Ht: 5-10.5 Wt: 192
Position: CB Projected as: CB Position Rank: 6Date of Birth: 9/1/1977Experience: 7High School: St. Peter Marian Jr Sr HS
(Worcester, MA) College: New Hampshire
Biography:Jerry Azumah has made a successful transition from college running back to starting cornerback after being a fifth-round pick (147 overall) of the Bears in 1999. Over the past two seasons, Azumah has become a dual threat as a kick returner and cornerback.
Ranks 6th all-time in Bears history with 2,180 kickoff return yards and his 25.1-yard average ranks 4th in club annals of those with at least 40 kick returns. Has ten career interceptions, including eight over the past two seasons.
Signed contract extension on (8/22/01). SIGNED through 2005.
2004: Played 12 games, starting 8 at CB, after missing the first 4 games of the season following pre-season neck surgery... Equaled his personal-best with 4 INTs, second-most on team, and averaged 32.0 yards per INT return - third-best in NFC by defenders with at least 3 INTs. GAMES PLAYED-STARTED: 12-8
2003: Named to first career Pro Bowl as a kickoff return specialist with an NFL-high KR average of 29.0 yards and TD returns of 89 and 88 yards while starting 13-of-16 games at CB and ranking 2nd on Bears with 90 tackles and a career-high 4 INTs... Compiled 1,191 KR yards - the fourth-highest single-season total in Bears history - and the second-highest single-season average for a Bears kickoff returner with at least 25 returns... Led NFL with 14 KRs of 30 or more yards while 28-of-41 returns went for 20 or more yards, helping Bears lead the NFL with an average drive starting position of Chicago's 33-yard line - the best single-season average in the NFL this decade - while leading the NFC (3rd in the NFL) with a team KR average of 23.8 yards per return...
2002: One of three Bears defenders to start all 16 games his first season as a starter at RCB, ranking 4th on team with career-high 92 tackles and 2nd with 8 PDs.
2001: Moved into prominent role in secondary playing 16 games while starting 5. He finished the campaign with 56 tackles, two sacks, one interception, one fumble recovery and a forced fumble.
2000: Continued development at DB, playing 14 games and starting the last 4. Accounted for 28 tackles, an interception and a forced fumble.
1999: His successful transition from collegiate RB to professional DB was exemplified by his teammates voting him as Chicago's rookie recipient of the Brian Piccolo Award... Played all 16 games, starting 2, playing primarily in nickel situations and on special teams& Recorded 17 tackles, all in the last 4 games, and ranked 4th on the Bears with 20 special teams tackles while also forcing a fumble.
COLLEGE: Walter Payton Award recipient as the top player in NCAA Division I-AA football following his senior year at New Hampshire (1995-98) en route to setting the D-I AA career rushing record... Totaled 6,193 career rushing yards during his career and became the first player in D-I AA history to rush for over 1,000 yards 4 times... Also set D-I AA record with 8,276 career all-purpose yards... Unanimous All-America and All-Atlantic 10 Conference selection as senior while shattering conference and school season-records with 2,195 yards and 22 TDs on 343 carries... As a junior, named to AFCA All-America first-team as a returner and garnered second-team honors as a RB from the Associated Press and The Sports Network... Led conference and ranked 6th in nation with 1,585 yards on 271 carries with 17 TDs... Led conference in rushing (1,308), scoring (126) and all-purpose