 Bethea with theNew York Giants in 2019 | |||||||||||||||
| No. 41 | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Position | Safety | ||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||
| Born | (1984-07-27)July 27, 1984 (age 41) Savannah, Georgia, U.S. | ||||||||||||||
| Height | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) | ||||||||||||||
| Weight | 201 lb (91 kg) | ||||||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||||||
| High school | Denbigh (Newport News, Virginia) | ||||||||||||||
| College | Howard (2002–2005) | ||||||||||||||
| NFL draft | 2006: 6th round, 207th overall pick | ||||||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||||||
| Awards and highlights | |||||||||||||||
| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||
Antoine Akeem Bethea[1] (/bəˈθeɪ/; born July 27, 1984) is an American former professionalfootball player who was asafety for 14 seasons in theNational Football League (NFL). He playedcollege football for theHoward Bison and was selected by theIndianapolis Colts in the sixth round of the2006 NFL draft. Bethea also played for theSan Francisco 49ers,Arizona Cardinals, andNew York Giants. He was selected for thePro Bowl three times and wonSuper Bowl XLI as a member of the Colts, beating theChicago Bears.
Bethea attendedHoward University, where he majored in administration of justice, and played for theHoward Bison football team. He started 31 of 37 games at safety. His freshman year, he saw action in five games as a backup in the secondary collecting 13 total tackles. He would have a career-best 109 total tackles his sophomore year while seeing action as a starter in 10 of 11 games that year. That year, he had three games where he tallied 13 tackles and another game againstBethune-Cookman where he made 14 tackles. He ended that year also adding one sack, three forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries, six pass deflections and a blocked kick.
He would record three interceptions his junior year, along with two sacks, four forced fumbles and eight pass deflections in 11 starts. Ending the year with 99 total tackles and two sacks, Bethea would earn All-Mid-Eastern Conference honors and selection to the American Urban Radio Network Sheridan Broadcasting Network Black College All-American Team joining the likes of NFL greats such as formerHouston Oilers/Tennessee Titans quarterback and NFL MVPSteve McNair and NFL tight end,Shannon Sharpe. He would earn these honors three years in a row.
Bethea would continue his success in his senior season, collecting 88 tackles, six passes defensed and a career-high four interceptions in 10 games. This would mark the third straight year he would lead his team in tackles. His senior season performance would earn him 1st-Team All-America honors from the NFL Draft Report.
As a three-year starter at Howard, Bethea made 309 stops that included 187 solo tackles and twelve for a loss, seven forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries, 18 passes defensed and seven interceptions. He also returned two recoveries for a touchdown: one coming on a blocked kick and the other on a fumble recovery, both returned 26 yards.[2]
Bethea was projected to be a third or fourth round pick by the majority of NFL draft experts and scouts. He was ranked as the sixth best free safety prospect in the draft by DraftScout.com and was ranked the 17th best safety in the draft byESPN Scouts Inc.[3][4]
| 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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) | 203 lb (92 kg) | 30+5⁄8 in (0.78 m) | 9+1⁄8 in (0.23 m) | 4.44 s | 1.54 s | 2.57 s | 4.11 s | 6.99 s | 36.5 in (0.93 m) | 10 ft 7 in (3.23 m) | 19 reps | |
| All values fromNFL Combine[5][6] | ||||||||||||
TheIndianapolis Colts selected Bethea in the sixth round (207th overall) of the2006 NFL draft.[7] Bethea was the 21st safety drafted in 2006.[8]
On July 30, 2006, the Indianapolis Colts signed Bethea to a four-year,$1.67 million contract that includes asigning bonus of $79,420.[9][10]
Throughout training camp, Bethea competed to be the starting free safety againstMike Doss andMatt Giordano.[11] Head coachTony Dungy named Bethea the starting free safety to begin the regular season, alongside strong safetyBob Sanders.[12]
He made his professional regular season debut and first career start in theIndianapolis Colts' season-opener at theNew York Giants and recorded six combined tackles and a pass deflection in their 26–21 victory.[13] In Week 3, he collected a season-high 12 combined tackles (eight solo) and broke up a pass in the Colts' 21–14 win against theJacksonville Jaguars.[13] On November 5, 2006, Bethea recorded nine combined tackles, two pass deflections, and intercepted a pass byTom Brady during a 27–20 victory at theNew England Patriots in Week 9.[14] He was inactive during the Colts' Week 13 loss at theTennessee Titans due to an injury. The following week, he aggravated his shoulder injury and subsequently missed the Colts' Week 15 victory against theCincinnati Bengals.[15] The Indianapolis Colts' safeties sustained numerous injuries throughout the regular season, including strong safety Bob Sanders, who sustained a knee injury and was limited to four games.[16] Veteran Mike Doss tore his ACL in Week 7 and missed the last nine games after being placed on injured reserve.[17] Bethea started the first ten games and began developing a reputation for delivering big hits over the middle. His performance placed him in line as a possible rookie of the year candidate.[18] He finished his rookie season with 90 combined tackles (66 solo), four pass deflections, and an interception in 14 games and 14 starts.[19]
The Indianapolis Colts finished first in theAFC South with a 12–4 record. On January 6, 2007, Bethea started in his first career playoff game and recorded three solo tackles, a pass deflection, and intercepted a pass by quarterbackTrent Green in the Colts' 23–8 victory against theKansas City Chiefs in the AFC Wildcard Game.[13] The following week, he collected six combined tackles, broke up a pass, and intercepted a pass attempt bySteve McNair during a 15–6 win at theBaltimore Ravens in the AFC Divisional Round.[13] The Indianapolis Colts went on to defeat theNew England Patriots 38–34 in the AFC Championship to reachSuper Bowl XLI.[13] On February 4, 2007, Bethea started in Super Bowl XLI and made four combined tackles as they defeated theChicago Bears 29–17.[13]
Bethea entered training camp slated as the starting free safety. Defensive coordinatorRon Meeks retained Bethea and Bob Sanders as the starting safeties to begin the regular season.[20]
On September 30, 2007, Bethea collected seven solo tackles during a 38–20 victory against theDenver Broncos in Week 4. The following week, he collected a season-high seven combined tackles, a pass deflection, and an interception in the Colts' 33–14 victory against theTampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 5. In Week 8, Bethea made a season-high three pass deflections, five combined tackles, and an interception during a 31–7 victory against theCarolina Panthers. Bethea missed the last three games of the regular season due to a knee injury (Weeks 15–17).[21] He finished his second season with 65 combined tackles (43 solo), eight pass deflections, and four interceptions in 13 games and 13 starts.[19] TheIndianapolis Colts finished atop their division with a 12–4 record. On January 13, 2008, Bethea started in the AFC Divisional Round and recorded seven combined tackles during a 28–24 loss to theSan Diego Chargers.[22] On January 28, 2008, it was reported that Bethea would be playing in the2008 Pro Bowl. He was originally chosen as a second alternate and was needed after injuries to safetiesTroy Polamalu and Bob Sanders.[23]
Bethea and Sanders remained the starting safeties to begin the regular season.[24] On November 2, 2008, Bethea recorded a season-high ten solo tackles during an 18–15 victory against theNew England Patriots in Week 9.[25] The following week, he collected a season-high 11 combined tackles (six solo) in the Colts' 24–20 win at thePittsburgh Steelers in Week 10. He finished the season with 101 combined tackles (74 solo), four pass deflections, and two interceptions in 16 games and 16 starts.[19]
On January 12, 2009, head coachTony Dungy retired ending Bethea's three-year tenure under him. Assistant head coachJim Caldwell retained Bethea as the starting strong safety, along with free safety Bob Sanders.[26]
On September 21, 2009, Bethea collected a season-high eight solo tackles, a pass deflection, and an intercepted a pass byTarvaris Jackson during a 27–23 victory at theMiami Dolphins in Week 2.[27] In Week 7, he tied his season-high of eight solo tackles as the Colts' routed theSt. Louis Rams 42–6.[27] On November 8, 2009, Bethea collected a season-high nine combined tackles (four solo) during a 20–17 win against theHouston Texans in Week 9.[27] He finished the2009 season with 95 combined tackles (70 solo), five pass deflections, and four interceptions in 16 games and 16 starts.[19] On December 29, 2009, it was announced that Bethea was voted to the2010 Pro Bowl, marking the second selection of his career.[28]
TheIndianapolis Colts finished first in the AFC South with a 14–2 record, clinching a first round bye and home-field advantage. On January 16, 2010, Bethea recorded three combined tackles, two pass deflections, and intercepted a pass byJoe Flacco during a 20–3 victory against theBaltimore Ravens in the AFC Divisional Round.[27] The Colts went on to defeat theNew York Jets 30–17 in the AFC Championship to reachSuper Bowl XLIV.[27] On February 7, 2010, Bethea started in Super Bowl XLIV and made four solo tackles during a 31–17 loss to theNew Orleans Saints.[27]
On March 3, 2010, the Indianapolis Colts placed a first round, $2.51 million tender on Bethea.[29] He held out of organized team activities and declined to sign their restricted free agent tender. On July 11, 2010, the Indianapolis Colts signed Bethea to a four-year, $27 million contract that includes an $8 million signing bonus.[10][30]
Defensive coordinatorLarry Coyer retained Bethea and Sanders the starting safety duo to begin the 2010 regular season.[31] Bethea started in theIndianapolis Colts season-opener at theHouston Texans and collected a 13 combined tackles (eight solo) and a pass deflection in their 34–24 loss.[32] On November 28, 2010, Bethea made six combined tackles and was credited with half a sack onPhilip Rivers in the Colts' 36–14 loss to theSan Diego Chargers in Week 12.[32] The following week, he recorded a season-high 15 combined tackles (11 solo) during a 38–35 loss to theDallas Cowboys in Week 13.[32] He finished with 107 combined tackles (77 solo), five pass deflections, an interception, a forced fumble, and half a sack in 16 games and 16 starts.[19]
Head coach Jim Caldwell named Bethea the starting free safety to begin the regular season, along with strong safetyMelvin Bullitt.[33] In Week 5, Bethea collected a season-high 12 combined tackles (six solo) in the Colts' 28–24 loss to theKansas City Chiefs. On November 6, 2011, Bethea recorded a season-high eight solo tackles and assisted on three more tackles during their 31–7 loss to theAtlanta Falcons in Week 9.[34] He finished the2011 season with a career-high 139 combined tackles (80 solo), seven pass deflections, two forced fumbles, and a fumble recovery in 16 games and 16 starts.[19]
On January 3, 2012, Indianapolis Colts' ownerJim Irsay fired general managerChris Polian and vice chairmanBill Polian.[35] On January 17, 2012, new general managerRyan Grigson decided to fire head coach Jim Caldwell after the Colts finished with a 2–14 record.[36]
Head coachChuck Pagano retained Bethea as the Colts' starting free safety to begin the regular season, along with strong safetyTom Zbikowski.[37] He started in theIndianapolis Colts' season-opener at theChicago Bears and recorded a season-high nine solo tackles and two pass deflections in their 41–21 loss. On November 8, 2012, he collected seven solo tackles and made his first career solo sack during a 27–10 victory at theJacksonville Jaguars in Week 10. He sacked quarterbackBlaine Gabbert for a one-yard loss in the fourth quarter.[38] On December 16, 2012, Bethea made five solo tackles and sacked quarterbackMatt Schaub in the Colts' 29–17 loss at theHouston Texans in Week 15.[39] He finished the2012 season with 100 combined tackles (75 solo), seven passes defensed, and a career-high two sacks in 16 games and 16 starts.[19]
Bethea entered training camp slated as thede facto starter at strong safety. Defensive coordinatorGreg Manusky officially named Bethea the starting strong safety to start the regular season, opposite free safetyLaRon Landry.[40] Bethea started in theIndianapolis Colts' season-opener against theOakland Raiders and recorded 11 combined tackles (six solo), a pass deflection, and intercepted a pass byTerrelle Pryor in their 21–17 victory.[41] This marked his first interception since 2010. On December 8, 2013, Bethea collected a career-high 17 combined tackles (ten solo) during a 42–28 loss at theCincinnati Bengals in Week 14. Bethea finished his last season with the Indianapolis Colts with a total of 110 combined tackles (80 solo), six pass deflections, an interception, and a sack in 16 games and 16 starts.[19]
Bethea became an unrestricted free agent in 2014 and drew interest from multiple teams, including theDetroit Lions, San Francisco 49ers,Philadelphia Eagles,Green Bay Packers, and Kansas City Chiefs.[42][43]
On March 12, 2014, theSan Francisco 49ers signed Bethea to a four-year, $21 million contract with $15.02 million guaranteed and a signing bonus of $5.25 million.[10][44][45][46][30]
Head coachJim Harbaugh named Bethea the starting strong safety to start the 2014 season, alongside free safetyEric Reid.[47] He started in theSan Francisco 49ers' season-opener at theDallas Cowboys and recorded six solo tackles and a pass deflection in their 28–17 victory. In Week 10, Bethea collected a season-high eight combined tackles, broke up a pass, and intercepted a pass byDrew Brees during a 27–24 overtime victory at theNew Orleans Saints.[48] On December 20, 2014, Bethea recorded a season-high tying eight combined tackles, two pass deflections, and returned an interception byPhilip Rivers for a 49-yard touchdown during a 38–35 overtime loss to theSan Diego Chargers in Week 16. His touchdown occurred in the second quarter and marked the first score of his career.[49] On December 24, 2014, it was announced that Bethea was selected to be an alternate for the2015 Pro Bowl.[50] On December 28, 2014, it was announced that the San Francisco 49ers and head coach Jim Harbaugh decided to mutually part ways after the2014 season.[51] He finished his first season in San Francisco with 86 combined tackles (72 solo), ten pass deflections, four interceptions, a forced fumble, and a touchdown in 16 games and 16 starts.[19]
On January 19, 2015, Bethea was selected to replaceKam Chancellor in the 2015 Pro Bowl. Chancellor was unable to play due to this participation in the Super Bowl with theSeattle Seahawks.[52]
Bethea and Eric Reid entered training camp slated as the starting safeties by defensive coordinatorVic Fangio.[53] The San Francisco 49ers' new head coachJim Tomsula officially named Bethea and Reid the starters entering the regular season. In Week 5, Bethea collected a season-high ten combined tackles (six solo) and a pass deflection during a 30–27 loss at theNew York Giants.[54] On October 22, 2015, Bethea made five combined tackles before exiting a 20–3 loss to theSeattle Seahawks in the third quarter with an injury. The following day, the San Francisco 49ers placed him on injured reserve with a torn pectoral muscle.[55] Bethea finished the2015 season with a total of 44 combined tackles (32 solo), two passes defensed, and an interception in seven games and seven starts.[19]
On January 4, 2016, the San Francisco 49ers fired head coach Jim Tomsula after they finished 2015 with a 5–11 record.[56] The San Francisco 49ers hired former Philadelphia Eagles' head coachChip Kelly as their head coach for the 2016 season. This became Bethea's fourth different coach in the last four seasons. Head coach Chip Kelly retained Bethea andEric Reid as the starting safety tandem to start the regular season.[57] On September 18, 2016, Bethea recorded nine combined tackles, a pass deflection, and intercepted a pass by quarterbackCam Newton in a 45–27 loss at theCarolina Panthers in Week 2. In Week 4, he collected a season-high 12 combined tackles (11 solo) and broke up a pass during a 24–17 loss to theBaltimore Ravens.[58] Bethea started all 16 games in 2016 recording 110 combined tackles (96 solo), three passes defensed, one forced fumble, and an interception in 16 games and 16 starts.[19] Pro Football Focus gave Bethea an overall grade of 72.5 and ranked 66th among the 88 qualifying safeties in 2016.[59]
On January 1, 2017, the 49ers announced the firing of head coach Chip Kelly after the team finished with a 2–14 record.[60] On March 7, 2017, the 49ers granted Bethea's request to be released.[61]
On March 9, 2017, theArizona Cardinals signed Bethea to a three-year, $12.75 million contract] that includes $4 million guaranteed and a signing bonus of $2 million.[10][62]
Throughout training camp, Bethea competed againstTyvon Branch to be the starting strong safety.[63] Head coachBruce Arians named him the backup free safety behind Tyvon Branch to start the regular season.[64]
On October 15, 2017, Bethea recorded five combined tackles, a pass deflection, and intercepted a pass by quarterbackJameis Winston during a 38–33 victory against theTampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 6.[65] The interception marked his third consecutive game with a pick. The following week, he collected a season-high 11 combined tackles (ten solo) and a pass deflection in the Cardinals' 33–0 loss at theLos Angeles Rams in Week 7.[66] He was surpassed on the depth chart by rookie first round pickBudda Baker after Tyvon Branch was placed on injured reserve for the remainder of the season. Bethea remained the backup strong safety behind Baker for the remainder of the season. On December 24, 2017, Bethea made three solo tackles, two pass deflections, and intercepted two pass attempts byEli Manning in a 23–0 win against theNew York Giants in Week 16.[67] On December 26, 2017, the Arizona Cardinals placed Bethea on injured reserve after he tore his pectoral a muscle in Week 16.[68] He completed the2017 season with 57 combined tackles (47 solo), nine pass deflections, a career-high five interceptions, and a sack in 15 games and six starts.[19]Pro Football Focus gave Bethea an overall grade of 86.7, which was the 13th highest grade among all qualifying safeties in 2017.[69]
On January 2, 2018, head coach Bruce Arians announced his retirement and resigned as head coach of the Cardinals.[70] The Arizona Cardinals hiredSteve Wilks who became Bethea's sixth head coach in as many seasons. He was named the Cardinals starting free safety, starting in all 16 games. He finished the season with a team-leading 120 tackles, four pass deflections, and a career-high three sacks.[71][72]
On March 8, 2019, Bethea was released by the Cardinals.[73]
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On March 14, 2019, Bethea signed with theNew York Giants.[74]In week 8 against theDetroit Lions, Bethea forced a fumble on wide receiverKenny Golladay and recovered the football in the 31–26 loss.[75] In week 9 onMonday night football against theDallas Cowboys, Bethea intercepted a pass fromDak Prescott on the first play of the game and recovered a fumble forced by teammateJabrill Peppers onRandall Cobb in the 37–18 loss.[76]
On March 18, 2020, the Giants informed Bethea that they would not exercise his contract option, making him a free agent.[77] On January 7, 2021, Bethea announced his retirement, after playing for 14 seasons in the NFL.[78]
| Year | Team | Games | Tackles | Interceptions | Fumbles | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Cmb | Solo | Ast | Sck | PD | Int | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | FF | FR | ||
| 2006 | IND | 14 | 14 | 90 | 66 | 24 | 0.0 | 5 | 1 | 38 | 38.0 | 38 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2007 | IND | 13 | 13 | 64 | 46 | 18 | 0.0 | 8 | 4 | 47 | 11.8 | 30 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2008 | IND | 16 | 16 | 101 | 74 | 27 | 0.0 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 2009 | IND | 16 | 16 | 95 | 70 | 25 | 0.0 | 5 | 4 | 19 | 4.8 | 19 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 2010 | IND | 16 | 16 | 106 | 77 | 29 | 0.5 | 5 | 1 | 31 | 31.0 | 31 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 2011 | IND | 16 | 16 | 139 | 80 | 59 | 0.0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 2012 | IND | 16 | 16 | 100 | 75 | 25 | 2.0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2013 | IND | 16 | 16 | 110 | 80 | 30 | 1.0 | 6 | 2 | 48 | 24.0 | 46 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 2014 | SF | 16 | 16 | 86 | 72 | 14 | 1.0 | 10 | 4 | 71 | 17.8 | 49 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 2015 | SF | 7 | 7 | 44 | 32 | 12 | 1.0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2016 | SF | 16 | 16 | 110 | 95 | 15 | 0.0 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 2017 | ARI | 15 | 6 | 57 | 47 | 10 | 1.0 | 9 | 5 | 51 | 10.2 | 21 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 2018 | ARI | 16 | 16 | 121 | 100 | 21 | 3.0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 2019 | NYG | 16 | 16 | 110 | 81 | 29 | 0.0 | 6 | 1 | 7 | 7.0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Total | 209 | 200 | 1,333 | 995 | 338 | 9.5 | 81 | 25 | 312 | 12.5 | 49 | 1 | 9 | 7 | |
On July 30, 2013, Bethea's longtime college girlfriend, Samantha Romantini gave birth to a baby girl they named Siani.[79] On June 28, 2014, Bethea married Romantini at theRonald Reagan Building and International Trade Center inWashington D.C.[80] The pair have since had two sons, born in 2016 and 2019.
He attendedDenbigh High School inNewport News, Virginia[81] where he was a three-yearletterman infootball and also lettered inbasketball, where he earned all-area and All-conference honors in his senior year.
In December 2013, Bethea posed forPETA's anti-fur campaign.[82]
In 2024, Bethea joined 51 other HBCU football alumni in endorsingKamala Harris'scampaign for president.[83]
