Donovan Warren
Donovan Jamelle Warren is an American former professional football player who was a cornerback in the National Football League. Warren was signed by the New York Jets as an undrafted free agent following the 2010 NFL draft. He also played with the Detroit Lions, Pittsburgh Steelers and Chicago Bears. He played college football for the Michigan Wolverines, starting in 34 of 36 games. As a member of the football team|2009 Michigan Wolverines], he led the team in interceptions, earning 2009 [Big Ten Conference football season|first-team All-Big Ten] recognition from the media. Warren played high school football at Long Beach Polytechnic in California.
Early years
As a native of Long Beach, California, Warren attended Long Beach Polytechnic High School, where he tallied 114 tackles, 15 pass breakups, five interceptions, and three fumble recoveries during his prep career. Considered a five-star recruit by Rivals.com, Warren ranked third among cornerback prospects and twenty-fifth overall in the nation. Scout.com ranked him fourth among cornerbacks, and ESPN ranked him eighth. He was named to the USA Today All-USA second-team and the EA Sports All-American second-team at cornerback. Warren participated in the 2007 U.S. Army All-American Bowl. Warren ran a 10.6 second time in the 100 meters in high school.At the beginning of the recruiting process, Warren was considered very likely to play for the USC Trojans football team, since they had four players from his high school on the roster and his godfather, Mark Carrier, was a USC alumnus. However, USC had a lot of depth at cornerback at the time and Warren had a good relationship with Michigan assistant coach Ron English. When Warren made Michigan his final decision, he was noted as feeling that his heart wanted him to choose USC, which was the school he had grown up rooting for. However, his head led him to Michigan where he could play immediately and work under the tutelage of English, who had developed many defensive backs and went on to the National Football League.
College career
As a true freshman at the University of Michigan, Warren played in all 13 season games while starting 11 of them at cornerback. He recorded 52 tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss, one sack, one forced fumble, two fumble recoveries, one interception and six pass breakups. In the Michigan–Notre Dame football rivalry game on September 15, 2007, which Michigan won 38–0, he forced and recovered a Jimmy Clausen fumble on the Notre Dame 21-yard line while the score was 3–0. The fumble led to a Mike Hart touchdown five plays later. He was named Big Ten Defensive Freshman of the Year by The Sporting News and also made TSN's and College Football News′ Freshman All-American second-team.As a sophomore, he started ten games at cornerback and one at safety. During the November 1, 2008 game at Purdue, he recovered a fumble on Purdue's opening possession that led to a Brandon Minor 45-yard touchdown run on the next play.
As a junior, he started all 12 games at cornerback. That season, he led the Wolverines with four interceptions, which ranked tied for sixth in the Big Ten Conference and 49th in the nation. He recorded one in each of Michigan's first three conference games during the 2009 Big Ten Conference football season, including a controversial one to seal the team's fourth consecutive victory to start the season in their conference opener against the Indiana Hoosiers that withstood instant replay video review. He ran back the third of these interceptions for a 40-yard touchdown in the first minute of the third conference game against the Iowa Hawkeyes. At the conclusion of the season, he was selected as to the 2009 All-Big Ten conference team by the media and coaches.