Sterling Weatherford
Sterling Weatherford (born January 26, 1999) is an American football linebacker for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League (NFL). He was signed by the Indianapolis Colts as an undrafted free agent in 2022 after playing college football at Miami (OH).
![]() Weatherford with Miami in 2021 | |
| No. 50 – Chicago Bears | |
|---|---|
| Position: | Linebacker |
| Personal information | |
| Born: | January 26, 1999 Cicero, Indiana |
| Height: | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) |
| Weight: | 224 lb (102 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school: | Hamilton Heights (Arcadia, Indiana) |
| College: | Miami (OH) |
| Undrafted: | 2022 |
| Career history | |
| |
| * Offseason and/or practice squad member only | |
| Roster status: | Active |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
| Career NFL statistics | |
| Player stats at NFL.com · PFR | |
College career
Weatherford was a two-star prospect coming out of Hamilton Heights and committed to the Miami RedHawks on August 2, 2016.[1] In his freshman season, he was named Defensive Scout Team Player of the Year, before playing in twelve games as a sophomore, starting one.[2] In a game against Army, Weatherford recorded a career-high nine tackles. In 2019, he finished second on the team with ninety-eight tackles, helping Miami defeat Central Michigan for the MAC Championship. In 2021, he was named All-MAC 2nd Team Defense after recording sixty-six tackles, two interceptions, and a sack.[3]
Professional career
| 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 4 in (1.93 m) |
224 lb (102 kg) |
32 in (0.81 m) |
8+5⁄8 in (0.22 m) | 4.60 s | 1.58 s | 2.66 s | 4.33 s | 6.93 s | 36.0 in (0.91 m) | 9 ft 9 in (2.97 m) | 21 reps | |
| All values from Pro Day[4][5] | ||||||||||||
Indianapolis Colts
Weatherford signed with the Indianapolis Colts as an undrafted free agent following the 2022 NFL Draft on April 30, 2022.[6] In his first preseason game, Weatherford recorded an interception of Buffalo Bills quarterback Matt Barkley.[7] He was waived during final roster cuts on August 30.[8]
Chicago Bears
On August 31, Weatherford was claimed by the Chicago Bears and signed to their active roster.[9] Colts GM Chris Ballard was reportedly "upset" that the Bears claimed Weatherford, hoping to re-sign him to the team's practice squad.[10]
References
- Rinard, Jordan (August 3, 2016). "Miami football recruiting 2017: Sterling Weatherford commits". hustlebelt.com. Retrieved September 2, 2022.
- "Sterling Weatherford - Football". miamiredhawks.com. Retrieved September 2, 2022.
- "MAC Announces 2021 Postseason Football Awards & All-MAC Teams". getmesomemaction.com. Retrieved September 2, 2022.
- "2022 Draft Scout Sterling Weatherford, Miami (OH) NFL Draft Scout College Football Profile". draftscout.com. Retrieved December 10, 2022.
- "Sterling Weatherford 2022 NFL Draft Profile". insider.espn.com. Retrieved December 10, 2022.
- "Sterling Weatherford signs as undrafted free agent with the Indianapolis Colts". hustlebelt.com. April 30, 2022. Retrieved September 2, 2022.
- "What We Learned: Colts vs. Bills Preseason Week 1". stampdeblue.com. August 15, 2022. Retrieved September 2, 2022.
- "Colts Announce Final 2022 Roster Cuts". colts.com. August 30, 2022. Retrieved September 2, 2022.
- "Bears claimed LB Sterling Weatherford off waivers from Colts". coltswire.com. August 31, 2022. Retrieved September 2, 2022.
- "Colts GM Upset About Bears Claiming LB Sterling Weatherford". nbcchicago.com. September 1, 2022. Retrieved September 2, 2022.
_(cropped).jpg.webp)