1. Derwin James played college football for the Florida State Seminoles.
45 Facts About Derwin James
1. 2.
Derwin James was selected by the Chargers in the first round of the 2018 NFL draft.
3.
Derwin James committed to Florida State University to play college football as a freshman, being offered a scholarship after his freshman year in high school.
4.
Derwin James entered his true freshman season at Florida State in 2015 as a backup, but eventually became a starter.
5.
On September 13,2016, it was revealed that Derwin James would undergo knee surgery to repair a lateral meniscus tear and cartilage damage.
6.
Derwin James was granted a redshirt for his following year, and as a redshirted sophomore in 2017, he played in 12 games, finishing with 84 tackles, two interceptions, 11 passes defended, and a sack.
7.
On December 7,2017, Derwin James decided to forgo his remaining two years of eligibility and enter the 2018 NFL draft.
8.
On December 5,2017, Derwin James released a statement through his Instagram account that announced his decision to forgo his remaining eligibility and enter the 2018 NFL Draft.
9.
Derwin James attended the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis and completed the majority of combine drills, but opted to skip the short shuttle and three-cone drill.
10.
Derwin James's combine performance impressed scouts and draft experts as he finished third among all defensive backs in the bench press and ninth among all safeties in the 40-yard dash.
11.
Derwin James finished fifth among all defensive backs in the broad jump and sixth in the vertical.
12.
On March 20,2018, Derwin James participated at Florida State's pro day, but opted to stand on his combine numbers and only ran the short shuttle, three-cone drill, and positional drills.
13.
Derwin James attended pre-draft visits with the Green Bay Packers and Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but reportedly declined to attend a private workout with the Buccaneers who held the 12th overall pick.
14.
Derwin James was expected to be one of the first 15 players drafted.
15.
Derwin James was ranked the top free safety prospect in the draft by DraftScout.
16.
Derwin James is an elite talent who is highly likely to have a better pro career than a college one.
17.
Derwin James was the second safety drafted in 2018, behind Alabama safety Minkah Fitzpatrick.
18.
Derwin James entered training camp slated as the starting strong safety, but suffered a hamstring injury that limited his progress.
19.
Derwin James saw competition for the role from veterans Adrian Phillips and Rayshawn Jenkins.
20.
Head coach Anthony Lynn named Derwin James the starting strong safety to begin the regular season, alongside free safety Jahleel Addae.
21.
On December 18,2018, it was announced Derwin James was named to the 2019 Pro Bowl, marking his first Pro Bowl of his career.
22.
Derwin James started all 16 games as a rookie in 2018 and produced a total of 105 combined tackles, 3.5 sacks, 13 pass deflections, and three interceptions.
23.
Derwin James was ranked 31st by his peers on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2019.
24.
On September 1,2019, the Los Angeles Chargers placed Derwin James on injured reserve to begin the season.
25.
Derwin James finished his sophomore season with 34 combined tackles and one pass deflection in five games and five starts.
26.
Defensive coordinator Renaldo Hill named Derwin James the starting strong safety to begin the season, alongside starting free safety Nasir Adderley.
27.
Derwin James was inactive for the Chargers' Week 14 victory against the New York Giants after injuring his hamstring.
28.
Derwin James was sidelined for a Week 16 loss at the Houston Texans due to his hamstring injury.
29.
On December 22,2021, Derwin James was named to his second Pro Bowl.
30.
Derwin James finished the season with a total of 118 combined tackles, five pass deflections, three forced fumbles, two sacks, and two interceptions in 14 games and 14 starts.
31.
Derwin James was ranked 43rd by his fellow players on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2022.
32.
Derwin James earned a coverage grade of 91.5 from PFF, which ranked ninth amongst all safeties in that four-year span.
33.
On December 21,2022, Derwin James was named to his third Pro Bowl.
34.
Derwin James finished the 2022 NFL season with a total of 115 combined tackles, four sacks, two interceptions, six passes defended, and two forced fumbles in 14 games and 14 starts.
35.
Derwin James was ranked 30th by his fellow players on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2023.
36.
Derwin James received an overall grade of 77.6 from Pro Football Focus which ranked 13th best amongst all qualified safeties in 2022.
37.
Derwin James earned a coverage grade of 74.5 from PFF.
38.
Derwin James returned as the de facto starting strong safety in 2023, but was paired with Alohi Gilman following the retirement of Nasir Adderley.
39.
Derwin James was sidelined for the Chargers' Week 4 loss against the Las Vegas Raiders after injuring his hamstring.
40.
Derwin James finished the 2023 NFL season with a total of 125 combined tackles, seven passes defended, two sacks, two fumble recoveries, and one interception in 16 games and 16 starts.
41.
Derwin James was ranked 83rd by his fellow players on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2024.
42.
Derwin James finished the season with 93 combined tackles, seven pass deflections, 5.5 sacks, and one interception in 16 games and 16 starts.
43.
Derwin James is a cousin of Vince Williams and Karlos Williams, both former Florida State Seminoles players, as well as Mike Derwin James, former Miami Hurricanes running back.
44.
Derwin James is the second cousin of former Miami Hurricanes and NFL star running back Edgerrin James.
45.
Derwin James is a member of Phi Beta Sigma fraternity.