Introduction
Gerald Lind Sensabaugh Jr. (born June 13, 1983) is a former American football safety. He was drafted by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the fifth round of the 2005 NFL Draft. He also played for the Dallas Cowboys. He played college football at North Carolina and East Tennessee State University. In 2017, he was placed on administrative leave as the head football coach for the David Crockett Pioneers amid allegations he violated school policy. In March 2018 Sensabaugh was officially terminated as the coach of the David Crockett Pioneers high school football team.
Early years
Sensabaugh attended Dobyns-Bennett High School and was a standout in football and track. In football, he helped lead the Indians to two Class 5A Semifinals appearances and, as a senior, also played on offense, recording 42 receptions for 420 yards and seven touchdowns and was an All-Big Nine selection.
In track, he won the state champion in the long jump, with a leap of 7.25 meters. He was also the runner-up in the triple jump, with a leap of 14.05 meters.
College career
Sensabaugh originally attended East Tennessee State University but transferred to the University of North Carolina as a senior when ETSU disbanded its football program. He finished his one-year UNC career with four interceptions, five fumble recoveries and three touchdowns. He tied an NCAA single-game record after blocking three punts in one game. At the 2005 NFL Scouting Combine, Sensabaugh recorded a best ever in the vertical jump with a 46.0 (inches) vertical.
Professional career
| Height | Weight | 40-yard dash | 10-yard split | 20-yard split | 20-yard shuttle | Three-cone drill | Vertical jump | Broad jump | Bench press | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 ft 0 ⁄2 in (1.84 m) |
214 lb (97 kg) |
4.50 s | 1.56 s | 2.62 s | 3.98 s | 6.80 s | 46 in (1.17 m) |
11 ft 1 in (3.38 m) |
17 reps | |||
| All values from Central Florida Pro Day. | ||||||||||||
Jacksonville Jaguars
He was selected by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the fifth round (157th overall) of the 2005 NFL Draft.
Sensabaugh played in all 16 games as a rookie, starting two. He was mostly a backup and special teams player. In 2008 he started 13 games, had 70 tackles, 4 interceptions and 8 passes defensed, all career highs.
He was arrested three times while a member of the Jaguars and wasn't re-signed after his rookie contract expired.
Dallas Cowboys
Based on the recommendation of assistant coach Dave Campo, on March 10, 2009, the Dallas Cowboys signed him to a one-year contract to replace Roy Williams at strong safety. The next year, he recorded 5 interceptions (tied for the team lead) and 9 passes defensed (tied for third on the team).
In 2011, he finished with 60 tackles (second on the team), 2 interceptions and 4 passes defensed. Sensabaugh had signed one-year contracts until December 9, 2011 when he received a 5-year contract extension from the Cowboys after years of showing the versatility to play both safety positions and special teams.
In 2012, he registered 62 tackles (1 tackle for loss), 6 passes defensed, one forced fumble and it was the first year as a Cowboy that he didn't register an interception.
On March 4, 2013, Sensabaugh was released from the Cowboys in an effort to save cap space. On May 9, 2013, he signed a one-day deal in order to allow him to retire a Dallas Cowboy. He became a starter since being signed, missed only two games in his Cowboys career and dealt each season, with the uncertainty of who would start at the other safety position, having to play with different teammates that included: Ken Hamlin, Alan Ball, Abram Elam, Barry Church, Danny McCray and Eric Frampton.
Career statistics
| Year | Team | Games | Combined Tackles | Tackles | Assisted Tackles | Sacks | Forced Fumbles | Fumble Recoveries | Fumble Return Yards | Interceptions | Interception Return Yards | Yards per Interception Returns | Longest Interception Return | Interceptions Returned for Touchdown | Passes Defended |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | JAX | 16 | 24 | 19 | 5 | 0.0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 2006 | JAX | 16 | 44 | 37 | 7 | 0.0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 8 | 4 | 8 | 0 | 4 |
| 2007 | JAX | 2 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2008 | JAX | 16 | 70 | 59 | 11 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 38 | 10 | 23 | 0 | 8 |
| 2009 | DAL | 15 | 66 | 47 | 19 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 |
| 2010 | DAL | 16 | 71 | 59 | 12 | 2.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 26 | 5 | 10 | 0 | 10 |
| 2011 | DAL | 16 | 75 | 61 | 14 | 0.0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 11 | 6 | 11 | 0 | 3 |
| 2012 | DAL | 15 | 58 | 42 | 16 | 0.0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| Total | Total | 112 | 411 | 327 | 84 | 2.0 | 4 | 5 | 0 | 14 | 83 | 6 | 23 | 0 | 37 |
Professional bass fishing
In 2014, Gerald started fishing the Bassmaster Open Series and is attempting to qualify for the Elite Series. He also joined Team Lei.
Personal life
Gerald's cousin, Coty Sensabaugh, played football collegiately at Clemson University and went on to play for the Tennessee Titans, New York Giants, Los Angeles Rams, Pittsburgh Steelers and currently plays for the Washington Redskins.
After filing suit for five million dollars, Sensabaugh ran unsuccessfully for Mayor of Sullivan County, Tennessee. He lost to incumbent Mayor Richard Venable17,307 votes to 7,507 votes.