Cordova was born on September 25, 1981, to Jorge Cordova Sr., Alicia Brent and Wade Brent.[2] He was a football standout at Murrieta Valley High School.[3]
College career
Cordova was an impressive defensive prospect from the University of Nevada, totaling 311 tackles with 29.5 sacks, 44 stops for losses, 10 quarterback pressures, five fumble recoveries, eight forced fumbles, seven pass deflections and two blocked kicks in 42 games. He led the Western Athletic Conference (WAC) with nine sacks as a junior.[3] As a senior, he recorded 16 tackles, five sacks, forced a fumble and blocked a field goal in a game against Washington, earning WAC Defensive Player of the Week honors.[4]
Professional career
Jacksonville Jaguars
Cordova was selected in the 2004 NFL draft by the Jaguars,[5][6] but tore his ACL during training camp and was placed on injured reserve. In 2005, he showed great promise during the preseason with five tackles, but aggravated his injury and was again placed on injured reserve.
In the 2006 season, Cordova finally made his first career NFL start. Halfway through the game, he was moved from the linebacker position to defensive end to replace the injured Reggie Hayward.
Miami Dolphins
On August 28, 2007, the Jaguars released him and he signed with the Dolphins.