Cody Grimm Cody James Grimm ( born February 26 , 1987 ) is an American football safety for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League . He was drafted by the Buccaneers in the seventh round of the 2010 NFL Draft . He played college football at Virginia Tech . Early life . Grimm attended and played high school football at Oakton High School in Vienna , Virginia , where he lettered three times . As an outside linebacker , he finished his senior season with 127 total tackles , seven interceptions and three quarterback sack s . He also caught 17 passes for 278 yards and six touchdowns as a tight end . On October 29 , 2004 , Oakton beat Westfield High School 24 - 20 , and Grimm recorded a high school career - high 19 tackles along with a sack and an interception as Oakton ended the Bulldogs ’ 21 - game winning streak . That season , he helped Oakton win their first district championship in 25 years . After the season , Grimm earned first - team all - state and Northern Region Defensive Player of the Year honors . After graduating from Oakton , Grimm had one football scholarship offer , which was from Division I - AA William & Mary College . He got recruiting offers to come in as a walk - on from Virginia , Pittsburgh and Virginia Tech . He decided on Virginia Tech . Grimm also played lacrosse for Oakton . He lettered three times and led team to three state championships and was an all - American midfielder and face - off specialist recruited by Georgetown , Loyola and Virginia . He opted , however , to play college football . College career . Grimm played in 54 games and started 15 over four seasons at Virginia Tech , recording 214 tackles , 26 . 5 tackles for loss , 11 . 5 sacks , nine forced fumbles , two fumble recoveries and two interceptions . Redshirt ( 2005 ) . Grimm redshirted in 2005 and worked on the scout team as a whip linebacker . Freshman season ( 2006 ) . As a freshman , Grimm was a starter on three different special team units . In his first game for Virginia Tech , he was in on 13 special team plays against Northeastern University . He ended the season with 10 total tackles . Sophomore season ( 2007 ) . Grimm started on defense for the first time in his college career against Boston College and played 21 snaps at whip linebacker with three tackles . He finished the 2007 ACC Championship Game at linebacker when Cam Martin was injured with knee problems . In the 2008 Orange Bowl loss to Kansas , he had six tackles . Grimm finished the season with 27 total tackles . Head coach Frank Beamer awarded Grimm a scholarship in his redshirt sophomore season . Junior season ( 2008 ) . During his junior season , Grimm started on three special team units . In a win over Georgia Tech on September 13 , 2008 , he caught his first interception and had three tackles . The following week at North Carolina , he contributed a quarterback sack and a tackle for loss among his five tackles . On October 25 , 2008 , Grimm recorded two sacks in a loss against Florida State . In the 2008 ACC Championship Game win against Boston College , he led the team with eight tackles , including 2 . 5 for loss . In the 2009 Orange Bowl win , Grimm had five total tackles , a sack and an interception against Cincinnati . He finished the season third on the team with 71 tackles and ranked second in tackles for loss ( 14 ) and sacks ( 7 . 5 ) . He also tied for fifth on the team in quarterback hurries with seven and forced two fumbles . Senior season ( 2009 ) . In his senior year , Grimm became a starter at outside linebacker for the Hokies . On October 3 , 2009 , he tallied a game and career - high 14 tackles in a 34 - 26 win against Duke , including two tackles for loss ( six yards ) and a forced fumble . Grimm helped the Hokies defense hold Duke to 38 rushing yards on 31 attempts ( 1 . 2 yards per rush ) and was named ACC Player of the Week . On November 9 , 2009 , Grimm had a game - high 12 total tackles , a forced and recovered fumble , and a late - game sack in Virginia Tech ' s 16 - 3 win against East Carolina . He again won ACC Player of the Week honors . Grimm won the award for the third time after he set an ACC single - season record and tied a NCAA single - game record with three forced fumbles — all of which came in North Carolina State ’ s first four plays — in the Hokies ’ win over the Wolfpack on November 21 , 2009 . Grimm helped the Virginia Tech defense limit NC State ’ s offensive to 259 yards of total offense by recording eight tackles , two sacks , a quarterback hurry , and a fumble recovery . He was named the Defensive MVP of the 2009 Chick - fil - A Bowl , where the Hokies won against the University of Tennessee . Grimm had 106 total tackles , four sacks and 12 . 5 tackles for a loss during his senior season . He was awarded the 2009 Dudley Award , which is named for former Virginia standout " Bullet " Bill Dudley and is given to the state ' s top Division I college football player . Grimm also earned first - team all - Atlantic Coast Conference honors and third - team All - America honors from the Associated Press . He is the second former Tech walk - on to earn All - America honors , joining John Engelberger , a 1999 AP second - team selection . Professional career . 2010 NFL Draft . Grimm was drafted in the seventh round ( 210th overall ) of the 2010 NFL Draft by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers . Tampa Bay Buccaneers . On July 29 , 2010 , Grimm signed a four - year contract with the Buccaneers worth $ 1 . 85 million . Grimm earned a spot on the Buccaneers ' 53 - man roster on September 4 , 2010 . On September 23 , 2010 , he replaced Tanard Jackson as the team ' s starting free safety after Jackson was suspended a year for violating the NFL ' s substance abuse policy . Grimm was the third rookie from Tampa Bay ' s 2010 draft class to be named a starter for the season . On October 10 , 2010 , during a 24 - 21 win over the Cincinnati Bengals , at Paul Brown Stadium , Grimm got his first career interception , which he returned 11 yards for his first career touchdown . His season was cut short after suffering a fractured left fibula in a game against the Baltimore Ravens . After coming back from injury , Grimm started the 2011 NFL Season as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers starting free safety . He finished with 11 tackles , 10 solo and 1 assisted and a pass deflection in three games before colliding with teammate Geno Hayes in a game against the Atlanta Falcons on September 25 , 2011 . On September 28 , 2011 the Bucs officially placed Grimm on injured reserve for the second straight year , ending his season with another setback . Personal . Grimm is the son of Pro Football Hall of Fame offensive lineman and current Arizona Cardinals assistant head coach / offensive line coach , Russ Grimm . His older brother , Chad , who also played at Virginia Tech , is an offensive quality control coach for the Cardinals . Grimm ' s younger brother , Dylan , played lacrosse at Loyola University Maryland , where he won a National Championship in 2012 . His uncle , Donn Grimm , was a starting linebacker on the Notre Dame 1988 National Championship team and signed with the Cardinals as a rookie free agent in .