Birth name | Richard Tardits | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Date of birth | July 30, 1965 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Place of birth | Bayonne, Pyrénées-Atlantiques, Nouvelle-Aquitaine, France | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Height | 1.87 m (6 ft 2 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Weight | 110 kg (240 lb) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Football career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Career information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Position(s) | Linebacker | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
US college | Georgia | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
NFL draft | 1989 / round: 5 / pick: 123 (By the Phoenix Cardinals) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Career history | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
As player | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
1989* [1] | Phoenix Cardinals | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
1990–1992 | New England Patriots | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
*Offseason and/or practice squad member only | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Career stats | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Richard Tardits (born July 30, 1965), is a former American football linebacker for the New England Patriots of the National Football League (NFL), and a former rugby union footballer for the United States national rugby union team. He held the record for most sacks in a career at the University of Georgia, [2] until surpassed by David Pollack in 2004, and he was referred to as 'Le Sack' by fans because of his French birth.
Tardits was born in Bayonne, France. He was former player on the French junior national rugby team and a participant in the Running of the Bulls at Pamplona, he was a walk-on for the Georgia Bulldogs. [3] During his NFL playing days, he sponsored a semipro football team in his French hometown of Biarritz. [4]
During his NFL career, he also helped the Mystic River Rugby Club reach the national finals. He later represented the United States in rugby.
Career Totals: 27 Games, 1 Game Start, 1 Fumble Recovery
Rugby World Cup Qualifiers
Pacific Rim Championship
Pan-American Championship
Friendlies
Other Club Affiliations:
Super Bowl XXXI was an American football game between the American Football Conference (AFC) champion New England Patriots and the National Football Conference (NFC) champion Green Bay Packers to decide the National Football League (NFL) champion for the 1996 season. The Packers defeated the Patriots 35–21, their third Super Bowl victory and first since Super Bowl II. The Packers also extended their league record for the most overall NFL championships to 12. It was also the last in a run of 13 straight Super Bowl victories by the NFC over the AFC. The game was played on January 26, 1997, at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana.
In ball-playing competitive team sports, an interception or pick is a move by a player involving a pass of the ball—whether by foot or hand, depending on the rules of the sport—in which the ball is intended for a player of the same team but caught or otherwise brought under control by a player of the opposing team, who thereby usually gains possession of the ball for their team. It is commonly seen in football, including American and Canadian football, as well as association football, rugby league, rugby union, Australian rules football and Gaelic football, as well as any sport by which a loose object is passed between players toward a goal. In basketball, this is called a steal.
Corey James Dillon is an American former professional football running back who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 10 seasons with the Cincinnati Bengals and New England Patriots. He played college football for the Washington Huskies, where he was a third-team All-American and first-team All-Pac-10 in 1996, and was selected by the Bengals in the second round of the 1997 NFL draft.
Tedy Lacap Bruschi is an American former professional football player who was a linebacker in the National Football League (NFL) for 13 seasons. He played college football for the Arizona Wildcats, where he earned two-time consensus All-American. He was selected by the New England Patriots in the third round of the 1996 NFL draft, and played his entire professional career with them. Bruschi won three Super Bowls and was a two-time second-team All-Pro selection.
Tajuan Edward "Ty" Law is an American former professional football player who was a cornerback for 15 seasons in the National Football League (NFL), primarily with the New England Patriots. He played college football for the Michigan Wolverines, where he was a first-team All-American, and was selected by the Patriots in the first round of the 1995 NFL draft. During his 10 seasons in New England, he received four Pro Bowl selections and two first-team All-Pro honors. A three-time Super Bowl winner with the Patriots, Law also holds the franchise record for interceptions. Law spent his final five seasons as a member of the New York Jets, Kansas City Chiefs, and Denver Broncos, earning a fifth Pro Bowl selection with the first. Ranking 24th in NFL career interceptions, he twice led the league in interceptions during the 1998 and 2005 seasons. He was inducted to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2019.
Drew McQueen Bledsoe is an American former professional football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 14 seasons, primarily with the New England Patriots. He played college football at Washington State University, where he won Pac-10 Offensive Player of the Year as a junior, and was selected by the Patriots first overall in the 1993 NFL draft. Considered the face of the Patriots franchise during his nine seasons with the team, Bledsoe helped improve New England's fortunes from 1993 to 2001. Under Bledsoe, the Patriots ended a seven-year postseason drought, qualified for the playoffs four times, clinched their division twice, and made a Super Bowl appearance in Super Bowl XXXI. He was also named to three Pro Bowls and became the youngest quarterback to play in the NFL's Pro Bowl game in 1995.
Lawyer Marzell Milloy is an American former professional football player who was a safety in the National Football League (NFL) for 15 seasons. He played college football for the Washington Huskies, and earned unanimous All-American honors. He was selected by the New England Patriots in the second round of the 1996 NFL draft, and also played for the Buffalo Bills, Atlanta Falcons, and Seattle Seahawks of the NFL. He was a four-time Pro Bowl selection, a two-time All-Pro, and a member of the Patriots' Super Bowl XXXVI championship team that beat his hometown team, the St. Louis Rams.
Richard Vershaun Seymour is an American former professional football player who was a defensive end in the National Football League (NFL) for the New England Patriots and Oakland Raiders. He played college football for the Georgia Bulldogs, and was drafted by the Patriots sixth overall in the 2001 NFL draft.
Rodney Scott Harrison is an American former football safety who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 15 seasons with the San Diego Chargers and New England Patriots. He was selected in the fifth round of the 1994 NFL draft by the Chargers, where he spent his first nine seasons, and was a member of the Patriots in his following six. Since leaving the NFL in 2009, he has served as a commentator for NBC's Football Night in America.
Zachary Michael Thomas, nicknamed "Baby Elephant", is an American former professional football player who was a linebacker in the National Football League (NFL) for 13 seasons. He played college football for the Texas Tech Red Raiders, and was recognized as a unanimous All-American. He was selected in the fifth round, 22nd pick, in the 1996 NFL draft by the Miami Dolphins, and played for the Dolphins in his first 12 seasons in the NFL, before playing his 13th and final season with the Dallas Cowboys.
Byron Keith Traylor is an American former professional football player who was a nose tackle for 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.
Daniel Raymon Wilkinson, nicknamed "Big Daddy", is an American former football defensive tackle who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 13 seasons. He played college football for the Ohio State Buckeyes, where he received consensus All-American honors, and was selected first overall by the Cincinnati Bengals in the 1994 NFL draft. He was also a member of the Washington Redskins, Detroit Lions, and Miami Dolphins.
Robert Garland Johnson is an American former professional football player who was a quarterback in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the USC Trojans and was a fourth-round pick in the 1995 NFL draft by the expansion team Jacksonville Jaguars.
Andrew Warren Katzenmoyer is an American former professional football player who was a linebacker for the New England Patriots of the National Football League (NFL). He was selected by the Patriots in the first round of the 1999 NFL draft. He played college football for the Ohio State Buckeyes, and became the first Buckeye to win the Butkus Award. His playing career was shortened due to a neck injury.
Jason Larue Gildon is an American former professional football player who was a linebacker in the National Football League (NFL) for the Pittsburgh Steelers from 1994 to 2003 and the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2004. He was selected to three Pro Bowl teams from 2000, 2001, and 2002, and is currently ranked sixth in Steelers all-time career sacks with 77. He played college football for the Oklahoma State Cowboys.
The 1997 New England Patriots season was the franchise's 28th season in the National Football League (NFL) and the 38th overall. They finished the season with a 10–6 record and a division title but lost in the playoffs to the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Christopher Michael Floyd is an American former professional football player in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football as a fullback for the University of Michigan from 1994 to 1997. As a senior, he was a member of the undefeated national champion 1997 Michigan Wolverines football team. He played in the NFL, principally as a special team player, for the New England Patriots from 1998 to 2000 and briefly for the Cleveland Browns at the end of the 2000 season.
Chandler James Jones is an American professional football defensive end. He played college football for the Syracuse Orange and was selected by the New England Patriots in the first round of the 2012 NFL draft. He has also played for the Arizona Cardinals and the Las Vegas Raiders.
Nathan Ebner is an American former professional football player who was a safety and special teamer in the National Football League (NFL). He was a rugby sevens player for the United States national rugby sevens team.
Malcom D'Shawn Brown is an American former professional football player who was a defensive tackle in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Texas Longhorns and was selected by the New England Patriots in the first round of the 2015 NFL draft.