Jonas Griffith (born January 27, 1997) is an American 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 ...

linebacker Linebacker (LB) is a playing position in gridiron football. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and typically line up three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage and so back up the defensive linemen. They play closer to the line ...

. 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

Indiana State Sycamores The Indiana State Sycamores are the NCAA Division I intercollegiate athletic teams of Indiana State University. Since the 1977–78 academic year, Indiana State has been a member of the Missouri Valley Conference (MVC). The Indiana State foot ...

College career

Griffith spent four years at

Indiana State Indiana State University (ISU) is a public university in Terre Haute, Indiana, United States. It was founded in 1865 and offers over 100 undergraduate majors and more than 75 graduate and professional programs. Indiana State is classified ...

where in 44 career games, registered 382 tackles (200 solo), 28.5 tackles for loss, 14.0 sacks, three

interceptions In ball-playing competitive team sports, an interception or pick is a move by a player involving a pass of the ball—whether by foot or hand, depending on the rules of the sport—in which the ball is intended for a player of the same team bu ...

, nine passes defensed, four forced fumbles and three fumble recoveries, finishing his career with six

All-American The All-America designation is an annual honor bestowed on outstanding athletes in the United States who are considered to be among the best athletes in their respective sport. Individuals receiving this distinction are typically added to an Al ...

honors, which tied for the most in program history.

Professional career

San Francisco 49ers (first stint)

On April 25, 2020, Griffith was signed 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 ...

as an undrafted free agent and was waived on August 20.

Indianapolis Colts

On October 7, 2020, Griffith was signed by 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 ...

to the

practice squad In gridiron football, the practice squad, also called the taxi squad or practice roster, is a group of players signed by a team but not part of their main roster. They serve as extra players during the team's practices, often as part of the scou ...

and was released six days later.

San Francisco 49ers (second stint)

On October 21, 2020, the 49ers signed Griffith to the practice squad, where he spent the rest of the season. On January 4, 2021, the 49ers signed Griffith to a reserve/future contract. That preseason, he ranked third on the 49ers with nine defensive tackles while leading 49ers in

special teams In American football, the specific role that a player takes on the field is referred to as their position. Under the modern rules of American football, both teams are allowed 11 players on the field at one time and have "unlimited free substitu ...

tackles and also having two passes defensed.

Denver Broncos

On August 31, 2021, Griffith was traded, alongside a 2022 seventh-round pick, to the

Denver Broncos The Denver Broncos are a professional American football team based in Denver. The Broncos compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC West, West division. The team is headquartered in E ...

in exchange for a 2022 sixth-round pick and a 2023 seventh-round pick. He was 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 ...

on September 28, 2021. He was activated on October 30. After an impressive showing, 13 appearances and 4 starts, during the 2021 season; Denver tendered Griffith an exclusive-rights free agent offer. Griffith entered the 2022 season as a starting linebacker for the Broncos. He played in nine games before being placed on injured reserve on November 19, 2022. On August 3, 2023, it was announced that Griffith had suffered a

torn ACL An anterior cruciate ligament injury occurs when the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is either stretched, partially torn, or completely torn. The most common injury is a complete tear. Symptoms include pain, an audible cracking sound during in ...

in practice and would miss the entire 2023 season. He was placed on injured reserve later that day. On August 27, 2024, Griffith was released by the Broncos. On August 30, Griffith announced that he would have to undergo a second ACL surgery.

Personal life

Griffith is a

Christian A Christian () is a person who follows or adheres to Christianity, a Monotheism, monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus in Christianity, Jesus Christ. Christians form the largest religious community in the wo ...

. In college, he studied criminology and criminal justice.

References

External links

Indiana State Sycamores bio
{{DEFAULTSORT:Griffith, Jonas 1997 births Living people 21st-century African-American sportsmen American football linebackers Players of American football from Louisville, Kentucky Indiana State Sycamores football players San Francisco 49ers players Indianapolis Colts players Denver Broncos players