Jimmy Spencer (American football)


James Arthur Spencer, Jr. is an American former college and professional football player who was a cornerback in the National Football League for twelve seasons during the 1990s and early 2000s. Spencer played college football for the University of Florida, and thereafter, he played professionally for the New Orleans Saints, Cincinnati Bengals, San Diego Chargers and Denver Broncos of the NFL.

Early years

Spencer was born in Manning, South Carolina. He attended Glades Central High School in Belle Glade, Florida, and he played high school football for the Glades Central Raiders.

College career

Spencer accepted an athletic scholarship to attend the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida, where he played for coach Galen Hall and coach Steve Spurrier's Florida Gators football teams from 1988 to 1990. In 1990, he blocked a punt late in the fourth quarter, which Richard Fain recovered and returned twenty-five yards for a touchdown and providing the margin of victory in the Gators' 17–13 victory over the Alabama Crimson Tide in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Spencer decided to forgo his final year of NCAA eligibility after his junior season in 1990, and made himself eligible for the NFL Draft.

Professional career

The Washington Redskins selected Spencer in the eighth round of the 1991 NFL Draft. Spencer played for the New Orleans Saints from to, the Cincinnati Bengals in and, the San Diego Chargers in and, and the Denver Broncos from to. Statistically, his best seasons were, 1995 and 1996, when he was a regular starter for New Orleans and then Cincinnati.
In his twelve NFL seasons, Spencer played in 177 regular season games, and started eighty-one of them. He finished his NFL career with twenty-six interceptions, two touchdown returns, eight fumble recoveries and one fumble recovery for a touchdown.
In 2003, Spencer worked as an assistant defensive back coach with the Broncos in addition to playing, making him the first simultaneous player/coach in the NFL since Dan Reeves in 1972.