Marshawn Lynch
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 Lynch in the 2005 Las Vegas Bowl |
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| Buffalo Bills — No. 23 | |
| Running back | |
| Date of birth: April 22, 1986 | |
| Place of birth: Oakland, California | |
| Height: 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) | Weight: 215 lb (98 kg) |
| National Football League debut | |
|---|---|
| 2007 for the Buffalo Bills | |
| Career history | |
| College: California | |
| NFL Draft: 2007 / Round: 1 / Pick: 12 | |
Teams:
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| Career highlights and awards | |
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| Selected NFL statistics (through Week 17 of the 2007 NFL season) |
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| Rushing yards | 1,115 |
| Rushing average | 4.0 |
| Rushing TDs | 7 |
| Stats at NFL.com | |
Marshawn Lynch (born April 22, 1986, in Oakland, California) is an American football running back who currently plays for the Buffalo Bills of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Bills in the first round (12th overall) of the 2007 NFL Draft. Lynch was the Bills' first 1,000 yard rookie rusher since Greg Bell in 1984.[1] 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.[2] Lynch holds the school record for most 100 yard rushing games at 17.[3]
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[edit] Early years
Lynch attended Oakland Technical High School. In his 2004 season, Lynch was voted a PrepStar and SuperPrep All-American and was also voted as the San Francisco East Bay Player of the Year in which he amassed 1,722 rushing yards and 23 touchdowns in only 8 regular season games, and an additional 375 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns in 2 post-season games. In addition to being a star football player, Lynch was also an excellent track sprinter and played on Oakland Tech's basketball team beside former Cal star and current Boston Celtics forward Leon Powe.
Marshawn also played defensive back in high school, accumulating 20 interceptions his senior year. His coaches put him at defensive end for one game, and he had 3 forced fumbles. 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 also played some quarterback and wide receiver in high school.[4]
Lynch ended his high school career as the 2004 No. 2 running back in the nation behind Adrian Peterson by Rivals.com.
[edit] 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 2 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 3 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.[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, which he said was his favorite career highlight, after which Lynch spontaneously drove around the football field in an injury cart, pretending to ghost ride (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UqMsT_2teus&mode=related&search=).
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 2 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.
On January 2, 2007, Lynch announced he would forgo his senior season and entered the NFL draft.[8]
[edit] Career Statistics
- Statistics up to date as of December 28, 2006. College statistics from CalBears.com[9][10] and ESPN.com[11].
[edit] Rushing
| 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 | 3,230 | 6.6 | 71 | 29 | |
[edit] Receiving
| 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 | |
[edit] Kick Returns
| 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 | |
[edit] NFL career
[edit] 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.
| Pre-draft measureables | |||||||||
| Wt | 40y | 20ss | 3-cone | Vert | BP | Wonderlic | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 215 lb* | 4.44s* | 4.58s* | 7.09s* | 35.5 in* | 20*[12] | 14* | |||
(* represents NFL Combine)
[edit] Buffalo Bills
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, 2007, 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.[13]
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 season game 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.[14] 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 mark, and the first since Greg Bell in 1984.[15] He finished a successful rookie season with 1,115 total rushing yards and seven touchdowns.
[edit] Personal
Lynch's cousin is former Cal wide receiver Robert Jordan of the San Francisco 49ers, who is also the cousin of JaMarcus Russell of the Oakland Raiders.
Lynch's uncle, Lorenzo Lynch, had an 11-year career in the NFL.[16] Lynch was nicknamed "Money" in college.[17]
Lynch has embraced the Buffalo community, in stark contrast to former Bills RB Willis McGahee, as noted by an interview with ESPN's Kenny Mayne.[18] 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. In the video, teammate Robert Royal states that "Marshawn has been a fresh of breath air."
In another video at a Nike football camp, Lynch coined the famous phrase "Beast Mode" used to express brute force and superhuman capabilities on the football field. Lynch also uses terms such as "Stupid Fast" and "Solid" to express is physical ability on the fooball field.
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.[19]
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.[20] 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.[21]
Lynch is currently under investigation for his involvement in a hit and run accident on May 31, 2008 in which his 2008 Porsche SUV struck and injured a female pedestrian in Buffalo before leaving the scene.[22][23]
[edit] References
- ^ Giants clinch playoff berth, beat Bills. Yahoo!. Retrieved on 2007-12-24.
- ^ Cal Player Profile
- ^ Cal School Records (note closeness of Lynch's stats to other school records)
- ^ The Best of the West RBs - Part I
- ^ http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/preview05/news/story?id=2140468 ESPN - Talented Lynch takes over starting role for Bears - College Football]
- ^ Cal Launches Website for Marshawn Lynch :: Heisman candidate is featured on www.Marshawn10.com
- ^ The awards are voted on by Pac-10 coaches. 2006 All Pac-10 team, scout.com, November 27, 2006.
- ^ Bear bids farewell Cal's Marshawn Lynch declares for NFL draft
- ^ Marshawn Lynch (HTML) (English). CalBears.com. Retrieved on 2006-09-24.
- ^ Player Bio Marshawn Lynch (HTML) (English). CalBears.com. Retrieved on 2006-09-24.
- ^ #10 Marshawn Lynch RB (HTML) (English). ESPN.com. Retrieved on 2006-09-24.
- ^ *Marshawn Lynch, RB, California - 2007 NFL Draft Scout Profile, Powered by The SportsXchange
- ^ Buffalo 33, Cincinnati 21. Yahoo!. Retrieved on 2008-01-17.
- ^ Inept Dolphins lose 13th straight, trounced by Bills 38-17. Yahoo!. Retrieved on 2007-12-09.
- ^ Giants clinch playoff berth, beat Bills. Yahoo!. Retrieved on 2007-12-24.
- ^ [http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/chronicle/archive/2005/08/28/SPG7IEE00O28.DTL CAL’S MARSHAWN LYNCH HAVING A FUN RUN Celebrated running back won't buy into the hype]
- ^ Reluctant Poster Boy Cal Tailback Marshawn Lynch Has Honors, Gaudy Stats and a Dynamic Style of Play That Makes Him Primed for the Spotlight—Only He Doesn’t Seem to Want It
- ^ YouTube - Marshawn Lynch - The Mayne Event
- ^ Drive-By Changes Graduation Plans At Oakland School
- ^ No charges against Cal football star Marshawn Lynch
- ^ Ex-Girlfriend’s Restraining Order Against Lynch Revoked
- ^ Police investigate hit-and-run accident involving vehicle owned by Bills running back Marshawn Lynch. The Buffalo News. Retrieved on 2008-06-09.
- ^ D.A. turns attention to passengers in Lynch’s SUV. Yahoo!. Retrieved on 2008-06-09.
[edit] External links
- Marshawn10.com: Cal's Website for Marshawn Lynch
- Official Cal Bears Homepage
- ESPN.com Player Card
- Marshawn Lynch News and Video at SportsUltra
- Sports Highlight Videos of Marshawn Lynch on mReplay
- Reluctant Poster Boy Cal Tailback Marshawn Lynch Has Honors, Gaudy Stats and a Dynamic Style of Play That Makes Him Primed for the Spotlight—Only He Doesn’t Seem to Want It
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