Derek Stingley Jr.

Derek Stingley Jr. (born June 20, 2001) is an American football cornerback for the Houston Texans of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at LSU and was selected third overall by the Texans in the 2022 NFL Draft.

Early years
Stingley Jr. attended The Dunham School in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. During his high school career he had 27 career interceptions. As a senior, he was named the Louisiana Gatorade Football Player of the Year. Stingley Jr. was rated as a five-star recruit and was ranked as the top overall player in his class by Rivals.com. He committed to Louisiana State University (LSU) to play college football.

College career
Stingley Jr. entered his freshman year at LSU in 2019 as a starter, helping the team go undefeated and win the College Football National Championship. As a freshman, he led the Southeastern Conference (SEC) with six interceptions, 21 passes defended and was a first-team All-SEC selection by the Associated Press (AP). He was also a consensus All-American, earning first-team honors from the AP, American Football Coaches Association, The Sporting News, Sports Illustrated, ESPN, and USA Today. In the following season, Stingley missed three games due to illness and injuries, but still was named to the All-SEC first-team. Following an injury plagued junior season in which he was only able to start in three games, Stingley declared for the 2022 NFL Draft.

Professional career
Stingley Jr. was selected in the first round with the third overall pick by the Houston Texans in the 2022 NFL Draft, tying the record set by Shawn Springs and Jeff Okudah for the highest draft selection by a cornerback in NFL history. He entered his rookie season as a starting cornerback opposite Steven Nelson. He had his first career interception on Trevor Lawrence in Week 5 against the Jacksonville Jaguars. On December 17, 2022, Stingley was placed on season–ending injured reserve with a hamstring injury that had kept him from playing since Week 10. He finished the season with 43 tackles, five passes defensed and one interception through nine games.

Stingley entered 2023 as a starting cornerback opposite Steven Nelson. He suffered a hamstring injury in practice and was placed on injured reserve on September 23, 2023. He was activated on November 11. In Week 13, Stingley recorded two interceptions and four pass breakups in a 22–17 win over the Denver Broncos, earning AFC Defensive Player of the Week.

Personal life
His father, Derek Stingley Sr., played in the Arena Football League while his grandfather, Darryl Stingley, played with the New England Patriots in the National Football League.