Freddie Joe Nunn

Freddie Joe Nunn
No. 53, 78, 50, 93
Position:Defensive end, Linebacker
Personal information
Born:(1962-04-09)April 9, 1962
Noxubee County, Mississippi, U.S.
Died:October 16, 2021(2021-10-16) (aged 59)
Tyler, Texas, U.S.
Height:6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)
Weight:262 lb (119 kg)
Career information
High school:Nanih Waiya School (Winston County, Mississippi)
College:Ole Miss
NFL draft:1985 / round: 1 / pick: 21
Career history
Career highlights and awards
Career NFL statistics
Total tackles:450
Sacks:67.5
Fumble recoveries:14
Stats at Pro Football Reference

Freddie Joe Nunn (April 9, 1962 – October 16, 2021) was an American professional football player who was a defensive end and linebacker in the National Football League (NFL). He spent most of his career with the St.Louis / Phoenix Cardinals and retired as the franchise's all-time sacks leader.

Nunn was born in Noxubee County, Mississippi and played scholastically at Nanih Waiya School in neighboring Winston County.[1] He played collegiately for the Ole Miss Rebels,[2] where, as a senior, he was honored by United Press International (UPI) as a first-team All-American.[3]

Nunn was selected by the St. Louis Cardinals in the first round (18th overall) of the 1985 NFL draft.[4] He started his career as a defensive end and later moved to the linebacker position. He played for the Cardinals organization from 1985 to 1993, and for the Indianapolis Colts from 1994 to 1996. In his career, Nunn played in 157 games and recorded 67.5 sacks.[5]

At the time of his death on October 16, 2021, Nunn's 66.5 sacks as a Cardinal stood as an official franchise record.[6] When Cardinals linebacker Chandler Jones broke that record in a game played only three weeks after Nunn's death, Jones paid tribute to Nunn by revealing a t-shirt worn under his jersey bearing Nunn's name and portrait.[7]

  1. ^ "Freddie Joe Nunn Stats". Pro Football Reference. Retrieved May 28, 2024.
  2. ^ "Freddie Joe Nunn Stats". NFL.com. Retrieved May 28, 2024.
  3. ^ "UPI All-Americans". The Indianapolis Star. December 5, 1984. p. 62 – via Newspapers.com.Open access icon
  4. ^ "1985 NFL Draft Listing". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved October 9, 2023.
  5. ^ "Freddie Joe Nunn Stats". Pro Football Archives. Archived from the original on October 10, 2023. Retrieved May 28, 2024.
  6. ^ "Chandler Jones by the numbers: Cardinals legend in Reggie White territory after recording 100th career sack". CBSSports.com. Retrieved November 7, 2021.
  7. ^ Fucillo, David (November 7, 2021). "Chandler Jones becomes Cardinals all-time sack leader, pays tribute to Freddie Joe Nunn". DraftKings Nation. Retrieved November 7, 2021.