Eli Apple is an American football cornerback who is a free agent.
42 Facts About Eli Apple
2.
Eli Apple played college football at Ohio State, where he was a part of the team that won the 2015 College Football Playoff National Championship, and was selected by the New York Giants in the first round of the 2016 NFL Draft.
3.
Eli Apple has played for the New Orleans Saints and Carolina Panthers.
4.
Apple, born Eli Woodard, was born to a Ghanaian mother and lived a couple of years in the country.
5.
Eli Apple attended Eastern Regional High School in Voorhees, New Jersey.
6.
Eli Apple received about twenty scholarship offers, including offers from Alabama, California, Virginia Tech, Boston College, Wisconsin, Tennessee, Purdue, Miami, Georgia Tech, Maryland, Michigan, Ole Miss, Nebraska, North Carolina, NC State, and Clemson and ranked his top three schools as Rutgers, Ohio State, and Notre Dame.
7.
Eli Apple enrolled at Ohio State in January 2013 as a five-star prospect and was rated as high as the No 11 prospect nationally on the ESPN 150.
8.
Eli Apple was rated as the No 1 overall prospect in New Jersey and No 6 cornerback prospect nationally by 247sports.
9.
Eli Apple redshirted as a true freshman and went on to play in 2014 as a redshirt freshman.
10.
Eli Apple played in the 2015 Sugar Bowl and the 2015 College Football Playoff National Championship.
11.
On January 4,2016, Apple announced his decision to forgo his remaining eligibility and enter the 2016 NFL Draft.
12.
Eli Apple attended the NFL Scouting Combine and completed the majority of combine drills before suffering cramps.
13.
Eli Apple finished with the tenth fastest time in the 40-yard dash among all participating players at the NFL Combine.
14.
On March 11,2016, Eli Apple attended Ohio State's pro day, but opted to stand on his combine numbers and only performed the short shuttle, three-cone drill, and positional drills.
15.
Eli Apple had pre-draft visits with multiple teams, including the Buffalo Bills, San Francisco 49ers, and Tennessee Titans.
16.
Eli Apple was ranked the third best cornerback prospect in the draft by DraftScout.
17.
Eli Apple was the second cornerback drafted in 2016, after Jalen Ramsey.
18.
New York Giants' General Manager Jerry Reese opted to keep the tenth overall pick and selected Eli Apple who was their highest graded player available on their draft board without any issues or injuries.
19.
Eli Apple entered training camp slated as the third cornerback on the depth chart behind veterans Janoris Jenkins and Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie.
20.
Eli Apple was inactive for the Giants' Week 4 loss at the Minnesota Vikings with a hamstring injury.
21.
Eli Apple was sidelined for their Week 6 win against the Baltimore Ravens due to a groin injury.
22.
Eli Apple started the last ten games of the season and finished his rookie season in 2016 with 51 combined tackles, seven pass deflections, one interception, and a forced fumble in 14 games and 11 starts.
23.
Eli Apple entered training camp slated as a starting outside cornerback.
24.
Eli Apple was benched for the majority of the Giants' Week 5 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers due to disciplinary reasons.
25.
On October 15,2017, Eli Apple recorded five solo tackles and a career-high three pass deflections, helping the Giants gain their first victory of the season over the Denver Broncos.
26.
Eli Apple was heavily criticized by the New York Giants' coaching staff for his performance during their Week 10 loss at the San Francisco 49ers.
27.
In Week 14, Apple was disciplined after posting on Twitter while on the sidelines of the Giants' Week 14 loss to the Dallas Cowboys.
28.
On December 20,2017, it was reported that tensions between Eli Apple and his teammates had reached an all-time high, with Giants' safety Landon Collins saying Eli Apple was a "cancer" and should not be on the team in 2018.
29.
On December 27,2017, Eli Apple was suspended by the team for the 2017 season finale after reportedly getting into an argument with coaching staff about being asked to practice with the scout team and for a "pattern of behavior that is conduct detrimental to the team".
30.
Eli Apple finished the 2017 NFL season with 49 combined tackles and eight pass deflections in 11 games and seven starts.
31.
Eli Apple was to be a starting cornerback alongside safeties Landon Collins and Curtis Riley.
32.
Eli Apple's injury sidelined him for the next two games.
33.
Head coach Sean Payton immediately named Eli Apple a starting cornerback, reuniting him with former Ohio State secondary teammates Marshon Lattimore and Vonn Bell.
34.
Eli Apple started 15 games in 2019, recording 58 tackles, four passes defensed, and a forced fumble.
35.
On May 29,2020, Eli Apple signed a one-year, $3 million contract with the Carolina Panthers.
36.
Eli Apple was placed on injured reserve on September 7,2020 with ankle and foot injuries.
37.
Eli Apple was released by the team on October 27,2020.
38.
On March 23,2021, Eli Apple signed a one-year contract with the Cincinnati Bengals.
39.
In 18 games as a starter in 2021, Eli Apple recorded 49 tackles, 2 interceptions, and a fumble recovery.
40.
Eli Apple had previously trash talked and trolled other players on social media, notably Kansas City Chiefs wide receivers Tyreek Hill and Mecole Hardman, who had lost to Apple and the Bengals in the AFC Championship Game two weeks prior.
41.
Eli Apple re-signed with the Bengals on a one-year contract on March 19,2022.
42.
Eli Apple is the nephew of actor and comedian Michael Blackson.