Quinton Caver

At 6-foot-4 and 210 pounds, Caver was outstanding in football and basketball at Anniston High School. In the fall of 1994, Caver, a linebacker, led the Bulldogs in tackles as a junior. He had 51 solo tackles and added 47 assisted tackles, three quarterback sacks, two interceptions and two fumble recoveries. Anniston won five consecutive playoff games to claim the AHSAA Class 6A state championship. The Bulldogs’ defense didn’t allow a playoff opponent more than one touchdown until the championship game which Anniston won 16-14 over Shades Valley.

Caver made 53 solo tackles, assisted on another 37 tackles, added six quarterback sacks and one interception as a senior but a road loss in the final game of the regular season kept Anniston out of the 6A playoffs. Caver was a first-team all-Calhoun County football selection for Class 4A-6A as a junior and again as a senior.

In basketball, Caver was recognized as a member of the Calhoun County tournament’s all-tournament team as a junior. Caver was Calhoun County tournament MVP as a senior when his Bulldogs captured the championship. He averaged 19 points in his three tournament games. The Bulldogs advanced to the Northeast Regional tournament and finished the season 23-3. Caver averaged 11.1 points and 8.4 rebounds for the season and was a first-team 4A-6A all-Calhoun County choice.

Caver accepted a football scholarship offer from Arkansas. When Houston Nutt became the Razorbacks’ coach prior to Caver’s junior season in 1998, he moved Caver to linebacker. Caver started all 12 games that season, making 46 solo tackles with 24 assisted tackles.   

As a senior, Caver was elected a team captain and he represented Arkansas at SEC football media days. He was SEC Defensive Player of the week three times. He received the recognition first after making a career-high 22 tackles and forcing a fumble in a 28-21 win over Alabama.

He was defensive player of the week again in Arkansas’ 17-10 overtime win over Mississippi State. He made 10 tackles, eight of them solo stops. Early in fourth quarter, Caver blocked a 38-yard field goal attempt to keep Arkansas ahead 10-3.  

The next week, Arkansas upset No. 24 LSU 14-3. On LSU’s first play from scrimmage, Caver intercepted a pass and returned the interception 33 yards for a touchdown. He became the first player to win back-to-back SEC defensive player of the week awards. He was also Arkansas’ only player to earn first-team All-SEC recognition that season.

Caver was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in the second round of the 2001 NFL draft but injuries limited his professional career. He played in 53 games over parts of six seasons with Philadelphia, Kansas City and Dallas. He had 56 solo tackles among his 69 total tackles.