Terrance West
Quick Facts
Biography
Terrance West (born January 28, 1991) is an American football running back for the Baltimore Ravens of the National Football League (NFL). He was drafted by the Cleveland Browns in the third round of the 2014 NFL draft. He played college football at Towson.
Early years
West attended Northwestern High School in Baltimore, Maryland, where he had a stellar high school career; he was a two-time All-Baltimore City selection at running back, amassed 4,700 total yards over the course of his career and was an honorable mention All-Metro selection. He totaled over 2,000 all-purpose yards as a senior and 1,500 the previous year as a junior, helping lead his team to a 7–3 mark as a junior and a 9–1 record during his senior season.
During his time at Northwestern, West was also a member of the basketball, baseball, and track & field teams. He was the leading scorer on his conference championship basketball team and a member of the top-ranked 4x100-meter relay team in the state. His personal bests: 11.2 seconds in the 100-meter dash, 22.4 seconds in the 200-meter dash and 6.95 meters (22'8") in the long jump.
College career
2009
After high school, West looked to play college football, but his low academic qualifications and test scores limited his opportunities. In order to try and fulfill his dreams, West chose to attend Fork Union Military Academy in Fork Union, Virginia. After playing for one year, he left because of the distance between him and his family. West's time at Fork Union left him with no scholarship offers.
2010
After prep school, West had to sit out a season due to NCAA rules and looked for a school that would accept him as a transfer student. During this time, he sold shoes at a Jimmy Jazz clothing store to support his young son.
West looked to play football at Clemson University, but he wasn't qualified due to low SAT scores. He was also recruited by University of Maryland, but the team's interest faded after the hiring of Randy Edsall. A paperwork error led to West missing yet another chance at playing college ball, this time for Morgan State University. After getting in contact with head coach Rob Ambrose and learning of the interest the team had in him, West eventually chose to attend Towson University.
2011
West had a record breaking year in 2011 as a true freshman. The running back lead Towson to a 9–2 regular season, their first CAA Championship, and a playoff berth, all while rushing for a Towson freshman record 1294 yards and 29 touchdowns. In the offseason, West would be selected as the first ever winner of the Jerry Rice Award as the top freshman in the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS).
2012
West's sophomore season saw a decline in personal statistics, coupled with a decline in wins for the team. He ran for 243 less yards and 15 fewer touchdowns than the season prior and the Tigers went 7–4, missing the playoffs. West had repeated behavioral issues during the season, most notably prior to the home game against eventual CAA Champion Old Dominion. West and Coach Rob Ambrose had a verbal altercation before the game which resulted in West not playing later that night. West walked off the sideline during the 3rd quarter and threatened to quit the team via social media the next day, only to rejoin the team the next week.
2013
In 2013, West had a resurgent junior season that would see more records fall. Through 16 games, he amassed 2509 yards and 41 touchdowns (Towson University and NCAA FCS records) on 413 carries. His efforts helped lead the Tigers to a 10–2 record, including the programs first win over an FBS opponent and the school's second ever FCS playoffs appearance. He was a finalist for the 2013 Walter Payton Award, finishing 3rd in the voting. West also played a major role in the Tigers' playoff wins at Eastern Illinois University and Eastern Washington University. These wins earned the Tigers a spot in the 2013 FCS National Championship game in Frisco, Texas, against the North Dakota State University Bison, a game that they would lose to the defending champions by a score of 35–7.
On January 6, West officially declared himself eligible for the 2014 NFL draft.
Professional career
2014 NFL draft
Ht | Wt | Arm length | Hand size | 40-yd dash | 10-yd split | 20-yd split | 20-ss | 3-cone | Vert | Broad | BP | ||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
5 ft 9 in | 225 lb | 31 in | 9.125 in | 4.54 s | 33.5 in | 10 ft 0 in | 16 reps | ||||||||||||
All values from NFL Combine |
West was selected by the Cleveland Browns in the 3rd round, with the 94th overall pick, of the 2014 NFL draft.
Cleveland Browns
In his first NFL game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, West had his first 100-yard game with 100 yards on 16 carries, a 6.3-yard average. West finished the 2014 season as the Cleveland Browns' leading rusher with 673 yards rushing on 171 carries with 4 touchdowns.
Tennessee Titans
West reported to Cleveland's 2015 preseason camp overweight and immediately reclaimed his position in the coaching staff's doghouse throughout the preseason. After the final preseason game in Chicago the Browns decided to move on without West and on September 6, 2015, the Browns traded West to the Tennessee Titans for a conditional pick in the 2016 NFL draft. He was waived on November 7. During his tenure with the Titans, he was active in 2 games and inactive for two. He had 16 carries for 51 yards and 2 fumbles, which is double the number of fumbles he had during his rookie season with the Browns.
Baltimore Ravens
On November 10, 2015, West was signed to the practice squad of his hometown team, the Baltimore Ravens, after they lost starting running back Justin Forsett and back-up Lorenzo Taliaferro for the rest of the season. On November 18, he was promoted to the active roster. On November 30, 2015, West played in his first game with the Ravens, against his former team, the Cleveland Browns.
NFL career statistics
Rushing | Receiving | |||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Year | Team | G | GS | Rush | Yards | Avg. | TD | Fum | Rec | Yards | Yd/Rec | TD |
2014 | CLE | 14 | 6 | 171 | 673 | 3.9 | 4 | 1 | 11 | 64 | 5.8 | 1 |
2015 | TEN | 2 | 0 | 16 | 51 | 3.2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
2015 | BAL | 6 | 0 | 46 | 180 | 3.9 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 21 | 5.3 | 0 |
2016 | BAL | 16 | 13 | 193 | 774 | 4.0 | 5 | 3 | 34 | 236 | 6.9 | 1 |
Career totals | 32 | 16 | 426 | 1,678 | 3.9 | 9 | 6 | 49 | 321 | 6.6 | 2 |