Patrick Surtain II
A shutdown cornerback who inherited NFL pedigree and forged his own dominant path, becoming the league's top defender by his fourth season.
Born 2000 (age 26)·American football player·Birthday: April 14·Generation Z
Biography
Patrick Surtain II didn't just follow his father's footsteps into the NFL; he sprinted past them, crafting a career that quickly established him as the gold standard for cornerbacks. Born in 2000 to former Pro Bowler Patrick Surtain, he honed his craft at Alabama, where his technical precision and calm demeanor under pressure helped secure a national championship. Drafted ninth overall by the Denver Broncos in 2021, he immediately looked like a veteran, his game built on flawless footwork and an uncanny ability to erase top receivers without fanfare. By 2024, his quiet dominance was impossible to ignore, earning him the Defensive Player of the Year award. Surtain represents a new era of defensive back, where film-study intellect and generational technique trump brash talk.
Generation Z
1997–2012
Born into smartphones, social media, and school shootings. The most diverse generation in history. Pragmatic about money, fluid about identity, anxious about the climate. They do not remember a world before the internet.
Patrick was born in 2000, placing them squarely in the Generation Z. The events that shaped this generation — social media, climate anxiety, and a pandemic — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Patrick Was Born
The biggest hits of 2000
#1 Movie
How the Grinch Stole Christmas
Best Picture
Gladiator
#1 TV Show
Who Wants to Be a Millionaire
Patrick's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
2000Born
Y2K passes without incident; contested Bush-Gore election
Gas: $1.51/galHome: $119,600Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Breathe" — Faith HillBest Picture: Gladiator
2005Started school
Hurricane Katrina devastates New Orleans; YouTube launches
Gas: $2.30/galHome: $167,500Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"We Belong Together" — Mariah CareyBest Picture: Crash
2013Became a teenager
Edward Snowden reveals NSA surveillance programs
Gas: $3.53/galHome: $152,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Thrift Shop" — Macklemore & Ryan LewisBest Picture: 12 Years a Slave
2016Could drive
Donald Trump elected president; Brexit vote
Gas: $2.14/galHome: $181,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Love Yourself" — Justin BieberBest Picture: Moonlight
2018Could vote
Royal wedding of Harry and Meghan; Parkland shooting
Gas: $2.72/galHome: $211,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"God's Plan" — DrakeBest Picture: Green Book
2021Turned 21
January 6 Capitol breach; COVID vaccines roll out globally
Gas: $3.01/galHome: $298,900Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"Levitating" — Dua LipaBest Picture: CODA
2026Age 26 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Named the NFL Defensive Player of the Year for the 2024 season.
- Earned Pro Bowl selections in each of his first four professional seasons (2021-2024).
- Won a College Football National Championship with the Alabama Crimson Tide in 2020.
- Was selected ninth overall in the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft by the Denver Broncos.
Did You Know?
His father, Patrick Surtain, was a three-time Pro Bowl cornerback who played 11 NFL seasons.
He was a two-time first-team All-SEC selection at Alabama.
In high school, he was a five-star recruit and played at the prestigious American Heritage School in Florida.
“I study the receiver's release point and the quarterback's eyes to make my play.”
