High school

Vernon attended American High School in Miami, Florida.

Considered a four-star recruit by Rivals.com, he was rated as the 11th best weakside defensive end prospect of his class.

College career

Vernon attended the University of Miami, playing for the Miami Hurricanes football team for three seasons. During his career, he totalled 81 tackles, including 20.5 for loss, and nine sacks.

Professional career

Pre-draft measurables

Ht	Wt	40-yd dash	10-yd split	20-yd split	20-ss	3-cone	Vert	Broad	BP	Wonderlic
6 ft 2 in	261 lb	4.64 s	X s	X s	4.50 s	7.39 s	341⁄2 in	10 ft 2 in	31 reps	X

Miami Dolphins

Vernon declared early for the 2012 NFL Draft and was the 72nd pick overall by the Miami Dolphins. His 3rd round selection ended a drought of 8 years without the Dolphins picking a player from the University of Miami. The last one had been Vernon Carey in 2004.

Vernon scored his first NFL touchdown against the New York Jets on October 28, 2012, recovering a punt blocked by Jimmy Wilson in the end zone. In the same game, he blocked a field goal in the final seconds of the second half.

New York Giants

Vernon signed with the New York Giants on March 9, 2016 on a contract worth $85 million over 5 years with $52.5 million in guaranteed money. The average salary of $17 million per year makes Vernon the highest paid defensive end in the NFL.

[ Source: Wikipedia ]