Richard Seymour

Richard Vershaun Seymour (born October 6, 1979) is an American former professional football player who was a defensive end in the National Football League (NFL), primarily with the New England Patriots.

Seymour attended the University of Georgia, where he played for the Bulldogs from 1997 to 2000.

He was part of a defensive line that consisted of four future first-round draft picks: Seymour, former Jacksonville Jaguars defensive tackle Marcus Stroud, New Orleans Saints defensive end Charles Grant, and former Patriots teammate Johnathan Sullivan.

A housing and consumer economics major, Seymour was a four-year letterman at Georgia who played in 41 games for the Bulldogs, starting 25.

He finished his career with 223 tackles (106 solos), 9.5 sacks, 25.5 tackles for losses and 35 quarterback pressures.

Seymour appeared in nine games during his 1997 freshman year at right defensive tackle, made two tackles and had a quarterback pressure.

He also appeared in every game in 1998 as a sophomore and made 4 starts, finishing fourth on the team with 69 tackles (32 solos), 4 sacks and 14 quarterback pressures.

He was a first-team All-Southeastern Conference selection in 1999 and 2000.

As a senior, Seymour was named a first-team All-American by the American Football Coaches Association and Walter Camp Football Foundation.

In 1999, as a junior, Seymour started all 11 games at right defensive tackle and led the team with 74 tackles (38 solos), including 10 tackles-for-loss, four sacks and seven quarterback pressures.

He also intercepted a pass.

He was named SEC defensive player of the week for his performance against the South Carolina Gamecocks.

In that contest he collected six tackles (5 solos), including a pair of sacks, three stops for minus 12 yards and a pressure that resulted in an interception in a 24-6 victory.

As a senior, Seymour started ten games at right defensive tackle, recording 78 tackles (35 solos) and a team-leading 10.5 tackles for loss, and 1-1/2 sacks plus 13 quarterback pressures.

He earned SEC player of the week honors following his performance versus the Tennessee Volunteers.

He played college football for the Georgia Bulldogs, and was drafted by the Patriots sixth overall in the 2001 NFL draft.

Seymour played in seven Pro Bowls, was named to five All-Pro teams, and was a member of three Super Bowl-winning Patriots teams.

During his career, Seymour was considered to be one of the best defensive linemen in the NFL.

Seymour was elected into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2022.

Seymour was selected to the Pro Bowl both as a 3-4 defensive end and as a 4-3 defensive tackle.

He occasionally played fullback on short yardage and goal line situations.

Seymour was drafted by the Patriots in the first round (sixth overall) of the 2001 NFL draft.

On July 24, 2001, the Patriots signed Seymour to a six-year, $14.3 million contract.

He played in 13 games in his 2001 rookie season, starting 10 of them, amassing three sacks mainly as a 4-3 defensive tackle.

Seymour missed the season opener against the Cincinnati Bengals as well as two late October games with a leg injury.

In Super Bowl XXXVI, Seymour started at defensive tackle and earned a Super Bowl ring for the Patriots' victory over the St. Louis Rams.

The 2002 season saw Seymour starting all 16 games at 4-3 defensive tackle in his second season in the NFL, collecting 5.5 sacks and an interception en route to his first Pro Bowl appearance.

Seymour also had a presence on special teams, blocking field goals in back-to-back November games against the Oakland Raiders and Minnesota Vikings.

With the Patriots defense moving to a 3-4 in 2003, Seymour moved outside to defensive end in the scheme and was also named a defensive team captain for the first time in his career.

Despite missing a game against the Denver Broncos in October due to a leg injury, Seymour finished with a career-high eight sacks and 57 tackles in 15 games played (14 starts).

He was twice named AFC Special Teams Player of the Week, after blocked field goals against the Miami Dolphins in Week 7 and the Tennessee Titans in the divisional playoffs.

Seymour and the Patriots would go to win their second championship in three years, defeating the Carolina Panthers in Super Bowl XXXVIII.

Seymour was elected to the 2004 Pro Bowl and was a first-team All-Pro selection following the season.

Seymour started all 15 games he played in during the 2004 season, but missed the final regular season and first two playoff games against the Indianapolis Colts and Pittsburgh Steelers after injuring the MCL in his right knee in Week 16.

He also recorded the first touchdown of his career on a 68-yard fumble return against the Buffalo Bills in Week 4.

Seymour's tackle and sack numbers dipped slightly from the previous season to 39 tackles and five sacks, but he was still named to his third consecutive Pro Bowl and was again a first-team All-Pro choice.

However, it was stopped when he suffered a knee injury on a one-yard Corey Dillon touchdown run against the San Diego Chargers in October 2005.

After his football career, he became a professional poker player.

At Lower Richland High School in Hopkins, South Carolina, Seymour won first team All-Region honors, first team all-area honor.

As a senior, he was voted the team's best defensive lineman, was a team captain, won an All-Area Player of the Week award, led his team to four All-Area Team of the Week honors, and finished the season with 8 sacks and 83 tackles.