John Lynch (American football)

Infobox NFLactive
name=John Lynch


width=
caption=
currentteam=Free Agent
currentnumber=
currentpositionplain=Safety
birthdate=birth date and age|1971|9|25
birthplace=Hinsdale, Illinois
heightft=6
heightin=2
weight=220
debutyear=1993
debutteam=Tampa Bay Buccaneers
college=Stanford
draftyear=1993
draftround=3
draftpick=82
pastteams=
* Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1993-2003)
* Denver Broncos (2004-2007)
* New England Patriots (2008)*:*Offseason and/or practice squad member only
status=Active
highlights=
* 9x Pro Bowl selection (1997, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007)
* 4x AP All-Pro (1999-2002)
* Super Bowl champion (XXXVII)
status=
statweek=17
statseason=2007
statlabel1=Tackles
statvalue1=490
statlabel2=Sacks
statvalue2=13.0
statlabel3=INTs
statvalue3=26
nfl=LYN260424

John Terrence Lynch, Jr. (born September 25, 1971 in city-state|Hinsdale|Illinois) is an American football safety who is currently a free agent in the National Football League. He was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the third round of the 1993 NFL Draft. He played college football at Stanford.

A nine-time Pro Bowl selection, Lynch, earned a Super Bowl ring with the Buccaneers in Super Bowl XXXVII. He has also played for the Denver Broncos.

Early years

Lynch attended Torrey Pines High School where he also played quarterback. His Number was retired in 2003 after Tampa Bay Bucs won the Super Bowl.

College career

Lynch starred in both baseball and football at Stanford.

Baseball career

Lynch was drafted as a pitcher by the Florida Marlins the second round (66th overall) of the 1992 amateur draft. He threw the first pitch in the organization's history as a member of the Erie Sailors. He threw a 95mph strike. His jersey is in the Baseball Hall of Fame. He played two seasons in the minor leagues with the Sailors and Kane County Cougars, starting nine games and going 1-3 with a 2.36 earned run average.

Football career

A nine-time Pro Bowl selection, Lynch earned a Super Bowl ring with the Buccaneers in Super Bowl XXXVII. He has also played for the Denver Broncos and is currently a free agent.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Lynch was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the third round (82nd pick overall) of the 1993 NFL Draft. Lynch played his first 11 seasons in the league with the Buccaneers.

In 2002, Lynch collected a Super Bowl ring in Super Bowl XXXVII with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in San Diego, California. He was the first player to wear a microphone in the Super Bowl.

Lynch was released by the Buccaneers following the 2003 season for salary cap reasons. [http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=1756924]

Denver Broncos

Lynch signed a free agent contract with the Denver Broncos prior to the 2004 season, despite being courted by the New England Patriots. [http://www.boston.com/sports/football/patriots/reiss_pieces/2008/08/patriots_sign_l.html]

In the 2005 NFL season, John Lynch nearly made his second Super Bowl, but the Broncos lost to the Steelers in the AFC Championship Game. They did, however manage to end Tom Brady's perfect playoff streak.

He served as the Broncos defensive captain in 2006 and 2007. On July 31, 2008, Lynch was granted his release by the Broncos. [http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/trainingcamp08/news/story?id=3511880] Lynch said in a news conference that his lack of playing time heading into this season was a reason for his departure. [http://www.9news.com/sports/pro_football/nfl/denver_broncos/article.aspx?storyid=96838&catid=72]

New England Patriots

Lynch visited with the New England Patriots on August 13, 2008, [http://www.boston.com/sports/football/patriots/reiss_pieces/2008/08/patriots_hostin.html] then agreed to a 1-year deal worth $1.5 million. [http://www.nfl.com/news/story?id=09000d5d80a001e4&template=with-video&confirm=true] However, on September 1, 2008, Lynch was released from the team. [http://www.nfl.com/news/story?id=09000d5d80a693ef&template=without-video&confirm=true] He has been contacted by the New York Jets about signing with the team and the Patriots as well about a possible return with the injury to S Tank Williams.

References

External links

* [http://www.johnlynchfoundation.org/ John Lynch Foundation]
* [http://www.denverbroncos.com/page.php?id=498&contentID=2240 Denver Broncos bio]
* [http://www.patriots.com/team/index.cfm?ac=playerbio&bio=31505 New England Patriots bio]