John Lynch (American football)

John Lynch
refer to caption
Lynch at the 2008 Pro Bowl, during his time with the Denver Broncos.
San Francisco 49ers
Position: General manager
Personal information
Born: (1971-09-25) September 25, 1971
Hinsdale, Illinois
Height: 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
Weight: 220 lb (100 kg)
Career information
High school: Torrey Pines
(San Diego, California)
College: Stanford
NFL Draft: 1993 / Round: 3 / Pick: 82
Career history
As player:
 * Offseason and/or practice squad member only
As executive:
Career highlights and awards
Career NFL statistics
Tackles: 1,058
Quarterback sacks: 13.0
Interceptions: 26
Forced fumbles: 16
Player stats at NFL.com
Player stats at PFR

John Terrence Lynch Jr. (born September 25, 1971) is a former American football strong safety and the current general manager of the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Stanford University, and was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the third round of the 1993 NFL Draft.

A nine-time Pro Bowl selection, Lynch earned a Super Bowl ring with the Buccaneers in Super Bowl XXXVII. He also spent four seasons with the Denver Broncos before retiring in 2008. After the end of his playing career, Lynch worked in the broadcasting booth as a color commentator for NFL on Fox games, and remained doing so until his hiring as the general manager of the 49ers in 2017.

Early years

Lynch was born in Hinsdale, Illinois. He attended Torrey Pines High School in the Carmel Valley/Del Mar area of San Diego, California, where he played football, baseball and basketball.

College career

Lynch starred in baseball and football at Stanford University. He played football under head coach Dennis Green and played his senior season under Bill Walsh. Lynch began his football career at Stanford as a backup quarterback, but transitioned to safety before his junior season. Lynch planned on pursuing baseball after he was drafted by the Florida Marlins and head coach Dennis Green accepted the head Coaching position with the Minnesota Vikings in 1992. Bill Walsh was hired as Stanford's new head coach and called Lynch in order to convince him to return for his senior season.[1]

Baseball career

Lynch was drafted as a right-handed pitcher by the Florida Marlins in the second round (66th overall) of the 1992 Major League Baseball draft. He threw the first pitch in the organization's history as a member of the Erie Sailors; thus, his jersey with the Sailors is in the Baseball Hall of Fame.[2] He played two seasons in the minor leagues with the Sailors and the Kane County Cougars, starting nine games and going 1–3 with a 2.35 earned run average.[3]

Football career

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. When he arrived, the Buccaneers were among the worst teams in the league; his first three years were the last of a record stretch of 10-loss seasons. However, he was a key player on the aggressive Tampa 2 defenses of the late 1990s and early 2000s. In 2002, Lynch collected a Super Bowl ring in Super Bowl XXXVII with the Bucs.

Lynch was released by the Buccaneers following the 2003 season for salary cap reasons.[4]

Denver Broncos

Lynch signed a free agent contract with the Denver Broncos prior to the 2004 season, despite being courted by the two-time defending Super Bowl Champion New England Patriots.[5]

In the 2005 season, Lynch nearly made his second Super Bowl after the Broncos defeated the Patriots in the Divisional Round. But they lost to the Steelers in the AFC Championship Game.

Lynch served as the Broncos defensive captain in 2006 and 2007. On July 31, 2008, Lynch was granted his release by the Broncos.[6] Lynch said in a news conference that his lack of playing time heading into this season was a reason for his departure.[7]

New England Patriots

Lynch visited with the New England Patriots on August 13, 2008,[8] then agreed to a 1-year deal worth $1.5 million.[9] However, on September 1, 2008, Lynch was released from the team.[10]

Retirement and broadcasting career

On November 17, 2008, Lynch officially announced his retirement from football. Six days later, he joined NFL on Fox in the broadcasting booth as a color commentator, and was paired with Chris Rose and Kevin Burkhardt.

Lynch was inducted into the Broncos Ring of Fame in a ceremony at Sports Authority Field at Mile High in October 2016.[11] One month later, he was inducted into the Buccaneers Ring of Honor in a ceremony at Raymond James Stadium in November 2016.[12]

San Francisco 49ers

On January 29, 2017, Lynch was named the general manager of the San Francisco 49ers.[13][14][15]

NFL statistics

Year Team Games Tackles Fumbles Interceptions
CombTacklesAstSacksFFFRYardsIntYardsAvgLongTDPD
1993TB1510910.0100000002
1994TB16161150.0000000000
1995TB93827110.0000331305
1996TB1610071291.021032692509
1997TB1611074360.0120228142802
1998TB158550352.0110229151707
1999TB1611680360.5100232162809
2000TB168556291.0020343143608
2001TB168762251.011032171507
2002TB156441230.0000300008
2003TB147250220.500021891808
2004DEN156447172.0300122208
2005DEN166144174.0400221108
2006DEN168459250.0210000005
2007DEN135946131.0000000003
Career2241,05172732413.0168026204836089

[16]

Personal life

Lynch is married to Linda Allred, the older sister of his close friend and former NFL tight end John Allred. He and Allred had a run-in during a 1997 NFL game that resulted in Allred almost getting knocked out from a hit.[17] His father, John Lynch Sr., is a retired radio executive in San Diego, a founder of the sports talk station XEPRS-AM 1090.

References

  1. ↑ "Bill Walsh Steered John Lynch Away From Baseball". baseballamerica.com. Retrieved September 15, 2018.
  2. ↑ Saccomano, Jim (Jun 5, 2016). "Sundays with Sacco: John Lynch's unique place in baseball". NFL.com. Retrieved March 3, 2017.
  3. ↑ "John Lynch Minor League Statistics". Baseball Reference. Retrieved March 3, 2017.
  4. ↑ "Lynch's 11-year run in Tampa ends". Sports.espn.go.com. March 12, 2004. Retrieved 2008-11-28.
  5. ↑ Reiss, Mike (August 14, 2008). "Patriots sign Lynch". The Boston Globe. Retrieved 2008-11-28.
  6. ↑ Williamson, Bill (July 31, 2008). "Lynch leaves Broncos, weighs options on and off field". ESPN.com. Retrieved 2008-11-28.
  7. ↑ Sidener, Drew (July 31, 2008). "Broncos make it official, release John Lynch". 9news.com. K-USA NBC. Archived from the original on July 3, 2012. Retrieved 2008-11-28.
  8. ↑ Reiss, Mike (August 13, 2008). "Patriots hosting John Lynch". Boston.com. The Boston Globe. Retrieved 2008-11-28.
  9. ↑ "Lynch getting acclimated to life with Patriots". =NFL.com. August 17, 2008. Retrieved 2008-11-28.
  10. ↑ "Patriots cut Lynch, Jackson; add six to practice squad". NFL.com. September 2, 2008. Retrieved 2008-11-28.
  11. ↑ Klis, Mike (October 23, 2016). "John Lynch had four-year Ring of Fame stay in Denver". 9news.com. Denver: KUSA TV. Retrieved August 31, 2018.
  12. ↑ Philipse, Sander (November 3, 2016). "John Lynch inducted into Buccaneers Ring of Honor". BucsNation.com. SB Nation. Retrieved August 31, 2018.
  13. ↑ "San Francisco 49ers hire John Lynch as GM, bring back Matt Millen memories". Retrieved January 30, 2017.
  14. ↑ "John Lynch Named General Manager of the San Francisco 49ers". 49ers.com. Retrieved January 30, 2017.
  15. ↑ Orr, Conor. "San Francisco 49ers name John Lynch general manager". NFL.com. Retrieved January 30, 2017.
  16. ↑ "John Lynch Stats". ESPN Internet Ventures. Retrieved 8 April 2014.
  17. ↑ Lynch, John (November 24, 2011). "Ravens must make QB beat them". FoxSports.com. Fox Sports. Retrieved 2012-03-26.
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