of the Texas Longhorns (ball carrier in top center) rushing for a touchdown. A portion of the end zone is seen as the dark strip at the bottom. The vertical yellow bar is part of the goal post.]] A touchdown is a means of scoring in American and Canadian football.

Description

To score a touchdown, one team must take the football into the opposite end zone. The touchdown is scored the instant the ball crosses the plane of the goal line—that is any part of the ball is in the space on, above, or across the goal line—while in possession of a player whose team is trying to score in that end zone. The play is dead and the touchdown scores the moment the ball crosses the goal line in possession of a player, or the moment the ball comes into possession of an offensive player in the end zone (having established possession by controlling the ball and having one or both feet or another part of the body on the ground). The slightest part of the ball being over the goal line is sufficient for a touchdown to score. However only the ball—not a player's helmet, foot, or other part of the body—counts. Touching one of the pylons at either end of the goal line with the ball constitutes "breaking the plane" as well.

Touchdowns are usually scored by the offense by running or passing the ball. However, the defense can also score a touchdown if they have recovered a fumble or made an interception and return it to the opposing end zone. Special teams can score a touchdown on a kickoff or punt return, or on a return after a missed or blocked field goal attempt or blocked punt. In short, any play in which a player legally carries the ball across the goal line scores a touchdown, the manner in which he gained possession is inconsequential. In the NFL, a touchdown may be awarded by the referee as a penalty for a "Palpably Unfair Act" such as a player coming off the bench during a play and tackling the runner who would otherwise have scored.

A touchdown is worth six points. The scoring team is also awarded the opportunity for an extra point or a two-point conversion. Afterwards, the team that scored the touchdown kicks off to the opposing team, if there is any time left.

Unlike a try scored in rugby union or rugby league, the ball does not need to touch the ground when the player and the ball is inside the end zone.

History

When the touchdown was introduced into American football in 1876, it did not award a score; instead, it only allowed the offense the chance to kick for goal by placekick from a spot along a line perpendicular to the goal line and passing through the point where the ball was touched down, or through a process known as a "punt-out", where the attacking team would kick the ball from the point where it was touched down to a teammate. If the teammate could fair catch the ball, he could follow with a try for goal from the spot of the catch, or resume play as normal (in an attempt to touchdown the ball in a spot more advantageous for kicking).

In 1881, the rules were modified so that a goal kicked from a touchdown took precedence over a goal kicked from the field in breaking ties.

See also

Football scoring

Try

Touchdown celebration

Touchdown Jesus

References

Category:American football terminology Category:Canadian football terminology

Name	Vernon Davis
Caption	Davis in February 2010
Width	280px
Currentteam	San Francisco 49ers
Currentnumber	85
Currentpositionplain	Tight end
Birthdate	January 31, 1984
Birthplace	Washington, D. C.
Country	USA
Heightft	6
Heightin	3
Weight	250
Debutyear	2006
Debutteam	San Francisco 49ers
Highlights
College	Maryland
Draftyear	2006
Draftround	1
Draftpick	6
Pastteams
Statweek	17
Statseason	2010
Statlabel1	Receiving yards
Statvalue1	3,011
Statlabel2	Receiving average
Statvalue2	12.7
Statlabel3	Receiving TDs
Statvalue3	29
Nfl	DAV785142

Vernon Leonard Davis (born January 31, 1984) is a professional American football tight end for the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League. He was drafted in the 1st round (6th overall) of the 2006 NFL Draft by the 49ers. Upon entering the league, Davis signed to a 5-year, $23 million deal that made him the highest paid tight end at the time. He joined current Tampa Bay Buccaneers tight end Kellen Winslow Jr. as the third highest tight end ever drafted after Ron Kramer (Green Bay, No. 4 in 1957) and Mike Ditka (Chicago, No. 5 in 1961). After three mediocre, injury riddled seasons Davis finally broke out in 2009, leading the NFL in touchdown receptions and quickly vaulting himself into the league's elite at the tight end position.

Early life

Davis attended Dunbar High School in Washington, D.C., and was a letterman in football, basketball, and track & field. Regarded as a four-star recruit by Rivals.com, Davis was listed as the No. 4 tight end prospect of the class of 2003. In track & field, he was the DCIAA champion in the high jump with a jump of . While attending at Dunbar, he was teammates with future Cleveland Browns kick return specialist and wide receiver, Joshua Cribbs.

High School football

Davis played tight end and safety but he also played wide receiver, kick returner, linebacker and defensive end. In his senior season he caught 21 passes for 511 yards and 5 touchdowns, despite missing three games with a deep bone bruise below his knee. He also caught three two point conversions and returned two kick offs and two punts for touchdowns. He has 35 receptions for 385 yards as a junior.

Football Awards

Selected to play in the U.S. Army All-American Bowl

Rated as the third-best tight end in the nation by ESPN.com's Tom Lemming

A member of SuperPrep's Elite 50 and that publication's 39th-rated player nationally

A Mid-Atlantic all-region pick by SuperPrep and the third-best player (at any position) in the region

Second team All-USA by USA Today

Ranked as the fourth-best tight end in the nation and the seventh-best player (overall) in the Atlantic East by Rivals.com

Gatorade Player of the Year for the District of Columbia

College career

Davis played college football at the University of Maryland, where he majored in studio art. In 2003, Davis saw the most consistent action of any true freshman, playing in all thirteen contests. He had five receptions for 87 yards (11.8 avg) and led the kickoff coverage unit with eight solo tackles.

In 2004, he played in every game, starting at H-back against Northern Illinois, Duke, Georgia Tech, Clemson, Virginia Tech and Wake Forest. He finished second on the team with 27 catches for 441 yards and had 16.3 avg and three touchdowns.

In 2005, Davis was a Consensus All-American and All-Atlantic Coast Conference first-team selection. He was a finalist for the Mackey Award, given to the nation’s top tight end. He started every game, leading the team with 51 receptions and the conference with 871 receiving yards (17.1 avg). His catch and run vs Florida State was impressive. His six touchdown catches rank tenth on the school's season-record list. His 51 receptions also rank tenth on the Terps’ annual record chart while his 871 yards rank fifth. He was graded 82.5% for blocking consistency as he registered 67 knockdowns, including 18 blocks down field and had eight touchdown-resulting blocks.

Davis was heavily involved with working out in college. He set school strength records (in spring of 2005) for a tight end in the bench press (465 pounds), power-clean (355 pounds), index (797 pounds) and squat (685 pounds). He finished his college career with 1371 yards on 83 receptions for 16.5 yards per catch, the best average of any first round tight end ever and more yards than other previous high first round tight ends such as Tony Gonzalez, Jeremy Shockey, Kyle Brady and Kellen Winslow II.

Professional career

2006 NFL Draft

Davis was selected 6th overall in the 1st round of the 2006 NFL Draft by the 49ers. He was the top tight end prospect in the NFL Draft, partially due to a strong performance at the scouting combine. He ran the 40 yard dash in 4.38 seconds. Davis also broad-jumped 10'08", nearly a foot farther than the next-best tight end, Marcedes Lewis.

Leading up to the draft, Vernon, along with fellow prospects A. J. Hawk and Jeremy Bloom, appeared in ads for Under Armour's new line of football cleats, with the slogan Click Clack (I think you hear us coming).

San Francisco 49ers

2006 rookie season

Vernon's first reception in the NFL was a 31 yard TD catch, against the Arizona Cardinals on September 10, 2006. He added a career-long 52 yard TD against the Green Bay Packers on December 10 on a short catch and long run after the catch. Davis played in 10 games in the 2006 season due an injury he suffered on September 24, 2006. He sustained a hairline fracture to his left fibula, on a non-contact play against the Philadelphia Eagles, but returned on November 19 against the Seattle Seahawks. For the season, he had 265 yards receiving on 20 catches, averaging 13.2 yards per reception. He also had 3 receiving touchdowns.

2007 season

In Week 3, Davis was injured while attempting to catch a pass from quarterback Alex Smith vs. the Steelers. Davis sprained his right knee and missed the next two games. Despite his injury and the 49ers' offensive ineptitude, Davis bettered most of the numbers from his rookie season. Even though his yards per reception diminished, he finished the season with 52 receptions for 509 yards and 4 touchdowns.

2008 season

After catching a 7 yard pass in the third quarter, Davis slapped Seahawks safety Brian Russell in the facemask, resulting in a 15 yard penalty, causing Coach Mike Singletary to bench him and then send him to the locker room for the game's remainder. The following game Vernon Davis leaped over a Cardinal defender and caught a pass from Shaun Hill resulting in a touchdown, his first of the season. He started all 16 regular season games, and finished the season with 31 receptions for 358 yards, and two touchdowns.

2009 season

Through week 11 of the season, Davis led the NFL with 9 touchdown receptions, tied with wide receivers Larry Fitzgerald and Reggie Wayne. In the final game of the season, he tied the all-time record for most touchdown receptions for a tight end in a single season (13), sharing the record set by Antonio Gates in 2004. He was also selected to his first Pro Bowl.

2010 season

Before the 1st game of the season for the 49ers, Davis signed a 5 year contact extension. Davis recorded his first touchdown of the season on a screen pass against Atlanta. The next week he added another touchdown and 104 yards receiving. And in week 6 against Oakland, he recorded his 3rd touchdown of the year, it was also the 3rd straight game he caught a touchdown pass.

Personal

Davis was a studio art major at Maryland.

Vernon is nicknamed Duke because he looks identical to his father, whose name is Duke. College teammates later changed his nickname to "The Duke," and "Cyborg", a nickname earned playing for the Maryland Terrapins.

Davis' younger brother, Vontae, is currently a cornerback for the Miami Dolphins.

Davis made a cameo appearance in the music video for the song "Get Lo" by Ron Artest and Mike Jones.

Davis also made an appearance on Pretty Wild.

Davis was named honorary captain of the Men's U.S. Olympic Curling team for the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver. He attended most of the team's matches and is considered an ambassador for the game.

Ahead of the 2010 NFL match with the Denver Broncos at Wembley Stadium in London, Davis announced that he is a fan of the English Premier League team West Ham United.

References

External links

49ers Player Bio

Vernon Davis, Player Sports Reference

Category:1984 births Category:American football tight ends Category:Living people Category:Maryland Terrapins football players Category:Players of American football from Washington, D.C. Category:San Francisco 49ers players Category:U.S. Army All-American football players

Name	Soulja Boy Tell 'Em
Landscape	no
Background	solo_singer
Birth name	DeAndre Cortez Way
Alias	Soulja Boy, S. Beezy, Dre
Born	July 28, 1990 Chicago, Illinois
Origin	Atlanta, Georgia, United States
Occupation	Rapper, record producer
Genre	Hip hop
Years active	2004–present
Label	Stacks on Deck/Interscope
Associated acts	Mr. Collipark, Gucci Mane
Url
Notable instruments	FL Studio

DeAndre Cortez Way (born July 28, 1990), better known by his stage name Soulja Boy Tell 'Em, or simply Soulja Boy, is an American rapper and record producer.

In September 2007, his single "Crank That (Soulja Boy)" reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100. The single was initially self-published on the Internet, and it became a number-one hit in the United States for seven non-consecutive weeks starting in September 2007.

Despite his commercial success, his music has been the subject of ridicule from his peers and critics.

Early life

DeAndre Way was born in Chicago and moved to Atlanta at age six, where he became interested in rap music. At age 14, he moved to Batesville, Mississippi, with his father, who provided a recording studio for Way to explore his musical ambitions.

In November 2005, Way posted his songs on the website SoundClick. Following positive reviews on the site, he then established his own web pages on YouTube and MySpace. In March 2007, he recorded "Crank That" and released his first independent album , followed by a low-budget video filmed demonstrating the "Crank That" dance. By the end of May 2007, "Crank That (Soulja Boy)" received its first airplay and Way met with Mr. Collipark to sign a deal with Interscope Records.

On August 12, 2007, the song appeared on the Emmy-award winning HBO series Entourage, and by September 1, it topped the Billboard Hot 100 and Hot RingMasters charts. Way's major label debut album Souljaboytellem.com, which was reportedly recorded using just the demo version of FL Studio, was released in the United States on October 2, peaking at #4 on both the Billboard 200 and Top R&B;/Hip-Hop Albums charts. On December 9, 2007, Way was sued by William Lyons (a.k.a. Souljah Boy of Mo Thugs Family) who claims he first created the stage name "Souljah Boy".

For the 50th Grammy Awards, Way was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Rap Song with "Crank That (Soulja Boy)". He lost to Kanye West's and T-Pain's "Good Life".

Souljaboytellem.com received a favorable review from Allmusic, Several reviewers credited Soulja Boy with spearheading a new trend in hip-hop, while speculating he will likely be a one-hit wonder.

iSouljaBoyTellem (2008–2009)

In June 2008, on DJ Cisco's Urban Legend mixtape, Ice-T criticized Way for "killing hip-hop" and his song "Crank That" for being "garbage" compared to the works of other hip-hop artists such as Rakim, Das EFX, Big Daddy Kane and Ice Cube. One of the comments in the exchange was when Ice-T told Way to "eat a dick". The two then traded numerous videos back and forth over the Internet. These videos included a cartoon and video of Ice-T dancing on Way's behalf and an apology, but reiteration of his feelings that Way's music "sucks", on Ice-T's behalf. Rapper Kanye West defended Way by arguing that the younger artist created a new, original work for hip-hop, thus keeping the authentic meaning of the music.

The follow-up to souljaboytellem.com, iSouljaBoyTellem, was released on December 16, 2008, to negative critical reception. The first single from the album, "Bird Walk", peaked at number 40 on the Billboard Hot R&B;/Hip-Hop Songs chart and the top 20 on the Hot Rap Tracks chart. "Kiss Me Thru the Phone", with Sammie, followed, peaking at #3 on the Hot 100 and #1 on the Hot Rap Tracks charts.

The DeAndre Way (2009–present)

The DeAndre Way is Way's third studio album, released on November 30, 2010. Way has stated that the album is intended to be his most personal and successful album thus far. When speaking on possible collaborations, he stated he wished to work with artists such as Jay-Z, Lil Wayne, and Kanye West, Eminem, among others. The album was originally called "The DeAndre Way" but was changed in early 2010 to Dre, however it was changed back to The DeAndre Way in July 2010.

The lead single from the album, "POW", was released in January 2009 but failed to garner success and was dubbed a promo single. The official lead single from the album, "Pretty Boy Swag", was released in June 2010. The single has reached number thirty-four on the Billboard Hot 100, number six on the Billboard Hot R&B;/Hip-Hop Songs chart and number five on the Billboard Rap Songs chart. The album's second single was due to be "Digital", then "Speakers Going Hammer", but "Blowing Me Kisses" was released on August 31, 2010 as the second single instead. Soulja Boy was to be part of the Summerbeatz tour held in Australia alongside Flo Rida, Jay Sean and Travie McCoy in November 2010, but in lieu of his current album release date and a new tour, Soulja Society, Soulja Boy had declined the offer.

Musical style

Critics and hip hop figures such as Method Man have cited Soulja Boy as artistically typical of contemporary rap trends such as writing for the lucrative ringtone market, and the ascendence of "Southern hip hop", emphasizing catchy music that discards rap's traditional emphasis on message. Soulja Boy identifies his goal as making upbeat, party-themed music that avoids the negative, violent image that he sees in most hip-hop. In the original YouTube video for "Shootout", Soulja Boy demonstrates his dance while holding a handgun in each hand and pretending to shoot into the audience.

Personal life

On December 30, 2008, Way was robbed and assaulted in his home. Initial reports indicated that the robbers were six masked men with AK-47s and pistols but on December 31, 2008, video clips surfaced on the Internet of two masked men claiming sole credit for the crime. Soulja Boy described the incident to MTV News a month later: He had come home very late at night after attending an album release party and was recording songs with friends when the robbers came in pointing their guns.

On October 7, 2009, Way was arrested on one count of obstruction, a misdemeanor, for running from police when he'd been ordered to stop. The rapper was released on $550 bond.

Discography

; Studio albums

Souljaboytellem.com (2007)

iSouljaBoyTellem (2008)

The DeAndre Way (2010)

Awards and nominations

BET Awards

*2007: Best New Artist (Nominated)

*2008: Viewer's Choice Award: "Crank That (Soulja Boy)" (Nominated)

*2009: Viewer's Choice Award: "Kiss Me Thru the Phone" (Nominated)

BET Hip-Hop Awards

*2007: Best Hip-Hop Dance (Won)

Grammy Awards

*2008: Best Rap Song: "Crank That (Soulja Boy)" (Nominated)

Ozone Awards

*2007: Patiently Waiting: Mississippi (Won)

*2008: Best Breakthrough Artist (Nominated)

*2008: TJ's DJ's Tastemaker Award (Nominated)

Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards

*2007: Favorite Male Singer (Nominated)

Teen Choice Awards

*2009: Choice Music: Rap Artist (Nominated)

*2009: Choice Music: R&B; Track for "Kiss Me Thru the Phone" (Nominated)

*2009: Choice Music: Hook Up for "Kiss Me Thru the Phone"

*2009: Choice Music: Artist (Nominated)

References

External links

Official website

Category:1990 births Category:Living people Category:2000s rappers Category:2010s rappers Category:African American rappers Category:African American record producers Category:American dance musicians Category:Hip hop record producers Category:Interscope Records artists Category:People from Panola County, Mississippi Category:Rappers from Atlanta, Georgia Category:People from Chicago, Illinois

Name	Randy Moss
Width	275
Caption	Randy Moss during an August 28, 2009 preseason game against the Washington Redskins.
Currentteam	Tennessee Titans
Currentnumber	84
Currentpositionplain	Wide receiver
Birthdate	February 13, 1977
Birthplace	Rand, West Virginia
Heightft	6
Heightin	4
Weight	210
College	Marshall
Draftyear	1998
Draftround	1
Draftpick	21
Debutyear	1998
Debutteam	Minnesota Vikings
Pastteams
Status	Active
Highlights
Statseason	2010
Statlabel1	Receptions
Statvalue1	954
Statlabel2	Receiving yards
Statvalue2	14,858
Statlabel3	Receiving touchdowns
Statvalue3	153
Nfl	MOS699912

Randall "Randy" Gene Moss (born February 13, 1977) is an American football wide receiver for the Tennessee Titans of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in the first round of the 1998 NFL Draft. He played college football at Marshall University.

Moss played the first seven years of his career in Minnesota before a trade in 2005 brought him to the Oakland Raiders. On April 29, 2007, Moss was traded to the New England Patriots for a fourth-round draft pick. On October 6, 2010, Moss returned to the Vikings in a trade from the Patriots. However, his stint in Minnesota was short-lived, as he was waived by the team less than a month later, and claimed by the Tennessee Titans.

Moss holds the NFL single season touchdown reception record (23, set in 2007), and the NFL single-season touchdown reception record for a rookie (17, in 1998).

Early years

Moss grew up in Rand, West Virginia and attended high school at the now defunct DuPont High in Belle, West Virginia, where he lettered in football, basketball, baseball and track. On the football field, Moss led the DuPont Panthers to back-to-back state championships in 1992 and 1993. He was a star at wide receiver, but also played defensive back, returned kickoffs and punts, and was the teams kicker and punter. In 1994, he was honored as the West Virginia Football Player of the Year. Parade Magazine named him to their annual All-American high school football team and recently named him one of the 50 greatest high school football players of all time.

In addition to playing football at DuPont, Moss was twice named West Virginia Player of the Year in basketball (1993 & 1994), where he was a teammate of future NBA player Jason Williams.

As a sophomore in 1992, he ran for the track team and was the West Virginia state champion in the 100 and 200 meters. This was the only year he competed on the track team. He also played center field for the baseball team.

On March 23, 1995, Moss backed a friend in a hallway fight against a white student who had allegedly used racist comments towards Randy's friend. Moss was initially charged with a felony for kicking the student, but it was later reduced to a misdemeanor. On August 1, 1995, Moss plead guilty to two counts of misdemeanor battery and was sentenced to 30 days behind bars at the South Central Regional Jail in Charleston, West Virginia. He served 3 days in jail starting that night and would be required to serve the remaining 27 days within the following 18 months, after he completed his freshman year in college.

College career

Moss' dream was to play for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, but he also considered going to Ohio State, where his half-brother, Eric, had played offensive tackle. Former Notre Dame head coach Lou Holtz said "Randy Moss was the best high school football player I've ever seen." Florida State head coach Bobby Bowden said "He was as good as Deion Sanders. Deion's my measuring stick for athletic ability, and this kid was just a bigger Deion." However, because of his signed letter of intent at Notre Dame, the NCAA considered him a transfer student, which made him ineligible to play for the Seminoles in the 1995 football season.

Freshman (redshirt) (1995)

He was red-shirted in his freshman season. with only Deion Sanders being faster (4.23).

Freshman (1996)

In 1996, while serving his 30-day jail sentence in a work-release program from 1995, Moss tested positive for smoking marijuana, thus violating his probation, and was dismissed from Florida State. He served an additional 60 days in jail for the probation violation. One touchdown went for 79 yards in which Pennington lobbed the ball down the left sideline. Moss leaped over an Army defender to snag the ball out of the air at the 40 yard line while the safety crashed into his teammate knocking both men down. Moss galloped the last 50 yards untouched for the score. The other touchdown reception was his career long of 90 yards that came on a short screen pass on third down. Moss caught the ball on the right side of the field at his own 8 yard line, ran past 3 defenders in the middle of the field at the 15 yard line, hurdled two defenders coming from both sides of the left hash marks at the 25 yard line, then raced past the last defender at the 50 yard line before finally seeing daylight down the left sideline.

A week later, Moss posted his third career 200+ yard receiving game against Kent State. Two weeks after that was his fourth and final 200+ yard game in college, recording 13 catches for 205 yards and a Marshall single-game record of 5 touchdown receptions against Ball State. NCAA rules at the time did not allow for statistics from bowl games to be combined with regular season stats, so the touchdown did not officially increase his season touchdown record. The two teams traded the lead several times in the fourth quarter before Ole Miss running back Deuce McAllister scored on a 1-yard touchdown run with :31 seconds to play giving them a 34–31 lead. Trying to pull out a last-second win, Pennington connected with Moss on a 40 yard pass on the final play of the game, but he was stripped of the ball as time expired. Moss finished the game with 6 receptions for 173 yards.

Moss finished his career at Marshall having scored at least one touchdown in all 28 games that he played. Includes stats from the 1997 Motor City Bowl against Mississippi The team most often cited for passing on Moss, is the Dallas Cowboys. Moss grew up a Cowboys fan and wanted to play for the Cowboys. The Cowboys wanted Moss, but due to many off-field incidents of their own, team owner and GM Jerry Jones, did not feel they could draft Moss. Moss felt that the Cowboys lied to him, because they told him they would draft him. On draft day, Dallas went so far as to have a scout in Charleston, West Virginia, the same town where Moss and his mother were watching the draft. Dallas star receiver Michael Irvin even called to apologize to Moss, because Irvin's own off-field problems were a main reason Moss was not drafted by Dallas. Since that draft, Moss has made a history out of beating the Cowboys.

After the draft, Moss signed a 4 year, $4.5 million dollar contract that included an additional $4 million dollars in bonuses and incentives. As part of the deal, he also received a $2 million dollar signing bonus.

Minnesota Vikings

1998 season

In 1998, Moss helped the Vikings to become the number one-ranked offense, scoring a then-NFL record 556 points.

The Vikings opened the season with a 31–7 rout against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Moss' first NFL game would also be his first multi-touchdown game as he recorded 4 receptions for 95 yards and two touchdowns. His first NFL reception came on the third play of the game on an 11 yard pass from Brad Johnson. His first touchdown was a 48 yard acrobatic grab over defensive back Floyd Young late in the first quarter, in which Moss juggled the ball 3 times before securing it for the score. He added a 31 yard touchdown reception on the Vikings first possession of the second quarter to give the Vikings a 21–0 lead.

His first Monday Night Football game came in Week 5 against the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field. He had 5 receptions for 190 yards and two touchdowns, including touchdown grabs of 52 yards and 44 yards, and two other receptions of 46 yards and 41 yards. He also had a 75 yard touchdown catch on the Vikings first possession of the game that was nullified due to an offensive holding penalty.

They finished with a 15–1 record and were poised to represent the NFC in the Super Bowl. However, the Atlanta Falcons stunned the Vikings by winning the NFC Championship Game 30–27 in overtime.

At the end of the 1998 regular season, Moss was named a Pro Bowl starter and NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year for his rookie-record 17 touchdown receptions and the third highest receiving yardage (1,313) total.

1999 season

In 1999, Moss had another impressive season, catching 80 passes for 1,413 yards and 11 touchdowns. He went on to record five receptions for 127 yards and a touchdown in the Vikings 27–10 NFC wildcard playoff win over the Dallas Cowboys. Minnesota lost in the divisional round to the St. Louis Rams 49–37, despite Moss catching nine passes for 188 yards and two touchdowns. Moss was fined $40,000, which was later reduced to $25,000, during that game due to squirting an NFL referee with a water bottle. There was a stipulation that he would have to pay the difference in addition to any other fine if he had another run-in with the league.

Moss earned his second straight Pro Bowl appearance, and turned in a record breaking performance. He had 9 receptions for a Pro Bowl record 212 yards and was given the games Most Valuable Player award.

2000 season

The Vikings made it to the NFC Championship game before being trounced 41–0 by the New York Giants. Moss earned his third consecutive trip to the Pro Bowl.

2001 season

In the offseason, Moss and his agent Danté DiTrapano began negotiating a new contract with the Minnesota Vikings. He was scheduled to earn 3.5 million dollars in 2001. But Moss, who was entering the final year of the rookie contract he signed in 1998, was seeking a long term deal that would make him the highest paid player in the NFL. His agent said, "We want to break the tradition of quarterbacks being the highest-paid players." One option the Vikings had would be to apply the franchise tag after the season ended, but sources stated that Moss would request a trade if that happened because it would still be less than what he could command on the open market. The extension included a $10 million dollar signing bonus and another $8 million in guarantees. An assistant coach would stand on the sidelines during games and track how many times Moss had been thrown to, and then inform Tice of the percentages so that he is always aware of it. In the 2001 season, the Vikings record was 4–1 when Moss had 40% of the passes thrown his direction, and 1–10 in other games. While Moss caught a career high 106 passes, he also had a career low 7 touchdown receptions, and the Vikings struggled to a 6–10 record. Tice suggested after the season that it was a mistake to inform opponents about his offensive gameplan, but that it was a tool "to motivate [Moss] and say he was the guy." but the Raiders' poor play continued after acquiring him. Nagging injuries limited his production, as well as what some saw as his unwillingness to play.

Moss was excited to get a fresh start in Oakland. "I am very flattered to be here and anxious to be in this situation," Moss said. "I want to get back to being a dangerous player."

New England Patriots

2007 season

There were rumors leading up to the 2007 NFL Draft that the Raiders were eager to part ways with Randy Moss through a trade. First-year Raiders head coach Lane Kiffin went so far as to contact the division rival Denver Broncos to "gauge interest", but the Patriots and Green Bay Packers were the two teams most interested in acquiring Moss. Packers QB Brett Favre, who once said, "There is no one in this league who puts fear in people more than Randy Moss," tried to persuade team management to trade for him, but a deal that both sides could agree to did not get done.

During the first day of the NFL Draft, the Patriots and Raiders discussed the trade several times before reaching an agreement. Bill Belichick spoke with Moss for the first time about the possibility of joining the Patriots at 2:30AM early Sunday Morning. Moss then boarded a plane and arrived in Boston later that morning on April 29 and was required to pass a team administered physical. Once he was cleared by Patriots officials, a trade was completed that sent Randy Moss to New England in exchange for a fourth-round selection in the 2007 NFL Draft. The draft pick had been acquired by the Patriots the previous day from the San Francisco 49ers, and the Raiders selected John Bowie. Moss had two years remaining on his current deal and was scheduled to earn $9.75 million in 2007 and $11.25 million in 2008. Once the Patriots had Moss on their roster, he quickly agreed to a new one year contract to replace his old one. The new deal gave him a $500,000 signing bonus, a base salary of $2.5 million, and the ability to earn an additional $1.75 million in incentives. Two weeks later, he added a career high 4 touchdown receptions in a single game against Buffalo.

On December 29, the Patriots defeated the New York Giants 38–35, finishing their season with a perfect 16–0 record. Moss caught two touchdown passes for a total of 23, breaking the single season record of 22 touchdown receptions previously set by Jerry Rice (in 12 games in the strike-shortened 1987 season). On the same play, Tom Brady broke Peyton Manning's single season record set in 2004 with his 50th touchdown pass. Moss recorded 98 catches for 1,493 yards in 2007, the highest yardage total in Patriots franchise history and the third-highest total number of catches, after teammate Wes Welker's 112 catches that same season and Troy Brown's 101 in 2001. He also earned his sixth Pro Bowl selection. His 2007 season featured touchdowns in 13 of 16 games (including 8 multi-touchdown games), nine 100-yard games, and six touchdown receptions of 40 or more yards.

Super Bowl XLII

Despite his record breaking 2007 season, Moss was relatively quiet in the playoffs going 2 consecutive games without a touchdown for the first time all season. However, in Super Bowl XLII he scored the go ahead touchdown with 2:42 left in the fourth quarter on a 6 yard pass from Tom Brady. However, this was still not enough to enable the heavily favored Patriots to achieve the first 19-0 undefeated season, as Eli Manning drove the Giants down the field and connected with Plaxico Burress for what proved to be the game winner.

2008 season

On February 28, 2008, Moss became a free agent after the Patriots decided not to place the franchise tag on Moss. Although the Dallas Cowboys, Philadelphia Eagles and Green Bay Packers were rumored to have interest in Moss, he decided to return to the Patriots, signing a three-year, $27 million deal on March 3, 2008. The contract included a $12 million dollar signing bonus, and a total of $14.1 million guaranteed.

The first game of the 2008 season saw Brady suffer a torn ACL in his left knee while attempting a pass to Randy Moss." The play occurred in the first half against the Kansas City Chiefs when safety Bernard Pollard dove at Brady's leg while in his throwing motion. Moss described what he saw on the play by saying "any time you see something like that, that looks foul, it looks dirty, it opens your eyes. So, me personally, it looked dirty." Matt Cassel replaced Brady for the rest of the season.

In 2008, Moss hauled in 69 catches for 1,008 yards and 11 touchdowns despite losing quarterback Tom Brady in the first quarter of the season.

2009 season

In the opener of 2009, Moss caught a career-high 12 passes for 141 yards in a comeback 25-24 victory over the Bills. In a snowy Week 6 game against the winless Tennessee Titans, Moss caught three touchdown passes from Tom Brady, two of them in the 2nd quarter as Brady set a record for most touchdown passes in a single quarter with five. This was Randy's 34th multi-touchdown game, and his 8th game with 3 or more touchdowns.

During the Patriots bye week, Belichick stated that Moss "is the smartest receiver he's ever been around." He compared Moss' ability to see the field and anticipate plays to that of Tom Brady, and to Lawrence Taylor who Belichick coached with the New York Giants. He said Moss not only knows what he's doing on a play, but what everybody else on the field is doing as well. "That's what makes them special. They just have a sixth, seventh sense," Belichick said.

In Week 9 against the Miami Dolphins Moss added 6 catches for 147 yards and 1 touchdown. The touchdown reception was the 140th of his career, which moved him into a tie for 2nd place with Terrell Owens and he now only trails Jerry Rice who has 197.

The following week, in a primetime Sunday night matchup against the Indianapolis Colts, Moss had 179 yards and two touchdowns, including a 63 yard touchdown in the 2nd quarter that moved him ahead of Terrell Owens for sole possession of 2nd place in career touchdown receptions. In the same game, he became just the 11th player in NFL history with 900+ receptions and the 7th player to reach 14,000+ career receiving yards.

He finished the season with 83 receptions for 1,264 yards and 13 touchdowns. He was named to the 2010 Pro Bowl as a replacement for injured teammate Wes Welker.

2010 season

In the week leading up to the Patriots' 2010 season opener against the Cincinnati Bengals, Moss, who was entering the final year of his contract told CBS Sports that he "did not feel wanted" in New England absent a contract extension offer. Moss would go on to catch 5 passes for 59 yards in Week 1. After the game, Moss told reporters that it would be his final season with the Patriots. The Boston Herald reported weeks later that Moss requested a trade following the game.

Moss had two receptions in Week 2 against the New York Jets, including a 34-yard touchdown. The following week against the Buffalo Bills, Moss had two more catches, both for touchdowns. His final game in New England came in Week 4 on Monday Night Football against the Miami Dolphins; he did not record a catch in the game for the first time in his Patriots career as a touchdown pass attempt off a fake spike bounced off his hands in the end zone.

Return to Minnesota

Two days after the Patriots' game against Miami, Moss was traded to the Minnesota Vikings, in exchange for the Vikings' third-round selection in the 2011 NFL Draft. The Patriots also sent a 2012 seventh-round selection to the Vikings as part of the trade.

On November 1, less than four weeks after being traded to Minnesota, Vikings head coach Brad Childress told Vikings players in a team meeting that Moss was going to be waived by the team, one day after he criticized Childress and teammates in a press conference following the Vikings' loss to the Patriots at Gillette Stadium. Just before the press conference, Moss reportedly told team owner Zygi Wilf that Childress was unfit to coach in the NFL and should be fired. Wilf reportedly considered firing Childress and keeping Moss, but Moss was officially waived the next day, November 2. Childress was eventually fired on November 22.

Days after the trade, reports surfaced that Moss had told the owner of a local restaurant catering a team meal that Moss would not "feed the food to his dog."

Tennessee Titans

Moss was claimed off waivers by the Tennessee Titans, the only team to submit a claim, on November 3, 2010. Moss spent eight games with the Titans, starting four. He made six catches for 80 yards and no touchdowns.

Moss finished the 2010 season setting career lows in receptions (28) and receiving yards (393).

Career statistics

Charity

Moss has participated in, founded, and financed many charitable endeavors since joining the NFL, particularly aimed at helping children. Many times when talking about his charity work, he has said he just looks forward to "seeing smiles." He has donated clothing and food to needy families, given away free backpacks to Boston area school-children, and hosted autograph signings. He has also bussed children to amusement parks, NBA games, and even NFL games in which he has played.

On June 29, 2005, he launched the Randy Moss Celebrity Charity Invitational Bass Tournament. The tournament was a one day event that paired celebrities and corporate sponsors with pro fishermen to raise money for the Smile Network, which is a foundation that provides financial assistance to children with treatable mouth problems, such as cleft palate. The tournaments motto is "fish for a smile."

In 2008, Moss formed the Links for Learning foundation, which was established to help children in his home state of West Virginia, and to build learning centers for the most needy student populations. In June, he and his former high school teammate Jason Williams hosted the foundations first annual charity golf tournament at the Sleepy Hollow Country Club in Hurricane, West Virginia. Moss claimed that the quote was taken out of context.

Traffic incident

On September 24, 2002 in downtown Minneapolis, Minnesota, Moss was driving and was preparing to make an illegal turn. A traffic control officer (Amy Zaccardi), noticing what he was about to do, stood in front of his car, ordering him to stop. Eyewitness accounts of the event differ at this point, but Moss did not comply with the officer's order, and she was bumped by his vehicle and fell to the ground. Moss was arrested, and a search of his vehicle revealed a small amount of marijuana. Initially charged with felony Suspicion of Assault with a Deadly Weapon and a misdemeanor marijuana possession, Moss pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor traffic violation and was ordered to pay a $1,200 fine and perform 40 hours of community service. While the criminal charges were thus disposed of, the civil lawsuit filed by the traffic control officer brought a substantial penalty fine "in the low to mid six figures".

Leaving the field during a game

During the last game of the 2004 regular season against the Washington Redskins and with two seconds remaining on the game clock, Moss walked off the field and into the locker room; critics criticized Moss for quitting on his team. Moss stated afterward that he didn’t think Minnesota, who ended up losing 21-18 to Washington, would recover the onside kick.

Playoff mooning incident

On January 9, 2005, the Minnesota Vikings traveled to division rival Green Bay to take on the heavily favored Packers in an . Moss finished the game with 4 catches for 70 yards and two touchdowns in the 31-17 win. After the second score, Moss trotted to the end zone goalpost and, facing away from the crowd, feigned pulling down his pants to moon the Green Bay fans. TV announcer Joe Buck, calling the game, was incensed, calling it "a disgusting act" on-air. Days later, the NFL fined him $10,000, finding it "unsportsmanlike" and "offensive" during the playoffs. However, then-Indianapolis Colts head coach Tony Dungy, the former Vikings defensive coordinator, explained Moss' action by pointing out that Packers fans are infamous for actually mooning the buses of departing opponents after a loss, unlike Moss' fully-clothed imitation.

Marijuana use

In April 1996, Randy Moss smoked a joint just prior to turning himself in to jail. He was scheduled to finish the remainder of his 30 day sentence for misdemeanor battery while in high school. During his first week in jail, Moss was given a drug test that came back positive. He was placed in solitary confinement for a week and had 60 days attached to his 27 day sentence. Bobby Bowden revoked his scholarship and Moss was dismissed from Florida State University for the failed drug test. A first time violation of the NFL's drug policy can result in up to 10 tests per month. Moss has not failed an NFL drug test since, and was rotated out of the program after two years.

On September 24, 2002, Moss was involved in a traffic accident in downtown Minneapolis. The accident occurred when he tried to make an illegal U-Turn and slightly injured a traffic officer who stepped in front of his car. According to the police report, Officer Amy Zaccardi tried to order Moss to pull his 2002 Lexus over. When police searched his vehicle, they found a joint amounting to less than a gram in his ashtray. He was initially charged with two misdemeanors, one for careless driving and another for failing to obey a police officer. Moss spent the night in jail and was released the following morning. A week later, prosecutors added a charge of misdemeanor marijuana possession, which carried a fine of up to $200. Moss claimed that the joint was not his, and that he had let friends use his car prior to the accident. Days later, he reiterated his unhappiness with losing games and being a member of the Raiders on his weekly segment with Fox Sports Radio, saying, "I might want to look forward to moving somewhere else next year to have another start and really feel good about going out here and playing football."

On May 15, 2007, more than two weeks after the trade to New England, Moss was called out by his former Raiders coaches. His former offensive coordinator, Tom Walsh, who was fired from the Raiders after Oakland's 2–14 losing season, said of Moss, "Randy Moss is a player whose skills are diminishing, and he's in denial of those eroding skills...Randy was a great receiver, but he lacked the work ethic and the desire to cultivate any skills that would compensate for what he was losing physically later in his career." Walsh also reported that Moss told him, "'I'm too old to practice on Wednesday and Thursday, but I'm not too old to play on Sunday.'" However, Moss stated the losing seasons on the Oakland Raiders negatively affected his playing and discouraged him during the team's practice: "...Losing sometimes can get contagious, but as a player I can't let that settle in, and I think that's one of the things that bothered me [in Oakland]. I didn't want it to set in and it didn't set in. It was just really nerve-racking that it was hard for me to win." Moss caught 1 pass for 16 yards, fumbled the ball once, and dropped a pass, as well as had a ball thrown at him picked off during the game. In response, Bill Belichick stated, "My response would be that's a lot of conversation coming from a team that just lost another game." causing serious injury, and then refused to allow her to seek medical attention. The affidavit out of Broward County reveals Moss cannot come within 500 feet of the victim and cannot use or possess firearms."

The next day, in a locker room press conference, Moss claimed the woman was simply looking for money "over an accident," because her lawyer came to his lawyer, threatening a lawsuit, and asking for money to settle before she went public to the media. Moss stated he had known Washington for about eleven years. He also stated in his defense that he has never assaulted a woman in his entire life, and asked that the media and fans "find out the facts" before "rush[ing] to judgment." Moreover, Moss' lawyer, in an e-mail to the Boston Globe accused the woman's lawyer of "blatant threats and attempts to extort money" from Moss. On March 3, 2008, Rachelle Washington filed papers with the Broward County Circuit Court clerk's office requesting that the restraining order be dissolved and the case closed. No criminal charges were ever filed in the incident.

Personal life

Moss' parents are Maxine Moss and Randy Pratt, although Moss has little contact with his father.

At the end of the 2008 season, Moss averaged 12.3 receiving TDs per season

Four 100+ yard games in his first four games with a new team in 2007

Youngest player in NFL history to record his 100th receiving touchdown - (29 years and 235 days)

Youngest player in NFL history to record his 120th receiving touchdown - (30 years, 313 days)

Fastest player to reach 5,000 career receiving yards - 59 games (broke record of 61 games by Jerry Rice)

Highest career yards per catch average for any player with 900+ receptions - 15.6 yards per reception

Youngest player to have 3 touchdown receptions in a game (21 years, 286 days)

Career highlights

4-time All-Pro selection.

Is second on the Minnesota Vikings all-time receiving touchdown list with 92. Cris Carter holds the record with 110 receiving scores.

Caught his 100th touchdown pass in 2006 against San Francisco (on a pass he caught with his legs), the seventh player to do so.

Holds the record for most touchdowns in Minnesota Vikings playoff history with 8.

10 1,000+ yard receiving seasons - 2nd all-time

64 career 100 yard games - 2nd all-time; most recent November 15, 2009

153 touchdown receptions - 2nd all-time

73.6 receiving yards per game - 2nd all-time

154 total touchdowns scored - 4th all-time

14,858 receiving yards - 6th all-time

954 career receptions - 10th all-time

Has completed 4 of 8 passes for 106 yards and 2 touchdowns, with 1 interception, giving him a 95.8 passer rating.

Only player to catch 90+ touchdown passes, return a punt for a touchdown, and throw 2 touchdown passes.

Has played on the two highest scoring teams (for a single season) in NFL history: 2007 Patriots (589 points) and the 1998 Vikings (556 points)

Had a career-high 12 receptions for 204 yards against the Chicago Bears, at Soldier Field, on November 14, 1999 in a 27–24 overtime win.

Holds the Vikings record for most 100 yard receiving games with 41.

Has two touchdowns or more in 39 different games (including 3 in the postseason); most recent September 26, 2010

Has two touchdown receptions or more in 37 different games - (2nd all-time)

Has three touchdowns touchdown receptions or more in 9 different games - (2nd all-time): at Dallas (Nov. 26, 1998), a 46–36 victory; vs. Chicago (Dec. 6, 1998), a 48–22 victory; at Detroit (Oct. 1, 2000), a 31-24 victory; vs. New York Giants (November 19, 2001) a 28-16 victory; vs. San Francisco (Sep. 28, 2003), a 35–7 victory; at Buffalo (November 18, 2007), a 56–10 victory; at Miami (November 23, 2008), a 48–28 victory; vs. Tennessee (October 18, 2009), a 59–0 victory; vs. Jacksonville (December 27, 2009), a 35–7 victory.

Caught a career high four touchdowns at Buffalo (all in the first half). (Nov. 18, 2007)

Had an interception while playing defense in the last few seconds of the first half of the Patriots' game against the Denver Broncos on October 11, 2009.

Has 4 career two-point conversions

Youngest player in NFL history to record his 120th receiving touchdown. (30 years, 313 days)

Randy Moss Motorsports

On April 29, 2008, Moss announced the formation of Randy Moss Motorsports, an auto racing team intended to begin participation in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. In July 2008, Moss announced that he had bought a 50 percent share in Morgan-Dollar Motorsports, with the team's #46 entry switching to #81.

References

External links

Randy Moss Motorsports

Category:1977 births Category:Living people Category:People from Kanawha County, West Virginia Category:Players of American football from West Virginia Category:NASCAR owners Category:Parade High School All-Americans (football) Category:All-American college football players Category:National Conference Pro Bowl players Category:American Conference Pro Bowl players Category:NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year Award winners Category:American football wide receivers Category:Florida State Seminoles football players Category:Marshall Thundering Herd football players Category:Minnesota Vikings players Category:Oakland Raiders players Category:New England Patriots players Category:Tennessee Titans players

Currentteam	New England Patriots
Currentnumber	91
Currentpositionplain	Defensive tackle
Birthdate	June 13, 1986
Birthplace	Louisville, Kentucky
Heightft	6
Heightin	1
Weight	310
Debutyear	2009
Debutteam	New England Patriots
College	Kentucky
Draftyear	2009
Draftround	6
Draftpick	207
Pastteams
Highlights
Status	Active
Statseason	2009
Statlabel1	Tackles
Statvalue1	32
Statlabel2	Sacks
Statvalue2	0.5
Statlabel3	Interceptions
Statvalue3	0
Statlabel4	Forced fumbles
Statvalue4	1
Statlabel5	Pass deflections
Statvalue5	0
Nfl	PRY462541

Myron Pryor (born June 13, 1986 in Louisville, Kentucky) is an American football defensive lineman for the New England Patriots of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Patriots in the sixth round of the 2009 NFL Draft. He played college football at Kentucky.

Early years

Pryor attended Eastern High School in Middletown, Kentucky, where he was voted a Second Team All-State player by the Associated Press. He was also a two-year letterman in wrestling and track and field, where he competed in the discus and shot put.

College career

After graduating from high school in 2005, Pryor attended the University of Kentucky, where he started the last two games of his freshman season in 2005. In his sophomore season, he started ten games, recording ten forced fumbles, ranking him among the nation's best in that statistic. He recorded 27 tackles in his junior season in 2007, starting 11 of his team's 12 games. In his 2008 senior season, Pryor was named second-team All-Southeastern Conference. He started 10 games on the season, picking up four and a half sacks, and a touchdown on a 72-yard fumble return.

Professional career

New England Patriots

Pryor was drafted by the Patriots in the sixth round (207th overall) of the 2009 NFL Draft. On July 23, 2009, he signed a four-year contract. He was active for 13 games for the Patriots in 2009, recording 20 tackles. He missed Week 1 with a calf injury and Weeks 14 and 15 with a chest injury.

In 2010, Pryor played in nine games (two starts), missing seven of the final eight games with a back injury. He finished the season with 12 tackles and 0.5 sacks.

References

External links

New England Patriots bio

Kentucky Wildcats bio

Category:1986 births Category:Living people Category:People from Louisville, Kentucky Category:Players of American football from Kentucky Category:American football defensive tackles Category:Kentucky Wildcats football players Category:New England Patriots players

Caption	Lynch in the 2005 Las Vegas Bowl.
Currentteam	Seattle Seahawks
Currentnumber	24
Currentposition	Running back
Birthdate	April 22, 1986
Birthplace	Oakland, California
Heightft	5
Heightin	11
Weight	215
Debutyear	2007
Debutteam	Buffalo Bills
Highlights
Status	Active
College	California
Draftyear	2007
Draftround	1
Draftpick	12
Pastteams
Statweek	17
Statseason	2010
Statlabel1	Rushing yards
Statvalue1	3,338
Statlabel2	Rushing average
Statvalue2	3.9
Statlabel3	Rushing TDs
Statvalue3	23
Nfl	LYN442976

Marshawn Terrell Lynch (born April 22, 1986) is an American football running back for the Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Buffalo Bills in the first round (12th overall) of the 2007 NFL Draft. In his rookie year, Lynch became the Bills' first 1,000-yard rookie rusher since Greg Bell in 1984. He finished the season with 1,115 total rushing yards and seven touchdowns. Lynch played collegiately at California, where he was the school's second all-time career rusher with 3,230 yards.

Early years

Lynch attended Oakland Technical High School. In his 2003 season, Lynch amassed 1,722 rushing yards and 23 touchdowns in only eight regular season games, and an additional 375 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns in two postseason games. He was voted a PrepStar and SuperPrep All-American and was also voted as the San Francisco East Bay Player of the Year.

Lynch experimented with other positions in high school. He played defensive back and accumulated 20 interceptions his senior year. His coaches put him at defensive end for one game, and he forced three fumbles. Lynch also played some quarterback and wide receiver in high school. Rivals.com had him ranked #1 in the nation as a defensive back, but he decided to stick to his passion at running back. Lynch ended his high school career as the second-ranked running back in the nation in 2004 behind Adrian Peterson by Rivals.com.

In addition to being a star football player, Lynch was also an excellent track sprinter and played on Oakland Tech's basketball team alongside former Cal star and current Cleveland Cavaliers forward Leon Powe.

College career

Lynch attended University of California, Berkeley playing for the Golden Bears where his major was social welfare.

As a true freshman in 2004, Lynch was the primary backup to senior J.J. Arrington. Lynch carried the ball 71 times for 628 yards with 8 rushing touchdowns and an additional 147 yards on 19 receptions and 2 receiving touchdowns.

In 2005, Arrington graduated and Lynch became the starting running back. Even though he missed two games due to a hand and finger injury, he still amassed 1,246 rushing yards with 10 touchdowns on 196 carries and an additional 125 yards on 15 receptions. In the 2005 Las Vegas Bowl, Lynch ran for 194 yards and three touchdowns on 24 carries and was named MVP. In addition to his great running ability, he also has a tight grip on the ball, fumbling just once in his career.

Lynch wore jersey No. 24 his freshman year but switched to No. 10, his high school number. This switch placed him in sequence with his cousins Virdell Larkins (No. 9) and Robert Jordan (No. 11), also teammates at Cal.

In the 2006 preseason, Lynch earned a spot on the watchlist for the Maxwell Award, was named 8th best player in the nation by Sports Illustrated and earned several preseason All-American accolades.

On July 22, 2006, the Cal football program officially launched the campaign for Lynch to win the 2006 Heisman Trophy with the opening of the website Marshawn10.com, featuring Lynch's highlights from the 2004, 2005, and 2006 seasons. Lynch was named to the 2006 All Pac-10 team First Team. Lynch not only earned various awards, he also scored the game-winning overtime touchdown against Washington. He later called the run his favorite career highlight, after which Lynch spontaneously drove around the football field in an injury cart, pretending to ghost ride.

Lynch was also named the Pac-10 Offensive Player of the Year in 2006 and an AFCA (Coaches') All-America in 2006.

In his final game for California, Lynch ran for 111 yards and two touchdowns against Texas A&M; in the Pacific Life Holiday Bowl on December 28, 2006. He shared the Co-Offensive Player of the Game award with teammate, quarterback Nate Longshore.

Lynch had a highly successful career at Cal and holds the school record for most 100-yard rushing games at 17.

On January 2, 2007, Lynch announced he would forgo his senior season and entered the NFL draft.

Career statistics

:Statistics up to date as of December 28, 2006. College statistics from CalBears.com and ESPN.com.

Rushing

Receiving

Kick returns

NFL career

2007 NFL Draft

On April 28, 2007, Lynch was selected by the Buffalo Bills with the 12th overall pick in the first round of the 2007 NFL Draft. He agreed with the Bills to a six-year, $18.935 million contract. The deal included a $3 million signing bonus and contains $10.285 million in total guarantees. {| class="wikitable" | colspan="10" align="center" | Pre-draft measureables |- !Wt !40y !20ss !3-cone !Vert !BP !Wonderlic |- | ALIGN="center" |215 lb* | ALIGN="center" |4.46s* | ALIGN="center" |4.58s* | ALIGN="center" |7.09s* | ALIGN="center" |35.5 in* | ALIGN="center" |20* | ALIGN="center" |14* |}(* represents NFL Combine)

Buffalo Bills

2007 season

Lynch entered the 2007 season as the starter at running back for the Buffalo Bills. In his first game of the regular season on September 9, he gained 90 yards on 19 carries and scored his first touchdown in a 15–14 loss to the Denver Broncos. His breakout game came on November 4 against the Cincinnati Bengals. Lynch's success on the ground was instrumental in keeping the touted Cincinnati offense on the sidelines, as he rushed 29 times for 153 yards, including a 56-yard touchdown run. Lynch also completed a touchdown pass to tight end Robert Royal, the first touchdown pass completed by a Bills non-quarterback since 1981.

Lynch injured his ankle the following week against the Miami Dolphins and missed the next three games. He returned to play on December 9 for the second game of the Bills' season against the Dolphins, rushing for 107 yards and making his first career fumble. The game marked the first time that the Bills' offense produced two 100-yard rushers since 1996, as Fred Jackson also rushed for 115 yards. Lynch went over the 1,000-yard rushing mark on December 23 against the New York Giants, scoring a touchdown in the 38–21 loss which resulted in the Giants clinching a playoff berth. This made him the fourth Bills rookie to break the 1,000-yard mark, and the first since Greg Bell in 1984. He finished a successful rookie season with 1,115 total rushing yards and seven touchdowns.

Lynch was expected to be more involved in Buffalo's passing game in 2008, his second season as a pro. The Bills' new offensive coordinator Turk Schonert had stated a number of times that he anticipated Lynch "being in on third down a lot more" this season, citing Lynch's inexperience as a reason he was not very involved in 2007.

2008 season

Lynch was held to a 2008 low of 16 yards rushing in a matchup against the New York Jets on November 2. He did not break 100 yards rushing in a game until November 17 on a Monday Night Football matchup against the Cleveland Browns, when he rushed for 119. The game also marked his first receiving touchdown. Two weeks later Lynch posted a season high 134 rushing yards against the San Francisco 49ers on November 30. Lynch went over the 1,000-yard mark for the season on December 14 in a rematch against the Jets when he rushed for 127 yards. He was able to stay healthy until injuring his shoulder in the second half of a Bills victory on December 21 against the Denver Broncos, during which he rushed for his eighth touchdown of the season. The injury kept him out of the Bills' final game of the season against the New England Patriots. Lynch finished the 2008 season with 1,036 yards rushing and eight rushing touchdowns. He posted 300 receiving yards on 47 receptions, including a receiving touchdown, compared to 184 yards on 18 receptions for the 2007 season. Lynch was selected to his first Pro Bowl, replacing an injured Chris Johnson. This made him the first Bills running back to head to the Pro Bowl since Travis Henry in 2002. Lynch was initially a first alternate.

2009 season

in October 2009.]]

Following his guilty plea on misdemeanor weapons charges during the 2009 offseason, Lynch met with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell for a disciplinary hearing. On April 9, the NFL announced that Lynch would be suspended for the Bills' first three games for violations of the NFL's personal conduct policy. Lynch appealed the league's suspension on May 14 in an attempt to have it reduced or nullified, only to have it upheld by Goodell later on August 3. When interviewed on the topic, Lynch has said that he was not surprised when the suspension was upheld, and that he loves playing too much and will try to keep himself out of situations in which there is a risk of being suspended.

Lynch played his first game of the 2009 season against the Miami Dolphins and played the rest of the season. Beginning November 29, he was supplanted as the Bills' starting running back by Fred Jackson, who had the first 1,000-yard rushing season of his career. Lynch finished the season with 450 yards on 120 carries with two rushing touchdowns and did not break 100 rushing yards in a single game.

2010 season

Lynch suffered an ankle sprain in the Bills' preseason opening game against the Washington Redskins and was expected to be out for three to four weeks. He started three games for the Bills before being traded to the Seattle Seahawks on October 5 for two draft picks, a fourth-rounder in 2011 and a conditional pick in 2012.

Seattle Seahawks

Lynch was traded to the Seahawks on October 5, reuniting him with former Cal roommate and fellow running back Justin Forsett, a seventh-round draft pick of the Seahawks in 2008.

Lynch scored his first touchdown of the season on October 17 on a one-yard run against the Chicago Bears. On December 5, he scored three touchdowns against the Carolina Panthers.

In his first career playoff game on January 8, 2011, Lynch had a 67-yard touchdown run in which he broke eight tackles and threw Saints cornerback Tracy Porter to the ground with a stiff arm. The home field crowd's reaction to the run was so strong that it was recorded as seismic activity at a monitoring station 100 yards from the stadium. The fourth-quarter run proved to be the game winner, as three minutes later the game ended with the Seahawks defeating the Saints, 41–36, capping one of the biggest upsets in NFL playoff history.

Personal

Lynch has several relatives who have also played professional football. His cousins are wide receiver Robert Jordan, who played for Cal and the San Francisco 49ers, and former Raiders Quarterback JaMarcus Russell. Lynch is also cousins with former University of San Diego quarterback Josh Johnson of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Lynch's uncle, Lorenzo Lynch, had an 11-year career in the NFL.

Lynch was nicknamed "Money" in college. Additionally, he has referred to himself as being in "beast mode" during games.

While in Buffalo, Lynch embraced the Buffalo community, in stark contrast to former Bills RB Willis McGahee, as noted by an interview with ESPN's Kenny Mayne. In the video interview, which has become an internet sensation, Lynch talks about his love of Applebees, and his teammates joke that he loves chain restaurants.

Legal issues

On June 14, 2006, Lynch was the victim of mistaken identity when unknown assailants shot at his car outside his high school alma mater as he was about to visit his little sister on her graduation day. He was not the intended target of the shooting, and no one was injured. The shooter phoned Lynch's mother to apologize.

On January 25, 2007, Lynch was accused of sexual assault by his former girlfriend. The incident reportedly happened on December 13, 2006, outside the woman's home in Emeryville, California. On January 29, 2007, an Alameda County Deputy District Attorney who specializes in domestic violence cases declined to press charges, citing a lack of evidence and "grave inconsistencies" in the alleged victim's accusations. Lynch was never arrested or charged.

On March 3, 2007, an Alameda County judge threw out a restraining order that Lynch's ex-girlfriend had issued against him because it was obtained improperly.

During June 2008, Lynch was investigated for his involvement in a hit and run accident that occurred in Buffalo on May 31, 2008. His 2008 Porsche Cayenne struck and injured Kimberley Shpeley, of Ontario, Canada, before leaving the scene. It should be noted that Shpeley was extremely intoxicated, and dancing in the middle of the street. After the 27-day saga, on June 26, 2008, Lynch apologized and accepted a guilty plea to a single count of failure to exercise due care to avoid striking a pedestrian, a traffic violation. He was assessed a $100 fine, and his driver’s license and car registration were revoked. Because a Buffalo police officer gave testimony that Shpeley did not suffer "severe physical injury," Lynch avoided criminal charges for the incident. Lynch was later sued by Shpeley on December 28, 2009 for negligence.

Three days after his 2009 Pro Bowl appearance, Lynch was arrested on February 11 in Culver City, California. Lynch and two companions were sitting in a running 2006 Mercedes-Benz when police approached; after smelling marijuana, the police searched the car and discovered a loaded gun that was determined to belong to Lynch. He was released the same day after posting $35,000 bail. Lynch's felony charge was reduced to three misdemeanors, and no drug charges were filed. On March 5, Lynch pled guilty to a single misdemeanor gun charge and was sentenced to three years of probation, and 80 hours of community service. He also agreed to submit to police searches at any time. The two other misdemeanor gun charges were dismissed.

Lynch was accused of stealing $20 from the wife of a Buffalo police officer in a local TGI Friday's on December 7, 2009. A complaint was filed against him the next day.

References

External links

Official Blog on Yardbarker

Marshawn10.com: Cal's website for Marshawn Lynch

Seattle Seahawks bio

Cal profile

ESPN.com Player Card

Category:1986 births Category:American football running backs Category:African American players of American football Category:California Golden Bears football players Category:Living people Category:Buffalo Bills players Category:Seattle Seahawks players Category:People from Oakland, California

Name	Kyle Rudolph
School	Notre Dame Fighting Irish
Currentnumber	9
Currentposition	Tight end
Class	Junior
Major	Undecided
Birthdate	November 09, 1989
Birthplace	Cincinnati, Ohio
Heightft	6
Heightin	6
Weight	265
Highlights
Highschool	Elder High School,Cincinnati, Ohio
Pastschools
Cbs	1633122
Espn	385438
Si	87041

Kyle Rudolph (born November 9, 1989 in Cincinnati, Ohio) is an American football tight end for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. Rudolph is considered one of the best tight ends in college football and is considered one of the best tight end prospects in his class.

Early years

Rudolph attended Elder High School in Cincinnati. As a senior in 2007 he was a USA Today All-American after he had 37 receptions for 673 yards yards and 11 touchdowns.

Rudolph was rated the best tight end and 20th best overall recruit in 2008 according to Rivals.com.

College career

As a freshman in 2008, Rudolph became the first tight end in Notre Dame history to start every game as a freshman. He ended the season with 29 receptions for 340 yards and two touchdowns. As a sophomore in 2009 he played in only nine games, missing three due to a shoulder injury. He finished the season with 33 receptions for 364 yards and three touchdowns. On January 4th, 2011, he declared for the 2011 NFL Draft.

References

External links

Notre Dame Fighting Irish bio

Category:1989 births Category:Living people Category:People from Cincinnati, Ohio Category:American football tight ends Category:Notre Dame Fighting Irish football players

Dave Stala (born October 25, 1979 in Myslenice, Poland) is a professional Canadian football slotback for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats of the Canadian Football League. He was drafted in the sixth round, fiftieth overall by the Montreal Alouettes as a placekicker in 2003. He played CIS football for the Saint Mary's Huskies. After injury plagued seasons in 2007 and 2008, he signed with the Tiger-Cats in 2009 and rejuvenated his career in his hometown. Stala is well-known for a unique soccer-inspired touchdown celebration which he performed on July 31, 2010.

Dave Stala is often referred to by the nicknames "Sticky Stala" or just "Sticky".

Statistics

{| BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="1" CELLSPACING="0" width="65%" style="text-align:center" |- bgcolor="#e0e0e0" ! colspan="2" | Receiving ! rowspan="99" bgcolor="#ffffff" |   ! colspan="6" | Regular season ! rowspan="99" bgcolor="#ffffff" |   ! colspan="6" | Playoffs |- bgcolor="#e0e0e0" ! Year ! Team ! Games ! No. ! Yards ! Avg ! Long ! TD ! Games ! No. ! Yards ! Avg ! Long ! TD |- ALIGN="center" | 2003 | MTL | 13 | 10 | 179 | 17.9 | 36 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 |- ALIGN="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0" | 2004 | MTL | 9 | 12 | 171 | 14.3 | 25 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 5.0 | 5 | 0 |- ALIGN="center" | 2005 | MTL | 18 | 83 | 1037 | 12.5 | 43 | 5 | 3 | 6 | 72 | 12.0 | 30 | 1 |- ALIGN="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0" | 2006 | MTL | 16 | 38 | 445 | 11.7 | 65 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 33 | 11.0 | 14 | 0 |- ALIGN="center" | 2007 | MTL | 1 | 2 | 20 | 10.0 | 12 | 0 | colspan="6" | Placed on injured reserve |- ALIGN="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0" | 2008 | MTL | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | colspan="6" | Placed on injured reserve |- ALIGN="center" | 2009 | HAM | 18 | 67 | 751 | 11.2 | 69 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 54 | 13.5 | 28 | 2 |- ALIGN="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0" | 2010 | HAM | 18 | 86 | 1023 | 11.9 | 41 | 6 | | | | | | |- bgcolor="#e0e0e0" ! colspan="3" | CFL totals ! 94 ! 298 ! 3,626 ! 12.2 ! 69 ! 15 ! 9 ! 14 ! 164 ! 11.7 ! 30 ! 3 |}

Further reading

References

External links

Hamilton Tiger-Cats bio

Category:1979 births Category:Living people Category:Canadian football slotbacks Category:Canadian people of Polish descent Category:Canadian players of Canadian football Category:Hamilton Tiger-Cats players Category:Montreal Alouettes players Category:Saint Mary's Huskies football players

Name	Darrelle Revis
Caption	Revis in February 2010
Currentteam	New York Jets
Currentnumber	24
Currentpositionplain	Cornerback
Birthdate	July 14, 1985
Birthplace	Aliquippa, Pennsylvania
Heightft	5
Heightin	11
Weight	198
Debutyear	2007
Debutteam	New York Jets
Highlights
College	Pittsburgh
Draftyear	2007
Draftround	1
Draftpick	14
Pastteams
Status	Active
Statweek	16
Statseason	2010
Statlabel1	Tackles
Statvalue1	231
Statlabel2	Sacks
Statvalue2	1.0
Statlabel3	Interceptions
Statvalue3	14
Statlabel4	Touchdowns
Statvalue4	2
Statlabel5	Passes defensed
Statvalue5	74
Nfl	REV515344

Darrelle Shavar Revis (born July 14, 1985) is an American football cornerback for the New York Jets of the National Football League. Revis was drafted in the first round (14th overall) by the Jets in the 2007 NFL Draft. He played college football at the University of Pittsburgh. His spot on the field is nicknamed "Revis Island" for his ability to play one-on-one with opposing receivers. He is currently considered to be one of the best cornerbacks in the NFL.

High school career

High school accolades include the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review 2003 Player of the Year, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette 2003 WPIAL Class AA Player of the Year, and 2003 Pittsburgh Post-Gazette “Fabulous 22”.

In the PIAA Class AA State Championship football game, he led Aliquippa to a come-from-behind 32–27 win over Northern Lehigh by scoring 5 touchdowns including 3 rushing touchdowns, a punt return, and the return of a blocked Northern Lehigh field goal attempt. He also completed a 39 yard pass, had a reception, and an interception in the game.

In his junior and senior years of high school he led Aliquippa to WPIAL basketball championships, leading the team in scoring both years, culminating with a 25.2 PPG average his senior season. He also had the most interceptions out of any cornerback for high school.

Revis was recruited to Pitt by former University of Pittsburgh and Stanford coach Walt Harris.

College career

Revis earned first-team Freshman All-America honors his 2004 freshman campaign. Revis played all 12 games, and started 11 of those 12. Revis tied for fifth on the team with 49 tackles, tied for team lead with 12 broken-up passes, and second on the team with 14 defended passes. Revis also totaled two interceptions. The most important of the two interceptions was against the West Virginia Mountaineers, when he intercepted a late pass that set up the Panthers' game-winning drive. Revis also totaled a career-high seven tackles against Boston College. With Pitt leading 17–10, the Boston College Eagles elected to go for it late in the fourth on fourth-and-goal. The pass got to the one yard line, but Revis hit the receiver and stopped him from getting the score.

Revis' sophomore season in 2005 was another excellent campaign. Revis earned first-team All-Big East at cornerback. Revis led the Panthers with four interceptions and was second-team with 13 defended passes. Revis was ranked second in the Big East with two recovered fumbles. Revis had a 79-yard punt return for a score against the University of Cincinnati and blocked a field goal against UConn which was returned for the score. Revis also had an interception and totaled 119 punt return yards against Rutgers.

Revis' final year at Pitt, his 2006 junior campaign, was where he established himself on the national stage. He was a candidate for Jim Thorpe Award and Bronko Nagurski Trophy at the end of the season. Revis recorded interceptions against the University of Virginia and Cincinnati, which were both taken back for touchdowns.

During the 2006 Backyard Brawl game with rival West Virginia, Revis made a dynamic, 73-yard punt return, while breaking several tackles, and finally scoring a touchdown late in the second quarter. The key block to spring him, by Pitt wide receiver Derek Kinder, took out two Mountaineers. The play was nominated for "Best Play" at the 2007 ESPY Awards and was voted the best College Football Play of the Year.

Awards and honors

Sporting News First-team Freshman All-American (2004)

Rivals.com Second-team Freshman All-American (2004)

First-team All-Big East (2005, 2006)

Rivals.com Third-team All-American (2006)

Jim Thorpe Award semifinalist (2006)

ESPN College Football Play of the Year (2006)

Pro career

2007 NFL Draft

Revis announced he would forgo his senior year at Pittsburgh to enter the 2007 NFL Draft; he was considered one of the top 3 cornerbacks available—along with Leon Hall of Michigan and Aaron Ross of Texas—, and was one of the 30 to be drafted. Though he received a combine invite, he chose not to attend, as he had tweaked a hamstring, instead performing at Pittsburgh's Pro Day. Other teammates of Revis' who were drafted were linebacker Clint Session, chosen by the Indianapolis Colts and linebacker H.B. Blades who was chosen by the Washington Redskins.

Though Revis was not the first defensive back drafted in the 2007 NFL Draft (that honor went to LaRon Landry, who was chosen by the Washington Redskins with the 6th pick), he was the first cornerback taken that year. The New York Jets traded their first-round selection, the first of their second-round selections and their fifth-round selection to the Carolina Panthers for the chance to move from the 25th pick to the 14th pick, one slot ahead of Revis' hometown Pittsburgh Steelers.

Rookie season

Revis was listed at the starting cornerback for the Jets at the beginning of the 2007 NFL season, the first Jets rookie to do so since Ray Mickens in 1996. In his first game against the New England Patriots, Revis recorded 7 tackles and held Wes Welker to 6 catches for 61 yards in the 38–14 loss. He recorded the first interception of his career against the division-rival Buffalo Bills during their week 8 matchup. Revis would show great progression throughout the season, remaining as the Jets' solid starter and one of their best defensive players. Starting at 16 games, Revis ended his rookie season with 87 total tackles, one sack, one forced fumble and 3 interceptions. Revis was only beaten for touchdowns three times during his rookie season by Braylon Edwards, Lee Evans and Terrell Owens.

Darrelle Revis' statistics in 2007, his rookie season.

2008 season

As the starting cornerback for the Jets in his second season, Revis began to establish himself as an All-Pro cornerback. During the team's week four matchup against the Arizona Cardinals, Revis faced the vaunted duo of Anquan Boldin and Larry Fitzgerald. He would intercept two passes, one of which he returned 32 yards for his first NFL touchdown. Despite his performance alongside All-Pro safety Kerry Rhodes, the Jets' pass defense was ranked 28th which prompted coach Eric Mangini to sign free agent All-Pro cornerback and former New York Jet Ty Law in November. Though the addition of Law was made to bolster the Jets' pass defense, the pass defense continued to struggle and would rank 29th overall by seasons end in spite of Revis' positive performance. It should be noted that Revis' side of the field was known not to be tested as teams instead chose to attack rookie cornerback Dwight Lowery.

For his efforts, Revis was elected to the 2009 Pro Bowl. During the Pro Bowl, Revis intercepted a pass intended for Anquan Boldin with one hand.

2009 season

}}

Darrelle Revis started off the '09 season matched up against some of football's best wide receivers. In Week 1, he helped limit Houston Texans Pro-bowler Andre Johnson to four receptions for 35 yards. Revis then faced Tom Brady and the New England Patriots, when he matched up against another Pro-bowl receiver, Randy Moss, and limited him to four receptions and 24 yards after catching 14 passes for 141 yards the week prior. Revis also had an interception against Brady, helping the Jets defense to be the first team since 2006 to stop the Patriots from scoring a touchdown.

Week 5 against the Miami Dolphins was the lone blemish on Revis's season, as he was beaten by wide receiver Ted Ginn, Jr. for a 53-yard touchdown reception on Monday Night Football, during the Jets 31–27 week 5 loss to the Dolphins''''.

Jets head coach Rex Ryan has stated on several occasions that he thinks Revis is the "best" cornerback in the NFL, and that he is also the best cornerback he's worked with, in all of his years of coaching defenses. NFL Total Access ranked him as the No. 3 cornerback in the league on a Best In The Biz list before the '09 season kicked off. Deion Sanders also said "Revis is going to be the best corner in the game for years."

Revis ended the year winning a Pro Bowl spot, and earned major respect inside and outside the league. In Week 17 (the NFL's last regular season week), he ended up locking Cincinnati Bengals receiver Chad Ochocinco down, preventing Ochocinco from a single reception, in part because a win would not advance Cincinnati to a higher playoff seed, and also because Ochocinco left the game with an injured knee. The Jets won the game 37–0, their second shutout, and third 'defensive' shutout. The victory qualified the Jets for the postseason, and the two teams met up again six days later in the first round. During the Jets' 24–14 victory over the Bengals, Revis again shut down Ochocinco, limiting him to two catches for 28 yards and collecting an interception.

In the second week of the playoffs, Revis and the Jets defeated the AFC's #2 seed San Diego Chargers, 17–14. Since the Chargers had a large variety of well acclaimed receivers, Revis was forced to cover most of them, yet San Diego quarterback Philip Rivers only threw the ball to a receiver covered by Revis three times during the entire game. Two of the three were tipped away by Revis for an incomplete pass, and the third was an interception. His interception was made diving to the ground to catch a ball that was deflected off the shoe of Chargers' wide receiver Vincent Jackson. Revis's interception changed the momentum of the game and was instrumental in the Jets' 17–14 victory. The win led the Jets to the AFC Championship game against the Indianapolis Colts, the Jets first trip to the AFC Championship game since 1998. The Jets lost 30–17, due to a lack of scoring in the second half (0 points), and poor secondary playing, with the exception of Revis himself, who only allowed 2 receptions.

Revis lost in the Defensive Player of the Year voting to Charles Woodson, 28–14. During an interview, when asked on his thoughts, head coach Rex Ryan expressed "This, in my opinion, was the best year a corner has ever had, the most impact a corner has ever had in the National Football League. That's my opinion. Apparently, that wasn't how everybody felt." He also went on to say "A number that I think would be interesting would be eight, and no, that’s not the amount of touchdown passes that Green Bay (Woodson's team) gave up against Arizona. That is the number of touchdown passes we gave up all season, and the biggest reason for that is Darrelle Revis." On September 5, an agreement was reached on a four year $32 million guaranteed contract, and Revis subsequently reported to camp the next day, a week before the team's season opener.

During the team's Week 2 matchup against the New England Patriots, Revis left the game with what was later revealed to be a strained hamstring. Revis would miss two weeks of the season. Revis reaggravated the hamstring following the team's matchup against the Minnesota Vikings. On October 17, 2010, Revis was activated two hours prior to kickoff against the Denver Broncos and started the game. The Jets headed into a bye week following their victory over Denver thus allowing Revis to rehab his hamstring. Revis has since declared himself to be 100 percent.

During the 2011 AFC Wild Card game, Revis held Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Reggie Wayne to one catch for a mere one yard in a victory over the Colts.

Personal

Revis was born to former high school track star, Diana Gilbert, and Darryl Revis. He has two siblings, DéAudra, and Terry. Revis is the nephew of former NFL defensive lineman, Sean Gilbert.

Revis has a daughter, Deyani and a son Jayden.

References

External links

New York Jets Bio

Pittsburgh Panthers bio

Category:1985 births Category:Living people Category:African American players of American football Category:Sportspeople from Pennsylvania Category:American football cornerbacks Category:Pittsburgh Panthers football players Category:New York Jets players Category:Players of American football from Pennsylvania Category:People from Aliquippa, Pennsylvania

Caption	Benjamin Watson during the 2009 NFL season.
Currentteam	Cleveland Browns
Currentnumber	82
Currentposition	Tight end
Birthdate	December 18, 1980
Birthplace	Norfolk, Virginia
Heightft	6
Heightin	3
Weight	255
Debutyear	2004
Debutteam	New England Patriots
College	Georgia
Draftyear	2004
Draftround	1
Draftpick	32
Pastteams
Statseason	2010
Statlabel1	Receptions
Statvalue1	235
Statlabel2	Receiving yards
Statvalue2	2,865
Statlabel3	Receiving touchdowns
Statvalue3	23
Highlights
Nfl	WAT311042

Benjamin Watson (born December 18, 1980 in Norfolk, Virginia) is an American football tight end for the Cleveland Browns of the National Football League. He was drafted by the New England Patriots 32nd overall in the 2004 NFL draft. He played college football at Georgia.

Early years

Watson attended Northwestern High School in Rock Hill, South Carolina and was a letterman in football. In football, as a senior, he caught 31 passes for 515 yards (16.61 yards per rec. avg), was an All-Area pick, All-Region selection, an All-State honoree, selected to play in the Shrine Bowl, and voted Student of the Year. As a junior, he was an All-Area pick, an All-region selection, led his team to the state championship, and voted Student of the Year. He was also a member of his high school chapter of The Fellowship of Christian Athletes.

College career

Watson played football at Duke University prior to transferring to the University of Georgia where he majored in finance.

Professional career

New England Patriots

Watson entered the league rumored to have scored a 48 on his Wonderlic Test, an achievement that projects to an IQ of 172 . He was drafted by the New England Patriots 32nd overall in the 2004 NFL draft. He was on the injured list for almost his entire rookie season for the Patriots, playing in only one game.

His two biggest plays of the 2005 season came in the playoffs. In one, during the Patriots' first game against the Jacksonville Jaguars, on a third-down play that nearly forced the Patriots to punt, Watson broke free of one tackle to earn the first down; in all, Watson broke three tackles and outran five defenders, taking the ball 63 yards to score the touchdown.

Even more notable, though, was his pursuit and tackle of Champ Bailey during the Patriots' 2005 AFC Divisional Playoff game against Denver on January 14, 2006. Bailey intercepted a Tom Brady pass in Denver's endzone, and proceeded to run it down the full length of the (near) side-line, towards New England's endzone. At the time of the interception, Watson was on the opposite side of the field from Bailey (on the far side-line), and so he had to take a diagonal pursuit the full (diagonal) length of the field in order to have a chance of catching him. Watson caught up with Bailey at New England's 2-yard line and tackled him hard, causing Bailey to fumble the ball. After an extensive review, the refs announced that the evidence was inconclusive as to whether or not Bailey fumbled the ball through the end-zone, or out of bounds. Thus, the call on the field stood (that he fumbled it out of bounds at the 1-yard line), even though from the cbs replays, it is clear that Watson forced Bailey to fumble it around the pylon, and that it should've been a touchback, and hence New England ball. This controversial call led to a crucial Denver touchdown, and was the key play in allowing the Broncos to upend the 2-time defending superbowl champs. Many NFL experts compared Watson's extraordinary play to that of Don Beebe's pursuit of Leon Lett in Super Bowl XXVII as two of greatest hustle plays of all time.

Cleveland Browns

On March 12, 2010, Watson signed a three year deal with the Cleveland Browns reuniting him with former Patriots assistant coach, Eric Mangini. In the 2010 season, Watson led the Browns in receptions, receiving yards, and receiving touchdowns (tied with Brian Robiskie).

References

Category:1980 births Category:Living people Category:People from Norfolk, Virginia Category:Players of American football from Virginia Category:American football tight ends Category:Georgia Bulldogs football players Category:New England Patriots players Category:Cleveland Browns players