Dezmen Southward
Dezmen Southward (born October 1, 1990) is a former American football safety who played in the NFL. He grew up in Indianapolis and went to St. Thomas Aquinas High School in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, where he started playing organized football only in his senior year but helped the team win a national championship. He also starred in basketball, serving as a three-year captain and two-time MVP. He was rated as a two-star recruit and received a scholarship to the University of Wisconsin.
At Wisconsin (2009–2013), Southward appeared in 54 games, starting 30, and set a school record by never missing a game. He finished with 152 tackles, 11.5 tackles for loss, four forced fumbles, two interceptions, and 11 passes defended.
Southward was drafted by the Atlanta Falcons in the third round of the 2014 NFL draft (68th overall). He recorded his first NFL interception in Week 11 of the 2014 season against the Cleveland Browns’ Brian Hoyer. In 2015, under coach Dan Quinn, he switched from safety to cornerback. He played in three games for the Falcons before being waived on November 6, 2015.
He joined the Indianapolis Colts’ practice squad on November 10, 2015. After spending the 2016 season dealing with injuries, he was released with an injury settlement in September 2016. In December 2016 he joined the Carolina Panthers’ practice squad, later signing a reserve/future contract and moving between the practice squad and the active roster over 2017. He also spent time with the Panthers in 2018, moving between the practice squad and active roster before leaving the team.
Across his NFL career, Southward totaled 24 tackles, 1.0 sack, and 1 interception.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 22:34 (CET).