2016 Football Roster
Genard Avery
- Position:
- LB
- Ht./Wt.:
- 6-1 / 255
- Class:
- Junior
- Hometown:
- Grenada, Miss.
- Prev School:
- Grenada HS
- Holds single season record at Memphis with 22.0 tackles for loss in 2017.
- Two-time, first-team all-conference linebacker in the American Athletic Conference
- Memphis qualified for bowl games in four consecutive seasons for the first time in school history, coinciding with Avery's time on the Tiger roster.
- Graduated in December of 2017, completing his undergraduate degree in Organizational Studies in three-and-a-half years.
Career
Has played in 50 career games with 34 starts, including every game of his final two seasons ... His 45.5 career tackles for loss ranks second in the Memphis record book behind Tim Harris (49) ... His 21.5 sacks ranks third in program history behind Martin Ifedi (22.5) and Tramont Lawless (22) ... His 22.0 tackles for loss as a senior is a new Memphis single season record ... Has 232 career tackles, which is fifth all-time at Memphis ... Also added four forced fumbles, one fumble recovery and had seven passes defended ... Also had two interceptions, both returned for touchdowns in 2016 ... Graduated from the University of Memphis in December of 2017, completing his degree in Organizational Leadership in 3 1/2 years.
Honors (Academic/Athletic)
Two-time, first-team all-conference linebacker ... Participated in the 2018 NFL Combine and the NFLPA Collegiate Bowl ... Member of both the Nagurski and Butkus Award Watch Lists ... Recognized by the University of Memphis’ Center for Athletic Academic Services (CAAS) as a CAAS Most Improved Student for the 2015 spring semester … Earned Dean’s List distinction (3.50 or above) ... Multiple semesters on the Tiger 3.0 Club … 2016 and 2017 All-American Athletic Conference first team … American Athletic Conference Weekly Honor Roll for Oct. 10, 2016 … Tennessee Sports Writers Association (TSWA) Defensive Player of the Week for Oct. 10.
2016 (Junior)
Started all 13 games … Logged multi-tackle performances in all 13 games … Squad’s second-leading tackler with 81 total stops (63-18) … His 63 solo hits also were second on the team … Led team in TFL (11.0/59 yards) and sacks (5.0/31 yards) and tied for team-best honors with two interceptions … Ranked 15th in total tackles and 19th in tackles per game (6.2) in The American … Also ranked among league leaders in sacks (15th) and TFL (14th) … Returned his two interceptions for TD … Recorded first collegiate interception vs. Bowling Green and returned it 28 yards for a score … Also picked off a Temple pass and returned it 23 yards for a TD … Tied career-high tackles (9) in back-to-back games vs. Ole Miss (road) and Temple (home) … Had a season-high eight solo stops in the win over Temple … Set career highs for TFL and sack yardage (18) in a road win at Cincinnati … His 2.0 sacks at Cincinnati tied a career best … Tied a career high with four assisted tackles at No. 24/25 Navy … Logged a career-best three QB hurries in a road win at SMU … Member of defense that ranked nationally in caused turnovers (5th; 29 total), fumble recoveries (6th; 13) and turnover margin (18th; +8).
2015 (Sophomore)
Saw action in 11 games ... Made seven starts ... Team’s fifth-leading tackler with 53 total hits (42-11) ... Tied for fifth on team with 42 solo stops ... Tied for third on team with 6.5 TFL ... His 28 TFL yardage led the squad ... Had 3.0 sacks for 20 yards and two QB hurries ... Had six contests with five or more total tackles, including four-straight such games against Cincinnati, USF, Ole Miss and Tulsa ... Posted career game in a win at Tulsa with career bests for total tackles (9), solo hits (9), TFL (3) and sacks (2) ... First big game of the campaign was a six-tackle performance (5-1) in the win at Kansas ... Had eight stops (7-1) in a home victory over Cincinnati ... Followed that game with five tackles (4-1) in a road win at USF ... In a nationally-televised ABC network victory over Ole Miss, posted seven total hits (6-1), including 1.5 TFL for six yards ... Recorded eight hits (4-4) in a home setback to Navy ... In his final appearance of 2015, had three tackles (1-2) in a road loss at Temple ... Missed the regular-season home finale vs. SMU and the Birmingham Bowl vs. Auburn due to injury.
2014 (Freshman)
Played in all 13 games ... Made 18 tackles (13-5), including six TFL and five sacks … Earned first collegiate start at the DAWG position vs. Ole Miss … In collegiate debut, had three assisted tackles in the 63-0 shutout of Austin Peay … First career tackle came on a third-down play for no gain, forcing a second-quarter punt by the Governors … First career sack came in the win over Middle Tennessee, dropping the Blue Raiders’ quarterback for an eight-yard loss on a 3rd-and-11 play … Play forced Middle Tennessee to punt on its first offensive series of the second half … Had three tackles in first career start at Ole Miss, including a sack late in the third quarter … His season-high three tackles at Ole Miss were equaled two other times … Second three-tackle effort came in 48-10 road win at SMU … With no score midway through the first quarter vs. the Mustangs, had a sack to force a punt … Following his sack, Memphis scored its first points of the game two plays from scrimmage later ... Had a sack the following week against Tulsa … Had TFL in back-to-back games three times during the season, including the final two home games vs. USF and Connecticut … Matched his season-high three tackles in the 41-10 win over the Huskies that captured the American Athletic Conference championship.
High School
Prepped at Grenada High School for head coach Ashley Kuhn … Named to the Clarion-Ledger 2013 All-State Team … Most Valuable Player of Mississippi 6A Region 1 … Played in the Mississippi-Alabama All-Star Game … Linebacker was moved to defensive end for the all-star game … Member of The Clarion-Ledger’s Targeted 22 … Tallied 75 total tackles, 3.5 sacks and two forced fumbles as a senior … Also saw playing time on offense, accounting for 72 rushing yards on 18 carries … Scored five offensive TD … During senior year, recorded a season-high 10 tackles (9 solo stops) in a 51-14 win over DeSoto Central … Logged nine tackles in a 12-7 win over Olive Branch … Had eight tackles in three different games in 2013 … Registered 111 tackles and six sacks and forced five fumbles as a junior to earn Class 6A All-State honors … Posted 12 tackles, including three TFL, in a shutout win over DeSoto Central ... Had 11 tackles against Tupelo the following week … Closed out junior year with three double-digit tackle games, including a career-high 18 stops against Columbus … A Class 6A state champion powerlifter … Four-year track and field letterwinner.
Personal
Son of Tiffany Avery … Born in Grenada, Mississippi ... Birthday is April 26 ... Organizational leadership major.
