[7][8] In March 2003, he was the passenger of former Plantation High School teammate Martel Johnson who was driving Blades' 1999 Mazda Millenia when it hit another car which they were racing.
As a junior in 1999, he was named the starter at free safety, registering 89 tackles (third on the team).
He was named the National Defensive Player of the Week for his 16 tackle performance against Virginia Tech.
[11] Blades was signed as an undrafted free agent by the San Francisco 49ers after the 2001 NFL draft on April 25.
He announced his intent to transfer on Dec 1, 2022[18] after a 5-7 season with first-year coach Mario Cristobal.