No. 53, 90 | |||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Position: | Linebacker | ||||||||
Personal information | |||||||||
Born: | New Britain, Connecticut, U.S. | March 25, 1981||||||||
Height: | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) | ||||||||
Weight: | 245 lb (111 kg) | ||||||||
Career information | |||||||||
High school: | Plainville (CT) | ||||||||
College: | Purdue | ||||||||
NFL draft: | 2004 / Round: 4 / Pick: 116 | ||||||||
Career history | |||||||||
Career NFL statistics | |||||||||
| |||||||||
Player stats at NFL.com · PFR |
Niko Stelios Koutouvides (born March 25, 1981) is a former American football linebacker. He was drafted by the Seattle Seahawks in the fourth round of the 2004 NFL Draft. He played college football at Purdue.
He has also played for the Denver Broncos, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and New England Patriots.
Koutouvides was born in New Britain, Connecticut, to Stelios and Niki Koutouvides. His paternal grandfather's side of the family were Greeks who fled Asia Minor during the Greek-Turkish War, early in the 20th century, and settled in Tanzania, Africa. [1] Subsequently, Niko's father moved to the United States. His mother's side of the family is from the Greek island of Kefalonia in the Ionian Sea. Growing up, Niko and his two brothers used to work as busboys or in the kitchen of the family-owned restaurant, The Stonewell, in Farmington, Connecticut. [1] [2]
Koutouvides attended Plainville High School, where he was a letterman in football. He topped the team in sacks and ranked second in tackles in 1999. He was named the team's Most Valuable Player, was an All-Conference selection, and an All-State Honorable Mention selection. [3] Niko's older brother, Daki, was a senior defensive back at Merrimack College. [3]
At Purdue, Koutouvides started in 32 of 50 games from 2000–2003. His career stats include 296 tackles (180 solo), 21½ tackles for a loss, five interceptions, four sacks, four fumble recoveries, and four forced fumbles. He majored in Organizational Leadership and Supervision. [3]
As a junior, Koutouvides started all 13 games and notched a career-high of 121 tackles (80 of them solo) to lead the team to their 6th straight bowl game appearance. He had a team-high of 11.5 tackles for loss, including 4 sacks. He knocked down 3 passes and intercepted 3; posted at least 11 tackles in six games. Koutouvides saw action in every game during his first two seasons in a reserve role with 74 tackles, 4 fumble recoveries, and 3 forced fumbles. [3]
His senior year began with him winning the Hammer Award as Purdue's best tackler. After anchoring a great Boilermaker defense that played in the 2004 Capital One Bowl, Koutouvides was named first-team All-Big Ten by the media and second-team by the coaches after starting every game as middle linebacker. Koutouvides finished second on the team with 101 tackles (57 of them solo), including 5.5 stops for losses, 2 pass interceptions and 4 passes knocked down, and causing & recovering 1 fumble. [3]
Koutouvides was drafted by the Seattle Seahawks in the fourth round of the 2004 NFL Draft. [4] [5] He played four seasons for the team, from 2004 to 2007. He was a member of the 2005 team that played in Super Bowl XL.
On March 3, 2008, Koutouvides signed a three-year, $7.5 million contract with the Denver Broncos. [6] After one season with the team, he was released on February 16, 2009. [7]
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers signed Koutouvides on March 2, 2009. [8] He became one of the Buccaneers' top special teams performers in his first season with the team in 2009 [9]
Koutouvides signed with the New England Patriots on August 14, 2011. [10] He was cut on September 3 but re-signed on November 9, 2011, [11] and went on to appear as a member of the special teams at the 2012 Super Bowl. He was released by the Patriots on August 31, 2012 during final cuts. [12] Koutouvides was re-signed by the Patriots on September 19, 2012. On August 26, 2013, he was cut by the Patriots. [13]
Legend | |
---|---|
Bold | Career high |
Year | Team | Games | Tackles | Interceptions | Fumbles | ||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
GP | GS | Cmb | Solo | Ast | Sck | TFL | Int | Yds | TD | Lng | PD | FF | FR | Yds | TD | ||
2004 | SEA | 16 | 2 | 62 | 49 | 13 | 1.0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
2005 | SEA | 12 | 0 | 13 | 10 | 3 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
2006 | SEA | 16 | 0 | 15 | 12 | 3 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
2007 | SEA | 15 | 0 | 27 | 22 | 5 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
2008 | DEN | 14 | 0 | 10 | 9 | 1 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
2009 | TAM | 16 | 0 | 11 | 11 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
2010 | TAM | 14 | 0 | 12 | 11 | 1 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
2011 | NWE | 8 | 1 | 14 | 7 | 7 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
2012 | NWE | 14 | 0 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
125 | 3 | 168 | 134 | 34 | 1.0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Year | Team | Games | Tackles | Interceptions | Fumbles | ||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
GP | GS | Cmb | Solo | Ast | Sck | TFL | Int | Yds | TD | Lng | PD | FF | FR | Yds | TD | ||
2004 | SEA | 1 | 1 | 8 | 7 | 1 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
2005 | SEA | 3 | 0 | 7 | 5 | 2 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
2006 | SEA | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
2007 | SEA | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
2011 | NWE | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
2012 | NWE | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
13 | 1 | 18 | 13 | 5 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Sam Adams is an American former professional football player who was a defensive tackle for 14 seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Texas A&M Aggies, earning consensus All-American honors, and was selected eighth overall by the Seattle Seahawks in the 1994 NFL draft. Following six seasons as a member of the Seahawks, he earned consecutive Pro Bowl selections and All-Pro honors during his two seasons with the Baltimore Ravens. Adams was also part of the team that won a Super Bowl title in Super Bowl XXXV and made another championship appearance in his one season for the Oakland Raiders in 2002. As a member of the Buffalo Bills from 2003 to 2004, Adams was named to a third Pro Bowl. He spent his last two seasons with the Cincinnati Bengals and the Denver Broncos.
Russ Hochstein is a former American football Center. After playing college football for Nebraska, he was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the fifth round of the 2001 NFL Draft. He played for the Buccaneers for two seasons from 2001 to 2002, the New England Patriots for seven seasons from 2002 to 2008, and the Denver Broncos for three seasons from 2009 to 2011.
Byron Keith Traylor is a former American football nose tackle who played 17 seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He was originally drafted by the Denver Broncos in the third round of the 1991 NFL Draft. He played college football at Central Oklahoma. Traylor has won a total of three Super Bowl rings; he won two with the Denver Broncos and one with the New England Patriots.
The 2005 season was the Denver Broncos' 36th in the National Football League (NFL) and their 46th overall. The Broncos closed out the 2005 regular season with a 13–3 record, the franchise's second-best number of wins of all time and their third best win percentage ever. They won their first playoff game since their 1998 Super Bowl-winning season. Although they eliminated the defending back-to-back Super Bowl champion New England Patriots to end their hopes of becoming the first NFL team to three-peat, they failed to get to the Super Bowl, losing to the Pittsburgh Steelers, the eventual champions, in the AFC Championship game. The Broncos were expected by many to make the Super Bowl for the first time in the post-John Elway era. Denver would not make the postseason again until 2011 under Tim Tebow's leadership or another Conference championship until 2013, under the leadership of Peyton Manning whom the Broncos acquired in 2012.
Daryl Lamont Smith is a former American football linebacker. He was drafted by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the second round of the 2004 NFL draft. He played college football at Georgia Tech. Smith also played for the Baltimore Ravens.
Roman Harper is an American former professional football player who was a safety in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Alabama Crimson Tide, and was selected by the New Orleans Saints in the second round of the 2006 NFL draft. In 2009, Harper earned his first Pro Bowl invitation and helped lead the Saints to Super Bowl XLIV. The following year, 2010, he was again selected to the Pro Bowl. In 2015, he helped lead the Carolina Panthers to Super Bowl 50.
Bernard Karmell Pollard is a former American football safety. He played college football at Purdue University, and was drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs in the second round of the 2006 NFL Draft. He has also played for the Houston Texans, Baltimore Ravens and Tennessee Titans. Pollard was dubbed "the Bonecrusher" while at Purdue for his hard hits and tackles, and acquired the nickname "Patriot-Killer" as a professional, after inflicting injuries which would ultimately alter four New England Patriots seasons, including ending Patriots quarterback Tom Brady's 2008 season.
Timothy C. Crowder is a former American football defensive end. He was drafted by the Denver Broncos in the second round of the 2007 NFL Draft. He played college football at Texas.
Marquand Alexander Manuel is an American football coach and former safety who is the safeties coach for the New York Jets of the National Football League (NFL). He previously served as the defensive coordinator for the Atlanta Falcons and as an assistant coach for the Seattle Seahawks. After playing college football for the University of Florida, he was selected in the sixth round of the 2002 NFL Draft. He played for eight seasons in the NFL for the Seattle Seahawks, Green Bay Packers, Carolina Panthers, Denver Broncos, and Detroit Lions. He was the defensive coordinator for the Atlanta Falcons from 2017 to 2018.
Ellis Rashad Wyms is a former American football defensive tackle. He was selected by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the sixth round of the 2001 NFL Draft. He played college football at Mississippi State.
Shaun Jamal Phillips is an American former professional football player who was a linebacker in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Purdue Boilermakers and was selected by the San Diego Chargers in the fourth round of the 2004 NFL Draft. Phillips also played for the Denver Broncos, Tennessee Titans, and Indianapolis Colts.
Robert Michael Ninkovich is an American former professional football player who was an outside linebacker for eleven seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Purdue Boilermakers as a defensive end and was selected by the New Orleans Saints in the fifth round of the 2006 NFL Draft. He also played in the NFL for the Miami Dolphins and New England Patriots, winning two Super Bowls with the latter. After eight seasons with the Patriots, Ninkovich announced his retirement from the NFL following the 2016 season.
Clifford Samuel Avril is an American former professional football player who was a defensive end in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Purdue Boilermakers and was selected in the third round of the 2008 NFL draft by the Detroit Lions. He has also played for the Seattle Seahawks, with whom he won Super Bowl XLVIII and made a Pro Bowl.
Spencer Larsen is a former American football fullback. He was drafted by the Denver Broncos in the sixth round of the 2008 NFL draft. He played college football at Arizona, primarily as a linebacker.
Robert Ayers is a former American football defensive end that played 10 years in the NFL. He played college football at Tennessee and was drafted by the Denver Broncos in the first round of the 2009 NFL Draft. He has also played for the New York Giants and Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Darian Stewart is an American former professional football player who was a strong safety in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the South Carolina Gamecocks. He was signed by the St. Louis Rams as an undrafted free agent after the 2010 NFL draft and has also played for the Baltimore Ravens. As a member of the Denver Broncos, he won a Super Bowl ring in Super Bowl 50 over the Carolina Panthers. He was named to his first Pro Bowl in 2017.
Terrell Ray "T. J." Ward Jr. is an American former professional football player who was a safety for eight seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Oregon Ducks, and was selected by the Cleveland Browns in the second round of the 2010 NFL draft. Ward also played for the Denver Broncos, with whom he won Super Bowl 50.
Danny Eugene Trevathan is a former American football linebacker. He was drafted by the Denver Broncos in the sixth round of the 2012 NFL Draft. He played college football at Kentucky, where in 2010, he was named an All-American by College Football News and was a first-team all-SEC selection.
Logan Daniel Ryan is an American football safety for the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Rutgers as a cornerback and was drafted by the New England Patriots in the third round of the 2013 NFL Draft. He has also played for the Tennessee Titans, New York Giants and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Shaquil Akeem Barrett is an American football linebacker for the Miami Dolphins of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at the University of Nebraska Omaha before transferring to Colorado State University, and was signed by the Denver Broncos as an undrafted free agent in 2014. After five seasons with the Broncos, including winning Super Bowl 50, Barrett signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. His level of play increased, making the Pro Bowl and All-Pro teams in 2019 after leading the league in sacks, and in 2021 won Super Bowl LV.