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Selected 2nd Rnd
Baltimore Ravens
35th Pick Overall
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04/30/2012 - A closer look at the Ravens' picks: Round 2/35 -- Courtney Upshaw, LB, 6-2, 272, Alabama...He's a no-nonsense, gritty football player. He's eager to prove himself after watching four Alabama teammates get selected in the first round. - The Sports Xchange
04/27/2012 - TEN SURPRISES FROM ROUND ONE: 6. SEC stars Glenn, Upshaw slip out of first round: Of NFLDraftScout.com's best available players remaining, SEC standouts Cordy Glenn and Courtney Upshaw stand out. Glenn started all four years of his career while with the Bulldogs, demonstrating the power to be a dominant guard and the length and athleticism to potentially play tackle in the NFL, as well. Upshaw was simply the Defensive MVP of both of Alabama's last two bowl wins, including last year's BCS title game. - Rob Rang, NFLDraftScout.com
04/27/2012 - Of the 26 players who accepted invitations to attend the NFL Draft at Radio City Music Hall, six remain entering Friday night. Stanford tight end Coby Fleener, Georgia offensive lineman Cordy Glenn, Georgia Tech wide receiver Stephen Hill, LSU wide receiver Rueben Randle, Penn State defenive tackle Devon Still and Alabama linebacker Courtney Upshaw went to bed Thursday night still not knowing where their first NFL destination will be. Good thing the NFL gave them two-night reservations. All were among Dane Brugler's best available remaining prospects, and should go off the board fairly quickly tonight. Upshaw, at No. 18, was the highest-rated among the group by NFLDraftScout.com entering the draft. Hill and Randle were hurt by a deep group of wide receivers bunched in the late-first and second round picture. It didn't help that the 49ers reached for NFLDraftScout.com's No. 7-rated wide receiver, A.J. Jenkins, with the No. 30 overall pick. St. Louis kicks off the action tonight with the 33rd overall pick - unless the trade winds kick up in full force again. - Derek Harper, The Sports Xchange
04/27/2012 - OLB Courtney Upshaw, Alabama -- The top-ranked player on the NFLDraftScout.com board entering the second round, Upshaw lacks classic DE size and isn't athletic enough to be a pure outside linebacker. But at 6-2, 272, his natural pass rush skills and versatility made him the ideal fit for the value-seeking Ravens.
04/26/2012 - ROB RANG'S TOP 50 PLAYERS OF THE 2012 NFL DRAFT: 14. Courtney Upshaw, OLB, Alabama: I will be the first to admit that Upshaw lacks the lateral agility teams are looking for in a coverage linebacker. However, due to his incredible power and refined hand technique, he's arguably the safest pass rusher in this year's draft. Some call him a 'tweener. I believe he can be successful as a 4-3 defensive end or as a 3-4 rush linebacker - and will prove it as a rookie. - Rob Rang, NFLDraftScout.com
04/05/2012 - 04/05/12 NFL DRAFT SCOUT FALLER: Courtney Upshaw, DE, Alabama: For a pass rusher being considered in the first round, the comments you don't want to hear are "not overly explosive" or "strong, but not overpowering." These were just a few comments heard by scouts in attendance at Alabama's pro day last week as Courtney Upshaw was finally able to work out after not participating at the Combine. And unfortunately he didn't have a great workout, according to reports. Upshaw ran his 40-yard dash in the high 4.7's and low 4.8's while looking very pedestrian in positional drills. The question that clouds his draft future even more is what position does he project to best? Some teams will value him as a 4-3 end while others might see him as a stand-up linebacker in a 3-4. Then there might be others who see neither because he has too many "tweener traits" to be taken in the first round. In Upshaw's defense, he was an impact defender for the National Champions of college football last year and does an excellent job with his hands and angles to make a play on the ball. While he is still projected to hear his name in the first round, most don't believe he is an "elite" pass rusher in this draft class. - Dane Brugler, NFLDraftScout.com
03/29/2012 - Former LB Courtney Upshaw was happy with his workout at Alabama's second Pro Day on Thursday. But he wasn't happy with his weight. "I feel 250, but I wanted to weight in about 265, 268, but I tipped the scales at 279, so that's the only disappointment for the day," Upshaw said. "I weighed in at 273 in Indy [at the NFL combine], so I wanted to get down to 268, 265. Honestly, I gained weight, but I also gained flexibility. My hips feel better. I'm able to do things that I couldn't do when I was in Indy or throughout the season with my hips and stuff." - Marc Torrence, CBS Sports
03/16/2012 - NFL Draft Scout Top Edge Players, OLB/DE: Courtney Upshaw, OLB/DE, Alabama, 6-2, 272, 1...Alabama coach Nick Saban predicts Upshaw can play outside linebacker in a 3-4 defense or "put his hand in the dirt and play defensive end" in the NFL. Based on his play in college, regardless of where Upshaw lines up, he will probably wind up in a quarterback's mug. Used as an edge rusher, sometimes as the Tide's so-called "Jack" linebacker and sometimes as an end, Upshaw thrashes blockers with great hand and arm action and shows ample speed and agility to find his way into the offensive backfield. He has instincts beyond that of a pure pass-rusher, with an uncommon awareness for draws, screens, counters and reverses. Although he was not asked to drop into coverage often at Alabama, he has a fluid athleticism that may allow him to adapt to such a demand. In Alabama's 49-7 thrashing of Michigan State in last year's Capital One Bowl, Upshaw was voted MVP after a pair of sacks, five tackles (three for a loss) and a forced fumble. Upshaw benched 225 pounds 22 times at the combine and, like several teammates at Alabama's March 7 Pro Day, deferred a full workout until March 29. - Frank Cooney, The Sports Xchange/NFLDraftScout.com
03/07/2012 - Quotes from Alabama's Pro Day, Head Coach Nick Saban...On if Courtney Upshaw will be a linebacker or defensive end at the next level: "Well, I think he's going to be a combination of both, just like he was here. I think he can play 3-4 outside backer, which he has done here, and he's also had his hand in the dirt and played defensive end a lot. I think he can do both things." - Alabama football
02/23/2012 - NFL DRAFT SCOUT PRE-COMBINE TOP 64: 17. Courtney Upshaw, OLB, Alabama, 6-2, 273, 1...Pro scouts debate where Upshaw best fits in an NFL defense, but based on his play in college he will probably wind up in a quarterback's mug regardless of where he lines up. Used as an edge rusher, sometimes as the Tide's so-called "Jack" linebacker and sometimes as an end, Upshaw thrashes blockers with great hand an arm action and shows ample speed and agility to find his way into the offensive backfield. He has instincts beyond that of a pure pass rusher, with an uncommon awareness for draws, screens, counters and reverses. Although he was not asked to drop into coverage often at Alabama, he has a fluid athleticism that may allow him to adapt to such a demand. In Alabama's 49-7 thrashing of Michigan State in last year's Capital One Bowl, Upshaw was voted MVP after a pair of sacks, five tackles (three for a loss) and a forced fumble. - Frank Cooney - The Sports Xchange, NFL Draft Scout
01/09/2012 - PLAYERS TO WATCH: LB Courtney Upshaw can be a game-changer at his best with his ability to get after the passer. If the Crimson Tide defense can stand up against the Tigers' power running game and force passing situations, Upshaw will have opportunities to get after Jordan Jefferson. Just one sack or hurry that forces a poor throw and potential interception could make all the difference in this one. - The Sports Xchange
12/07/2011 - 2011 ASSOCIATED PRESS ALL-SEC FOOTBALL FIRST TEAM: LB - Courtney Upshaw, Alabama, Sr., has been selected All-SEC Conference First Team for the 2011 college football season as voted on by The Associated Press. Upshaw, a native of Eufaula, Ala., leads the team and ranks second in the Southeastern Conference with 17 tackles for loss of 85 yards. He also has a team-high 8.5 sacks (-57), one interception return for a touchdown against Florida, a team-high 11 quarterback hurries and two forced fumbles. - Alabama football
12/07/2011 - 2011 ALL-SEC FOOTBALL FIRST TEAM (COACHES): LB - Courtney Upshaw, Alabama, has been selected All-SEC Conference First Team for the 2011 college football season as voted upon by the SEC head coaches. Upshaw, a native of Eufaula, Ala., leads the team and ranks second in the Southeastern Conference with 17 tackles for loss of 85 yards. He also has a team-high 8.5 sacks (-57), one interception return for a touchdown against Florida, a team-high 11 quarterback hurries and two forced fumbles. - Alabama football
10/03/2011 - WEEK 5 SEC OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE: LB COURTNEY UPSHAW (Alabama) - Recorded four tackles, three for losses, including a sack, and returned an interception for a touchdown against Florida. - SEC football
09/19/2011 - WEEK 3 SEC OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE: LB COURTNEY UPSHAW (Alabama) -- Totaled four solo tackles in shutout of North Texas, including 3.0 tackles for loss and led the team with three QB hurries. - SEC football
07/19/2011 - 2011 SEC PRESEASON ALL-SEC SECOND TEAM (COACHES): LB Courtney Upshaw, Alabama, Sr., has been selected All-SEC Football Preseason Second Team for the 2011 college football season as selected by the SEC head football coaches. - SEC football
07/18/2011 - 2011 BUTKUS AWARD PRESEASON WATCH LIST: Courtney Upshaw, Alabama, has been selected one of 51 linebackers named to the 2011 Butkus Award Preseason Watch List for the 2011 college football season. The award is handed out annually to the top linebacker in college football. - The Butkus Foundation
07/13/2011 - 2011 ROTARY LOMBARDI AWARD PRESEASON WATCH LIST: Courtney Upshaw, DE/LB, Alabama, (Led the Crimson Tide with 7 sacks and 14.5 TFLs), has been selected to the Rotary Lombardi Award Preseason watch list for the 2011 college football season. Eligibility for the Rotary Lombardi Award is limited to down linemen, end-to-end, either on offense of defense, who set up no farther than 10 yards to the left or right of the ball, and linebackers who set up no father than five yards deep from the line of scrimmage. This is the 42nd year that the Rotary Lombardi Award has named the nation's college lineman of the year. - The Rotary Lombardi Award Committee
07/11/2011 - 2011 BRONKO NAGURSKI TROPHY PRESEASON WATCH LIST: Courtney Upshaw, Alabama, LB, has been selected one of 87 players named to Preseason Bronko Nagurski Trophy Watch List for the 2011 college football season. The Bronko Nagurski Trophy is awarded annually to the nation's best defensive player by the Football Writers Association of America and the Charlotte Touchdown Club. - Football Writers Association of America
07/08/2011 - 2011 CHUCK BEDNARIK AWARD PRESEASON WATCH LIST: Courtney Upshaw, Alabama, LB, Sr., has been selected by the The Maxwell Football Club to the Chuck Bednarik Award Watch List for the 2011 college football season, given annually to the best defensive player. - The Maxwell Football Club
