Gray Corbin
Corbin celebrating a play made with Seattle in 2022. | |||||||||||
No. 42 Retired | |||||||||||
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Free Safety | |||||||||||
Personal information | |||||||||||
Place of birth: Fort Scott, KS | |||||||||||
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Career information | |||||||||||
High school: Fort Scott High School, Fort Scott, KS | |||||||||||
College: Nebraska | |||||||||||
NFL Draft: 2016 / Round: 2 / Pick: 29 | |||||||||||
Debuted in 2016 for the St. Louis Rams | |||||||||||
Career history
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Roster status: Retired | |||||||||||
Career highlights and awards
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Career NFL statistics | |||||||||||
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Gray "The Slim Reaper" Corbin is a retired American football free safety who played professionally for the St. Louis Rams, Denver Broncos, and Seattle Seahawks. He played college football at Nebraska. The St. Louis Rams selected him with the 29th overall pick in the 2016 NFLHC Draft.
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Early Years
Corbin was born in Fort Scott, Kansas. He attended Fort Scott High School.
College Career
Corbin attended his local junior college after high school. At Fort Scott Community College, he honed his skills as an elite pass defender despite his small stature. In his senior year, he became one of the elite recruits in the free safety position. After much deliberation, Corbin chose to attend Nebraska. The Cornhuskers went 2-10 in Corbin's lone season.
College Statistics
Season | Defense | ||||||||||||
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GP | GS | Tackles | Int | Sacks | FF | FR | TD | Safeties | |||||
2015 | 12 | 12 | 2 | 1 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||
NCAA Career Totals | 12 | 12 | 2 | 1 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Professional Career
Pre-draft
During the 2016 NFLHC Combine, Corbin was one of three free safeties invited. Corbin was widely thought of as the best overall pass defender out of all the Free Safeties in this class. Unfortunately, many people thought poorly about his slight size and stature.
Ht | Wt | 40-yd dash | Shuttle | 3-cone | Vert | Broad | BP | Wonderlic |
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5 ft 11 in | 159 lb | 4.45 s | 34 in | 10 ft 3 in | ||||
Draft
Corbin was selected in the 2nd round of the 2016 NFL Draft by the St. Louis Rams. Corbin was the 1st free safety taken in this draft, but many criticized the choice because of Corbin's weight. Corbin signed a 4 year, $18 million deal.
St. Louis Rams
Corbin slotted right into the starting free safety position. The corner piece of a revamped Rams secondary, Corbin was the overlapping blanket which allowed his fellow corners Keith Wells and Isaiah Polsfoot the chances to be aggressive and go for interceptions. Corbin racked up some interceptions as well, playing a deep, roaming role as Coach Time and DC Dacder's schemes gave Corbin plenty of flexibility. Unfortunately in week 10 against the San Francisco 49ers, Corbin injured his ribs and was placed on season ending IR. Despite an early exit, Corbin still made the Pro Bowl in his rookie season. Corbin recovered from his ribs injury fully and came ready for the 2017 season. Paired with Rams first round pick Brandon Sauter, Corbin did not need to make the game saving tackles that this team relied on him for in 2016. With less opportunities, it became more and more evident that the Rams were using Sauter as a cover all guy and leaving Corbin for pick offs and pass disruptions. It worked with some success against the pass, but it was absolutely terrible against the run. In week 12 against the Atlanta Falcons, Corbin once again went down with a season ending injury, this time an ACL tear. Corbin would be placed on season ending IR for the second year in a row. In the offseason, Corbin was traded to the Denver Broncos.
Denver Broncos
After being traded from the Rams after having two season-ending injuries in his first two seasons, expectations were not high for Corbin coming into Denver. However, Corbin was one of the leading safeties in the league in 2018, making his second Pro Bowl. He ended his first season with the Broncos with 50 tackles, 5 INTs, and a TD. Corbin remained healthy and was the starter for the Broncos in the next two seasons but his performance on the field began to dip. In his fourth season with the Broncos, Corbin suffered a severe hamstring injury early in the season which closed out his career in Denver.
Seattle Seahawks
In the offseason, Denver traded the safety to the Seahawks for center Kevin Thompson, a 2022 4th-round pick, and a conditional 2023 5th-round pick. Although he didn't make an impression on Seattle fans, he was a veteran mentor for young strong safety Gabriel Hightower. After the 2022 season, Corbin's contract was not renewed. He decided to retire instead of testing free agency.
Professional Statistics
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