No. 65, 56 | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Position: | Center | ||||
Personal information | |||||
Born: | Mount Kisco, New York, U.S. | August 8, 1985||||
Height: | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) | ||||
Career information | |||||
High school: | Greenwich (Greenwich, Connecticut) | ||||
College: | Notre Dame | ||||
NFL Draft: | 2008 / Round: 6 / Pick: 187 | ||||
Career history | |||||
Career highlights and awards | |||||
Career NFL statistics | |||||
| |||||
Player stats at NFL.com · PFR |
John Sullivan (born August 8, 1985) is a former American football center. He played college football at Notre Dame and was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in the sixth round of the 2008 NFL Draft, later playing for the Washington Redskins and Los Angeles Rams.
Sullivan was born in Mount Kisco, New York, but grew up in Old Greenwich, Connecticut. He attended Greenwich High School in Greenwich, the same high school that produced former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Steve Young. There, Sullivan was a Parade and Super Prep All-American, as well as USA Today and ESPN.com second-team prep All-American. He was also named Gatorade Player of the Year in Connecticut.[ citation needed ] Sullivan was originally an Offensive Tackle as a freshman at Greenwich High School but was then converted to center after the starting center came down with the flu. He was a starter at center during the final three seasons, but also played as a defensive tackle on defense. He was named offensive MVP by the Connecticut Post. In 2002, he helped lead his team to a 12-1-1 mark, including a league title and a spot in Connecticut Class LL title game; for the season, he collected 20 tackles for loss and 12 sacks on defense. He was invited to play in the U.S. Army All-American Bowl in San Antonio, Texas. [1] [ failed verification ]
In addition to football, Sullivan achieved a 138-6 record as a heavyweight wrestler, winning the state championship as a sophomore, junior and senior. In 2002, he finished second in the Heavyweight Division of the New England High School Wrestling Championships. In 2003, he placed seventh and earned All-America honors at the national wrestling meet. He was also a standout water polo player and also played rugby.[ citation needed ]
He was regarded as a four-star recruit by Rivals.com. He was rated 61st on the ESPN list of the nation's top 100 prep players, and was also rated number-14 among offensive linemen nationally by CBSSports.com. He chose Notre Dame over scholarship offers from Miami, Boston College and Michigan, among others. [2]
Sullivan received an athletic scholarship to attend the University of Notre Dame, where he played for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team from 2004 to 2007.
Height | Weight | 40-yard dash | 10-yard split | 20-yard split | 20-yard shuttle | Three-cone drill | Vertical jump | Broad jump | Bench press | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
6 ft 3+1⁄2 in (1.92 m) | 301 lb (137 kg) | 5.35 s | 1.80 s | 3.03 s | 4.55 s | 7.62 s | 30 in (0.76 m) | 8 ft 7 in (2.62 m) | 21 reps | |||
All values from NFL Combine. [3] |
Sullivan went into the 2008 NFL Draft as a fifth-year senior. Although his physical attributes were less than many in his position, he was rated as the fourth-best center in the draft, projected to be picked in the third or fourth round. [4] [5] The first four rounds passed with fellow centers Mike Pollak, Cody Wallace and Kory Lichtensteiger all selected ahead of Sullivan. He was eventually selected by the Minnesota Vikings with the 21st pick of the sixth round (187th overall). [6] [7]
After spending a year as backup to starting center Matt Birk, Sullivan was promoted to the starting position after Birk joined the Baltimore Ravens as a free agent in 2009. That year, he started every game as the Vikings and their new quarterback Brett Favre improved their offensive ranking to No. 5 in the league (No. 8 in passing). The following year, he struggled with a calf injury and missed back-to-back games away to the New York Jets and at home to the Dallas Cowboys, with Ryan Cook and Jon Cooper respectively filling in. He missed one more game in 2011, a Week 7 matchup against the Green Bay Packers in which Joe Berger took his place. As a reward for his efforts, Sullivan was given a five-year, $25 million contract extension by the Vikings on December 17, 2011. [8]
The following season, he anchored the Vikings' offensive line as they provided the platform for RB Adrian Peterson to reach 2,097 rushing yards for the season, eight yards short of the single-season record held by Eric Dickerson. His performances throughout the season saw him named in the Pro Football Writers Association's All-Pro team; [9] nevertheless, he missed the cut for the Pro Bowl, the center spot going to Max Unger of the Seattle Seahawks. Following the Vikings' elimination from the playoffs Sullivan underwent microfracture surgery on his left knee. [10]
On August 30, 2016, Sullivan was released by the Vikings. [11]
On September 27, 2016, Sullivan signed with the Washington Redskins. [12]
On April 5, 2017, Sullivan signed with the Los Angeles Rams. [13] He started 15 games at center for the Rams in 2017.
On March 16, 2018, Sullivan signed a two-year contract with the Rams. [14] In 2018, Sullivan started all 16 games and helped the Rams reach Super Bowl LIII after they defeated the Dallas Cowboys in the divisional round and the New Orleans Saints in the NFC Championship Game. The Rams lost to the New England Patriots in the Super Bowl. On March 5, 2019, the Rams declined the option on Sullivan's contract, making him an unrestricted free agent. [15]
Richard Joseph Gannon is an American former football quarterback who played 18 seasons in the National Football League (NFL). Subsequently, he was a sports commentator with CBS Sports for 16 years.
Joey Matthew Browner is an American former professional football player who played as a safety in the National Football League (NFL) for the Minnesota Vikings from 1983 to 1991 and for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 1992. Browner played college football for the USC Trojans.
James Bradley Johnson is an American former professional football player who was a quarterback for 17 season in the National Football League (NFL), Johnson played for the Minnesota Vikings, Washington Redskins, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and Dallas Cowboys. He is best known for his time with the Buccaneers, whom he led to their Super Bowl XXXVII title over the Oakland Raiders.
Russell Scott Grimm is an American former professional football player who was a guard for the Washington Redskins of the National Football League (NFL). He has also served as an assistant coach for the Redskins, Pittsburgh Steelers, Arizona Cardinals, and Tennessee Titans. As a professional, Grimm had multiple selections to both the All-Pro and Pro Bowl teams, and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2010. Grimm played 11 seasons for the Redskins and was a first-team selection to the NFL 1980s All-Decade Team.
Andrew Robert Heck is an American football coach and former player. He is the offensive line coach for the Kansas City Chiefs. He played tackle in the National Football League (NFL) for twelve seasons. He was drafted in the 1989 NFL Draft with the 15th overall selection in the first round by the Seattle Seahawks He played college football at the University of Notre Dame. He also played for the Chicago Bears and Washington Redskins.
Lorenzo Adarryll Booker is a former American football running back. He was drafted by the Miami Dolphins in the third round of the 2007 NFL Draft. He played college football at Florida State.
James Richard "Jungle Jim" Martin was an American football guard, linebacker and placekicker who played fourteen seasons in the National Football League (NFL) in the 1950s and 1960s, mainly for the Detroit Lions. He was selected to the Pro Bowl, the NFL's all-star game, after the 1961 season, and went on to be an assistant coach after his playing career. He was an All-American at the University of Notre Dame and was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1995.
Samuel Jacob Bradford is an American former professional football player who was a quarterback for nine seasons in the National Football League (NFL), most notably with the St. Louis Rams and Minnesota Vikings. He was also a member of the Philadelphia Eagles and Arizona Cardinals. Bradford attended Putnam City North High School in Oklahoma City, where he starred in football, basketball and golf. As a senior quarterback in 2005, he threw for 2,029 yards and 17 touchdowns in 12 games. Bradford was not highly recruited coming out of high school, but he did receive a scholarship offer from the University of Oklahoma, which he accepted. After a redshirt season in 2006, Bradford threw for 3,121 yards and 36 touchdowns as a redshirt freshman with the Oklahoma Sooners. In 2008, Bradford became only the second sophomore to win the Heisman Trophy as he led the highest-scoring offense in NCAA history, passing for 4,720 yards with 50 touchdowns and just eight interceptions. He again led the nation in passing and also added five rushing touchdowns as the Sooners went 12–1 and advanced to the BCS national title game.
John David Carlson, Jr. is an American former professional football player who was a tight end in the National Football League (NFL). He was selected by the Seattle Seahawks in the second round of the 2008 NFL Draft, and later played for the Minnesota Vikings and the Arizona Cardinals. He played college football for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish.
The DC Touchdown Club, earlier known as The Touchdown Club of Washington, D.C., was started in 1935 with a passion for charity and sports. In the ensuing years the Club has benefited many local charities as well as providing scholarships to deserving student/athletes. The Touchdown Timmies, the club's trophies, are given each year to athletes who excelled in their respective arenas including professionals, college and scholastic players. Additionally, the Club provided monies to 15 charitable organizations each year.
Kevin William O'Connell, nicknamed "KOC", is an American football coach and former player who is the head coach for the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League (NFL). O'Connell played quarterback at San Diego State University, and was selected by the New England Patriots in the third round of the 2008 NFL Draft. O'Connell also played for the Detroit Lions, Miami Dolphins, New York Jets, and San Diego Chargers before retiring in 2012. O'Connell's NFL coaching career began in 2015; he held various assistant coaching roles on the Cleveland Browns, San Francisco 49ers, Washington Redskins, and Los Angeles Rams.
Matthew Francis Kalil is an American former professional football player who was an offensive tackle in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the USC Trojans and was selected by the Minnesota Vikings fourth overall in the 2012 NFL Draft. He was also a member of the Carolina Panthers and Houston Texans.
Michael Floyd Jr. is a former American football wide receiver. He played college football at Notre Dame from 2008 to 2011, finishing with 271 catches for 3,686 yards and 37 touchdowns, all school records. He was drafted by the Arizona Cardinals in the first round of the 2012 NFL Draft, but was dismissed from the Cardinals during the 2016 season, after he was arrested on drinking and driving charges. He has also played for the New England Patriots, Minnesota Vikings, New Orleans Saints, Washington Redskins, and Baltimore Ravens.
Kirk Daniel Cousins is an American football quarterback for the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Michigan State and was drafted by the Washington Redskins in the fourth round of the 2012 NFL Draft as a backup to fellow rookie Robert Griffin III. Cousins occasionally appeared in games during his first three seasons before replacing Griffin following an injury in 2015, where he remained the team's starter until 2017. With the Redskins, Cousins set numerous franchise records and was named to the 2017 Pro Bowl.
Kyle Daniel Rudolph is an American football tight end who is a free agent. He played college football at Notre Dame, and was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in the second round of the 2011 NFL Draft. He has been selected to two Pro Bowls. He also played for the New York Giants and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Harrison Smith is an American football safety for the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Notre Dame and was drafted by the Vikings in the first round of the 2012 NFL Draft with the 29th overall pick.
Thomas Andrew Compton is an American football offensive tackle who is a free agent. He played college football at South Dakota and was drafted by the Washington Redskins in the sixth round of the 2012 NFL Draft. Compton has also played for the Atlanta Falcons, Chicago Bears, Minnesota Vikings, New York Jets, and San Francisco 49ers.
Paul James Krause is an American former professional football player who was a safety in the National Football League (NFL). Gifted with a great frame, speed and range, Krause established himself as a defensive force against opposing wide receivers. He led the league with 12 interceptions as a rookie before going on to set the NFL career interceptions record with 81 and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1998. Krause was selected eight times to the Pro Bowl during his 16 seasons in the NFL.
Chris O'Hara is an American football coach who is the quarterbacks coach for the Minnesota Vikings.