Brandon McGowan facts for kids
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McGowan during a 2005 Chicago Bears game
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| Position: | Safety | ||||||||||
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| Born: | September 16, 1983 Jersey City, New Jersey, U.S. |
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| Height: | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) | ||||||||||
| Weight: | 207 lb (94 kg) | ||||||||||
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| High school: | Lincoln (NJ) | ||||||||||
| College: | Maine | ||||||||||
| Undrafted: | 2005 | ||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||
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| Player stats at PFR | |||||||||||
Brandon McGowan (born September 16, 1983) is a former professional American football player. He played as a safety in the NFL. Brandon started his NFL journey with the Chicago Bears in 2005. He also played college football at the University of Maine.
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Early Life and High School
Brandon McGowan grew up in Jersey City, New Jersey. He went to Lincoln High School. There, he was a star player on the football team. He played both as a safety and a running back. In his senior year, he was chosen as a top defensive player for his county.
College Football Career
Brandon played college football for the Maine Black Bears. He was a key player for four years. During his time at Maine, he made many tackles and interceptions. He also caused and recovered many fumbles.
He started 33 out of 34 games he played. In 2003, he was named the team's Defensive Player of the Year. He also earned a spot on the All-Atlantic 10 Conference team. In 2001, as a freshman, he won the "Hammer Award." This award was for being the best special teams player for the Black Bears.
Professional Football Career
Brandon McGowan joined the NFL in 2005. He was not chosen in the 2005 NFL draft, but he still got a chance to play.
Playing for the Chicago Bears
After the draft, Brandon signed a three-year contract with the Chicago Bears. It was a big deal because he was the only player not drafted that year to make the Bears' team!
In his first year, 2005, Brandon played in all 16 games. He started the last three games of the season. He made 23 tackles and four special teams tackles. He had his best game against the Pittsburgh Steelers in December, making eight tackles.
In 2006, Brandon faced some challenges. He missed the first seven games due to an injury. He returned for one game but then got another injury, which ended his season.
He came back strong in 2007. Brandon took over as a starting safety for most of the season. He finished the year with 80 tackles and two interceptions. He also made 10 special teams tackles, which was his career high. In 2008, he had another ankle injury early in the season. This injury unfortunately ended his time with the Bears.
Playing for the New England Patriots
In May 2009, Brandon McGowan signed with the New England Patriots. He started as a backup safety. The Patriots' coach, Bill Belichick, spoke highly of Brandon. He said Brandon was a tough player with good speed and instincts. He also mentioned that Brandon was good at making plays in both defense and special teams.
Brandon soon became a starter for the Patriots. He played as a starting safety for many games in 2009. He finished that season with 79 tackles and three forced fumbles.
In 2010, Brandon had another injury, this time to his chest. This injury kept him from playing the entire season. He was released by the Patriots in August 2011.
Images for kids
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McGowan during a 2005 Chicago Bears game
