Trae Waynes (born July 25, 1992) is a former

American football American football (referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada), also known as gridiron, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular field with goalposts at each end. The offense, the team wit ...

cornerback A cornerback (CB) is a member of the defensive backfield or secondary in gridiron football. Cornerbacks cover receivers most of the time, but also blitz and defend against such offensive running plays as sweeps and reverses. They create turnove ...

. He played college football at

Michigan State Michigan State University (Michigan State, MSU) is a public land-grant research university in East Lansing, Michigan. It was founded in 1855 as the Agricultural College of the State of Michigan, the first of its kind in the United States. It ...

. He was drafted by the

Minnesota Vikings The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the National Football Conference (NFC) North division. Founded in 1960 as an expansio ...

in the first round, 11th overall of the

2015 NFL Draft The 2015 NFL Draft was the 80th annual meeting of National Football League (NFL) franchises to select newly eligible football players. It took place in Chicago at the Auditorium Theatre and in Grant Park, from April 30 to May 2. The previo ...

. He also spent time with the

Cincinnati Bengals The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional American football team based in Cincinnati. The Bengals compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) North division. The club's home ...

Early years

Waynes attended Harborside Academy but played for

Mary D. Bradford High School Bradford High School is a high school located in Kenosha, Wisconsin, United States, that serves students in grades 9 to 12. It is the main high school for students on the north side of the city. History Bradford High School was named after M ...

Kenosha, Wisconsin Kenosha () is a city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the seat of Kenosha County. Per the 2020 census, the population was 99,986 which made it the fourth-largest city in Wisconsin. Situated on the southwestern shore of Lake Michigan, Keno ...

, because Harborside Academy doesn’t have sports where he was teammate and best friend of running back Melvin Gordon, who would eventually be selected four spots after Waynes in the

. At Bradford, Waynes was a multi-sport athlete in football, baseball and track. In football, Waynes was named first-team All-Southeast Conference as a junior in 2010. As a senior, he broke his fibula and tore ligaments in his ankle, but still managed to record 38 tackles, two

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 ...

and four

pass break-ups In American football, a pass deflected, also known as a pass deflection, a pass defended, a pass , a pass knockdown, or a pass breakup, is an incomplete pass that is caused by a defensive player. This is done by slapping or blocking the ball with ...

, earning first-team All-state and All-region selections by the Wisconsin Football Coaches Association. In

baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each, taking turns batting and fielding. The game occurs over the course of several plays, with each play generally beginning when a player on the fielding ...

, Waynes earned first-team All-county honors as an

outfielder An outfielder is a person playing in one of the three defensive positions in baseball or softball, farthest from the batter. These defenders are the left fielder, the center fielder, and the right fielder. As an outfielder, their duty is to c ...

as a junior in 2010 after leading the Red Devils in

home runs In baseball, a home run (abbreviated HR) is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to circle the bases and reach home plate safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team. A home run is ...

(3) and finishing second in

batting average Batting average is a statistic in cricket, baseball, and softball that measures the performance of batters. The development of the baseball statistic was influenced by the cricket statistic. Cricket In cricket, a player's batting average i ...

(.452, 28-of-62). In addition, he also produced eight doubles and three

triples TripleS (stylized as tripleS; Help:IPA/English, /ˈtɹɪpəl:ɛs/; ) is a South Korean girl group formed by MODHAUS. They aim to be the world's first decentralized K-pop idol group. The members will rotate between the group, sub-unit, and solo ac ...

while being caught stealing only once in 26 attempts. Waynes was also a standout

track & field Track and field is a sport that includes athletic contests based on running, jumping, and throwing skills. The name is derived from where the sport takes place, a running track and a grass field for the throwing and some of the jumping eve ...

athlete. In 2010, he won the county indoor track championship in the 60-yard and 220-yard dashes and recorded the fastest

40-yard dash The 40-yard dash is a sprint covering . It is primarily run to evaluate the speed and acceleration of American football players by scouts, particularly for the NFL Draft but also for collegiate recruiting. A player's recorded time can have a he ...

time (4.37 s) at the Midwest Ultimate 100 Camp. In 2011, he finished third in the 100m (10.85 s) at the Division I State T&F Championships, and recorded a career-best time of 10.75 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 contest ...

at the SEC Outdoor Conference Meet, where he placed first. He also contributed as a member of the 4 × 100m and 4 × 200-meter relay squads, with bests of 42.26 seconds and 1:28.98 minutes. Considered a three-star recruit by ESPN.com, Waynes was listed as the No. 94

safety Safety is the state of being "safe", the condition of being protected from harm or other danger. Safety can also refer to the control of recognized hazards in order to achieve an acceptable level of risk. Meanings There are two slightly di ...

in the nation in 2011. He was rated the No. 72 cornerback and No. 94 safety in the nation by Scouts Inc. He was listed among the Midwest's top prospects by SuperPrep at No. 67. He was also rated among

Wisconsin Wisconsin () is a state in the upper Midwestern United States. Wisconsin is the 25th-largest state by total area and the 20th-most populous. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake M ...

's top high school seniors by Rivals.com as the No. 14. Waynes chose Michigan State over scholarship offers from

Illinois Illinois ( ) is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolitan areas include, Peoria and Roc ...

, Iowa State and

, among others.

College career

Waynes attended

Michigan State University Michigan State University (Michigan State, MSU) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in East Lansing, Michigan. It was founded in 1855 as the Agricultural College of the State of Michigan, the fi ...

from 2011 to 2014, where he was a three-year letterwinner and a two-year starter at cornerback. He was redshirted as a true freshman in 2011 after suffering a season-ending injury when he broke his fibula and tore ligaments in his knee as a senior in high school. Waynes collected 101 tackles, six

and 13 pass deflections in 36 career games with the Spartans, including 27 consecutive starts.

Freshman season (2012)

As a redshirt freshman in 2012, Waynes earned his first letter as he appeared in nine games, primarily on

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 ...

and as a backup. In the

2012 Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl The 2012 Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl, the 24th edition of the game, was a post-season American college football bowl game held on December 29, 2012 at Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe, Arizona as part of the 2012–13 NCAA Bowl season. The game was tele ...

game against

TCU TCU may stand for: Education * Tanzania Commission for Universities, regulatory body for Universities in Tanzania * Texas Christian University, a private university in Fort Worth, Texas ** TCU Horned Frogs, the athletic programs of the school * Tok ...

, he played a majority of the snaps at cornerback and tallied a season-high three tackles; he was also credited with a half sack for a loss of 1 yard against the Horned Frogs. Waynes finished his freshman season with 5 tackles, including two solo.

Sophomore season (2013)

As a redshirt sophomore in 2013, Waynes started all 14 games at field cornerback for the Spartans, recording a career-high 50 tackles (1.5 for loss), five pass deflections and three

. For his season efforts, Waynes was an honorable mention All-

Big Ten The Big Ten Conference (stylized B1G, formerly the Western Conference and the Big Nine Conference) is the oldest Division I collegiate athletic conference in the United States. Founded as the Intercollegiate Conference of Faculty Representati ...

pick by the coaches and media, was named to the

CollegeFootballNews.com ''College Football News'' (''CFN'') is a magazine and website published by College Football News, Inc., headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. News coverage includes scores, statistics, rankings, and reports on college football games. Analysis include ...

All-Sophomore Team (second team) and received MSU's Tommy Love Award (most improved player on defense). In the Spartans

2013 Big Ten Football Championship Game The 2013 Big Ten Football Championship Game was a college football game that was played on December 7, 2013, at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana. It was the third annual Big Ten Football Championship Game, and determined the 2013 champio ...

win against No. 2

Ohio State The Ohio State University, commonly called Ohio State or OSU, is a public land-grant research university in Columbus, Ohio. A member of the University System of Ohio, it has been ranked by major institutional rankings among the best public ...

, he was credited with four stops. In the

2014 Rose Bowl The 2014 Rose Bowl was a college football bowl game that was played on January 1, 2014, at the Rose Bowl stadium in Pasadena, California. This 100th Rose Bowl Game matched Big Ten Conference Champions Michigan State Spartans against Pac-12 Conf ...

game against No. 5

Stanford Stanford University, officially Leland Stanford Junior University, is a private research university in Stanford, California. The campus occupies , among the largest in the United States, and enrolls over 17,000 students. Stanford is consider ...

, he recorded his third interception of the season and tallied three tackles, helping Michigan State win their first Rose Bowl since 1988.

Junior season (2014)

Waynes returned for his junior season in 2014, starting all 13 games at boundary corner. He ranked sixth on the team with 46 tackles, including two tackles-for-loss and one sack for a loss of 4 yards. His career-high eight pass break-ups ranked him second on the team, while his three interceptions were good for a tie at second. In Week 5, he led the secondary in a victory over No. 19

Nebraska Nebraska () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by South Dakota to the north; Iowa to the east and Missouri to the southeast, both across the Missouri River; Kansas to the south; Colorado to the so ...

as he posted career-highs in interceptions (2), tackles (7) and pass break-ups (2). On September 6, he had a solid game against No. 3

Oregon Oregon () is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. The Columbia River delineates much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington, while the Snake River delineates much of its eastern boundary with Idah ...

with four tackles and a pass break-up. He was credited with a career-high two tackles for loss (9 yards), including a 4-yard sack, and a broken-up a pass at

Indiana Indiana () is a U.S. state in the Midwestern United States. It is the 38th-largest by area and the 17th-most populous of the 50 States. Its capital and largest city is Indianapolis. Indiana was admitted to the United States as the 19th ...

in Week 7. On November 22, he was selected Spartan Defensive Player of the Week after limiting Rutgers' wide receiver Leonte Carroo to just one catch for 6 yards while recording three tackles; Carroo entered the game ranked second in the Big Ten, averaging 93.3 receiving yards per game. In Waynes's final game as a Spartan, he registered three tackles and a pass break-up in the

Cotton Bowl Classic The Cotton Bowl Classic (also known as the Cotton Bowl) is an American college football bowl game that has been held annually in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex since January 1, 1937. The game was originally played at its namesake stadium in ...

win over #4 Baylor. His senior season honors included being named second-team All-American by Walter Camp Football Foundation,

Sporting News The ''Sporting News'' is a website and former magazine publication owned by Sporting News Holdings, which is a U.S.-based sports media company formed in December 2020 by a private investor consortium. It was originally established in 1886 as a pr ...

and Athlon Sports, third-team All-American from the

Associated Press The Associated Press (AP) is an American non-profit news agency headquartered in New York City. Founded in 1846, it operates as a cooperative, unincorporated association. It produces news reports that are distributed to its members, U.S. n ...

(AP),

Phil Steele Phil Steele (c. 1960) is an American sportswriter and analyst who focuses exclusively on college and professional football. He is considered a "highly respected prognosticator" within the sports media. His company, Phil Steele Publications, pr ...

and

SI.com ''Sports Illustrated'' (''SI'') is an American sports magazine first published in August 1954. Founded by Stuart Scheftel, it was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the National Magazine Award for General Excellence twice ...

(honorable mention). He was also a first-team All-

selection by the coaches and the media, becoming MSU's third first-team All-Big Ten cornerback under head coach

Mark Dantonio Mark Justin Dantonio (born March 9, 1956) is a former American football coach and player. He most recently served as the head football coach at Michigan State University, a position he had held from 2007 to 2019, presiding over one of the most ...

. Waynes was one of 15 semifinalists for the Jim Thorpe Award (nation's top defensive back) and was the defensive recipient of MSU's Jim Adams Award (unsung hero).

College statistics

Professional career

Following his junior season, Waynes entered the

. Waynes was considered one of the top cornerbacks of the 2015 class, together with Marcus Peters. In most mock drafts, he was projected to be a top 10 pick. Waynes shined at the 2015 NFL Combine, where he posted the top

time among defensive backs and the second fastest overall (4.31 seconds); that time placed him tied for seventh-fastest among cornerbacks at the combine since 2003. He also finished tied for fourth on the

bench press The bench press, or chest press, is a weight training exercise in which the trainee presses a weight upwards while lying on a weight training bench. Although the bench press is a full-body exercise, the muscles primarily used are the pectoralis ...

with 19 reps. At his Pro Day, he re-tried the

20-yard shuttle The NFL Scouting Combine is a week-long showcase occurring every February at Lucas Oil Stadium (and formerly at the RCA Dome until 2008) in Indianapolis, where college football players perform physical and mental tests in front of National Footba ...

and responded with a 4.18 time.

Minnesota Vikings

2015

The

selected Waynes in the first round (11th overall) of the

. Waynes was the first cornerback drafted in 2015 and became the Minnesota Vikings' highest drafted cornerback in franchise history, surpassing

1994 File:1994 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The 1994 Winter Olympics are held in Lillehammer, Norway; The Kaiser Permanente building after the 1994 Northridge earthquake; A model of the MS Estonia, which sank in the Baltic Sea; Nelson Ma ...

first round pick (18th overall) Dewayne Washington. On May 7, 2015, the Minnesota Vikings signed Waynes to a fully guaranteed four-year, $12.94 million

contract A contract is a legally enforceable agreement between two or more parties that creates, defines, and governs mutual rights and obligations between them. A contract typically involves the transfer of goods, services, money, or a promise to ...

that includes a

signing bonus A signing bonus or sign-on bonus is a sum of money paid to a new employee (including a professional sports person) by a company as an incentive to join that company. They are often given as a way of making a compensation package more attractive ...

of $7.67 million. Throughout training camp, Waynes competed against Captain Munnerlyn, Terence Newman, and Josh Robinson to be a starting cornerback. Head coach Mike Zimmer named Waynes the fourth cornerback on the depth chart to begin the regular season, behind Xavier Rhodes, Terence Newman, and Captain Munnerlyn. He made his professional regular season debut in the Minnesota Vikings’ season-opening 20–3 loss at the

San Francisco 49ers The San Francisco 49ers (also written as the San Francisco Forty-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 of the league's National ...

. In Week 9, he recorded four solo tackles and made a season-high two pass deflections during a 21–18 win against the St. Louis Rams. Waynes was inactive for the Vikings’ Week 12 loss at the Atlanta Falcons due to an ankle injury. On December 10, 2015, Waynes earned his first career start as a nickelback after Terence Newman was moved to safety due to multiple injuries. Waynes finished the 23–20 loss at the

Arizona Cardinals The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in the Phoenix metropolitan area. The Cardinals compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC West, West division, an ...

with a season-high five solo tackles and one pass deflection. Waynes finished his rookie season in

2015 File:2015 Events Collage new.png, From top left, clockwise: Civil service in remembrance of November 2015 Paris attacks; Germanwings Flight 9525 was purposely crashed into the French Alps; the rubble of residences in Kathmandu following the April ...

with 30 combined tackles (26 solo) and four pass deflections in 15 games and one start. According to '' Pioneer Press'' Vikings beat reporter Chris Tomasson, Waynes was the least-used rookie of Minnesota’s 18 first-round picks since 2000, except linebacker Chad Greenway, who missed his 2006 rookie season due to a knee injury. The Minnesota Vikings finished first in the

NFC North The National Football Conference – Northern Division or NFC North is one of the four Division (sport), divisions of the National Football Conference (NFC) in the National Football League (NFL). Nicknamed the "Black and Blue Division" for the ...

with an 11–5 record and earned a playoff berth. On January 10, 2016, Waynes appeared in his first career playoff game and recorded three combined tackles, made two pass deflections, and an interception as the Vikings lost 10–9 to the

Seattle Seahawks The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle. The Seahawks compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) West, which they rejoined in 2002 a ...

in the NFC Wildcard Game. Waynes was thrust into a pivotal pass defense role during the second half after veteran cornerback Terence Newman suffered an ankle injury. On the Seahawks' first series of the third quarter, quarterback Russell Wilson promptly targeted Waynes and attempted a deep pass to rookie wide receiver Tyler Lockett, but it was broken up by Waynes. Five plays later on a fourth-and-three situation, Waynes intercepted Wilson at the Vikings' 22-yard line after the ball was tipped by a Seahawks' tight end.

2016

During training camp, Waynes competed to be a starting cornerback against Terence Newman, Captain Munnerlyn, and rookie Mackensie Alexander. Head coach Mike Zimmer named Waynes the third cornerback on the depth chart to start the regular season, behind Xavier Rhodes and Terence Newman. Waynes was inserted as the No. 1 cornerback for the first two regular season games after Xavier Rhodes sustained a hamstring injury during pre-game warmups against the Titans. He started in the Minnesota Vikings’ season-opener at the

Tennessee Titans The Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee. The Titans compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) South division, and play their h ...

and collected a season-high ten solo tackles during their 25–16 victory. The following week, Waynes was moved to nickelback and replaced at outside cornerback by Mackensie Alexander after drawing consecutive penalties in the third quarter and struggling to cover wide receiver Jordy Nelson. Waynes finished the Vikings’ 17–14 win against the

Green Bay Packers The Green Bay Packers are a professional American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Packers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the National Football Conference (NFC) North division. It is the th ...

with four solo tackles, one pass deflection, and an interception. His interception off a pass by Packers’ quarterback Aaron Rodgers was the first interception in U.S. Bank Stadium. On December 11, 2016, Waynes recorded one tackle and broke up a pass before exiting in the third quarter of the Vikings’ 25–16 win at the

Jacksonville Jaguars The Jacksonville Jaguars are a professional American football team based in Jacksonville, Florida. The Jaguars compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) South division. The team pla ...

due to a

concussion A concussion, also known as a mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI), is a head injury that temporarily affects brain functioning. Symptoms may include loss of consciousness (LOC); memory loss; headaches; difficulty with thinking, concentratio ...

. The following week, Waynes remained in concussion protocol and was inactive for their Week 15 loss against 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 club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) South division. Since the 20 ...

. In Week 17, he recorded two solo tackles, made a season-high three pass deflections, and made one interception during a 38-10 victory against the

Chicago Bears The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago. The Bears compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) North division. The Bears have won nine ...

. He finished the season with 50 combined tackles (42 solo), 11 pass deflections, and three interceptions in 15 games and eight starts.

2017

Waynes entered training camp slated as a starting cornerback. Head coach Mike Zimmer retained Waynes and Xavier Rhodes as the starting cornerback tandem to begin the regular season. He started in the Minnesota Vikings’ season-opener against the

New Orleans Saints The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans. The Saints compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. Since 1975, the te ...

and collected a season-high 11 combined tackles (nine solo) during a 29–19 victory. On December 23, 2017, Waynes recorded three solo tackles, made a pass deflection, and made his first career sack during a 16–0 win at the

in Week 16. Waynes sacked Packers’ quarterback Brett Hundley for a four-yard loss in the third quarter. Waynes started in all 16 games in

2017 File:2017 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: The War Against ISIS at the Battle of Mosul (2016-2017); aftermath of the Manchester Arena bombing; The Solar eclipse of August 21, 2017 ("Great American Eclipse"); North Korea tests a ser ...

and recorded 65 combined tackles (57 solo), 11 pass deflections, two interceptions, and one sack. Waynes received an overall grade of 79.1 from Pro Football Focus in 2017. His grade was ranked 52nd among all qualifying cornerbacks in 2017. The Minnesota Vikings finished the season first in the

with a 13–3 record and earned a first round bye. On January 14, 2018, Waynes started his first career playoff game and recorded four solo tackles and broke up one pass during a 29–24 win against the New Orleans Saints in the NFC Divisional Round. The following week, he made three combined tackles and broke up a pass as the Vikings were eliminated from the playoffs after a 38–7 loss at the

Philadelphia Eagles The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia. The Eagles compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East division. The team play ...

in the NFC Championship Game.

2018

On April 30, 2018, the Minnesota Vikings exercised the fifth-year, $9.06 million option on Waynes' rookie contract. Defensive coordinator George Edwards retained Waynes and Xavier Rhodes as the starting cornerback tandem entering training camp. Head coach Mike Zimmer officially named Waynes and Rhodes the starters to begin the regular season, alongside safeties

Harrison Smith Harrison Smith (born February 2, 1989) is an American football safety (gridiron football position), safety for the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Notre Dame Fighting Irish football, Notre D ...

and Andrew Sendejo. Waynes was inactive for the Vikings’ Week 5 victory at the

after spraining his ankle the previous week. In Week 7, Waynes recorded three combined tackles, made a career-high four pass deflections, and intercepted a pass by Jets’ quarterback Sam Darnold during a 37–17 win at the New York Jets.

2019

In week 7 against the

Detroit Lions The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit. The Lions compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) North Division. The team play their home games at For ...

, Waynes recorded his first interception of the season off

Matthew Stafford John Matthew Stafford (born February 7, 1988) is an American football quarterback for the Los Angeles Rams of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Georgia, where he was a first-team All-American, and was selected ...

in the 42-30 win.

Cincinnati Bengals

On March 27, 2020, Waynes signed a three-year, $42 million contract with the

. On September 7, 2020, he was placed on injured reserve with a pectoral injury. He was moved to the reserve/

COVID-19 Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by a virus, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The first known case was identified in Wuhan, China, in December 2019. The disease quickl ...

list on November 6, 2020, and activated from the list back to injured reserve on November 18. After missing the first three games with a hamstring injury, he made his Bengals debut in Week 4 of the 2021 season. He started the next two games before re-injuring the hamstring injury in Week 5. He was placed on injured reserve on October 12. He was activated on December 18. On March 21, 2022, Waynes was released by the Bengals.

NFL career statistics

References

External links

Michigan State Spartans bio
{{DEFAULTSORT:Waynes, Trae 1992 births Living people American football cornerbacks Cincinnati Bengals players Michigan State Spartans football players Minnesota Vikings players Players of American football from Wisconsin Sportspeople from Kenosha, Wisconsin Mary D. Bradford High School alumni