Owen Pappoe

NoteCARDS:

• Last name pronounced "PAPP-oh".
• Selected by the Cardinals in the fifth round (168th overall) of the 2023 NFL Draft out of Auburn and appeared in 32 games (two starts) with 29 tackles, three passes defensed, a QB hit and a forced fumble on defense to go along with 10 tackles on special teams.
• Member of a Cardinals 2023 rookie class that led the NFL in total offensive/defensive snaps (4,654) by rookies and total starts (64) by rookies. Was also one of an NFL-high 11 rookies who started for the Cards in '23.
• A two-time team captain at Auburn, became just the fourth player in program history to earn the honor more than once.
• Ran the fastest 40-yard dash time (4.39 seconds) of all linebackers at the 2023 NFL Combine. The only LB in Combine history to run the 40-yard dash faster was Shaq Griffin (4.38) in 2018.

NoteCARDS:

• Last name pronounced "PAPP-oh".
• Selected by the Cardinals in the fifth round (168th overall) of the 2023 NFL Draft out of Auburn and appeared in 32 games (two starts) with 29 tackles, three passes defensed, a QB hit and a forced fumble on defense to go along with 10 tackles on special teams.
• Member of a Cardinals 2023 rookie class that led the NFL in total offensive/defensive snaps (4,654) by rookies and total starts (64) by rookies. Was also one of an NFL-high 11 rookies who started for the Cards in '23.
• A two-time team captain at Auburn, became just the fourth player in program history to earn the honor more than once.
• Ran the fastest 40-yard dash time (4.39 seconds) of all linebackers at the 2023 NFL Combine. The only LB in Combine history to run the 40-yard dash faster was Shaq Griffin (4.38) in 2018.

Pro Career:

Originally entered the NFL as a Cardinals fifth round (168th overall) pick in the 2023 NFL Draft out of Auburn.

2024: Saw action in 16 games (one start) and totaled 20 tackles, two passes defensed and his career-first forced fumble as well as seven special teams tackles ... appeared in the season opener @ Buf (9/8) and recorded four tackles (one solo) ... had three tackles vs. LAR (9/15) ... had three tackles and established a career high with two special teams tackles vs. Det (9/22) ... had four tackles (three solo), one special teams tackle and forced a Bears RB D'Andre Swift fumble, the first forced fumble of his NFL career, in the win vs. Chi (11/3) ... had one tackle and a pass defensed vs. NYJ (11/10) ... posted four tackles, a pass defensed and a special teams tackle @ Car (12/22) ... had a special teams tackle @ LAR (12/28).

2023: Appeared in 16 games with one start and had nine tackles (five solo), one QB hit, a pass defensed and four special teams tackles ... inactive for season opener @ Was (9/10) ... made NFL debut vs. NYG (9/17), seeing action on special teams ... appeared primarily on special teams through his first six games played ... had one special teams tackle and a fumble recovery after an onside kick by K Matt Prater late in the fouth quarter vs. Bal (10/29); only NFL player to recover an onside kick in 2023 ... recorded one special teams tackle @ Cle (11/5) ... saw game action on special teams vs. Atl (11/12) and had one special teams tackle ... appeared on special teams @ Hou (11/19) ... posted one tackle on defense and one tackle on special teams vs. LAR (11/26) ... had one tackle @ Pit (12/3) ... recorded one QB hit vs. SF (12/17) ... posted two tackles in first career start @ Chi (12/24) ... tallied two tackles @ Phi (12/31) ... registered three solo tackles and a pass defensed vs. Sea (1/7/24).

College:

A two-time team captain and 2022 Butkus Award semifinalist, Pappoe started all 41 games played in four seasons (2019-22) at Auburn dating back to his true freshman season … finished his college career with 256 tackles, 15.0 tackles for loss, 8.0 sacks, two INTs, nine passes defensed, three forced fumbles and a fumble recovery ... a Butkus Award semifinalist in 2022, team captain and third-team All-SEC selection as a senior after totaling a team-high 91 tackles to go along with 2.0 sacks, three tackles for loss, an INT, four passes defensed and two forced fumbles … named the team's Linebacker of the Year … had a career game @ Mississippi (10/15), posting a career-best 16 tackles to go along with a pass defensed and a forced fumble … also had a standout performance in the season finale at Alabama (11/26), finishing with 10 tackles and an INT of 2023 #1 overall draft pick Bryce Young ... mamed a team captain as a junior in 2021 for the first time and started all five games he appeared in, missing eight contests due to injury … totaled 23 tackles on the year ... in 2020, started all 11 games as a sophomore and finished the season with career highs in tackles (93), sacks (4.0) and tackles for loss (6) to go along with an INT, three passes defensed and his first career fumble recovery … had four games with double-digit tackles, including a season-best 14 stops @ Mississippi (10/24) ... in 2019, started a career-high 13 games as a true freshman with the Tigers, earning FWAA midseason freshman All-American honors … finished his first college season with 49 tackles, 2.0 sacks, three tackles for loss, two passes defensed and his first career forced fumble.

Personal:

Nation's top-rated outside linebacker prospect coming out of Grayson (Loganville, GA) High School where he recorded 121 tackles and 14 tackles for loss as a senior in 2019 … earned an invite to the Under Armour All-American Game … Class 7A All-State first team selection as a senior, adding USA Today All-USA Georgia Defensive Player of Year honors … a MaxPreps All-American, was rated as a five-star linebacker prospect by 24/7, PrepStar and ESPN … received 11 scholarship offers by the time he finished eighth grade, before he even played a game in high school, including offers from Florida State, Georgia, Clemson and Auburn … graduated in December of 2022 with a bachelor's degree in Exercise Science.