James Ihedigbo James Ugochu Ihedigbo ( ; born December 3 , 1983 ) is an American football safety for the Baltimore Ravens of the National Football League ( NFL ) . He was signed by the New York Jets as an undrafted free agent in 2007 . He played college football at Massachusetts . Early years . Ihedigbo played at Amherst Regional High School where he was a two - time All - Western Massachusetts and All - League selection . College career . James Ihedigbo played football at the University of Massachusetts Amherst from 2002 - 2006 . After arriving in 2002 , Ihedigbo redshirted his first year . In the following season , he started 10 of 12 games for UMass , picking off 4 passes , making a total of 74 tackles with 2 forced fumbles and was named the team ' s most improved defensive player . In 2004 James had 52 Tackles but no interception . In his third year at Massachusetts , Ihedigbo switched to strong safety from free safety and ranked sixth on the team in total tackles with 45 . In his redshirt junior year , he was named to the Atlantic 10 conference third team and started at strong safety for a team which allowed the fewest points in all of Division I - AA football . He finished third in the conference in sacks with 7 . 5 . As a senior He had 72 tackles , 5 quarterback sacks , 3 interception and 4 forced fumbles , he was a candidate for the Buck Buchanan Award and a Walter Camp All - American as well as a senior captain . He also received Umass team MVP for 2006 . Professional career . New York Jets . 2007 . Ihedigbo was brought in for Jets rookie minicamps where he was rewarded with a contract by Jets general manager Mike Tannenbaum . In the second game of the preseason against the Minnesota Vikings Ihedigbo injured his hand and would miss the rest of the season as the Jets placed him on injured reserve . 2008 . In 2008 Ihedigbo would begin the season on the practice squad until on October 29 , 2008 when he was added to the active roster because of an injury to safety Eric Smith . Ihedigbo would play in his first game on November 1 , 2008 against the Buffalo Bills . James Ihedigbo recorded his first NFL tackle on November 23 , 2008 against the Tennessee Titans in a Jets win 34 - 13 . At the end of the 2008 season James Ihedigbo played in 8 games and had 8 total tackles . 2009 . Ihedigbo made the Jets in 2009 as a backup safety . In a 16 – 13 overtime loss to the Buffalo Bills on October 18 , 2009 , Ihedigbo and fellow Jet Marques Murrell threw punches at Bills tight end Derek Fine , causing Ihedigbo to be ejected from the game by officials . The NFL fined both players $ 5 , 000 and head coach Rex Ryan benched Ihedigbo , along with Murrell , for the following game against the Oakland Raiders . On December 13 , 2009 , against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers Ihedigbo got his first NFL sack on quarterback Josh Freeman . The Jets going into week 17 had 8 wins and 7 loses and needed one win to make the playoffs as they were playing the Cincinnati Bengals . James Ihedigbo had his best game as a pro with 2 tackles . One of those tackles was a sack and a forced fumble of quarterback J . T . O ' Sullivan that was recovered by Jamaal Westerman . The Jets won the game 37 – 0 and clinched a playoff berth . In the AFC wild card playoff game , the Jets beat the Bengals again , 24 – 14 . In the AFC divisional playoff game , the Jets played the San Diego Chargers . In the fourth quarter of the game , Jay Feely was kicking off to San Diego after a Jets touchdown by quarterback Mark Sanchez . The kick return was taken by Antonio Cromartie but during the return Ihedigbo ripped the ball out of his hands for a forced fumble . The Jets went on to win 17 – 14 . The Jets had made it to the AFC championship game and were one win away from the Super Bowl . James Ihedigbo had 3 tackles but the Jets lost to the Indianapolis Colts , 30 – 17 . James Ihedigbo finished the season with 19 tackles , 2 sacks and 1 forced fumble in 15 games . 2010 . On March 22 , 2010 James Ihedigbo resigned with the New York Jets with a one year contract . The Jets were a team that was considered by many to contended for a Super Bowl . The Jets opened their season on Monday September 13 , 2010 against the Baltimore Ravens in the Jets ' new home , Metlife Stadium . Ihedigbo would get his first tackle of the year but the Jets would lose 10 - 9 . James Ihedigbo would get his first sack of the season in week 4 against the Buffalo Bills and quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick . He would finish with two tackles as the Jets would win 38 to 14 . The Jets were 6 - 2 going into week 10 against the Cleveland Browns and the Jets were in first place . James would have 2 tackles and his second sack of the year in the fourth quarter . The Jets would win that game in overtime when Mark Sanchez threw a touchdown pass to Santonio Holmes for the victory . In week 12 The Jets were playing the Cincinnati Bengals on a Thanksgiving game on the NFL Network . Late in the 3rd quarter Steve Weatherford punted a ball that touched one of the Bengals players . Ihedigbo noticed this and jumped on the ball giving the Jets the ball . Later on that drive because of Ihedigbo fumble recovery the Jets scored on a touchdown pass from Mark Sanchez to Santonio Holmes . The Jets would win 26 - 10 and push their record to 9 - 2 and keep them in first place with the Patriots . The next week the Jets were tied for first place with the New England Patriots and playing their game in New England . James Ihedigbo did get a late 1st quarter sack on Tom Brady but the Jets would struggle all night as the Jets lost 45 - 3 dropping them out of first place . The Jets would end the season with 11 wins and 5 loses and finish in 2nd place in the AFC east behind the Patriots . The Jets would win the AFC wildcard playoff game 17 - 16 over the Indianapolis Colts . Then in the AFC divisional round the Jets would play the New England Patriots . Ihedigbo would have 2 tackles as the Jets would upset the Patriots 28 - 21 to get to the AFC championship game . Next week the Jets would lose to the Pittsburgh Steelers and miss the Super Bowl by one game for the second straight year . James Ihedigbo would end the year with 22 total tackles and 3 sacks . New England Patriots . 2011 . After the NFL lockout ended Ihedigbo became a free agent . The Jets had three free agent safeties : Brodney Pool , Eric Smith , and James Ihedigbo . The Jets decided to sign Pool and Smith and let Ihedigbo go . Ihedigbo signed with the New England Patriots on August 19 , 2011 . James Ihedigbo got his first tackle with the Patriots in Week 2 against the San Diego Chargers . In his first game against his former team the New York Jets Ihedigbo had a career high 6 tackles in a New England win 30 - 21 . Two weeks later playing the Pittsburgh Steelers he had eight tackles in one game , which was a career - high for him . Ihedigbo became a starter with the Patriots after a number of other defensive backs were either cut or injured . Prior to the start of the season , Pro Bowl safety Brandon Meriweather as well as fellow starter James Sanders were cut . In Week 10 , The Patriots played the Jets again , and Ihedigbo lead the Patriots with seven tackles as New England won 37 - 16 . Through ten games in the 2011 season , Ihedigbo started 6 games and made 42 tackles . At the end of the regular season the Patriots went 13 - 3 and had the best recorded in the American Football Conference . In the Divisional Round of the playoffs , Ihedigbo had seven tackles in a 45 - 10 win over the Denver Broncos . The Patriots made the AFC Championship game and played the Baltimore Ravens . James Ihedigbo had eight tackles and a sack in that game . The Patriots would win 23 - 20 . Before the Super Bowl , Coach Bill Belichick said that James Ihedigbo would start at safety in the Super Bowl . James Ihedigbo started the game and made five tackles but the New England Patriots would lose to the New York Giants 21 - 17 . Ihedigbo played all 16 game in 2011 , starting in 12 of them . He had a career high in tackles with 69 . His 69 tackles was the 5th best on the Patriots for that season . Ihedigbo was resigned June 22 , 2012 . He was released after the end of the 2012 NFL preseason , on August 31 , 2012 . Baltimore Ravens . 2012 . On September 2 , 2012 Ihedigbo signed with the Baltimore Ravens . In his first game as a Raven Ihedigbo recorded two tackles in a win over the Cincinnati Bengals . In week 3 of the 2012 NFL season the Ravens played the New England Patriots , the team that had released Ihedigbo at the beginning of the season . Ihedigbo would play in the game but mostly on special teams . In the end the Ravens would win 31 - 30 to increase their record to 2 - 1 After the game Ihedigbo said " Anytime you get a chance to go against your former team , it ' s kind of personal , " Ihedigbo said . " I went into this game with that kind of mentality and when you put the history of these two teams on top of it , it just became a very personal and emotional thing . It was great the way it turned out . It couldn ' t be any sweeter . We just persevered through everything , all adversity that took place in the game from the things that were in our control , the penalties and the things that were outside our control , " Ihedigbo said . " When it all accumulates in a win , we ' re very excited . " The Ravens would face the Patriots again in the AFC Championship . It was the fourth season in a row that Ihedigbo entered the AFC Championship . During the championship , the Ravens beat the Patriots 28 - 13 , allowing the Ravens to go to the Super Bowl for the first time in 12 years . During his second straight tournament finals entry , Ihedigbo got his first championship title as the Ravens defeated the San Francisco 49ers 34 - 31 in Super Bowl XLVII . Personal . Ihedigbo was born to Rose and Apollos Ihedigbo , immigrants from Nigeria . Ihedigbo has three other brothers , Emeka , Nate , David and a sister , Onyii . Philanthropy . Ihedigbo founded the HOPE Africa Foundation in 2008 to help provide educational services for underprivileged communities in Africa . The foundation offers a wealth of assistance to these communities in the form of scholarships , mentoring , funding , and developmental projects . Ihedigbo is also involved in the Nigerian Agricultural Technical Community College , founded by his parents .