Christopher LaBarren Culliver II (born August 17, 1988) is an American former professional
football
Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...
player who was a
cornerback
A cornerback (CB) is a member of the defensive backfield or secondary in gridiron football. Cornerbacks cover Wide receiver, receivers most of the time, but also blitz and defend against such Play from scrimmage, offensive running plays as sweep ...
in the
National Football League
The National Football League (NFL) is a Professional gridiron football, professional American football league in the United States. Composed of 32 teams, it is divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National ...
(NFL). He was selected by the
San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers (also written as the San Francisco Forty-Niners and nicknamed the Niners) are a professional American football team based in the San Francisco Bay Area. The 49ers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member ...
in the third round of the
2011 NFL draft
The 2011 NFL draft was the 76th installment of the annual National Football League draft, NFL draft, where the franchises of the National Football League select newly eligible football players. Like the 2010 draft, the 2011 draft was held at Rad ...
. He played
college football
College football is gridiron football that is played by teams of amateur Student athlete, student-athletes at universities and colleges. It was through collegiate competition that gridiron football American football in the United States, firs ...
for the
South Carolina Gamecocks
The South Carolina Gamecocks represent the University of South Carolina in the NCAA Division I.
The University of South Carolina uses "Gamecocks" as its official nickname and mascot. While the men's teams were traditionally known as the Fight ...
.
Early life
Culliver had a difficult start in life. His mother, although she would eventually graduate from
Temple University
Temple University (Temple or TU) is a public university, public Commonwealth System of Higher Education, state-related research university in Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. It was founded in 1884 by the Baptist ministe ...
, was single and only 16 years old when he was born. Culliver has a brother four years his junior and twin siblings, a boy and a girl, who are eleven years younger. In 1996, Culliver's stepfather and a cousin were shot to death, and his mother was wounded, in a
Philadelphia
Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...
bar fight.
Culliver graduated from
Garner Magnet High School
Garner Magnet High School (GMHS) is a comprehensive public high school in Garner, North Carolina, United States, a city southeast of Raleigh. The school was founded as Garner Senior High School (GSHS), which graduated its first class in 1969. Gar ...
of
Garner, North Carolina
Garner is a town in Wake County, North Carolina, United States. The population is 31,159 as of the 2020 census. A suburb of Raleigh, the city limits are entirely within Wake County, though portions of unincorporated Wake County, as well as the ...
in 2007.
He did not play football until his sophomore year. He produced 127 tackles, seven sacks, and two interceptions as a junior. In his senior year, he was credited with 147 tackles and four interceptions, and, although he started only a handful of games on offense, he logged 1,500 all-purpose yards and returned four kickoffs and two punts for touchdowns. He accounted for over 270 tackles in his final two seasons at Garner. He was the MVP for the East squad in the Offense-Defense All-Star Game after catching three passes for 97 yards, including a 77-yard touchdown reception. He also played in the Shrine Bowl.
Also a standout
track & field
Track and field (or athletics in British English) is a sport that includes athletic contests based on running, jumping, and throwing skills. The name used in North America is derived from where the sport takes place, a running track and ...
athlete, Culliver was an elite sprinter. He posted a personal-best time of 10.69 seconds in the
100-meter dash
The 100 metres, or 100-meter dash, is a sprint race in track and field competitions. The shortest common outdoor running distance, the dash is one of the most popular and prestigious events in the sport of athletics. It has been contested at ...
at the 2007
USATF
USA Track & Field (USATF) is a United States national governing body for the sports of track and field, cross country running, road running, and racewalking (known as the sport of athletics outside the US). The USATF was known between 1979 and 1 ...
Jr. Olympic Championship, where he placed second in the preliminary rounds. He took second in the
55-meter dash
55 metres is a sprint event in track and field. It is a relatively uncommon non-championship event for indoor track and field. The history of the event lies in the 60-yard dash, which is about 5 inches shorter than 55 metres. Since the 1960s alm ...
at the 2007 4A NCHSAA Indoor State Championship at 6.45, but posted a PR of 6.08 seconds at the Clayton HS Last Chance Meet.
Culliver was a five-star recruit by ''
Rivals.com'', and was the Gamecocks' first five-star signee since
Demetris Summers in 2003. He was considered by Rivals.com as the top player in the state of
North Carolina
North Carolina ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, South Carolina to the south, Georgia (U.S. stat ...
and the third-best wide receiver in the country. Rivals.com ranked him as the 19th-best prospect in the country regardless of position, making him USC's highest-rated recruit since Greenwood linebacker Ricardo Hurley was ranked No. 17 among the class of 2002. He was rated a four-star prospect and the No. 13 safety in the country by ''
Scout.com''. He was also rated the 37th-best defensive back in the nation and the seventh-best player in the state of North Carolina by ''
SuperPrep
''Super Prep'' is a former sports magazine that was based in Laguna Beach, California. It was published in 1985 by Allen Wallace, a lawyer. Its main focus is to provide recruiting information on high school football players.
In 1987, ''The Boston ...
''. Culliver chose to attend the
University of South Carolina
The University of South Carolina (USC, SC, or Carolina) is a Public university, public research university in Columbia, South Carolina, United States. Founded in 1801 as South Carolina College, It is the flagship of the University of South Car ...
over the
University of Florida
The University of Florida (Florida or UF) is a public university, public land-grant university, land-grant research university in Gainesville, Florida, United States. It is a senior member of the State University System of Florida and a preem ...
and
North Carolina State University
North Carolina State University (NC State, North Carolina State, NC State University, or NCSU) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Raleigh, North Carolina, United States. Founded in 1887 and p ...
.
College career
At South Carolina, Culliver majored in sport and entertainment management and played on the
South Carolina Gamecocks football
The South Carolina Gamecocks football program represents the University of South Carolina. The South Carolina Gamecocks, Gamecocks compete in the Football Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and the Southeastern ...
team from 2007 to 2010.
As a freshman in
2007
2007 was designated as the International Heliophysical Year and the International Polar Year.
Events
January
* January 1
**Bulgaria and Romania 2007 enlargement of the European Union, join the European Union, while Slovenia joins the Eur ...
, Culliver was a
kickoff returner
A return specialist or kick returner is a player on the special teams unit of a gridiron football team who specializes in returning punts and kickoffs. There are few players who are exclusively return specialists; most also play another position ...
with 34 returns for 809 yards, the second most single-season kick return yards in school history. Culliver started one game as a
wide receiver
A wide receiver (WR), also referred to as a wideout, and historically known as a split end (SE) or flanker (FL), is an eligible receiver in gridiron football. A key skill position of the offense (American football), offense, WR gets its name ...
.
Culliver became the starting
free safety
Safety (S), historically known as a safetyman, is a position in gridiron football on the American football positions#Defense, defense. The safeties are defensive backs who line up ten to fifteen yards from the line of scrimmage. There are two var ...
in addition to kick returner in
2008
2008 was designated as:
*International Year of Languages
*International Year of Planet Earth
*International Year of the Potato
*International Year of Sanitation
The Great Recession, a worldwide recession which began in 2007, continued throu ...
. With 12 starts, Culliver made 60 tackles, including 4.5 for losses, as well as three interceptions, three
passes deflected, and two forced fumbles.
In February 2009, Culliver almost died from complications following routine shoulder surgery.
Culliver returned for his junior season with 12 starts and was the team's third top tackler with 62 and returned 26 kickoffs for 585 yards. Culliver was a second-team
All-SEC
The All-SEC football team is an annual Southeastern Conference (SEC) honor bestowed on the best players in the conference following every college football season.
Seasons
Following is a list of all-conference teams in the history of the SEC:
* ...
pick for 2009.
Culliver became
cornerback
A cornerback (CB) is a member of the defensive backfield or secondary in gridiron football. Cornerbacks cover Wide receiver, receivers most of the time, but also blitz and defend against such Play from scrimmage, offensive running plays as sweep ...
as a senior in
2010
The year saw a multitude of natural and environmental disasters such as the 2010 Haiti earthquake, the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, and the 2010 Chile earthquake. The 2009 swine flu pandemic, swine flu pandemic which began the previous year ...
. Before a season-ending
pectoral muscle injury, Culliver started 7 games and had 34 tackles (including 2.5 tackles for loss), 1 sack, a forced fumble, 2 passes deflected, and 12 kick returns for 261 yards.
Professional career
San Francisco 49ers

Projected to be a third or fourth round,
Culliver was selected by the
San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers (also written as the San Francisco Forty-Niners and nicknamed the Niners) are a professional American football team based in the San Francisco Bay Area. The 49ers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member ...
in the third round of the
2011 NFL draft
The 2011 NFL draft was the 76th installment of the annual National Football League draft, NFL draft, where the franchises of the National Football League select newly eligible football players. Like the 2010 draft, the 2011 draft was held at Rad ...
as the 80th overall pick. As a rookie, Culliver played all 16 games of the regular season and finished with a total of 35 combined tackles, 7 pass defensed, and 1 interception for 23 yards. Culliver also played both games of the postseason.
In the
2012 season, Culliver was the 49ers' primary
nickelback
Nickelback is a Canadian Rock music, rock band formed in 1995 in Hanna, Alberta, Hanna, Alberta. Throughout its history, it has consisted of lead guitarist and lead vocalist Chad Kroeger, rhythm guitarist, keyboardist and backing vocalist Ryan ...
, and he had a key interception against the
Atlanta Falcons
The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta. The Falcons compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South division. The Falcons were founded o ...
in the
NFC Championship Game
The NFC Championship Game is the annual championship game of the National Football Conference (NFC) and one of the two semifinal National Football League playoffs, playoff games of the National Football League (NFL), the largest professional Ame ...
. San Francisco advanced to
Super Bowl XLVII
Super Bowl XLVII was an American football game between the American Football Conference (AFC) champion Baltimore Ravens and the National Football Conference (NFC) champion San Francisco 49ers to decide the National Football League (NFL) champio ...
, but lost 34–31 to the
Baltimore Ravens
The Baltimore Ravens are a professional American football team based in Baltimore. The Ravens compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. The team plays its home g ...
. Culliver had a tough game after being targeted often by Ravens quarterback
Joe Flacco
Joseph Vincent Flacco (born January 16, 1985) is an American professional football quarterback for the Cleveland Browns of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Pittsburgh Panthers and the Delaware Fightin' Blue ...
. He was beaten for a 56-yard touchdown catch by wide receiver
Jacoby Jones
Jacoby Rashi'd Jones (July 11, 1984 – July 14, 2024) was an American professional football player who was a wide receiver and return specialist in the National Football League (NFL). Selected in the third round of the 2007 NFL draft by the H ...
and was also flagged for
pass interference
In American and Canadian football, pass interference (PI) is a foul that occurs when a player interferes with an eligible receiver's ability to make a fair attempt to catch a forward pass. Pass interference may include tripping, pushing, pulli ...
in the fourth quarter with it leading to Baltimore kicking a
field goal
A field goal (FG) is a means of scoring in gridiron football. To score a field goal, the team in possession of the ball must place kick, or drop kick, the ball through the goal, i.e., between the uprights and over the crossbar. Consequently, ...
to extend its lead to 34–29.
Prior to the Super Bowl during Media Day, Culliver had some strong words for
gay players in the NFL. Asked by comedian/radio host
Artie Lange
Arthur Steven Lange Jr. (born October 11, 1967) is an American stand-up comedian, actor, and radio personality best known for his tenures on the sketch comedy series '' Mad TV'' from 1995 to 1997 and ''The Howard Stern Show'' from 2001 to 2009. ...
if there were any gay players on his team, Culliver stated, "No, we don't got no gay people on the team, they gotta get up out of here if they do.... Can't be with that sweet stuff. Nah…can't be…in the locker room man. Nah." He also opined that any gay players should wait 10 years after retiring before
coming out
Coming out of the closet, often shortened to coming out, is a metaphor used to describe LGBTQ people's self-disclosure of their sexual orientation, romantic orientation, or gender identity.
This is often framed and debated as a privacy issue, ...
. Culliver later apologized for his "ugly comments" that were "not what I feel in my heart".
In a reversal, he said he would welcome a gay teammate: "I treat everyone equal."
[ He added that he loved ]San Francisco
San Francisco, officially the City and County of San Francisco, is a commercial, Financial District, San Francisco, financial, and Culture of San Francisco, cultural center of Northern California. With a population of 827,526 residents as of ...
, which has a large gay community.[
In April 2013, he made offensive comments about women on ]Instagram
Instagram is an American photo sharing, photo and Short-form content, short-form video sharing social networking service owned by Meta Platforms. It allows users to upload media that can be edited with Social media camera filter, filters, be ...
. The 49ers stated the matter was "being handled internally."
On August 1, 2013, Culliver tore his anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in team drills at training camp with the 49ers. He would undergo surgery and would miss the entire 2013 season. On August 27, the 49ers placed Culliver on injured reserve.
On March 28, 2014, he was arrested for misdemeanor hit and run, misdemeanor driving on a suspended license, and felony possession of brass knuckles after allegedly hitting a bicyclist with his car.
Washington Redskins
On March 13, 2015, Culliver signed a four-year contract with the Washington Redskins
The Washington Commanders are a professional American football team based in the Washington metropolitan area. The Commanders compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East ...
. On September 14, he was suspended for one game for violating the personal conduct policy following misdemeanors that occurred in March 2014. It was announced that Culliver tore his ACL and MCL during the team practice on November 26. The following day, he was officially placed on injured reserve
The injured reserve list ( IR list) is a designation used in North American professional sports leagues for athletes who suffer injuries and become unable to play. The exact name of the list varies by league; it is known as "injured reserve" in ...
, ending his season. On May 2, 2016, Culliver was released.
Miami Dolphins
On August 9, 2016, Culliver signed with the Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins are a professional American football team based in the Miami metropolitan area. The Dolphins compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East division. The team ...
. After starting the season on the physically unable to perform list, Culliver was added to the active roster on November 7. He was released on November 19.
Indianapolis Colts
On August 21, 2017, Culliver signed with the Indianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. The Colts compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division. Since the 2008 India ...
. He was placed on injured reserve on September 2. Culliver was released by Indianapolis on October 9.
NFL career statistics
Regular season
Playoffs
References
External links
South Carolina Gamecocks bio
{{DEFAULTSORT:Culliver, Chris
1988 births
Living people
Players of American football from Philadelphia
Players of American football from North Carolina
Garner Magnet High School alumni
American football cornerbacks
American football safeties
American football return specialists
South Carolina Gamecocks football players
San Francisco 49ers players
Washington Redskins players
Miami Dolphins players
Indianapolis Colts players
People from Garner, North Carolina
Sportspeople from Wake County, North Carolina