Terrence Cody Terrence Bernard Cody , Jr . ( born June 28 , 1988 ) is an American football nose tackle who is currently a free agent in the National Football League ( NFL ) . He played college football for the University of Alabama , where he was given the nickname " Mount Cody " for his 360 - pound frame . He was selected by the Baltimore Ravens in the second round of the 2010 NFL Draft . A native of Florida , Cody spent two seasons at Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College , where he helped the Bulldogs to an unbeaten season in 2007 . Surprisingly nimble even at a peak weight of more than , Cody drew the attention of major Division I programs . He finished his collegiate career at Alabama , where he earned consensus All - American honors twice while anchoring one of college football ' s best defenses during the 2008 and 2009 seasons . During his senior season with the Alabama Crimson Tide in 2009 , he helped lead the Tide to an undefeated 14 – 0 season including a victory in the 2010 BCS National Championship Game . Early years . Cody was born in Fort Myers , Florida . As a child , he wore size - 10 shoes by the age of eight and was never eligible for the Pop Warner youth leagues because he was always over the weight limit . He attended Riverdale High School in Fort Myers . Already and as a ninth - grader , Cody began playing high school football and displayed a high degree of athleticism , causing his high school coach , Scott Jones , to predict " he could be making $ 2 million playing in the NFL " at some point . He played only two years of varsity football : as a freshman and then as a senior . He struggled academically , had to help take care of his seven younger siblings , and ended up “ running with the wrong crowd ” . After sitting out his sophomore and junior seasons , Cody dominated as a senior . In a game against North Fort Myers , he had a memorable collision with star running back Noel Devine . “ Terrence hit and spun Noel Devine so hard that [ Devine ] was on the sideline puking , ” coach Jones said . Cody was not ranked among the nation ' s elite football prospects in 2006 by any recruiting service . Nonetheless he was offered athletic scholarship s by the University of Miami and the University of South Florida , but could not qualify academically . Cody eventually signed with Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College . College career . Mississippi Gulf Coast . Cody played two seasons at Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College in Perkinston , Mississippi as a nose tackle . As a freshman he recorded 48 tackles with 2 . 5 sacks and an interception . In his sophomore year , he added 31 tackles and 3 . 5 sacks while anchoring a Bulldog defense that ranked number one in the state in rushing defense and total defense . Mississippi Gulf Coast finished the season with an 12 – 0 season record and a NJCAA Co - National Championship . Cody was named to the NJCAA All - American first team . He also earned a three - star rating by " Rivals . com " and was listed as the 47th - best junior college player in the country . Despite his dominance , he had trouble drawing scholarship offers , as his weight of scared off many teams . “ A lot of people are just wary of guys that big , ” Mississippi Gulf Coast coach Steve Campbell said . “ You know when people say that if things seem too good to be true that they usually are . A big guy like that who ' s that athletic , you just don ' t believe what you ' re seeing . ” Particularly noted for his lower body strength , Cody had a squat max of in junior college . However , after Cody had his weight down to , a number of schools offered him scholarships , including Tennessee , Ole Miss , and Florida State . He was heavily recruited particularly by Alabama Crimson Tide head coach Nick Saban , who was in need of a true nose tackle for his 3 – 4 defense . Cody recalls Saban telling him , " We need a body like yours in the middle , to stop the run , to change the rhythm of the game . " Cody committed to the Crimson Tide on November 29 , 2007 . Alabama . 2008 season . Cody made an immediate impact for the Crimson Tide defensive line , recording four tackles — one for loss — in a 34 – 10 rout of the Clemson Tigers . He and the rest of the defense also held the Tigers , which included running backs James Davis and C . J . Spiller , to zero net rushing yards . With his presence in the middle of the Crimson Tide defensive line , Cody earned himself the nickname of “ Mount Cody . ” By mid - season he was already considered the No . 1 nose tackle prospect for the 2009 NFL Draft by league scouts . Against Arkansas , Cody dominated Razorbacks center Jonathan Luigs — the 2007 Rimington Trophy winner — and helped the Crimson Tide to a 49 – 14 win . In a memorable play on a fourth - and - goal from the 1 - yard line late in the first half , Cody blasted past Luigs and left guard Wade Grayson to grab running back Michael Smith before he could reach the end zone . In Alabama ' s rout over Georgia at Sanford Stadium , Cody was instrumental in holding Doak Walker award candidate Knowshon Moreno to just 34 yards rushing . In the seventh game of the season against Ole Miss , he received a knee injury during the third quarter which sidelined him for two weeks . In the annual Iron Bowl versus rival Auburn , Cody and teammate Bobby Greenwood sacked quarterback Kodi Burns , giving Cody his first half - sack of the season . He also recovered a fumble , which set up an Alabama touchdown . In the 2008 SEC Championship Game versus Florida , Cody recorded three tackles in a 31 – 20 loss . In the loss , the Crimson Tide allowed 142 yards rushing — the second most in the 2008 season . In the season finale , he recorded one assisted tackle , while holding the Utah Utes to 13 yards rushing . However , Alabama went on to lose the game 31 – 17 , finishing the season 12 – 2 . Alabama ′ s rush defense considerably improved in 2008 . After giving up 128 . 4 rushing yards a game in 2007 , the Crimson Tide only allowed 78 . 8 yards per game in 2008 . “ As far as one guy who has changed our team more than any , you ’ d have to go with Terrence , ” offensive lineman Mike Johnson said . Cody was subsequently given the team ’ s Defensive Achievement Award for a newcomer who has played a critical role in the effectiveness of his unit . Despite being commonly regarded as a top prospect , Cody decided to skip the 2009 NFL Draft . On Christmas Day 2008 an " announcement " on his Facebook page said that he was leaving early , but turned out to be a joke by his girlfriend . 2009 season . Prior to the 2009 season Cody dropped about 10 pounds and worked on his conditioning , hoping to keep himself in the game on third - down passing situations . He was often replaced by Josh Chapman on passing downs in 2008 . Nick Saban stated Cody needed to reduce his weight to in order to become an every - down player and pass - rusher ; he reported for fall practice at , set a goal to reach by the season opener , and eventually dropped his weight to . Only a couple of days before the first game , Cody and a few of his teammates were sidelined with flu - like symptoms . Cody returned after a three - day absence . Cody was named to the 2009 Lombardi Award , Lott Trophy , and Outland Trophy pre - season watch lists . " Rivals . com " ranked him as the No . 1 defensive tackle in college football in 2009 . On October 14 , 2009 , Cody and teammate Rolando McClain were announced as two of the twelve finalists for the 2009 Lombardi Award . Cody was also named to " The Sporting News " and " CBS Sports " midseason college football All - American teams . In a game against Tennessee on October 24 , Cody blocked his first two field goal s of his career , including a 44 - yard attempt in the game ' s final seconds , to secure Alabama ' s 12 – 10 win . According to " Yahoo ! Sports " ' national columnist Dan Wetzel , Cody earned himself Heisman Trophy consideration with his performance against the Volunteers . A couple of weeks later , Mike Hiserman of the " Los Angeles Times " also called for Heisman consideration for Cody , describing him as " the best player on what might be college football ' s top defense . " On November 10 , Cody was named one of four finalists for the Lombardi Award , alongside Jerry Hughes , Gerald McCoy , and Ndamukong Suh . He was the seventh Crimson Tide player to be named a finalist and the second in a row , joining offensive tackle Andre Smith , who was a finalist for the award in 2008 . Former All - American linebacker Cornelius Bennett was the only Alabama player to win the Lombardi Award , capturing the honor in 1986 . In the end , Nebraska ' s Ndamukong Suh won the award . On November 19 , Cody joined Pat Angerer , Eric Berry , Jerry Hughes , and Ndamukong Suh as the five finalists for the 2009 Nagurski Trophy , but was again beat out by Suh for the award . On November 23 , Cody , Brandon Spikes and Suh were announced as the three finalists for the 2009 Bednarik Award , which was eventually won by Suh as well . In his two seasons at Alabama , Cody helped the Crimson Tide to lead the Southeastern Conference in rushing defense , allowing opponents a rushing average of only 78 . 8 and 78 . 1 yards per game in 2008 and 2009 , respectively . No individual player reached the 100 - yard rushing mark against the Crimson Tide in those two seasons ; Anthony Dixon of Mississippi State came closest with 81 yards in 2009 . Cody ' s presence improved Alabama ' s pass rush despite his not being an effective pass rusher himself . Wrote Michael Casagrande : " The power that comes with his size typically forces opposing lines to focus two players on blocking him , thus creating favorable rushing lanes for unblocked linebackers . " Prior to the 2010 BCS National Championship Game , Cody drew awestruck praise from Texas players and coaches . " They call him Mount Cody . Mount Cody is for a reason . He plays like he ’ s 450 pounds . He can move like he ’ s Sergio Kindle , " said Longhorns guard Charlie Tanner . Alabama ' s defense held Texas to 81 yards rushing — more than 70 yards below their season average — on 28 attempts , and helped the Crimson Tide to their first national title since 1992 . Along with Crimson Tide teammates Javier Arenas , Mike Johnson , Leigh Tiffin , and Colin Peek , Cody participated in the 2010 Senior Bowl on January 30 , 2010 . In the Senior Bowl weigh - in at the Mobile Convention Center , Cody tipped the scales at 370 pounds , which hurt his draft status according to NFL Network draft analyst Mike Mayock . Professional career . 2010 NFL Draft . Frequently drawing comparisons to Ted Washington and Shaun Rogers , Cody was considered one of the rare two - gap nose tackles that NFL teams covet for their 3 – 4 defenses . Many NFL experts therefore projected Cody to be selected in the first - round of the 2010 NFL Draft . One of the teams interested in Cody was rumored to be his near - hometown Miami Dolphins , who lost their veteran nose tackle Jason Ferguson to injury during the 2009 season . Some pro scouts , however , were concerned about Cody ' s weight and said he needed to reduce it to in order to be an effective NFL player . They questioned whether he had the stamina to be a three - down player , or the quickness to be an effective pass rusher , at his college weight of about . " ESPN ′ s " K . C . Joyner analyzed Cody ' s relative playing time in a four - game SEC stretch in October 2009 ( at Kentucky , at Mississippi , vs . South Carolina , vs . Tennessee ) , and found that Cody was in the Alabama defensive lineup on only 122 of 281 plays . Joyner also discovered that during that stretch Cody drew an impressively high amount of double - teams : 63 . 6 percent , compared to NFL player Albert Haynesworth ' s 2007 double - team mark of 51 . 3 percent . At the 2010 Senior Bowl , Cody disappointed a lot of NFL scouts when he weighed in at , above his official weight according to the 2009 Alabama media guide . In the game , however , Cody " moved pretty well for a 370 - pound behemoth " and used " his hands well to create a little space to get penetration " . He finished with 1 . 5 tackles for loss . Cody worked out at API in Pensacola , Florida , along with Sam Bradford , Jason Worilds , and former Alabama teammates Mike Johnson and Roy Upchurch . He made pre - draft visits to the Baltimore Ravens , the New York Jets , the San Diego Chargers , and the Kansas City Chiefs . At the NFL Combine , Cody weighed in at , making him the heaviest combine participant since Aaron Gibson in 1999 . He had managed to shed some weight since the Senior Bowl , but according to Mike Mayock he was still not worthy of a first - round pick . Cody ran a 5 . 62 sec 40 - yard dash , the slowest by an eventually drafted defensive tackle since Corey Swinson , a seventh round pick in the 1995 NFL Draft . Cody was selected in the 2nd round ( 57th overall ) by the Baltimore Ravens . He was the highest picked Alabama Crimson Tide defensive tackle since Cornelius Griffin was drafted 42nd overall by the New York Giants in the 2000 NFL Draft . Baltimore Ravens . At Baltimore , Cody was projected to strengthen a Ravens defense that allowed the fewest rushing yards per carry ( 3 . 4 ) of any NFL team in and had a streak of 39 consecutive games without allowing a 100 - yard rusher — broken when Cincinnati ' s Cedric Benson rushed for 120 yards on October 11 , 2009 . Regarded by Ravens director of player personnel Eric DeCosta as a first - round prospect " from an ability standpoint , " Cody was expected to compete against Kelly Gregg for the starting nose tackle spot in . The combination of Cody and 345 - pound Haloti Ngata gave Baltimore the AFC North ’ s heaviest interior line , reminiscent of Sam Adams and Tony Siragusa on the 2000 – 2001 Ravens teams . Cody signed a four - year , $ 3 . 385 million maximum value contract with the Ravens on July 26 , 2010 . In training camp at McDaniel College , Cody — along with veteran cornerback Walt Harris — failed his conditioning test for the Ravens , and was thus placed on the physically unable to perform ( PUP ) list . He eventually passed the conditioning test on his third try , allowing him to go to training camp for the Ravens . In his unofficial NFL debut , a preseason game against the Carolina Panthers , Cody had a solid performance , finishing with five tackles ( four solo ) . His most impressive play came in the first half , when he tackled DeAngelo Williams with one arm for a loss while holding off Panthers center Ryan Kalil with the other . On November 21 , he made his first official start , debuting against the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium . Unlike his preseason performance , he was criticized for his poor performance from fans and head coach John Harbaugh . During a play , the Panthers offensive lineman pushed Cody out of the way , allowing Mike Goodson to have a 45 - yard run . Cody finished the game without any tackles , as the Ravens defense allowed 120 rushing yards . Later in the 2010 season , and especially in the playoffs , he stepped up his play though . So much so , in fact , that in the 2011 off - season , the team parted ways with their long - time starting nose tackle Kelly Gregg . Cody spent the entire 2011 season as a full - time starter , registering 34 tackles and helping lead the Ravens defense to be ranked 2nd in the league against the run , ranked 3rd overall . Personal . By his own description of his early family life , Cody grew up poor . His mother worked two jobs , as a traveling nurse and a bus driver , to care for him and his seven younger siblings . His parents were not married , but his father , a construction worker , was a big part of his life until he died in a car accident when Cody was 11 . At the end of his junior year of high school , Cody moved in with the family of a high school teammate , Jason Milliken . In his two years at Alabama , Cody became the Tide ' s most popular player because of his outsized personality and body . Says quarterback Greg McElroy : " He ' s an enjoyable person to have on our team , have in the locker room , and ( he ) has great charisma . He has fun when he plays the game , and that ' s a big reason why he ' s so popular . "