Caleb Murphy (born December 15, 1999) is an American professional football linebacker for the Los Angeles Chargers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Grand Valley State before transferring to Ferris State.
 Murphy with the Titans in 2023 | |||||
| No. 50 – Los Angeles Chargers | |||||
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| Position: | Linebacker | ||||
| Personal information | |||||
| Born: | December 15, 1999 Dowagiac, Michigan, U.S. | ||||
| Height: | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) | ||||
| Weight: | 254 lb (115 kg) | ||||
| Career information | |||||
| High school: | Dowagiac Union (Dowagiac, Michigan) | ||||
| College: | Grand Valley State (2018–2019) Ferris State (2020–2022) | ||||
| Undrafted: | 2023 | ||||
| Career history | |||||
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| * Offseason and/or practice squad member only | |||||
| Roster status: | Practice squad | ||||
| Career highlights and awards | |||||
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| Career NFL statistics as of 2023 | |||||
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Early life
editMurphy grew up in Dowagiac, Michigan and attended Dowagiac Union High School, where he was a member of the football, basketball, wrestling, baseball, and track and field teams.[1] He was named first team All-State as a junior after recording 86 tackles with 17 tackles for loss and 15 sacks. Murphy repeated as a first team All-State selection during his senior year after making 97 tackles with 27 tackles for loss and 13 sacks.[2]
College career
editMurphy began his college career at Grand Valley State and redshirted his true freshman season. He had 13 tackles and one sack in eight games in 2019.[3] Murphy transferred to Ferris State after his redshirt freshman year. His first season at Ferris State was cancelled due to COVID-19.[4] Murphy was named the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) Defensive Lineman of the Year and first team All-GLIAC after finishing the 2021 season with 63 tackles, 14.5 sacks, 21.5 tackles for loss, and five forced fumbles as the Bulldogs won the 2021 NCAA Division II Football Championship Game.[5]
As a senior, Murphy set an NCAA single-season record with 25.5 sacks and also tied the NCAA record with 39 tackles for loss while Ferris State repeated as national champions.[6] At the end of the season, Murphy became the first non-FBS player to win the Ted Hendricks Award as the nation's best defensive end.[7] He was also named the GLIAC Player of the Year and won the Gene Upshaw Award as the best lineman in NCAA Division II and the Cliff Harris Award as the nation's best small college defensive player.[8]
Professional career
edit| Height | Weight | Arm length | Hand span | 40-yard dash | 10-yard split | 20-yard split | 20-yard shuttle | Three-cone drill | Vertical jump | Broad jump | Bench press | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 ft 3+1⁄4 in (1.91 m) |
254 lb (115 kg) |
32+3⁄4 in (0.83 m) |
10+1⁄4 in (0.26 m) |
4.81 s | 1.65 s | 2.79 s | 4.45 s | 7.28 s | 31.0 in (0.79 m) |
9 ft 11 in (3.02 m) |
17 reps | |
| Sources:[9][10] | ||||||||||||
Murphy was signed by the Tennessee Titans as an undrafted free agent on April 29, 2023, shortly after the conclusion of the 2023 NFL draft.[11]
Murphy was waived by the Titans on October 26, 2024.[12]
Los Angeles Chargers
editOn October 30, 2024, Murphy was signed to the Los Angeles Chargers practice squad.
References
edit- ^ Fineran, John (February 21, 2018). "Dowagiac's Murphy unique in four-sport skills". South Bend Tribune. Retrieved January 19, 2023.
- ^ Wallner, Peter J. (February 7, 2018). "A look at Grand Valley State football's massive recruiting class of 44". MLive.com. Retrieved January 20, 2023.
- ^ Hutton, Jason (November 30, 2022). "Caleb Murphy sets sack record, wants a repeat". Fox17Online.com. Retrieved January 19, 2023.
- ^ "NFL Draft Profile: Caleb Murphy, EDGE, Ferris State Bulldogs". SI.com. November 18, 2022. Retrieved January 19, 2023.
- ^ "Ferris' Murphy a finalist for defensive player of the year". LeaderPub.com. December 27, 2021. Retrieved January 19, 2023.
- ^ "Ferris State football: Konnor Near, Eddie Jewett key in NCAA title run". Lansing State Journal. December 20, 2022. Retrieved January 19, 2023.
- ^ "Ferris' Caleb Murphy wins Ted Hendricks national award". Big Rapids Pioneer. December 21, 2022. Retrieved January 19, 2023.
- ^ "Bulldogs' Murphy adds Harris Award to list of accomplishments". LeaderPub.com. December 31, 2022. Retrieved January 19, 2023.
- ^ "Caleb Murphy Draft and Combine Prospect Profile". NFL.com. Retrieved May 6, 2023.
- ^ "2023 NFL Draft Scout Caleb Murphy College Football Profile". DraftScout.com. Retrieved May 6, 2023.
- ^ Wise, Bennett (April 29, 2023). "Dowagiac's Caleb Murphy earns NFL contract with Tennessee Titans as undrafted free agent". WSBT.com. Retrieved May 1, 2023.
- ^ Wyatt, Jim (October 26, 2024). "Titans Make a Flurry of Roster Moves Ahead of Sunday's Game vs the Lions". TennesseeTitans.com.