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Emari Demercado

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Emari Demercado
No. 31 – Arizona Cardinals
PositionsRunning back
Kickoff returner
Roster statusActive
Personal information
Born (1999-01-20) January 20, 1999 (age 26)
Inglewood, California, U.S.
Height5 ft 9 in (1.75 m)
Weight215 lb (98 kg)
Career information
High schoolDowney
(Downey, California)
CollegeSaddleback (2017)
TCU (2018–2022)
NFL draft2023: undrafted
Career history
Career NFL statistics as of Week 8, 2025
Rushing yards597
Rushing average6.6
Rushing touchdowns3
Receptions236
Receiving yards2
Receiving touchdowns1
Return yards150
Stats at Pro Football Reference

Emari Demercado (born January 20, 1999) is an American professional running back and kickoff returner for the Arizona Cardinals of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Saddleback Bobcats and TCU Horned Frogs and was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Cardinals after the 2023 NFL draft.

Early life

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Demercado grew up in Inglewood, California, and attended Century Community Charter School in the heart of Inglewood. He also attended Downey High School. He committed to play college football at Saddleback College, a junior college in Mission Viejo, California.[1] He is of Jamaican descent.[2]

College career

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Demercado played one year at Saddleback under head coach Mark McElroy, rushing for 1,026 yards and 15 touchdowns and bringing in 54 receptions for 443 yards and two touchdowns.[3] On May 6, 2018, he committed to Texas Christian University (TCU).[4]

Demercado played for five years at TCU and racked up 1,615 rushing yards and 10 rushing touchdowns on 4.8 yards per carry and 40 receptions for 277 yards and a touchdown.[5] His best season came in 2022 where he recorded 121 carries for 681 yards and six touchdowns and had 13 catches for 65 yards and a touchdown.[5] In TCU's first playoff game, Demercado rushed for a career-high 150 yards and a touchdown.[6] He also rushed for 59 yards in the National Championship Game.[7]

After the season Demercado declared for the 2023 NFL draft.[8]

Professional career

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Pre-draft measurables
Height Weight Arm length Hand span 40-yard dash 10-yard split 20-yard split 20-yard shuttle Three-cone drill Vertical jump Broad jump Bench press
5 ft 9+3⁄8 in
(1.76 m) 		213 lb
(97 kg) 		32+5⁄8 in
(0.83 m) 		9+1⁄2 in
(0.24 m)		 4.44 s 1.58 s 2.56 s 4.15 s 7.00 s 32.0 in
(0.81 m)		 9 ft 11 in
(3.02 m)		 19 reps
All values from Pro Day[9]

After not being selected in the 2023 NFL Draft, Demercado signed with the Arizona Cardinals as an undrafted free agent.[10] On August 29, 2023, the Cardinals announced that he had made the initial 53-man roster.[11] In Week 5 against the Cincinnati Bengals, Demercado had his first professional rushing touchdown in the 34–20 loss.[12] He appeared in 14 games and made two starts in the 2023 season, finishing with 58 carries for 284 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns to go with 21 receptions for 119 receiving yards.[13]

Demercado was the Cardinals' third-string running back in 2024 behind James Conner and Trey Benson.[14] He recorded 24 carries for 223 yards and a 53-yard touchdown against the Chicago Bears.[15] The score was the longest touchdown run by a Cardinal since Kenyan Drake's 69-yard score in 2020.[16]

He began the 2025 season backing up Conner and Benson until they suffered injuries, and remained the third-string back behind Michael Carter and Zonovan Knight.[17][18] In Week 5 against the Tennessee Titans, Demercado was about to score a 72-yard touchdown run when he let go of the ball before crossing the goal line; the loose ball bounced through the end zone for a touchback. The Cardinals' 21–6 lead at the time of his mistake subsequently evaporated and they lost 22–21.[19] On the sideline, Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon lectured Demercado before seemingly hitting him in the arm. Gannon later apologized to Demercado and was fined $100,000 by the team.[20][21]

References

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  1. ^ "Emari Demercado". ON3. Retrieved May 2, 2023.
  2. ^ Gershman, Zach (October 27, 2023). "BJ Ojulari Representing Not Only Cardinals, But Nigeria". AZCardinals.com. Retrieved March 10, 2024.
  3. ^ "Emari Demercado (RB) - Saddleback". Saddleback College Athletics. Retrieved May 2, 2023.
  4. ^ Holland, EJ (May 6, 2018). "TCU lands commitment from JUCO RB Emari Demercado". Dallas Morning News. Retrieved May 2, 2023.
  5. ^ a b "Emari Demercado College Stats, School, Draft, Gamelog, Splits". Sports Reference. Retrieved March 10, 2024.
  6. ^ "Downey High alum Emari Demarcado reaches big stage in college football championship". The Downey Patriot. January 9, 2023. Retrieved May 2, 2023.
  7. ^ "Georgia vs TCU Box Score". ESPN. Retrieved May 2, 2023.
  8. ^ Hodges, Russell (January 16, 2023). "TCU RB Emari Demercado declares for the 2023 NFL Draft". Frogs O' War. Retrieved May 2, 2023.
  9. ^ "2023 NFL Draft Scout Emari Demercdo College Football Profile". DraftScout.com. Retrieved July 12, 2023.
  10. ^ Urban, Darren (May 1, 2023). "ASU's Kyle Soelle Highlights Cardinals Undrafted Free Agent Class". AZCardinals.com. Retrieved March 10, 2024.
  11. ^ Urban, Darren (August 29, 2023). "The Initial 53, And Knowing The List Will Change". AZCardinals.com. Retrieved March 10, 2024.
  12. ^ Gershman, Zach (October 8, 2023). "After James Conner Injury, Emari Demercado Gets The Call". AZCardinals.com. Retrieved July 6, 2024.
  13. ^ "Emari Demercado 2023 Game Log". Pro Football Reference. Retrieved July 6, 2024.
  14. ^ Burd, Kyler (January 6, 2025). "Cardinals End of Season Report Card: Offense". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved October 7, 2025.
  15. ^ "Emari Demercado 2024 Game Log". Pro Football Reference. Retrieved October 7, 2025.
  16. ^ Weinfuss, Josh (November 3, 2024). "Cards' Emari Demercado races 53 yards before half for TD vs. Bears". ESPN.com. ESPN. Retrieved October 7, 2025.
  17. ^ Bubel, Jennifer (October 2, 2025). "Trey Benson joins James Conner on IR as Cardinals' backfield thins". Diario AS. Retrieved October 7, 2025.
  18. ^ Camenker, Jacob (October 5, 2025). "Cardinals' Emari Demercado drops ball before goal-line, negating long TD". USA Today. Retrieved October 7, 2025.
  19. ^ Ricketson, Teddy (October 7, 2025). "Emari Demercado fumble, explained: How RB cost Cardinals a touchdown by celebrating too early vs. Titans". The Sporting News. Retrieved October 7, 2025.
  20. ^ "Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon apologizes to Emari Demercado following heated sideline exchange". National Football League. AP. October 6, 2025. Retrieved October 7, 2025.
  21. ^ Weinfuss, Josh (October 7, 2025). "Sources: Cardinals fining Jonathan Gannon for sideline spat". ESPN.com. ESPN. Retrieved October 7, 2025.
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