Eli Apple plays as a cornerback for the New York Giants of the National Football League (NFL). The talented NFL player who was drafted in 2016 started from his high school days to draw a lot of attention with his unique skills. He joined the Giants as the 10th overall pick in the first round of the 2016 NFL Draft. Apart from his professional career, there is so much more to know about the NFL player. Here are lesser-known facts about Eli Apple.

Eli Apple’s Early Life and Career Beginnings

He was born on August 9, 1995, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Formerly called Eli Woodard, he started at a young age to show an inclination towards the game of football. He attended Eastern Regional High School, Voorhees, and played for the school’s football team. Apple played two different positions as a quarterback and wide receiver and attracted a lot of recognition with his distinguishing skills.

One of his high school achievements is his number 28th rank as the best prospect in the nation. After an impressive high school performance, he received scholarship offers from different universities including California, Alabama, Boston College, Wisconsin, Maryland, and many others.

Apple who was already a five-star prospect chose Ohio State from all the invitations and proceeded to the school in January 2013. The talented player was notable in the 2015 College Football Playoff National Championship and also played in the 2015 Sugar Bowl.

Apple went pro in 2016 when he was selected by the New York Giants as the 10th overall pick in the first round of the 2016 NFL Draft. This was after he ranked 10th overall at the Combine. He subsequently signed a four-year contract with the team and also had a whopping $9.21 million as his signing bonus. Eli Apple was greeted with a hamstring and groin injury in his rookie season, causing him to miss some of his games. His rookie season with the team saw him record 51 combined tackles, 7 pass deflections, and one interception.

In his 2017 season, he started as the starting outside cornerback and began the opening game against the Dallas Cowboys. For the game, he recorded 7 combined tackles. He went on to record five solo tackles at the Giants’ victory over the Denver Broncos. The cornerback missed the 2017 season finale following his suspension for getting into a disagreement with the management. He had had a fracas with the coaching staff over issues of his being on the scout team. Following the development, the management suspended him, citing “a pattern of behavior and conduct that is detrimental to the team”.

Family Life

As mentioned earlier, Eli’s surname was formerly Woodard which was the last name of his biological father. But having been raised by his mother, Annie Apple, and his stepfather Tim Apple, his name was changed from Eli Woodard to Eli Apple. From the age of 2, he got to know his stepfather.  Apple has a half-brother named Dane Blackson and also other half-siblings whose name are not known.

Is He in any Relationship?

Eli Apple seems to be quite private with his personal life as he shares no information about his love life or relationship. The search for more information has culminated to speculations regarding his sexuality. The fact that Eli does not make public appearances with anyone of the opposite sex has not only increased the curiosity of his fans but caused many to wonder if the cornerback is straight or gay.

The question on Apple’s sexuality was also raised by a staff of the Atlanta Falcons during a Scouting Combine interview in 2016. One of the Falcons coaches had asked Apple if he was gay, stirring a little controversy among stakeholders. The Falcons team later issued an apology for the inappropriate question raised by their staff. But in all this, Apple is not bothered by all the negative energy, he is instead focusing on making better career records in the coming seasons.

Body Measurements – Height and Weight

Eli Apple has got a good body that suits his daunting and challenging career. He stands at a height of 1.85m (6 ft 1 in) which is quite proportional to his weight of 91 kg (201 lb). He may not be the tallest in the game but has the height he needs to run over his opponents. Apple has a sturdy body build which gives him his required stamina.