Brent Grimes

Brent Omar Grimes (born July 19, 1983) is an American former professional football player who was a cornerback in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Shippensburg University and signed with the Atlanta Falcons as an undrafted free agent in 2006. Grimes was allocated to the Hamburg Sea Devils of NFL Europa in 2006 and was part of the team that won World Bowl XV.

On May 16, 2006, the Atlanta Falcons signed Grimes to three-year, $1.08 million contract after he went undrafted in the 2006 NFL draft.

During training camp, Grimes competed for a roster spot as a backup cornerback and special teams player. He competed against Chris Cash, Allen Rossum, and Omare Lowe before sustaining a groin injury. He was subsequently waived by the Atlanta Falcons during training camp.

On January 10, 2007, the Atlanta Falcons signed Grimes to a reserve/futures contract and immediately allocated him to play overseas in NFL Europa. Grimes was initially acquired by the Amsterdam Admirals before becoming a part of the Rhein Fire and then joined the Hamburg Sea Devils. He started at cornerback for the Sea Devils and helped them achieve a 7–3 record and finish first in their division. On June 23, 2007, Grimes appeared in World Bowl XV and was part of the Hamburg Sea Devils team that defeated the Frankfurt Galaxy 37–28.

After winning World Bowl XV, Grimes returned to the Atlanta Falcons and attended organized team activities and training camp. Throughout camp, Grimes competed against Antoine Harris and David Irons for a job as a backup cornerback and special teams player. On September 2, 2007, the Atlanta Falcons waived Grimes as part of their final roster cuts, but re-signed him to their practice squad the following day.

On December 17, 2007, the Atlanta Falcons promoted Grimes to their active roster after cornerback Lewis Sanders tore his pectoral muscle and was placed on injured reserve. On December 12, 2007, head coach Bobby Petrino resigned from his position after only 13 games where the Falcons finished with a 3–10 record. Petrino decided to accept the vacant head coaching job at Arkansas after quarterback Michael Vick was arrested for operating an unlawful interstate dog fighting venture. Interim head coach Emmitt Thomas named Grimes the third cornerback on the depth chart, behind DeAngelo Hall and Chris Houston. On December 23, 2007, Grimes made his professional regular season debut and recorded a season-high 11 combined tackles (ten solo) during a 30–27 loss at the Arizona Cardinals in Week 16. He completed his rookie season in 2007 with 12 combined tackles (11 solo) in two games and no starts.

Throughout training camp, Grimes competed to be a starting cornerback after DeAngelo Hall was traded to the Oakland Raiders. He competed against Von Hutchins, David Irons, and Chevis Jackson. Grimes quickly rose up the depth chart and surprised many analysts with his performances in training camp. The Atlanta Falcons' new head coach, Mike Smith, named Grimes a starting cornerback to begin the 2008 regular season, along with Chris Houston.

He made his first career start in the Atlanta Falcons' season-opener against the Washington Redskins and recorded a season-high six solo tackles in their 34–21 victory. On September 21, 2008, Grimes made one tackle, two pass deflections, and made his first career interception off a pass by quarterback Tyler Thigpen during a 38–14 win against the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 3. The following week, he collected a season-high ten combined tackles (nine solo) and broke up a pass in the Falcons' 24–9 loss at the Carolina Panthers in Week 4. In Week 8, Grimes was benched in favor of Domonique Foxworth during the Falcons' loss at the Philadelphia Eagles. On November 6, 2008, head coach Mike Smith stated Domonique Foxworth would remain the starter for the rest of the season. He was inactive for a Week 11 loss to the Denver Broncos due to an ankle injury. Grimes was sidelined for three more games (Weeks 13–15) after injuring his knee. He completed the 2008 season with 34 combined tackles (30 solo), six passes defensed, and an interception in 12 games and six starts.