Devon Carrington, Defensive Back
Alter ego: “The man who chased down Marcus Mariota.” During the 2012 season, Carrington graced the television screens of thousands of people around the country when he made one of the biggest plays of Stanford’s shocking win over Oregon.
CBS Sports projection: n/a
Cardinal career: Carrington played in all 28 games his final two seasons as a reserve safety and cornerback after starting in five games at safety as a sophomore. Over his career, he totaled 93 tackles, including six-tackle games against UCLA and Washington State his senior year, and recovered three fumbles. However, Carrington’s time at Stanford will ultimately be remembered for one play — a play which will live on forever in Stanford lore.
With Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota racing untouched down the right sideline, Carrington flew out of nowhere all the way from his safety position on the other side of the field and chased down the speedy Mariota, tackling him short of the end zone after a 77-yard gain and saving a touchdown. Stanford’s defense would force a turnover on downs on that drive and Carrington’s tackle kept seven points of the board, allowing Stanford to force overtime and eventually win 17-14 in Autzen Stadium — the key victory in Stanford’s Rose Bowl-winning season.
Pro stock: Carrington was not invited to the NFL Combine but did join in at Stanford’s pro day, leading all participants with a 10-foot-4 broad jump. Carrington’s median time of 4.68 seconds in the 40-yard dash is on the slower side for a player in the secondary, but few other cornerbacks can claim the feat of chasing down the fastest quarterback in college football. At six feet tall and 194 pounds, Carrington does provide above-average size at cornerback and could provide depth at safety, boosting his chances of being signed as an undrafted free agent.
Highlight: Watch Carrington (#5, lined up at safety) disappear after the start of the play and reappear on the right side around the 0:17 mark.
Contact Michael Peterson at mrpeters ‘at’ stanford.edu.