 June at a Super Bowl XLI press conference in 2007 | |||||||||||||||
| Indianapolis Colts | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Position: | Assistant linebackers coach | ||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||
| Born: | (1979-11-18)November 18, 1979 (age 45) Riverside, California, U.S. | ||||||||||||||
| Height: | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) | ||||||||||||||
| Weight: | 225 lb (102 kg) | ||||||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||||||
| High school: | Anacostia(Washington, D.C.) | ||||||||||||||
| College: | Michigan | ||||||||||||||
| NFL draft: | 2003: 6th round, 198th pick | ||||||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||||||
As a player: | |||||||||||||||
| * Offseason and/or practice squad member only | |||||||||||||||
As a coach: | |||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||||||
| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||||||||
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Cato Nnamdi June (born November 18, 1979) is an Americanfootball coach and former player who is an assistantlinebackers coach for theIndianapolis Colts of theNational Football League (NFL). He played as a linebacker in the NFL after being selected by the Colts in the sixth round of the2003 NFL draft. A2006 Pro Bowl choice, June was a member of theSuper Bowl XLI champion Colts that defeated theChicago Bears. During the Super Bowl championship season, June was the Colts' leadingtackler. In addition to his tenure with the Colts, he played in the NFL for theTampa Bay Buccaneers. Before becoming a professional, he playedcollege football for theMichigan Wolverines and was an outstanding athlete inhigh school football,basketball,track and field andbaseball atAnacostia High School in Washington, D.C. As a senior, he was widely regarded to be the best high school football player in the District of Columbia.
He led Anacostia to theDistrict of Columbia Interscholastic Athletic Association (DCIAA) football championship title as a sophomore and in two subsequent championship games. He was city champion in thetriple jump as a junior. As a senior, he earned all-league recognition in basketball and earned numerous honors in football, including District of Columbia Player of the year awards fromGatorade,USA Today andThe Washington Post as well as aParadeAll-American. He was also co-class president,salutatorian and a member of theNational Honor Society.
He was widely recruited for his all-around abilities as an athlete, scholar and leader. He attracted dozens of scholarship offers but chose theUniversity of Michigan. He was a member of thedefending national champions' recruiting class, which was considered to be the best in the country. He became a starter towards the end of hisredshirt freshman year, but missed the entire nextseason due to injury. He returned as a fourth-year junior starter. He continued starting as asafety until an injury slowed him down late in his fifth-year senior season. Despite senior season injuries, he was named as an honorable mentionAll-Big Ten Conference player and was chosen to play in theSenior Bowl.
June spent a year onspecial teams before becoming a starter during the2004 NFL season. During the2005 NFL season, he began the year with a record-setting rate ofinterceptions for a linebacker to help his team start out 13–0 and head to the2005–06 NFL playoffs. He was aPro Bowler that year and finished seventh in the NFL in tackles the next as the Colts won Super Bowl XLI. After four seasons with the Colts, he signed with the Buccaneers where he became the first person to displace 11-time Pro BowlerDerrick Brooks from the lineup. After two seasons with the Buccaneers, he signed with theHouston Texans but broke his forearm during 2009 training camp and was released before the regular season. He signed with the Bears in the middle of the season only to be released after 2 weeks. Since retiring from the NFL, he has become a football coach at his high school alma mater.
June was raised in theGreat Plains of Oklahoma.[1] As a high school freshman, June attendedMuskogee High School inMuskogee, Oklahoma, where he was a veritable "Okie from Muskogee". According toThe Washington Post, he envisioned himself eventually playing football for eitherOklahoma orOklahoma State.[2] His high school football team had a large following with regular attendance of 8,000.[2] When June was a sophomore, he and Marjani Dele, his mother, moved to thenorthwest section of Washington, D.C., in 1995.[2] Following the move, she enrolled him in a summer college prep program, where he met Troy Stewart, son of Anacostiahead coach Willie Stewart. Troy, an assistant coach at Anacostia, and his father recruited June to Anacostia High School.[1][3] That season, he playedcornerback,wide receiver, andkickoff returner.[3] OnThanksgiving Day, Anacostia won the DCIAA championship game, known as theTurkey Bowl, by a 40–31 score overDunbar High School. In the game, Juneintercepted apass late in the first half and returned it 92 yards for atouchdown to enable his team to take an 8–7 lead.[4] That season, he earned a selection toThe Washington Post's 1995 All-Met Football team as adefensive back.[5] The following spring, he playedshortstop andpitcher for the school baseball team.[6]
Prior to winning the city championship, Anacostia had played football on a barren field that was described byThe Washington Post as "rugged prairie known by players across the city as the 'dust bowl'". In 1996,Mayor of Washington, D.C.,Marion Barry, helped the team acquire newtopsoil and 500 rolls of Brute Bermudasod worth about $60,000 ($120,293 today).[1] As a junior, June, who wore #1,[1]rushed for 90 yards and scored two touchdowns in the DCIAA semi-final game.[7] In the championship game, Junefumbled on the 1-yard line in the fourth quarter, leaving the door open forCardozo Senior High School to score a touchdown in the waning seconds to secure a victory.[2] During his junior year, he was part of the basketball team that successfully defended the Washington D.C. city high school basketball championship.[8]
As a senior, he was a preseasonUSA Today honorable mention All-American and preseason SuperPrep All-American as a 6-foot-1-inch (1.85 m), 190-pound (86 kg) defensive back.[9][10] During the season, the football team would deal with the adversity of a D.C. school crisis, the slaying of a player and the death of an assistant coach.[11] That season, he switched from defensive back tolinebacker at times.[12] By mid-season, he was being mentioned across the country as the nation's best player.[13] As a senior, he rushed for 121 yards and scored two touchdowns in the DCIAA semi-final game.[14] Prior to the championship game, no one had caught a touchdown against him and he had not fumbled the football.[2] During the championship game, June scored the touchdown that gave Anacostia its only lead at 8–6.[15] However,Howard D. Woodson High School and senior quarterbackByron Leftwich avenged its only regular season loss (which came 28–20 at the hands of Anacostia) by a 26–22 margin.[15]
At the end of the season, he was a 1997 All-Met selection byThe Washington Post and described as both the top DCIAA defensive back and as arunning back who scored 18two-point conversions and returned threekickoffs for touchdowns.[16] He was selected asThe Washington Post All-Met Defensive Player of the Year andUSA Today District of Columbia Player of the Year and Second-team All-USA. During the season, he did not yield a touchdown all season and collecting fiveinterceptions (two for touchdowns), 84 solotackles, 39 assists in addition to his offensive statistics, which included 889 yards and 12 touchdowns.[17][18][19] He was named the onlyParade All-American fromMetropolitan Washington,[20] and he was selected as a Gatorade player of the year for the District of Columbia.[11] June was also honored byThe Pigskin Club of Washington, D.C.[11] June played under coach Willie Stewart who coached Anacostia to seven consecutive appearances in the DCIAA championship game, including three in which June participated and the 1995 victory in which June was MVP.
As a senior, he was a member of the National Honor Society, co-class president and a candidate to bevaledictorian with a 3.8grade point average.[2] In addition to football, he played on the baseball, basketball and track and field teams. In track, he ran the100 meters in 10.5 seconds and200 meters in 21.6 seconds.[2] He was city champion in thetriple jump as a junior. He was a starting small forward on the three-time DCIAA championship basketball team. He received second-team All-conference honors his senior year.[21] By the eve of the DCIAA Championship game held on Thanksgiving Day (November 27, 1997), he had 35 scholarship offers.[2] Before his senior season his dream school for its combination of athletics and academics was theUniversity of North Carolina.[1] He was recruited by top football programs such asSyracuse, andMiami and his early list of top five programs was Michigan,Ohio State,Florida,North Carolina andPenn State.[22] Later, he replaced Penn State with Miami on his five school visitation list.[2] He visited Ohio State in mid-December as they prepared for the1998 Sugar Bowl.[23] He visited Florida in mid-January 1998.[10][24] June's final decision was a choice between Florida and Michigan and he chose Michigan on January 13, 1998,[20][25] although there were reports that he had signed withNotre Dame.[26]
He was part of the nation's number one recruiting class for theundefeated defending national champion Wolverines. The team recruited numerous top 50-rated players on both offense:Justin Fargas,Marquise Walker,David Terrell andDrew Henson, and defense:Victor Hobson,Dave Armstrong, June,Bennie Joppru, andLarry Foote.[27][28][29][30] The All-Met Offensive Player of the Year,Walter Cross, was also a member of this recruiting class.[31] The class included a total of six Parade All-Americans: Fargas, Henson, Walker, Terrell, June andHayden Epstein.[28][29] Before matriculating to Michigan he participated in the July 1998 D.C. Coaches Association All-Star game as well as the Baltimore-Washington Beltway Classic.[32] As a high schooler with aspirations of making a mark in the NFL and who kept aDeion Sanders poster in his bedroom, he left his mark by writing "Big Time 1" on things whenever the opportunity arose.[11] June graduated as salutatorian.[33]
June played college football at the University of Michigan, where he switched fromcornerback to playsafety and wear the #2 jersey that had previously been worn by 1997Heisman Trophy winner,Charles Woodson.[34][35] As adefensive back at Michigan, June'shead coach,Lloyd Carr, was the formercoach for the position.[36] Heredshirted as a freshman during the1998 season for the1998 Wolverines.[37] During his1999 season as a redshirt freshmen for the1999 Wolverines, he intercepted a pass in his second game, which he returned for 29 yards to the 16-yard line.[38] That season, he played all twelve games and started the final four games atfree safety.[39] As the season progressed, he became involved in several big plays. He recovered a fumble on October 23 againstIllinois.[40] In the following game againstIndiana on October 30, he blocked apunt and recovered the football, which led to a touchdown on the following play.[41] He earned his first start on November 6 againstNorthwestern andsacked the quarterback to take the Wildcats out offield goal range.[42][43] On November 13 againstPenn State, he forced a fumble near midfield, which led to a Michigan scoring drive.[44] Although he had earned a starting position, his pass defense coverage had not yet earned respect.[45] In his best performance of the season, before a record-setting crowd of 111,575 atMichigan Stadium,[46] he recorded a team-high 10 (7 solo) of his 27 tackles in a 24–17 victory in therivalry game againstOhio State on November 20, 1999.[39] June also recovered a fumble to set up a scoring drive for the final Michigan touchdown.[47] The season ended in an overtime victory againstAlabama in the2000 Orange Bowl.[48]
During the summer before his2000 season as a redshirt sophomore for the2000 Wolverines when he was expected to challenge for the startingstrong safety position, he suffered a season-endinganterior cruciate ligament injury in his right knee that requiredreconstructive surgery.[39] He spent the season inrehabilitation with two other teammates who had knee injuries and was unable to run for six months.[49] His absence at the safety position caused Fargas to switch from running back to safety that season.[50] Before returning to football, he was involved in a public altercation in spring 2001. During the altercation, a Michigan teammate was identified as having punched someone in the face, and June was charged with failing to obey an officer's order for refusing to leave the scene.[51]
The2001 Michigan Wolverines football team lost several key offensive components from the previous season whenAnthony Thomas and David Terrell joined theChicago Bears of the NFL and Drew Henson was drafted by theNew York Yankees ofMajor League Baseball. The 2001 team lost a total of nine starters for the2001 season but returned eight defensive starters, and June was a welcome addition to a lineup.[52][53] In the second game of the season, June was called for a questionableroughing the passer penalty againstWashington that allowed the Huskies to score a field goal to reduce the Wolverines' lead to 23–12 in the fourth quarter.[54][55] A few weeks later, he had a career-high two sacks in a 45–20 victory againstIllinois on September 29.[56] The following week, on October 6, he had an interception in ashutout ofPenn State.[57] June had been starting at free safety, but the Penn State game marked his first start at strong safety because of an injury to Julius Curry.[49] On October 13, he led the team in tackles with seven, including a sack, againstPurdue in a game that left the team as the onlyBig Ten team with an undefeated conference record.[58][59] In the next game, his fourth quarter interception led to a comeback victory againstIowa to stay unbeaten in conference.[60] In the following game on November 3 againstMichigan State, Michigan's conference record fell to 4–1 as June left the game with another injury to his right knee.[61][62] June started all but one game and finished the season fourth on the team in tackles.[63][64]
In his senior season for the2002 Wolverines, one of June's notable performances was his individual effort to stop abootleg play againstNotre Dame on September 14, which forced a change of possession to give Michigan the ball with just over two minutes remaining.[65] On September 28 againstIllinois, he had a sack and made a notable lead block on the interception return of a fellow defensive back.[66] In the October 12 victory overPenn State, he made a key defensive play that almost resulted in an interception as part of an overtime goal line stand to hold Penn State to a field goal.[67][68] In the 23–21 victory overPurdue on October 19, he recovered the finalonside kick by Purdue.[69] A collision on October 26 in a game withIowa halted play for ten minutes while June received medical attention after leaving the game on astretcher. At the time, he had movement in his extremities. He was hospitalized after the incident,[64][70] but was released from the hospital the following morning.[71] June was sidelined for theMichigan – Michigan State Paul Bunyan Trophy game againstMichigan State on November 2,[72] but participated in two plays during the subsequentMichigan–Minnesota Little Brown Jug game againstMinnesota on November 9.[73] June was healthy in time for the2003 Outback Bowl againstFlorida, where he recorded a season-high nine tackles.[74][75] Over the course of the season, June had 36 tackles, 17 assists, four tackles for loss, and two sacks. He had 102 career tackles and 36 career assists, 10 tackles for loss, and six sacks.
June was selected as an honorable mention All-Big Ten performer by both the coaches and the media, despite his late season injury.[76] He was also selected to play in the 2003Senior Bowl along with Hobson,B.J. Askew, and Joppru.[77] At the 2003NFL Scouting Combine, June ran the slowest40-yard dash (4.68 seconds) of all the free safeties.[78] June was one of six Wolverines drafted in the2003 NFL draft and the first Michigan safety drafted sinceCorwin Brown in the1993 NFL draft.[79][80]
On April 27, June was selected by the Indianapolis Colts in the sixth round (25th pick) of the 2003 NFL Draft with the expectation that he would play weak side linebacker.[81] Colts coachTony Dungy had had previous success converting college safeties into linebackers.[82] Colts PresidentBill Polian made the decision to draft him and have him converted.[83] June agreed to a three-year contract on July 23 with the Colts just before the voluntary rookie camp in advance of the full training camp.[84][85] During the2003 NFL season, June was one of only two2003 Colts draft choices not to make a significant contribution.[86] He sat out the first five games and played mostly onspecial teams the rest of the season.[87] Nonetheless, June, who wore #59 for the Colts, was on the roster for the2003–04 NFL playoffs.[88][89]
After losing to theNew England Patriots in theAmerican Football Conference Championship Game and losingMarcus Washington who joined theWashington Redskins, the Colts shuffled their linebacker lineup and June was listed as a starter when the Colts arrived atmini-camp.[90][91] At the2004 Colts training camp, June competed withKeyon Whiteside for the starting weakside linebacker position.[92] By the end of training camp, June was the starter,[93] and 2004 rookieGilbert Gardner was the backup.[94] June made his debut as a starter in the opening game against the2004 Super Bowl championNew England Patriots.[95] That season, the Colts used a 4-3 defense with a fourth linebacker onpassing downs.[96] In week 5, June had a team-high ten tackles and his first interception in a 35–14 victory over theOakland Raiders.[97] In week 15, June returned an interception 71 yards to the four-yard-line where he stepped out of bounds with 59 seconds remaining in the game at theRCA Dome, the Colts' home stadium. This prompted the fans to chant forPeyton Manning to enter the game to attempt to tieDan Marino's single-season touchdown pass record. Since the Colts led the game 20–10 and had clinched theAFC South division, Manningtook a knee instead.[98] Coach Dungy's scheme is designed so that the weakside linebacker is supposed to make the most tackles,[94] and June was the Colts' leading tackler by a wide margin that season.[99] June started every game that season.[100]
June's 2004 season had been described as average,[101] and he was considered likely to lose his starting assignment in a battle with Gardner andKendyll Pope in2005.[102] Pope was suspended for the season for violating the league's substance abuse policy.[103] June beat Gardner for the starting position,[104] although some speculate that he won the job due to Gardner's injury at the end of training camp.[105] June recorded an interception that he ran back for a touchdown in the first game of the season against theBaltimore Ravens onSunday Night Football.[106] On October 9, he recorded two interceptions and ran back one for a touchdown to help Indianapolis reach a 5–0 record with a 28–3 victory over theSan Francisco 49ers.[107] The following week onMonday Night Football,[87] June recorded two more interceptions, one of which changed the momentum of the game because quarterbackMarc Bulger was injured trying to chase June. Both interceptions led to touchdowns as the Colts beat theSt. Louis Rams 17–0.[83][105][108] After six games, June was the NFL leader in interceptions, but he was diagnosed with a sportshernia.[109] June's fast start prompted talk of him breaking the all-time NFL linebacker single-season interception record of eight and being the first linebacker to lead the league since 1959.[110] In a game that was considered a bad performance by the Colts despite its victorious result, June had a season-high fourteen tackles to help the Colts raise their record to 9–0 in a 31–17 victory over theHouston Texans.[111] June sat out the December 11 game against theJacksonville Jaguars, which resulted in the Colts raising their record to 13–0, clinching their third straight AFC South title, a first-round bye and home-field advantage throughout the playoffs.[112] There was great speculation about whether June and other injured players would rest up for the2005–06 NFL playoffs or whether the team would attempt to post the first perfect 16–0 regular season.[113] June was able to play,[114] but the Colts lost their next game on December 18 to fall to 13–1.[115] After being named to the2006 Pro Bowl during the following week,[116] June was listed as inactive for the 15th game of the season and did not travel with the team to Seattle.[117] He also sat out the final game of the season.[118] After the conclusion of the regular season, June was selected as a first time Pro Bowl starter at linebacker.[119] In the opening round of the playoffs, the Colts forced a fumble byJerome Bettis that was nearly run back for a winning touchdown in the final minute of play, butBen Roethlisberger made a game-saving tackle onNick Harper for thePittsburgh Steelers's 21–18 victory.Gary Brackett forced the fumble,[120][121][122] although at least one source credited June with the tackle.[123] June also had an interception and four solo tackles in the loss.[100] June was named second-teamAll-Pro atoutside linebacker.[124] Despite missing three games due to injury, June finished third on the team with 109 tackles and led the team with 5 interceptions.[125] He was also the team's nominee for theEd Block Courage Award in 2005.[126]
June had two surgeries to repair his hernia in February 2006.[100] He would have become an unrestricted free agent on March 3, 2006,[127] but the Colts made him a $1.55 milliontender offer on March 2.[125] On April 24, June signed a $1.57 million one-year contract despite his interest in a long-term deal.[128][129] June was arrested on June 13 for failing to appear in court on a driving while suspended charge inBoone County, Indiana.[130] The arrest was described as the result of a miscommunication.[131] When the2006 Colts started training camp, June's health caused the team to limit him to one practice session per day.[132] June was sidelined during the final preseason game.[133] In week 5 of the season, June recorded 9 tackles as the Colts improved to 5–0 prior to theirbye week,[134] and he followed it up with 15 tackles as they moved to 6–0.[135] June forced a fumble in the seventh game,[136] and he intercepted twoTom Brady passes as the team improved to 8–0 in a 27–20 road victory over theNew England Patriots.[137] June led the team with nine tackles as they moved to 9–0.[138] Although June accepted responsibility for missed tackles after the team fell to 10–3,[139] he was ranked fifth in the NFL in tackles made.[140] June recorded an interception as the 12–4 Colts finished the regular season with a 27–22 victory over theMiami Dolphins,[141] and he finished the season ranked seventh in the NFL and first on the team in tackles made.[142] During the2006–07 NFL playoffs, he helped the Colts winSuper Bowl XLI.[143] June started every game for the Colts during the season and the playoffs.[144] When the free agent signing period began on March 2, June and several unrestricted free agents were left unsigned.[145]
June was considered to be a fast linebacker[146][147] and a specialized talent with a better likelihood of success in a defensive scheme that was built around speed rather than size.[148] On March 17, 2007, he signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who used the defensive scheme designed by Dungy.[149][150] TheNew York Giants and Colts were also interested in signing June.[144] The contract was believed to be a three-year, $12 million agreement,[144] but some later reports claim it was a four-year, $17 million contract.[151]
In Tampa, June joined a defense that had been among the top 10 in the league for a decade until the2006 Buccaneers faltered with a 4–12 record.[152][153] In 2006, they fell from 1st to 17th in team defense.[154] When June arrived it was fairly clear thatDerrick Brooks would not be changing from his weakside linebacker position and that June would be moving to strongside linebacker.[155][156] When he became a Buccaneer, he stood out for his dedication and enthusiasm. For example, when the Colts had theirSuper Bowl ring ceremony, June flew to Indianapolis and back without missing any Buccaneers practice time.[157] As strongside linebacker he beat outRyan Nece as the2007 Buccaneers starter,[158] although he was considered the heir apparent to 13-year veteran and 10-time Pro Bowler Brooks at the weakside position.[159][160][161] June again wore the #59 as a Buccaneer.[162] Because of his weakside linebacker and safety experience, June was expected to remain in the game during passing situations unlike most strongside linebackers.[163][164] June also expected defenses to run at him because at 6 feet (1.8 m), 227 pounds (103 kg) he was small for an NFL strongside linebacker and one of the smallest linebackers in the NFL.[165][166]
June recorded an interception and touchdown return in the Buccaneers' third preseason game against theMiami Dolphins.[167] In his first game as a Buccaneer, he did not play on many passing downs,[168] which caused something of a controversy in the press after the opening 20–6 loss to theSeattle Seahawks.[169] In the second game, on some passing downs June played in place of Brooks, who had never sat on the sidelines previously.[170] Brooks, whose speed may have been slowed byfather time, avoided the media after the game, but June and other teammates defended him.[171] The press was much more amenable to having June play more and claimed that the defense was back up to its prior level of excellence with the change.[172] Over the course of the 2007 season June and Brooks divided time at linebacker duringnickel defense coverage.[173][174]
June made his first interception during his second game as a Buccaneer. It led to a touchdown scoring drive during a 31–14 victory against theNew Orleans Saints.[175] In his third game, June made a key tackle for a 3-yard loss, which resulted in a subsequent missed field goal by theSt. Louis Rams.[176] After the fourth week the Bucs were 3–1 with the NFL's fifth-rated defense and June was the team's third-leading tackler as they headed into a week five showdown against June's previous team, the 4–0Indianapolis Colts.[150][177][178] The Colts gained 400 yards on June and the Buccaneers in a 33–14 defeat on October 7.[179] After the sixth week the Bucs were 4–2 and June was eighth in the NFL and second on his team in assists.[180][181] After June had a team-high nine tackles and a forced fumble to lead them to a 6–4 record with a 31–7 victory over theAtlanta Falcons,[182] he was arrested fordriving under the influence (DUI) inHillsborough County, Florida,[183] which had the most DUI cases of any county in Florida.[184] June was one of several Bucs to be charged with DUI that season,[185] and charges were eventually dropped.[186] In the Atlanta game, which gave the Bucs an undefeated 3–0 division record,[187] June was involved in a controversial fumble–lateral play,[188][189] which NFL officials said the referees ruled incorrectly on.[190] Subsequently, the Bucs raised their record to 9–5 and clinched theNFC South Division.[191] June and other star players were rested for large parts of the final two games, which the Bucs lost.[192] Nonetheless, June was still injured in the final game of the season,[193] and he was listed as inactive for the Bucs'2007–08 NFL playoffs matchup with theNew York Giants,[194] which the team lost.[195] June finished his first season with the Bucs with 69tackles and one interception. June was part of a defense that finished the season ranked second in the league.[196]
June had offseason foot surgery in February 2008.[197] During the opening game of the season, Brooks suffered a hamstring injury and removed himself from the game in the third quarter, which fueled speculation during the following week that he would miss the first start of his fourteen-year career and that June would start on the weakside.[198] Brooks, however, made his 194th-consecutive start the following week.[199] In a story not published until four weeks later,Minnesota Vikings running backAdrian Peterson claims that June attempted to injure him in a November 16 game.[200] June made his first interception of the season and second as a Buccaneer on aDrew Brees pass that was tipped byRonde Barber in the twelfth game of the season as Tampa earned its fourth consecutive victory to improve its record to 9–3 on November 30 against theNew Orleans Saints.[201][202][203] After the Buccaneers lost their final four games to miss the playoffs, the Buccaneers replacedJon Gruden andBruce Allen withRaheem Morris andMark Dominik as head coach and general manager.[204] The team subsequently released five veteran players in a move that was said to be unrelated to thesalary cap.[205][206] June was released by the Buccaneers on February 25, 2009, along withDerrick Brooks,Ike Hilliard,Warrick Dunn andJoey Galloway.[207] The transaction avoided a $2 million roster bonus for June.[206]
June was signed by theHouston Texans on April 4, 2009, to a one-year contract worth $1.5 million.[208] He was expected to compete withXavier Adibi andZac Diles for the weakside linebacker position.[209] However, on August 20, June broke hisforearm during morning practice, had surgery to insert a plate that afternoon and was expected to miss 6–8 weeks.[210] June had previously missed some training camp time due to a knee injury.[211] On August 28, June was placed on season-endinginjured reserve due to his injured forearm.[212] He was released with an injury settlement on September 3, making him a free agent.[213]
June signed with theChicago Bears on December 1, 2009[214] June was signed as a replacement forLance Briggs who had a knee injury. He played on special teams on December 6, against theSt. Louis Rams, but was inactive the following week against theGreen Bay Packers. He was waived on December 14 and replaced on the 53-man roster by practice squad memberJames Marten when Briggs returned to good health.[215][216]
June was signed by theOmaha Nighthawks of theUnited Football League on September 8, 2010.[217] In June 2011, the Nighthawks dropped several players with NFL experience, including June.[218]
| Year | Team | GP | COMB | TOTAL | AST | SACK | FF | FR | FR YDS | INT | IR YDS | AVG IR | LNG | TD | PD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | IND | 11 | 8 | 6 | 2 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2004 | IND | 16 | 110 | 84 | 26 | 0.0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 71 | 36 | 71 | 0 | 8 |
| 2005 | IND | 13 | 102 | 68 | 34 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 115 | 23 | 36 | 2 | 6 |
| 2006 | IND | 16 | 143 | 97 | 46 | 1.0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 14 | 5 | 8 | 0 | 4 |
| 2007 | TB | 16 | 69 | 48 | 21 | 0.0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| 2008 | TB | 16 | 67 | 49 | 18 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| Career | 88 | 499 | 352 | 147 | 1.0 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 12 | 201 | 17 | 71 | 2 | 24 |
Key
June served as the Anacostia defensive coordinator for the 2011 season and took over as head coach of a team that had gone 1–17 over the prior to season ashead coach for the 2012 season.[220] In July 2014, theDetroit Lions announced that June would join their staff as one of four Bill Walsh Minority Fellowship Interns,[221] but June coached Anacostia to a 4–8 record in 2014.[222] In three seasons at Anacostia, June compiled a 12–23 record before accepting a position as head coach atCharles Herbert Flowers High School inPrince George's County for the 2015 season.[222]
In April 2016, June became the running backs coach and assistant recruiting coordinator atHoward University forHoward Bison football.[223]
On March 4, 2020, June was hired as the outside linebacker coach for theMassachusetts Minutemen.[224]
In 2021 he served as the outside linebackers coach for Bowling Green.
In 2022 he became the assistant linebackers coach for the Colts under Jeff Saturday.[225]
The name Cato is ofNigerian origin and goes back for generations in his family. His great-great-grandfather, Cato, was a runaway slave and the name had been passed along through eight previous generations.[49][226] According to one source the name means "wise and cautious".[49]
June's mother, Marjani, is a minister who spent nine months helping inNew Orleans, Louisiana in the aftermath ofHurricane Katrina. She disapproves of June'stattoos.[154] One of his tattoos reads "Big Time" for his high school and college nickname.[166] He got his first tattoo of his college number 2 after he turned 18 while playing for Michigan.[227]
75-year-oldWill June, his grandfather, became the oldest player to bowl consecutiveperfect games on August 31, 2010.[228]
In college, June and Hobson were roommates. They were known for having sessions ofMadden NFL 2003 forPlayStation 2 in an apartment known as "The Stadium", where competition among football team members often occurred.[229][230] At Tampa, he had two-time defendingMadden Bowl championAlex Smith as a teammate and June, who is known as a vocal player,[157][231][232] voiced an interest in playing him.[233] As a professional, June became an avidfantasy football owner,[234] and he eventually started playing in a league only for NFL players.[235] He was the champion of the 2008 NFL Players league.[236] June enjoys workouts that consist ofboxing.[237]
During the 2005 season, June andGary Brackett visited the three most successfulMarion County, Indiana Vectren C5 food drive elementary schools.[238] As part of aUnited Service Organizations event forVeterans Day 2008, June, Smith,Phillip Buchanon, andAqib Talib playedvideo games with United States military personnel.[239][240] DuringSuper Bowl XLIII week in Tampa, June hosted a celebrity benefit for the June Family Foundation,[241][242] which offers career insights to disadvantaged youths.[243]
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