Gareon Conley – Bio, Career Profile, Facts You Need To Know

Quick Facts

The Ohio State alumni and cornerback for the Oakland Raiders drafted in the first round of the 2017 NFL Draft, Gareon Conley, was exonerated from a rape accusation which could have hampered his NFL dreams but is yet to prove his form as a choice athlete as a result of an on and off spells with injuries.

Here are the player’s profile and everything you need to know about the Ohio State star.

Gareon Conley’s Profile

Conley was born on June 29, 1995, in Massillon, Ohio. He attended Massillon Washington High School where his gridiron career took off. In high school, he played both on the defensive and offensive positions as a cornerback and wide receiver respectively. As a senior, he recorded 25 tackles and an interception as a cornerback while on offense, he caught 50 passes and scored 16 touchdowns as a wide receiver.

Following his high school career, he committed to play on the collegiate level for the University of Michigan but ended up playing for the Ohio State University Buckeyes. He was redshirted in his first year at Ohio but played in all 15 games as a redshirt freshman in 2014 and recorded 16 tackles.

As a sophomore, he started all 13 games and ended the season with 49 tackles and two interceptions. He led the Buckeyes to a Fiesta Bowl win after the 2015 season and subsequently to a second Fiesta Bowl appearance in 2016. Conley was an honorable mention All-Big Ten pick in 2015 and as a junior, a second-team all-conference. He was further named Second Team All-Big Ten by the Coaches and Third Team by the media on November 29, 2016. After his junior season, he decided to forgo his senior year for an NFL career and entered the 2017 Draft.

Gareon Conley’s style of play at Ohio led many NFL scouts to compare him to cornerback . Furthermore, he was considered a top defensive prospect and a potential first-round selection in the Draft.

Facts You Need To Know About Gareon Conley

NFL Career

Conley became a first-round selection as he was picked by the Oakland Raiders as the 24th overall of the draft. However, his career would have been nipped before it even started as he was accused of rape, an event that allegedly took place earlier in the Draft month. He was drafted by the Raiders after they conducted their own investigation and administered a polygraph test which he passed.

Following the draft, he signed a four-year contract on July 28, 2017, worth $10.467 million with $5.752 million signing bonus guaranteed. A shin injury stopped him from playing in the season opener and he ended up playing in just two games as a result.

Rape Accusation

Prior to being drafted into the NFL, Gareon Conley had some dark phase along the line. He was accused of raping a lady in a Cleveland hotel on the 9th of April 2017, a few weeks before the draft. He vehemently denied the accusation.

Following the accusations, however, it was speculated that he may fall out of the first round of the draft due to the claims but that was not to be as he was selected by the Raiders in the long run and still in the first round after they had proved beyond doubt that he is a good choice and possibly not guilty. A grand jury ruled not to charge Conley on July 31, 2017, exonerating him from the accusation.

Injury

The first round pick has had no injury in a long time before he went pro but has had to battle with one injury after another in his young career. He has spent more time sidelined on the injury reserve than he had on the field. His on and off spells with injuries which seemed determined to hamper his career and dreams raises the question whether it is going to be a trend in the cornerback’s career. We strongly hope it wouldn’t.

In his rookie season, he missed the season opener against the Titans due to a shin injury. Although he returned in Weeks 2 and 3, he eventually landed on the injured reserve on November 13, 2017, after aggravating the injured shin which rendered him inactive for the rest of the season.

Family

Gareon Conley is the son of Sherry Stine Robinson, who he is super close to, and Jameel Abdul Aziz Conley. He has four siblings; two brothers: Jameel and Ayeee Glenoak and two sisters: Maria and Meera. His parents are long separated and he has a stepmother from his father’s second marriage to Angela Conley (nee. Sigler).

Height, Weight, Body Measurements

The Raiders cornerback stands at 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) tall and has a matching body weight of 195 lb (88 kg). His arm length is 33 inches (0.84 m) and he has a hand size of 9 1⁄2 in (0.24 m).

Also Read: Top 10 Richest People in the world with full biography and details.