https://www.iaaf.org/athletes/united-states/jeffery-demps-228425|title=IAAF: Jeffery Demps - Profile|website=iaaf.org}}</ref>
|Nampa, Idaho
|March 9, 2012
|-
|[[100 meters]]
|10.01<ref name="iaaf.org"/>
|Eugene, Oregon
|June 28, 2008
|-
|[[200 meters]]
|21.04<ref name="iaaf.org"/>
|Sanford, Florida
|April 6, 2012
|}

==Professional career==
===New England Patriots===
Demps skipped the 2012 [[NFL Combine]] and Draft in favor of preparing for the 2012 Summer Olympics. However, he attracted interest from NFL teams after the Olympics, and agreed to terms on a three-year deal with the [[New England Patriots]] on August 17, 2012.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/blog/eye-on-football/19815237/report-silver-medalist-jeff-demps-to-sign-with-patriots|title=Report: Silver medalist Jeff Demps to sign with Patriots}}</ref>  On August 31, 2012, he was placed on injured reserve and thus missed the entire 2012 season.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nfl.com/news/patriots-place-olympian-jeff-demps-on-injured-reserve-0ap1000000057344|title=Patriots place Olympian Jeff Demps on injured reserve|website=[[NFL.com]] }}</ref>

===Tampa Bay Buccaneers===
On April 27, 2013, the Patriots traded Demps to the [[Tampa Bay Buccaneers]] along with a seventh-round selection (229th overall) in the [[2013 NFL draft]] for running back [[LeGarrette Blount]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.espn.com/boston/nfl/story/_/id/9218377/2013-nfl-draft-tampa-bay-buccaneers-trade-legarrette-blount-new-england-patriots |title=LeGarrette Blount dealt to Pats |last1=Reiss |first1=Mike |date=April 27, 2013 |publisher=ESPNBoston.com |access-date=April 27, 2013}}</ref> Demps was released by the Buccaneers on August 30, 2014, as part of the final roster cuts. On August 31, 2014, Jeff Demps was signed to the Buccaneers practice squad.

===Indianapolis Colts===
Demps signed with the [[Indianapolis Colts]] on October 21, 2014.<ref>{{cite web|last1=White|first1=R.J.|title=Colts add Jeff Demps, Konrad Reuland to practice squad|url=http://fantasynews.cbssports.com/fantasyfootball/update/24762359/colts-add-jeff-demps-konrad-reuland-to-practice-squad|work=CBS Sports|date=October 21, 2014 |access-date=October 21, 2014}}</ref> He was released on October 29,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.kentucky.com/2014/10/29/3508963_scoreboard-oct-30.html?rh=1|title=Scoreboard: Oct. 30|work=kentucky.com|date=October 29, 2014|access-date=October 30, 2014}}</ref> and re-signed on November 25.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2014/11/25/colts-practice-squad-adds-griff-whalen-sprinter-jeff-demps/related/|title=Colts' practice squad adds Griff Whalen, sprinter Jeff Demps|last=Smith|first=Michael David|work=profootballtalk.nbcsports.com|date=November 25, 2014|access-date=November 25, 2014|archive-date=March 3, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303225918/http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2014/11/25/colts-practice-squad-adds-griff-whalen-sprinter-jeff-demps/related/|url-status=dead}}</ref> Demps was waived on May 4, 2015.

==Personal life==
Demps' cousin is [[New York Jets]] wide receiver [[Malachi Corley]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=5 things to know about new Jets WR Malachi Corley|url=https://jetswire.usatoday.com/lists/jets-draft-5-things-to-know-malachi-corley/|access-date=September 20, 2024|website=jetswire.usatoday.com|date=April 27, 2024 |language=en}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist|colwidth=30em}}

==Further reading==
*{{cite news |first=Jeré |last=Longman |title=Fastest Man in Pads May Be Florida's Tailback |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/24/sports/football/24florida.html |work=[[New York Times]] |date=October 23, 2008 }}

==External links==
{{commons category}}
* {{Webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141008114034/http://www.buccaneers.com/team-and-stats/roster/Jeff-Demps/0e7de2bf-d7b5-46a7-a0cc-e1182a6bfb57 |title=Tampa Bay Buccaneers bio |date=mdy}} 
* {{Webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121004153959/http://www.gatorzone.com/football/bios.php?year=2011&player_id=181 |title=Florida Gators football bio |date=mdy}} 
* [https://www.espn.com/college-sports/football/recruiting/?athID=52658 Jeff Demps] at [[DyeStat]]
* {{Webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924051153/http://www.gatorzone.com/trackfield/men/bios.php?year=2012&player_id=93 |title=Florida Gators track and field bio |date=mdy}}
* {{World Athletics}}
* {{USATF|Jeff-Demps|archive=20220925090425}}
* {{Team USA|new_id=jeff-demps|old_id=DE/Jeff-Demps|archive=20230417093844}}
* {{Olympedia}}
* {{Olympics.com|jeffery-demps|Jeffery Demps}}

{{ESPNRISE 2000s All-Decade track team}}
{{2008 Florida Gators football navbox}}
{{Footer USA Track & Field 2012 Summer Olympics}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Demps, Jeff}}
[[Category:1990 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:American football running backs]]
[[Category:American male sprinters]]
[[Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 2012 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Competitors stripped of Summer Olympics medals]]
[[Category:Florida Gators football players]]
[[Category:Florida Gators men's track and field athletes]]
[[Category:Indianapolis Colts players]]
[[Category:New England Patriots players]]
[[Category:Olympic track and field athletes for the United States]]
[[Category:Sportspeople from Winter Garden, Florida]]
[[Category:Players of American football from Orange County, Florida]]
[[Category:Tampa Bay Buccaneers players]]
[[Category:Track and field athletes from Florida]]
[[Category:NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships winners]]
[[Category:NCAA Division I Indoor Track and Field Championships winners]]
[[Category:21st-century American sportsmen]]