AJ Tarpley Stanford Cardinal Game Used & Signed Nike Vapor Jet XL Gloves

Description

AJ Tarpley is a former linebacker for the Buffalo Bills of the National Football League. He was signed by the Bills shortly after the 2015 NFL Draft as an undrafted free agent. On April 6, 2016, Tarpley announced that he was retiring after just one season, citing his health, having suffered his third and fourth career concussions the previous season. The linebacker played his college ball for the Stanford Cardinal.

Tarpley was a 6-1, 215-pound high school senior when he won Minnesota Gatorade Football Player of the Year as an all-state linebacker and tight end before arriving on campus in Palo Alto. He took a redshirt his first year (2010) before seeing significant playing time as a redshirt freshman in 2011, appearing in all 13 games while starting seven at inside linebacker, finishing with 57 total tackles, 28 solo, 4 TFL, 1.5 sacks, two forced fumbles and one INT. In his second and third seasons Tarpley took on more of a leadership role, starting 25 games and finishing with 159 total tackles, 90 solo, 12 TFL, 3 sacks, two forced fumbles and eight passes broken up.

Entering his fifth season the underrated Tarpley was named a team captain and took over for Shayne Skov as the leader in the middle of the defense. He was on the Bednarik Award watch list before the season and wound up finishing the year earning All-Pac-12 second team honors. Tarpley finished his career with very impressive numbers in 45 starts: 300 total tackles, 159 solo, 16.5 TFL, 5 sacks, two forced fumbles, eight PBUs and three INTs.

The Bills were a great fit for AJ Tarpley because he will be able to learn from one of the best defensive minded coaches, Rex Ryan, in the league. The Bills also traded away LB Kiko Alonso and needed to bulk up their LB crew. They also decided not to draft an inside linebacker so, it looks like Tarpley was a target for the Bills all along (not to mention the fact of how quickly they signed him, less than an hour after draft). Tarpley joined a relatively young group of LBs and should be an integral presence in the middle and as a special teams contributor.

On December 10, 2015, AJ Tarpley was promoted to the Buffalo Bills active roster. AJ Tarpley recorded his first career NFL interception against the Dallas Cowboys on December 28, 2015. In Week 17 against the New York Jets on January 3, 2016, Tarpley made the game-ending interception that gave the Bills a 22-17 victory and knocked the Jets out of playoff contention. The interception turned out to be the final play of his career.

The featured red, black and white nike vapor jet xl gloves were game used by AJ Tarpley as a member of the Stanford Cardinal. AJ Tarpley has signed the gloves and added “Game Worn” to the right one in silver. The gloves light good use.