Introduction
Caesar Rayford (born March 4, 1986) is an American football defensive end for the Tampa Bay Storm of the Arena Football League. He also played in the National Football League for the Dallas Cowboys. He played college football at the University of Washington.
Early years
Rayford attended Bethel High School, where he received All-SPSL South honors after tallying 47 tackles, 8 sacks and 3 blocked field goals as a senior.
| Name | Hometown | High school / college | Height | Weight | 40‡ | Commit date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Caesar Rayford DE/TE | Spanaway, Washington | Bethel High School | 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) | 225 lb (102 kg) | 4.56 | Jan 11, 2004 |
Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: N/A | ||||||
| Overall recruiting rankings: Scout: 30 (TE) Rivals: -- (DE), -- (WA) | ||||||
Sources:
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Rayford committed to the University of Washington on January 11, 2004. He chose the Huskies over scholarship offers from Oregon and UCLA.
As a senior he appeared in 13 games, registering 10 tackles and 4 sacks. He played a total of 35 career games, finishing with 13 tackles (7 solo), 5.5 sacks, 4 passes defensed, one forced fumble and one blocked kick.
Professional career
BC Lions
He was signed as an undrafted free agent by the BC Lions of the Canadian Football League in 2008. On November 12, 2009, the BC Lions added Rayford to the practice roster.
Spokane Shock
In 2009, Rayford joined the Spokane Shock of the AF2 league. Rayford's play help lead the team to an ArenaCup X Championship.
Utah Blaze
Rayford joined the Utah Blaze in 2010. In 2011, he started 17 games, posting 31 tackles (12 for loss), 10 sacks, 7 passes defensed, 3 forced fumbles and 4 fumble recoveries. In 2012, the Blaze's defensive line was coined " Sack Lake City" due to the tremendous amount of pressure and sacks they applied to quarterbacks. In a game against the Iowa Barnstormers, the Blaze recorded a league record 11 sacks in one game, led by the combination of Rayford and Mike Lewis with 3.5 sacks each.
He finished with 68 tackles (26.5 for loss), 22.5 sacks, 16 passes defensed, 7 forced fumbles, 7 fumble recoveries and 2 interceptions returned for touchdowns. He also blocked an AFL single-season record five kicks in 2011.
Indianapolis Colts
On May 23, 2013, Rayford signed as a free agent with the Indianapolis Colts.
Dallas Cowboys
On September 3, 2013, the Dallas Cowboys acquired him from the Colts after he had a notable preseason, in exchange of a seventh round draft choice (#244-Trenton Brown). He played in 7 games, before being cut on November 12 and signed to the practice squad. He was released on August 30, 2014.
Calgary Stampeders
Rayford was signed to the Calgary Stampeders' practice roster on September 23, 2014. He was released by the Stampeders on September 26, 2014.
Montreal Alouettes
Rayford was signed to the Montreal Alouettes' practice roster on October 27, 2014. He was promoted to the active roster on November 1, 2014. He was released by the Alouettes on November 24, 2014.
Jacksonville Sharks
He was selected by the Jacksonville Sharks during the 2014 dispersal draft. He spent the entire 2014 season on the Other League Exempt list. He was activated by the Sharks on January 6, 2015.
Minnesota Vikings
On August 31, 2015, Rayford was cut by the Minnesota Vikings, who played him at linebacker.
Los Angeles KISS
On November 18, 2015, he was assigned to the Los Angeles KISS Arena Football League franchise.
Saskatchewan Roughriders
On January 8, 2016, Rayford signed with the Saskatchewan Roughriders.
Tampa Bay Storm
On October 14, 2016, Rayford was selected by the Tampa Bay Storm during the dispersal draft.