Alan Branch facts for kids
Branch with the New England Patriots in 2015
|
|||||||||||
| No. 78, 99, 97, 90 | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Position: | Defensive tackle | ||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||
| Born: | December 29, 1984 Rio Rancho, New Mexico, U.S. |
||||||||||
| Height: | 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) | ||||||||||
| Weight: | 350 lb (159 kg) | ||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||
| High school: | Cibola (Albuquerque, New Mexico) | ||||||||||
| College: | Michigan (2004–2006) | ||||||||||
| NFL Draft: | 2007 / Round: 2 / Pick: 33 | ||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||
|
|||||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||
|
|||||||||||
| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||||
|
|||||||||||
| Player stats at PFR | |||||||||||
Alan Keith Branch (born December 29, 1984) is a former American football player. He was a defensive tackle in the National Football League (NFL). A defensive tackle is a strong player who tries to stop the other team's offense from running or passing the ball. Branch played college football for the Michigan Wolverines before joining the NFL. He was picked by the Arizona Cardinals in the 2007 NFL draft. He also played for the Seattle Seahawks, Buffalo Bills, and New England Patriots during his career.
Contents
Early Life and High School Football
Alan Branch grew up in Albuquerque, New Mexico. He went to Cibola High School. In high school, he was a star player on the football team. He played on the defensive line, which is where he became famous. But he also played other positions. He was a tight end, a running back, and even a punt returner.
During his senior year, he scored three rushing touchdowns. He also caught two receiving touchdowns. Throughout his high school career, he scored five touchdowns from punt returns. Experts thought he was one of the best defensive tackles in the country.
Branch was also a talented basketball player. He played on the varsity team for three years. He earned awards for his skills in basketball too. In 2017, he was honored by his high school. He was added to the Cibola High School Hall of Fame.
College Football Career
Alan Branch played college football at the University of Michigan. He was part of a very strong defense in 2006. He played alongside another great defensive player, LaMarr Woodley. Branch played both defensive tackle and defensive end at Michigan.
During his time at Michigan, he played in 35 games. He made 57 tackles, which means he stopped the opposing team's player with the ball. He also had 17 tackles for loss. This means he stopped a player behind the line of scrimmage. He also got nine sacks, which is when a defensive player tackles the quarterback. In one game against Ohio State in 2006, he caught his first interception. He also recovered a fumble in that game.
Because of his great play, he earned several awards. He was named to the ESPN.com All-American Team in 2006. He was also part of the First-team All-Big Ten Conference. This means he was one of the best players in his college league.
Professional Football Journey
Alan Branch began his professional career in 2007. He was chosen by the Arizona Cardinals in the NFL draft. He was the 33rd player picked overall.
Arizona Cardinals (2007–2010)
Branch started his NFL journey with the Arizona Cardinals. In the 2008 NFL season, his team made it all the way to the Super Bowl XLIII. This is the championship game of the NFL season. However, the Cardinals lost to the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Seattle Seahawks (2011–2012)
After playing for the Cardinals, Branch joined the Seattle Seahawks. He signed a two-year contract with them in 2011.
Buffalo Bills (2013)
In 2013, Alan Branch signed a one-year contract with the Buffalo Bills. Later that year, he signed a longer contract extension with the team. However, he was released by the Bills in August 2014.
New England Patriots (2014–2017)
Branch then signed with the New England Patriots in October 2014. This was a one-year deal. On February 1, 2015, he won his first Super Bowl with the Patriots. They beat his former team, the Seattle Seahawks.
In March 2015, Branch re-signed with the Patriots for two more years. In November 2016, he faced a possible suspension. But the league decided not to suspend him after all. He helped the Patriots win 14 games that season. They earned the top spot for the AFC playoffs.
On February 5, 2017, Branch and the Patriots won Super Bowl LI. This was his second Super Bowl win. They played against the Atlanta Falcons. The Patriots made an amazing comeback in that game. They were far behind but managed to win in overtime. This was the first Super Bowl ever to go into overtime. Branch played a key role in the game. He made three tackles and recovered an important fumble.
In March 2017, Branch signed another contract extension with the Patriots. He played 12 games in the 2017 season. He made 12 tackles that year. The Patriots made it to the Super Bowl again in 2018, Super Bowl LII. But they lost to the Philadelphia Eagles. Branch was not active for the playoff games that season. In March 2018, the Patriots decided not to keep Branch on their team. This made him a free agent.
