ON THIS DAY: Former Cocoa Tiger, Current Tampa Bay Buc Jamel Dean Named FNLR, SCD Player of the Game

IN 2013: The future Super Bowl Champ had 180 total yards during game 8 years ago

2020 Space Coast Sports Hall of Fame: Cocoa Tigers Football’s Jamel Dean’s Tenacity, Accomplishments Earn Him Induction into Space Coast Sports Hall of Fame. (Video aired in 2020)

BREVARD COUNTY, FLORIDA – On this day eight years ago, October 25, 2013, former Cocoa Tiger and current Tampa Bay Bucs cornerback Jamel Dean was named the Friday Night Locker Room Space Coast Daily Player of the Game.

In 2013, Dean was named Friday Night Locker Room – Space Coast Daily Player of the Game for Week 9 as he had 135 return yards (68-yard kickoff return for a TD and 67-yard punt return) and 45 yards receiving.

The Cocoa Tigers went on to defeat Port Orange Atlantic that night 41-0.

Jamel started in every postseason game during the Buccaneer 2020 Super Bowl run. Matching up against top-tier wide receivers such as Devante Adams, Tyreek Hill, and numerous more.

In his four postseason starts, Dean racked up 16 total tackles along with 3 pass deflections.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers went on the win the Super Bowl in 2020, defeating the Kansas City Chiefs 31-20.

Jamel Dean was among former Cocoa High School head coach John Wilkinson’s best two-way players during his Space Coast Sports Hall of Fame career for the Tigers.

Playing on back-to-back 11-2 state playoff teams for coach Wilkinson, Dean was a two-time Florida first-team Class 4A all-state pick at Cocoa High, totaling 975 offensive yards, including 22 receptions and 15 touchdowns in 2014 to earn all-state honors as a receiver.

He also had 38 tackles, two pass breakups, and one interception in 2013  and also had seven pass breakups as a senior and scored nine touchdowns as a junior.

In 2014, Dean was selected as the Brevard County Player of the Year and the Florida Athletic Coaches Association’s District 12 MVP and was among the top prep cornerback prospects in the nation ranked No. 32 by 247Sports, No. 37 by Rivals and a Top 10 defensive back in the state of Florida.

Dean was a highly-recruited prospect despite knee injuries he suffered during his prep career. He spent a semester at Ohio State and was medically disqualified to play football by Ohio State due to his suffering multiple knee injuries in high school.

He sat out 2015 and transferred from Columbus to Auburn, which cleared him to play. Dean suffered yet another knee injury in the preseason 2016 camp, which sidelined him for the year.

Finally healthy in 2017, he started 11 of 14 games for the Auburn, collecting 43 stops, 2.5 for loss, and eight pass breakups. He started 11 of 12 games played in 2018, recording 30 stops, two for loss, two interceptions, and nine pass breakups.

Returning as a starter at cornerback during the 2018 season, Dean had 30 tackles and 11 pass breakups for the season – and earned SEC Academic Honor Roll and Academic Top Tiger honors, graduating with a weighted 3.8 GPA.

The 6-foot-1-inch, 206-pound Dean turned pro as a redshirt junior after amassing 19 career pass breakups and two picks as a two-year starter. He raised his NFL stock at the Combine with 98th-percentile SPARQ results, including 4.3-flat jets and a 41-inch vertical.

Dean was selected by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the third round of the 109 National Football League draft with the 94th overall pick.

Dean made his regular-season debut in Week 9 against the Seattle Seahawks he recorded six tackles and four pass deflections. In Week 10 against the Arizona Cardinals, he recorded four pass deflections and his first career interception.

In Week 12 against the Atlanta Falcons, Dean recorded five pass deflections and in Week 16 Dean had one tackle, one pass deflection, and an interception.

ABOVE VIDEO: Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive back Jamel Dean speaks on “Beat the Players,” golf fundraising tourney which took place back in April 2021.

Dean finished his rookie season with 21 tackles, 17 pass deflections, 2 interceptions, and 1 forced fumble and solidified himself as a rookie on the rise.

While finishing tied for second among all rookie cornerbacks in interceptions, Dean finished first in pass deflections among rookies with 17 and that number was also good for the Top 5 in the NFL among all corners.

Dean joined his former Cocoa High teammates, tackle Jawaan Taylor of the Jacksonville Jaguars and cornerback Chauncey Gardner-Johnson of the New Orleans Saints, on the 22-man 2019 Pro Football Focus NFL All-Rookie Team.

He is the son of Yolanda Kimbrough and James Dean and has four brothers including Derrick Jr., James Jr., Jamaine, and Jayden. He received his bachelor’s degree from the College of Liberal Arts from Auburn University in May 2018.

On February 20, 2021, Jamel Dean was honored by the City of Cocoa with the Key to the City.

ABOVE VIDEO: Jamel Dean ‘Key to The City Celebration’

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WATCH: Jamel Dean’s Tenacity, Accomplishments Earn Him Induction into Space Coast Sports Hall of Fame

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