Marshawn Lynch

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by Noradge (talk | contribs) at 15:58, 28 April 2014 (I just fixed a typo). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

Marshawn Lynch
refer to caption
Lynch in 2013.
No. 24 – Seattle Seahawks
Position:Running back
Personal information
Born: (1986-04-22) April 22, 1986 (age 38)
Oakland, California
Career information
College:California
NFL draft:2007 / Round: 1 / Pick: 12
Career history
Roster status:active
Career highlights and awards
NFL

College

Career NFL statistics as of Week 17, 2013
Rushing yards:7,389
Rushing average:4.2
Rushing TDs:58
Player stats at NFL.com

Marshawn Terrell Lynch (born April 22, 1986) is an American football running back for the Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League (NFL). He played his very first game of football when he was six years old with his cousin Leo. After their first game they played for hours more and Lynch started playing recreational football soon after. Lynch played college football for the California Golden Bears, where he became the school's second all-time career rusher.[1] He was drafted by the Buffalo Bills in the first round of the 2007 NFL Draft.

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 the San Francisco East Bay Player of the Year.[2]

Lynch experimented with other positions in high school. He played defensive back and also played some quarterback, wide receiver, and linebacker in high school.[3] Rivals.com had him ranked #2 in the nation at running back behind Adrian Peterson.[4]

In addition to being a star football player, Lynch was also an excellent track sprinter and played on Oakland Tech's basketball team alongside future Cal star Leon Powe. Lynch took his team to the state semi-finals.

College career

Lynch attended the University of California, Berkeley, and played for the California Golden Bears football team. He majored in 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.

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.[5]

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.[6] Lynch was named to the 2006 All Pac-10 team First Team.[7] 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.[8]

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 Cal, Lynch ran for 111 yards and two touchdowns against Texas A&M in the Pacific Life Holiday Bowl on December 28, 2006.[citation needed] He shared the Co-Offensive Player of the Game award with teammate, quarterback Nate Longshore.[citation needed]

Lynch had a highly successful career at Cal and holds the school record for most 100-yard rushing games at 17.[9]

On January 2, 2007, Lynch announced he would forgo his senior season and enter the NFL draft.[10]

Career statistics

Lynch at the 2005 Las Vegas Bowl.
Statistics up to date as of December 28, 2006. College statistics from CalBears.com[11][12] and ESPN.com.[13]
Year Team Games-Games Started Carries Yards Average Long TDs
2004 Cal 12-0 71 628 8.8 70 8
2005 Cal 10-9 196 1,246 6.4 52 10
2006 Cal 13-11 223 1,356 6.1 71 11
Totals 35-20 490 3230 6.6 71 29
Year Team Games-Games Started Receptions Yards Average Long TDs
2004 Cal 12-0 19 147 7.7 29 2
2005 Cal 10-9 15 125 8.3 25 0
2006 Cal 13-11 34 328 9.6 28 4
Totals 35-20 68 600 8.8 29 6
Year Team Games-Games Started Returns Yards Average Long TDs
2004 Cal 12-0 15 372 24.8 69 0
2005 Cal 10-9 13 271 20.8 34 0
2006 Cal 13-11 5 101 20.2 27 0
Totals 35-20 33 744 22.5 69 0

Professional 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 contained $10.285 million in total guarantees.

Pre-draft measureables
Wt 40y 20ss 3-cone Vert BP Wonderlic
215 lb* 4.46s* 4.58s* 7.09s* 35.5 in* 20*[14] 14*

(* represents NFL Combine)

Buffalo Bills

Lynch entered the 2007 season as the starter at running back for the 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 14–15 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.[15]

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 Bills' second game against the Dolphins that season, rushing for 107 yards and fumbling for the first time in his NFL career. The game marked the first time the Bills' offense produced two 100-yard rushers since 1996, as Fred Jackson also rushed for 115 yards.[16] Lynch went over the 1,000-yard rushing mark on December 23 against the New York Giants, scoring a touchdown in the 21-38 loss, which resulted in the Giants clinching a playoff berth. This made Lynch the fourth Bills rookie to break the 1,000-yard mark, and the first since Greg Bell in 1984.[17] 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 on November 30, Lynch posted a season high 134 rushing yards against the San Francisco 49ers. 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' season finale 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 injured Chris Johnson.[18] 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

Lynch carries the ball against the New York Jets 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. Lynch had been arrested in Culver City, California, for having a gun in his backpack in the trunk of a car he was occupying, a crime in California.[19] 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.[20] 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.[21]

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 replaced 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 opener against the Washington Redskins and was expected to be out for three to four weeks.[22] 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.[23]

Seattle Seahawks

2010 season

Lynch then reunited 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.

Lynch during the Seahawks' 2011 NFC Wild Card game against the New Orleans Saints.

In his first career playoff game on January 8, 2011 against the New Orleans Saints, Lynch had a 67-yard touchdown run in which he broke nine tackles and with one arm threw Saints cornerback Tracy Porter to the ground.[24] 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.[25] This run has become known locally in Seattle as the "Beast Quake", so called because of Marshawn's nickname "Beast Mode". 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.

Lynch had a total of 737 yards during the 2010 season.

2011 season

Lynch started 15 games, missing only one regular season game on November 23, 2011, due to back problems during warm ups. Lynch finished the 2011 season rushing for 1,204 yards and 12 touchdowns, both career bests and posting his first 1,000 yard season since 2008. On December 1, against the Eagles, he was caught receiving skittles from a trainer to celebrate his touchdown.[26] Fans would later throw skittles onto the field after Lynch would score. On December 18, 2011, Lynch set the franchise record for consecutive games with a rushing touchdown by scoring in his tenth straight game. The previous record of nine was set by Shaun Alexander in 2005. Lynch led the NFL in rushing yards over the final nine weeks of the season.[27] On January 24, 2012, Lynch was added to the NFC Pro Bowl roster to replace San Francisco 49ers running back Frank Gore.[28] On March 4, 2011, Marshawn Lynch signed a 4 year $31 Million contract.

2012 season

Lynch started all 16 regular season games, as well as the two playoff games the Seahawks were in. He accumulated 1,590 yards rushing on 315 attempts. He scored 11 touchdowns, his longest being a 77-yard TD run. He averaged 19.7 attempts per game and 99.4 yards per game; and over the course of the season, Lynch had an average of 5.0 yards for the season. He fumbled only 4 times, and lost just 2 of them.[29] Lynch was elected into the 2013 Pro Bowl as a reserve.

2013 season

Lynch was a huge factor for the Seahawks in 2013. He rushed for 1257 yards and 12 tds, and recorded three 100 yard games. He was voted to the Pro Bowl for the third straight year, but had to decline the appearance due to his participation in Super Bowl XLVIII. He would end up rushing for 39 yards during that game, including a touchdown score, resulting in the team's first Super Bowl victory as well as Lynch's first Super Bowl ring.

Career statistics

Season Team Games Rushing Receiving
GP GS Att Yds Avg Lng TD Rec Yds Avg Lng TD
2007 Buffalo Bills 13 13 280 1115 4.0 56 7 18 184 10.2 30 0
2008 Buffalo Bills 15 15 250 1036 4.1 50 8 47 300 6.4 42 1
2009 Buffalo Bills 13 6 120 450 3.8 47 2 28 179 6.4 35 0
2010 Buffalo/Seattle 16 14 202 737 3.6 39 6 22 145 6.6 22 0
2011 Seattle Seahawks 15 15 285 1204 4.2 47 12 28 212 7.6 26 1
2012 Seattle Seahawks 16 16 315 1590 5.0 77 11 23 196 8.5 27 1
2013 Seattle Seahawks 16 16 301 1257 4.2 43 12 36 316 8.8 55 2
Total 104 95 1,753 7,389 4.2 77 58 202 1,532 7.6 55 5
Source: ESPN.com

Personal life

Lynch grew up in a tough neighborhood in Oakland, California with his three siblings and rarely saw his father.[30] Lynch has several relatives who have also played professional football. His cousins are wide receiver Robert Jordan, who played alongside Lynch at Cal from 2004–2006; former Oakland Raiders quarterback JaMarcus Russell; and quarterback Josh Johnson of the Cincinnati Bengals. Lynch's uncle, Lorenzo Lynch, had an eleven-year career in the NFL.[31]

Lynch has referred to himself as being in "beast mode" during games,[32] but it was also a nickname that has been in effect while on the Seahawks.

Lynch was nicknamed "Money" in college.[33]

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.[34] In the video interview, which has become an internet sensation, Lynch talks about his love of Applebee's, and his teammates joke that he loves chain restaurants. However, it should be noted that the interview was clearly scripted, tongue-in-cheek, and produced for entertainment purposes.

Lynch frequently eats Skittles during games, a habit which started when he was in high school. After Lynch was shown eating the candy during a nationally-televised game on December 5, 2011, Mars offered him a two-year supply of Skittles and a custom dispenser for his locker.[35] On December 30, 2011, he was fined $10,000 for wearing cleats featuring a Skittles pattern.[36][37] On January 28, 2014, an official deal with Skittles was announced. In addition to personal compensation, $10,000 will be donated to his Fam First Foundation for each touchdown he may score in Super Bowl XLVIII.[38]

Lynch also has an affinity for purchasing grills, saying he's been wearing the gold jewelry since junior high school. After the 2011 season, Lynch purchased a customized Seahawks grill in time for the 2012 season.[39]

In June, 2008, Lynch plead guilty to a hit and run charge and had his driver's license revoked. Lynch was driving his 2008 Porsche Cayenne at 3:30am through Buffalo's bar district, when he struck a woman in the street and failed to stop. When questioned, Lynch stated "I didn't know my car had hit anyone or anything." [40]

Lynch was arrested on July 14, 2012, by the California Highway Patrol for DUI after he was observed driving erratically. He was reported to have blown a 0.10 on the Breathalyzer at Alameda County Sheriff Department's North County Jail in Oakland. He was incarcerated hours before hosting a youth football camp.[30] A motion to dismiss the case was denied in November 2013, but in December the trial date was pushed back until after the NFL season. There are many accusations of the police bending the truth and changing stories to try to convict Lynch.[41][42]

Lynch was fined $50,000 by the NFL for refusing to talk to the media throughout the 2013 NFL season,[43] which inspired fans of the Seattle Seahawks to fundraise that amount. However, the fine was subsequently pulled back in an agreement that he will be fined another $50,000 if he breaks the same rule [44] and donates to charity the amount fundraised by Seahawks fans to pay his fine.[45] Lynch is known for being reluctant to talk to the media.[46]

References

  1. ^ Cal Player Profile
  2. ^ Marshawn Lynch CalBears Player Bio
  3. ^ The Best of the West RBs - Part I
  4. ^ "Marshawn Lynch - Yahoo! Sports". Sports.yahoo.com. 2011-04-20. Retrieved 2014-02-04.
  5. ^ ESPN - Talented Lynch takes over starting role for Bears - College Football
  6. ^ Cal Launches Website for Marshawn Lynch :: Heisman candidate is featured on www.Marshawn10.com
  7. ^ The awards are voted on by Pac-10 coaches. 2006 All Pac-10 team, scout.com, November 27, 2006.
  8. ^ Marshawn Lynch Tippin' his Whip
  9. ^ Cal School Records (note closeness of Lynch's stats to other school records)
  10. ^ Bear bids farewell Cal's Marshawn Lynch declares for NFL draft
  11. ^ "Marshawn Lynch". CalBears.com. Retrieved 2006-09-24.
  12. ^ "Player Bio Marshawn Lynch". CalBears.com. Retrieved 2006-09-24.
  13. ^ "#10 Marshawn Lynch RB". ESPN.com. Retrieved 2006-09-24.
  14. ^ *Marshawn Lynch, RB, California - 2007 NFL Draft Scout Profile, Powered by The SportsXchange
  15. ^ "Buffalo 33, Cincinnati 21". Yahoo!. Retrieved 2008-01-17.
  16. ^ "Inept Dolphins lose 13th straight, trounced by Bills 38-17". Yahoo!. Retrieved 2007-12-09.
  17. ^ "Giants clinch playoff berth, beat Bills". Yahoo!. Retrieved 2007-12-24.
  18. ^ "Lynch headed to Pro Bowl". Buffalobills.com. Retrieved 2009-01-29.
  19. ^ Roger Goodell Meets With Lynch ESPN, March 17, 2009
  20. ^ Bills RB Lynch suspended for 3 games by NFL Associated Press, April 9, 2009
  21. ^ "Bills RB Lynch appeals NFL's 3-game suspension". Yahoo Sports!. Retrieved 2009-05-15.
  22. ^ "Fred out 4-6 weeks". The Buffalo News. Retrieved 2010-08-28.
  23. ^ "Seahawks Acquire Marshawn Lynch in Trade with Bills". Seattle Seahawks. Retrieved 2010-10-05.
  24. ^ Wild Card Can't-Miss Play: Lynch in "beast mode" (TV Clip). NFL. January 8, 2011. Retrieved January 10, 2011.
  25. ^ "Lynch's TD run shook area around Qwest Field" (News story). King5. January 10, 2011. Retrieved January 10, 2011.
  26. ^ Farrar, Doug. "Marshawn Lynch beats Eagles, eats Skittles, gets endorsement - Shutdown Corner - NFL Blog - Yahoo! Sports". Sports.yahoo.com. Retrieved 2014-02-04.
  27. ^ Sando, Mike. "Marshawn Lynch banked on strong finish - NFC West Blog - ESPN". Espn.go.com. Retrieved 2014-02-04.
  28. ^ "NFL: Gore joins list of 49ers sitting out of Pro Bowl". ContraCostaTimes.com. 2012-01-24. Retrieved 2014-02-04.
  29. ^ Marshawn Lynch   (1986-04-22). "Marshawn Lynch: Career Stats at". Nfl.com. Retrieved 2014-02-04.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: extra punctuation (link)
  30. ^ a b E60: Marshawn Lynch - Beast Mode on YouTube
  31. ^ CAL’S MARSHAWN LYNCH HAVING A FUN RUN Celebrated running back won't buy into the hype
  32. ^ "Nike Rookie Football Class 2007 Pro Football Draft NFL". YouTube. 2007-04-25. Retrieved 2014-02-04.
  33. ^ Chris Nguon, "Reluctant Poster Boy", The Daily Californian, November 18, 2005.
  34. ^ YouTube - Marshawn Lynch - The Mayne Event
  35. ^ Marshawn Lynch beats Eagles, eats Skittles, gets endorsement
  36. ^ "Roundup: Cardinals' Dockett fined $30K for tackles vs. Bengals". NFL.com. December 30, 2011.
  37. ^ ESPN Sport Science - Does Marshawn Lynch's fuel to Beast Mode really is Skittles?
  38. ^ "Super Bowl - Marshawn Lynch of Seattle Seahawks agrees to deal with Skittles - ESPN". Espn.go.com. 2014-01-28. Retrieved 2014-02-04.
  39. ^ "Video: Marshawn Lynch buys a Seahawks grill". MyNorthwest.com. March 6, 2012.
  40. ^ http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=3463965
  41. ^ "Marshawn Lynch of Seattle Seahawks to take DUI case to trial - ESPN". Espn.go.com. 2013-12-11. Retrieved 2014-02-04.
  42. ^ "Judge refuses to dismiss DUI case against Marshawn Lynch | ProFootballTalk". Profootballtalk.nbcsports.com. 2013-11-02. Retrieved 2014-02-04.
  43. ^ "Report:NFL fines Marshawn Lynch $50k for refusing to speak to media in 2013". Sports Illustrated. January 5, 2014.
  44. ^ "League says Lynch didn't win his appeal". NBC Sports. January 8, 2014.
  45. ^ "Marshawn Lynch says he has won appeal of $50000 fine".
  46. ^ "Lynch Signed for Entire Ride Interviews". The News Tribune.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Marshawn Lynch.

Template:2012 All-Pro Team

Template:Persondata

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Marshawn_Lynch&oldid=606194218"