Cory Redding (born November 15, 1980) is an American
NFL football player.
He was born in Houston, Texas, the son of Carl
Benjamin Redding and Mary Zerlene Brantley. He
played football at North Shore High School. In his
senior year in 1998, he was named USA Today's
Defensive Player of the Year and was a consensus
All-American choice.
He also excelled in track and field, winning the
state Class 5A title in the discus as a junior and
senior (career best toss of 193'9").
Redding played college football for the Texas
Longhorns at the University of Texas. During his
four years there, he was a two-time All-Big 12
Conference selection and played in every game,
including a string of 35 consecutive starts on the
defensive line.
He finished his collegiate career with 201 tackles
(123 solos), 21 sacks (174 yards) and 53 stops
(third on the school's career-record list) for
losses of 249 yards.
In the 2003 NFL Draft Redding was drafted by the
Detroit Lions in the 3rd round (66th overall). A
defensive lineman, he has played both defensive end
and defensive tackle for the team.
He became the starter at left defensive end prior to
the 2004 season. In 2005, he played in all 16 games
and set a career high with 42 tackles (29 solo). He
emerged in 2006 as one of the best inside
pass-rushers in the NFL after moving from defensive
end to tackle.
On February 22, 2007, the Lions placed the franchise
tag on Redding and he was designated as the team's
non-exclusive franchise player.
ESPN's John Clayton reported that on July 16, the
Lions and Redding agreed to a seven year $49 million
contract. The deal included over $16 million in
guaranteed money. The move came amid a bit of
controversy, as it made Redding the highest paid DT
in the league.
