Eugene Lockhart

Last updated
Eugene Lockhart
No. 56, 51
Position: Linebacker
Personal information
Born: (1961-03-07) March 7, 1961 (age 62)
Crockett, Texas, U.S.
Height:6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
Weight:228 lb (103 kg)
Career information
High school: Crockett High School (Crockett, Texas)
College: Houston
NFL Draft: 1984  / Round: 6 / Pick: 152
Career history
Career highlights and awards
Career NFL statistics
Games played:136
Tackles:1,001
Sacks:16
Interceptions:6
Touchdowns:1
Player stats at NFL.com  ·  PFR

Eugene Lockhart, Jr. (born March 7, 1961) is a former American football linebacker in the National Football League (NFL) for the Dallas Cowboys and New England Patriots. He played college football at the University of Houston and was drafted in the sixth round of the 1984 NFL Draft.

Contents

Early days

Lockhart attended Crockett High School and became a two-year starting linebacker for the University of Houston during the 1982 and 1983 seasons.

In 1983, Lockhart was named tri-captain of the Cougars football team. He led the team with 134 tackles, was named second-team All Southwest Conference by UPI and was voted the team's most valuable player. Lockhart graduated with a degree in marketing.

Professional career

Dallas Cowboys

Lockhart was selected by the Dallas Cowboys in the sixth round (152nd overall) of the 1984 NFL Draft. He was also selected by the Houston Gamblers in the 1984 USFL Territorial Draft.

Lockhart became the first rookie in Cowboys history to start at middle linebacker, when Bob Breunig went down with a back injury during the first half of the season. After Breunig retired at the end of the year, he became just the fourth player in Cowboys' history to have held that position on a regular basis. After leading the team with 86 tackles (49 solo), Lockhart was named to the 1984 NFL All-Rookie team. [1]

In 1985, in his first full season as a starter, he led the team in tackles (128), fumble recoveries (4) and forced fumbles (3). In 1986, he led the team with 121 tackles, 77 of them solo and had a career-high 5 sacks. In 1988, he led the team with 121 tackles, 72 of them solo, while registering 3 passes deflected and 2 fumble recoveries.

In Dallas, his punishing hits earned him the nickname "Mean Gene, the hitting machine". Lockhart led the team in tackles in four of his seven years with the Cowboys and contributed with more than 100 tackles in every season except 1987, when he registered 80 tackles (52 solo), after suffering a fractured right fibula and missing the last 3 games.

In 1989, he led the NFL and set a club record with 222 tackles, while also leading the team in interceptions (2) and the linebackers in passes deflected (8). He also set club records with 154 solo tackles, 16 double-digit tackle games and 16 solo tackles in a game against the Phoenix Cardinals (10-29-1989). He did not make the Pro Bowl that year, but he was named to the 1989 All-Pro first-team and was a bright spot on an otherwise dismal 1–15 team. In 1990, he led the team with 139 tackles (72 solo).

Lockhart played for the Cowboys during a low point in the franchise's history. He was one of the few standout players on otherwise lackluster teams, which eventually cost him a chance to earn Pro Bowl honors and other accolades. He finished his Cowboys career with 897 tackles and second-team All-Pro honors.

Head coach Jimmy Johnson's system favored more agile linebackers, so Lockhart was traded to the New England Patriots on April 19, 1991. In exchange for the first overall draft pick of the 1991 NFL Draft (Russell Maryland), he was traded to the Patriots along with cornerback Ron Francis, linebacker David Howard, a 1991 first round pick (#11 Pat Harlow), and a 1991 second round pick (#41 Jerome Henderson). [2] While cleaning out his locker, he was quoted saying, "It's a cold business — a cold, cold business, and it's even colder in New England."

New England Patriots

In 1991, he had 42 solo tackles, 64 total, which was fourth on the team. The next year, he played in 16 games (8 starts) and finished fourth on the team with 70 tackles (42 solo). He was waived on August 30, 1993. [3]

Lockhart played in the NFL for 9 seasons (7 with the Cowboys, 2 with the Patriots), started 117 games, recorded over 1,001 tackles, 16 sacks and 6 interceptions (1 returned for a TD). [4]

Personal life

Starting in 1998, Lockhart has run an annual turkey giveaway program in his hometown of Crockett. [5]

In 2009, Lockhart and eight others were indicted on federal charges of organizing a $20 million mortgage fraud scheme in the Dallas, Texas, area. In late 2012, Lockhart was convicted and sentenced to 54 months in prison for the fraud. [6] In November 2014, representing himself in court, he lost an appeal to reduce restitution garnishment from his pension. [7] He also filed a lawsuit seeking $80,000 in damages due to allegedly substandard medical care he received during incarceration. [8] He was released in May 2015 after serving about three years of his sentence and was required to complete about two years' probation. [9]

Related Research Articles

Charles Lewis Haley is an American former professional football player who played in the National Football League (NFL) for the San Francisco 49ers and Dallas Cowboys (1992–1996).

William Dexter Coakley is an American former professional football linebacker who played for ten seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football in Division I-AA for the Appalachian State Mountaineers, and was selected in the third round of the 1997 NFL Draft by the Dallas Cowboys. Coakley was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame in 2011, making him Appalachian State's first inductee.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bradie James</span> American football player (born 1981)

Bradie Gene James is a former American football linebacker in the National Football League (NFL) for the Dallas Cowboys and the Houston Texans. He played college football at Louisiana State University.

Scott Allen Shanle is a former American football linebacker in the National Football League (NFL) for the St. Louis Rams, Dallas Cowboys and New Orleans Saints. He played college football at the University of Nebraska.

Kevin Lamont Hardy is an American former professional football player who was a linebacker in the National Football League (NFL) for the Jacksonville Jaguars, Dallas Cowboys, and Cincinnati Bengals. He played college football for the Illinois Fighting Illini.

Markus Steele is a former American football linebacker in the National Football League (NFL) for the Dallas Cowboys. He played college football at the University of Southern California.

Robert Lee Jones is an American former professional football player who was a linebacker in the National Football League (NFL) for the Dallas Cowboys, St. Louis Rams, Miami Dolphins, and Washington Redskins. He played college football for the East Carolina Pirates football, earning consensus All-American honors. He was selected by Dallas in the first round of the 1992 NFL Draft with the 24th overall pick.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Darrin Smith</span> American football player (born 1970)

Darrin Andrew Smith is an American former professional football player who was a linebacker in the National Football League (NFL) for the Dallas Cowboys, Philadelphia Eagles, Seattle Seahawks and New Orleans Saints. He played college football for the Miami Hurricanes.

Fredrick William Strickland, Jr. is a former American football linebacker in the National Football League (NFL) for the Los Angeles Rams, Minnesota Vikings, Green Bay Packers, Dallas Cowboys and Washington Redskins. He played college football at Purdue University.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mike Hegman</span> American football player (born 1953)

Michael William Hegman is a former American football linebacker who played professionally in the National Football League (NFL) for the Dallas Cowboys. He played college football at Tennessee State University.

Orantes Laquay Grant is a former American football linebacker in the National Football League (NFL) for the Dallas Cowboys, Washington Redskins and Cleveland Browns. He was drafted by the Cowboys in the seventh round of the 2000 NFL Draft. He played college football at the University of Georgia.

David Howard is a former American football linebacker in the National Football League (NFL) for the Minnesota Vikings, Dallas Cowboys and New England Patriots. He also was a member of the Los Angeles Express in the United States Football League. He played college football at Long Beach State University.

Jesse William Solomon is a former American football linebacker in the National Football League (NFL) for the Minnesota Vikings, Dallas Cowboys, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Atlanta Falcons, and Miami Dolphins. He played college football at Florida State University.

Ronald Bernard Francis is a former American football cornerback in the National Football League (NFL) for the Dallas Cowboys. He played college football at Baylor University.

Christopher E. Bordano is a former American football linebacker in the National Football League for the New Orleans Saints and Atlanta Falcons. He played college football at Southern Methodist University.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jordan Hicks</span> American football player (born 1992)

Jordan Hicks is an American football linebacker for the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League (NFL). He has also played for the Philadelphia Eagles, with whom he won a Super Bowl ring in 2018, and the Arizona Cardinals. He played college football at Texas.

Alan Raul Campos is a former American football linebacker in the National Football League for the Dallas Cowboys. He played college football at the University of Louisville.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Micah Parsons</span> American football player (born 1999)

Micah Aaron Parsons is an American football linebacker for the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League (NFL). Parsons played college football at Penn State, where he was named a consensus All-American, the Butkus–Fitzgerald Linebacker of the Year, and the Cotton Bowl Defensive MVP as a sophomore in 2019, before being selected by the Cowboys in the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft. Parsons was named the NFL's Defensive Rookie of the Year following the 2021 season.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Leighton Vander Esch</span> American football player (born 1996)

Leighton Vander Esch is an American football linebacker for the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Boise State, and was drafted by the Cowboys in the first round of the 2018 NFL Draft.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Matt Eberflus</span> American football player and coach (born 1970)

Matthew Charles Eberflus is an American football coach who is the head coach for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League (NFL). He previously served as the defensive coordinator for the Indianapolis Colts from 2018 to 2021. He previously worked as the linebacker coach for the Cleveland Browns and Dallas Cowboys, and has coached at Toledo and Missouri.

References

  1. ↑ "Lipps heads all-rookie squad" . Retrieved February 19, 2023.
  2. ↑ "Pats receive Lockhart" . Retrieved February 19, 2023.
  3. ↑ "NFL transactions Archived copy". Archived from the original on July 24, 2015. Retrieved February 19, 2023.
  4. ↑ "You have to look quickly to appreciate Rice's talent" . Retrieved February 19, 2023.
  5. ↑ White, Jan (November 28, 2021). "Lockhart Foundation Distributes Turkeys". East Texas News.
  6. ↑ "Former Dallas Cowboys linebacker Eugene Lockhart gets 54 months in $20 million mortgage fraud case". Dallas News. 12 December 2012. Retrieved February 19, 2017.
  7. ↑ McBride, Jim (November 25, 2014). "Ex-Cowboy "Mean Gene" Lockhart loses appeal". Amarillo Globe-News.
  8. ↑ "Ex-Dallas Cowboy Eugene Lockhart claims medical mistreatment while in federal prison (in 2011)". 7 January 2014. Retrieved February 19, 2023.
  9. ↑ "Former Dallas Cowboy out of prison after serving 3 years for mortgage fraud". 22 May 2015. Retrieved February 19, 2023.


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.