Dick Ambrose

Last updated

Dick Ambrose
No. 52
Position: Linebacker
Personal information
Born: (1953-01-17) January 17, 1953 (age 71)
New Rochelle, New York, U.S.
Height:6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)
Weight:235 lb (107 kg)
Career information
High school: Iona Prep (New Rochelle)
College: Virginia
NFL draft: 1975  / Round: 12 / Pick: 290
Career history
Career highlights and awards
Career NFL statistics
Games played:116
Interceptions:5
Fumbles recovered:9
Player stats at PFR

Richard John Ambrose (born January 17, 1953) is an American former professional football player who was a linebacker for nine seasons with the Cleveland Browns of the National Football League (NFL) from 1975 to 1983. During his playing days he was nicknamed "Bam-Bam", after the eponymous character from The Flintstones , for his tackling and physicality.

Contents

Ambrose played college football for the Virginia Cavaliers. After retiring from the NFL, he became an attorney and has been a judge of the Cuyahoga County Court of Common Pleas since 2004. [1]

Football career

A graduate of Iona Prep, Ambrose played college football at the University of Virginia and earned All-ACC (first-team) honors during his junior and senior seasons. [2] He graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Education from Virginia. In the 1975 NFL draft he was drafted by the Cleveland Browns in the 12th round (290th overall). [3]

Ambrose played ten seasons with the Cleveland Browns and was starting middle/right linebacker during the late 1970s to early 1980s before injuries curtailed his career. As a 12th-round pick, he would have been an undrafted free agent in the present day and was not considered to be a starter. He stepped in as an injury replacement and became starting middle linebacker despite being a rookie. [4] He was part of the 1980 team known as the "Kardiac Kids" which won the division title for the first time since 1971 but lost in the divisional playoffs by a mere two points to the Oakland Raiders. His final season (1984) was spent on the injured reserve list, prompting his eventual retirement. [5] He was popularly known as "Bam Bam" for his hard-nosed tackling and physical skills. The Plain Dealer ranked him number 94 in its special feature of the Browns' top 100 all-time greats. [6]

Ambrose began his legal studies while still playing football for the Cleveland Browns, graduating magna cum laude in 1987 from Cleveland State University College of Law. After graduating from Cleveland-Marshall, he joined the firm of McDonald Hopkins. He has also been associated with the firms of Chriszt McGarry Co. and Nicola Gudbranson and Cooper. He was the presiding judge in the trial of Anthony Sowell, the Cleveland serial killer who was found guilty on 82 charges. On August 12, 2011, Ambrose sentenced Sowell to death. [7]

Related Research Articles

Eric Barton is a former American football linebacker who played for twelve seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Maryland before he was drafted by the Oakland Raiders in the fifth round of the 1999 NFL Draft. He played for the Raiders from 1999 to 2003, the New York Jets from 2004 to 2008, and the Cleveland Browns from 2009 to 2010.

Nicholas David Speegle is a former American football linebacker. He played in the National Football League (NFL) with the Cleveland Browns from 2005 to 2006. Speegle played college football at the University of New Mexico.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mike Junkin</span> American football player (born 1964)

Michael Wayne Junkin is a former American football linebacker who played in the National Football League (NFL) for three seasons with the Cleveland Browns and the Kansas City Chiefs. He played in 20 games over the course of his NFL career.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kamerion Wimbley</span> American football player (born 1983)

Kamerion Wimbley is a former American football outside linebacker and defensive end in the National Football League (NFL). He was drafted by the Cleveland Browns in the first round of the 2006 NFL Draft with the 13th overall pick. He also played for the Oakland Raiders and Tennessee Titans before retiring in 2015. He played college football at Florida State University.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">D'Qwell Jackson</span> American football player (born 1983)

D'Qwell Jackson is an American former professional football player who was an inside linebacker for eleven seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Maryland Terrapins, and was selected by the Cleveland Browns in the second round of the 2006 NFL Draft. He also played for the Indianapolis Colts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Randy Starks</span> American football player and coach (born 1983)

Randolph Starks Jr. is an American football coach and former player. He is the head football coach at Eureka College in Eureka, Illinois, a position has held since 2024. Starks played professionally as a defensive end for 12 seasons, from 2004 to 2015, in the National Football League (NFL) with the Tennessee Titans, Miami Dolphins, and Cleveland Browns. He played college football for the Maryland Terrapins. Starks was selected by the Titans in the third round of the 2004 NFL Draft.

Michael Connan Johnson is an American former professional football player who was a linebacker for ten seasons in the National Football League (NFL), primarily with the Cleveland Browns. He played college football for the Virginia Tech Hokies. Johnson began his pro career in the United States Football League (USFL) for the Philadelphia/Baltimore Stars for two seasons.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chet Adams</span> American football player (1915–1990)

Chester Frank Adams was a professional American football tackle and placekicker who played ten seasons in the National Football League (NFL) and All-America Football Conference (AAFC), mainly with the Cleveland Rams and Cleveland Browns. He was selected to the NFL's All-Star game twice. In 1978, he was inducted into the Greater Cleveland Sports Hall of Fame.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">James Davis (running back)</span> American football player (born 1986)

James Andrew Davis is a former American football running back. He was selected by the Cleveland Browns in the sixth round of the 2009 NFL Draft. He played college football at Clemson. He has also been a member of the Washington Redskins and Houston Texans.

Francis Michael Stams is a former American football defensive lineman who played at the University of Notre Dame. He played on the 1988 National Championship team. He would later play in the National Football League (NFL), where he was converted to linebacker. He was drafted in the second round of the 1989 NFL Draft by the Los Angeles Rams.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Richard F. Gallagher</span> American football player, coach, and executive; basketball coach; baseball coach

Richard F. Gallagher was a baseball, basketball and American football coach and administrator who served as an assistant with the Cleveland Browns and Chicago Cardinals of the National Football League (NFL) in the 1940s and 1950s. Gallagher also coached at high schools in his native Ohio and was the head baseball and basketball coach at the College of William & Mary in Virginia from 1946 to 1947. He spent three years as head football coach at Santa Clara University in California in the early 1950s, and ended his career by becoming the general manager of the Buffalo Bills and later the director of the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tommy Thompson (linebacker)</span> American football player (1927–1990)

Thomas Wright Thompson was an American football linebacker and center who played for the Cleveland Browns in the All-America Football Conference (AAFC) and the National Football League (NFL) in the late 1940s and early 1950s. He played college football at the College of William & Mary in Virginia.

Everette D. Brown is an American football coach and former linebacker who is currently the assistant linebackers coach for the Carolina Panthers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Florida State and was drafted by the Carolina Panthers in second round of the 2009 NFL Draft. Brown also played for the San Diego Chargers, Detroit Lions, Philadelphia Eagles, Dallas Cowboys, and Washington Redskins.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Larry Asante</span> American football player (born 1988)

Larry Gibbs Asante is a former American football safety. He was selected by the Cleveland Browns in the fifth round of the 2010 NFL Draft. He played college football at Nebraska.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bill Lund</span> American football player (1924–2008)

William Harold Lund was a professional American football halfback who played two seasons for the Cleveland Browns in the All-America Football Conference (AAFC).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ed Ulinski</span> American football player (1919–2006)

Edward Franklin Ulinski was a professional American football guard who played four seasons for the Cleveland Browns in the All-America Football Conference (AAFC) and went on to a career as an assistant coach for the Browns that lasted more than three decades.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hayes Pullard</span> American football player and coach (born 1992)

Hayes Joseph "HP" Pullard III is an American football coach and former inside linebacker who is currently a defensive assistant for the New York Jets of the National Football League (NFL). He was previously a quality control analyst for the USC Trojans, where he played college football. He was selected by the Cleveland Browns in the seventh round of the 2015 NFL draft, and was also a member of the Jacksonville Jaguars, Los Angeles Chargers, Arizona Cardinals, and Philadelphia Eagles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dominique Alexander</span> American football player (born 1995)

Dominique E'Shay Alexander is an American football linebacker who is currently a free agent. He played college football at Oklahoma. He signed with the Cleveland Browns as an undrafted free agent in 2016.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wyatt Teller</span> American football player (born 1994)

Wyatt Teller is an American football guard for the Cleveland Browns of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Virginia Tech.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah</span> American football player (born 1999)

Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah is an American football linebacker for the Cleveland Browns of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Notre Dame, where he won the Butkus Award and was named the ACC Defensive Player of the Year and a unanimous All-American as a senior in 2020. Owusu-Koramoah was selected by the Browns in the second round of the 2021 NFL Draft.

References

  1. ↑ "Judge Dick Ambrose". Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court. Archived from the original on March 31, 2016. Retrieved January 3, 2012.
  2. ↑ "UVa Football: All-ACC". University of Virginia Athletics.
  3. ↑ "Virginia Football: Cavs in the NFL Draft". University of Virginia Athletics.
  4. ↑ "Browns Insider: Dick Ambrose Interview". clevelandbrowns.com. May 12, 2011.
  5. ↑ "Where Are They Now? - Dick Ambrose". clevelandbrowns.com.
  6. ↑ "Cleveland Browns' 100 best all-time players: No. 94". The Plain Dealer. August 4, 2012.
  7. ↑ Scott, Michael (August 12, 2011). "Anthony Sowell to die for murders of 11 women; judge accepts jury's advice". Cleveland, Ohio: The Plain Dealer . Retrieved January 3, 2012.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.