Terence Newman
Terence Newman is an American former professional football player who was a cornerback for 15 seasons in the National Football League for the Dallas Cowboys, Cincinnati Bengals, and Minnesota Vikings. He played college football for the Kansas State Wildcats, earning unanimous All-American recognition. He was selected by the Cowboys with the fifth overall pick in the 2003 NFL draft.
Early life
A native of Salina, Kansas, Newman attended Salina High School Central, where he lettered as a junior and senior in football, three times in track & field and basketball and once in baseball for the Mustangs. As a senior in football, he had 10 receptions for 251 yards and three touchdowns playing as a wide receiver on offense, while also making 45 tackles, five interceptions and five PBUs on the defensive side. In addition, he also returned 13 punts for 271 yards, two of them for touchdowns. He was an All-Class 5A selection by the Topeka Capital Journal and Wichita Eagle. He was listed as one of the top 20 recruits in the state of Kansas by First Down Recruiting and was a PrepStar All-Region selection.Apart from football, Newman was also an outstanding track & field performer with times of 10.36 seconds in the 100-meter dash and 21.6 seconds in the 200-meter dash entering his senior season.
College career
Newman attended Kansas State University, where he played as a defensive back for head coach Bill Snyder's Kansas State Wildcats football from 1998 to 2002. His first two seasons he was a backup, until he became a starter and a second-team Big 12 selection as a junior. During his college career, he was also a special teams returner and was used sparingly as a wide receiver. He was also a member of the Wildcats track & field team.He redshirted his first year in 1998, and then went on to play from 1999 to 2002.
Freshman year
Still a developing backup defensive back in his second year, Newman saw action in all 11 games as a freshman in 1999. He became an outstanding special teams player, returning a 73-yard kickoff against Baylor. He snagged his first career interception in a 66–0 win over Missouri. He had an impressive spring game with 10 tackles, two passes broken up and an interception that he returned 18 yards.Sophomore year
Newman played in all 14 games as a sophomore in 2000. He recorded a career-high five tackles, including career-high three solos vs. Louisiana Tech in his first career start. He scored a touchdown on a 16-yard blocked-punt against Oklahoma.In track & field, Newman Finished third in the 60-meter dash at the Big 12 Indoor Track & Field Championships, but posted a season-best of 6.72 seconds in the prelims, that rank 2nd all-time behind football teammate Aaron Lockett. He had a season-best time of 21.34 seconds in the 200-meter dash, and was a member of the Wildcats' 4 × 100 m relay team that placed fifth at Big 12 Championships.
Junior year
As a junior in 2001, Newman was a second team All-Big 12 selection by the coaches, Dallas Morning News, Fort Worth Star-Telegram and Waco Tribune-Herald, and also an honorable mention All-Big 12 selection by the Associated Press. He was named one of 10 semifinalists for the Jim Thorpe Award, given to the top defensive back of the year. He shared the Most Improved Defensive Player award with Terry Pierce. He started all 11 games at cornerback, and was just one of eight Wildcats to start all 11 games at the same position. He ranked fifth in the Big 12 and 16th in the nation in passes defended with 19. He was tabbed as coaches' Special Teams Player of the Game three times. He ranked fifth on the team with 51 total tackles, including 44 solo stops, led the team with 14 PBUs and two blocked kicks and was third with three interceptions. He had an impressive all-around day against Oklahoma, picking off two passes and defending seven more to go with six solo tackles, leading this to be named the Defensive Player of the Game by the Kansas State coaches. He tied a season-high with seven tackles and blocked his second kick of the season vs. Nebraska. Against Missouri, he got his third interception of the season and also added three other PBUs and five tackles. Newman also server ad a kick returner, and ranks second behind Aaron Lockett in returns, yards and average, totalling 211 yards on nine kickoffs with a 23.4 yards per return average. He also tallied a season-best 81 return yards on two carries against Missouri.In track & field, Newman was just one of two athletes to represent Kansas State's men's team at the NCAA Indoor Nationals, where he finished 15th in the 60 meters. He set a pair of school records for the Wildcats at the 2001 Big 12 Indoor Track and Field Championships, running a 6.67 in the 60-meter dash semifinals to break the old mark of 6.69 set in 1999 by football teammate Aaron Lockett, while also setting Kansas State's indoor 200-meter dash record with a time of 21.17 seconds. He earned NCAA Outdoor All-American honors in the 100 meters after finishing 12th in a time of 10.49 seconds at the 2001 NCAA Outdoor T&F Championships. He was the Big 12 Outdoor Champion in 100-meter dash with a mark of 10.29 seconds, and set a new school record with a 10.22 mark in qualifying for that event.
Senior year
As a senior in 2002, Newman recorded 54 tackles, five interceptions and 14 pass deflections. He was a first-team All-Big 12 selection, as well as the Big 12 Conference Defensive Player of the Year and a unanimous All-American. He also won the Jim Thorpe Award as the nation's best defensive back, and was a finalist for the Bronko Nagurski Trophy as the nation's best defensive player.In track & field, Newman defended his Big 12 Outdoor Championship in the 100 meters with a win at Missouri. He reached the NCAA semifinals in the 100 m, but did not make the final rounds. He broke his own outdoor school record in the 100-meter dash after clocking a 10.20 at the Jim Click Shootout in his first outdoor meet of the year. He collected his first All-America honor by finishing fifth in the 60 meters at the NCAA Indoor Championship with a time of 6.67 seconds. He was the Big 12 Indoor Champion in the 60-meter dash, clocking a 6.65 in the finals after posting a school-record 6.62 in the prelims. He finished second in the 200 meters at the Big 12s with an NCAA provisional time of 21.42. He also won the 60 meters in 6.70 seconds at the KSU Open, his only regular-season appearance.
Professional career
Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys selected Newman in the first round of the 2003 NFL draft. As the fifth overall pick, Newman became Kansas State's highest draft pick in school history, surpassing Clarence Scott who was drafted 14th overall by the Cleveland Browns in the 1971 NFL draft. He entered the league as a 25-year-old rookie.2003
On July 24, 2003, the Dallas Cowboys signed Newman to a six–year, $18.41 million contract that includes a signing bonus of $13 million. The contract is worth up to $33 million with incentives and includes a seventh–year option.He entered training camp slated as the No. 2 starting cornerback following the departure of Bryant Westbrook. Head coach Bill Parcells named him as the No. 2 starting cornerback to begin the season, alongside Mario Edwards.
On September 7, 2003, Newman made his professional regular season debut and earned his first career start in the Dallas Cowboys' home-opener against the Atlanta Falcons and recorded five solo tackles and made one pass deflection during their 27–13 loss. In Week 2, Newman made five solo tackles, set a career-high with four pass deflections, and made his first career interception on a pass attempt by Kerry Collins to tight end Jeremy Shockey during a 35–32 victory at the New York Giants. In Week 5, he recorded five solo tackles, made one pass deflection, and had his first career sack on quarterback Jeff Blake in the Cowboys' 26–7 win against the Arizona Cardinals. In Week 13, he made a season-high seven solo tackles and had a fumble recovery as the Cowboys lost 40–21 to the Miami Dolphins. On December 14, 2003, Newman recorded five combined tackles, made three pass deflections, and set a career-high with three interceptions on passes thrown by Tim Hasselbeck during a 27–0 victory at the Washington Redskins. He tied the franchise record for most interceptions in a single game. He started in all 16 games throughout the 2003 NFL season and finished with a total of 76 combined tackles, 14 pass deflections, four interceptions, and a sack.
The Dallas Cowboys finished second in the NFC East with a 10–6 record and received a wildcard berth. On January 3, 2004, Newman started his first career playoff game and recorded five solo tackles in the Cowboys' 29–10 loss at the Carolina Panthers in the NFC Wildcard Game.
2004
He entered training camp slated as the No. 1 cornerback on the depth chart. Head coach Bill Parcells officially named him the No. 1 starting cornerback to begin the regular season and paired him with Pete Hunter. Due to injuries, Newman was paired with multiple different cornerbacks throughout the season, including Pete Hunter, Lance Frazier, Tyrone Williams, and Jacques Reeves.In Week 6, Newman collected a season-high 12 combined tackles during a 24–20 loss against the Pittsburgh Steelers. On December 26, 2004, he made three solo tackles, two pass deflections, and an interception in the Cowboys' 13–10 victory against the Washington Redskins in Week 16. He finished the season with 68 combined tackles, 15 pass deflections, and four interceptions in 16 games and 16 starts. He also returned two punts for 13-yards.