Bruce Irvin facts for kids
Bruce Pernell Irvin Jr. (born November 1, 1987) is an American professional football player. He plays as a linebacker, which is a key defensive position on a football team. Bruce played college football for the West Virginia Mountaineers. He was chosen by the Seattle Seahawks in the first round of the 2012 NFL draft. Irvin helped the Seahawks win Super Bowl XLVIII. He also played in Super Bowl XLIX, where he became the first player ever to be sent off from a Super Bowl game.
Irvin with the Seattle Seahawks in 2014
|
|||||||||||||||
| Position: | Linebacker | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||
| Born: | November 1, 1987 Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. |
||||||||||||||
| Height: | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) | ||||||||||||||
| Weight: | 248 lb (112 kg) | ||||||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||||||
| High school: | Stephenson (Stone Mountain, Georgia) |
||||||||||||||
| College: |
|
||||||||||||||
| NFL Draft: | 2012 / Round: 1 / Pick: 15 | ||||||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||
| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||
| Player stats at PFR | |||||||||||||||
Contents
Bruce Irvin's Football Journey
Early Life and College Years
Bruce Irvin went to Stockbridge High School in Stockbridge, Georgia. He later moved to Stephenson High School in Stone Mountain, Georgia, before his junior year. He left high school during his junior year and earned his GED, which is a high school equivalency diploma.
Irvin started his college football journey at Butler Community College. Then, he moved to Mt. San Antonio College. While playing there, he made 72 tackles and had 16 sacks. A sack is when a defensive player tackles the quarterback behind the line of scrimmage. He also caused three fumbles and scored a touchdown by recovering a fumble. He was recognized as an All-American player.
In 2010, Irvin transferred to West Virginia University. He was one of the best players in the country for sacks, finishing second with 14. He was also named to the All-Big East team. Years later, in 2018, Bruce returned to West Virginia University and earned his bachelor's degree.
Playing in the NFL
Joining the Seattle Seahawks (First Time)
The Seattle Seahawks chose Bruce Irvin in the first round of the 2012 NFL draft. He was the 15th player picked overall. This was a big surprise to many football experts. They thought he would be picked later. However, some teams saw him as a top talent. The Seahawks signed Irvin to a four-year contract worth over $9 million.
Bruce started his first professional game in September 2012. He quickly showed his skills. In one game, he sacked quarterback Aaron Rodgers twice. This was his first game with multiple sacks. He also forced his first fumble in a game against the Carolina Panthers. By the end of his first season, Irvin had eight sacks.
He played in his first playoff game against the Washington Redskins. He sacked their quarterback, Robert Griffin III. The Seahawks won that game. He then started a playoff game against the Atlanta Falcons.
Super Bowl Champion
For the 2013 season, the Seahawks moved Irvin to play as an outside linebacker. He became a starter in Week 5. In October 2013, he had a great game against the St. Louis Rams. He made nine tackles, had a sack, forced a fumble, and even caught his first interception. An interception is when a defensive player catches a pass meant for an offensive player.
The Seahawks had a fantastic season in 2013. They finished with 13 wins and 3 losses. They made it to Super Bowl XLVIII. On February 2, 2014, Irvin played in the Super Bowl. The Seahawks won easily against the Denver Broncos with a score of 43–8. Bruce made two tackles in the game, becoming a Super Bowl champion.
Another Super Bowl Appearance
In 2014, Irvin continued to play as a strongside linebacker. He missed one game due to a rib injury. In October, he had two sacks in a row against the Carolina Panthers. The next week, he caught an interception and ran it back 35 yards for a touchdown! Later that season, he caught another interception and ran it back 49 yards for another touchdown. He finished the 2014 season with 6.5 sacks and two touchdowns. The Seahawks defense was one of the best ever that year.
The Seahawks reached the Super Bowl again in 2014, Super Bowl XLIX. Bruce started his second Super Bowl game. He made two tackles and sacked Tom Brady. However, the Seahawks lost a close game to the New England Patriots, 28–24. In the final seconds of the game, Irvin was sent off for throwing a punch. He was the first player ever to be ejected from a Super Bowl.
Last Season with Seattle (First Stint)
In 2015, the Seahawks decided not to extend Irvin's contract for another year. He continued to play as a starting linebacker. He had two sacks against the Carolina Panthers in October. He missed one game due to a knee injury. He finished the 2015 season with 5.5 sacks. The Seahawks made it to the playoffs but lost to the Carolina Panthers.
Time with the Oakland Raiders
In 2016, Bruce Irvin signed with the Oakland Raiders. He became their starting strongside linebacker. In his first game with the Raiders, he had a sack against Drew Brees. In November, he had ten tackles in a game against the Houston Texans. He also had two sacks in a game against the San Diego Chargers. He finished the 2016 season with seven sacks. The Raiders made the playoffs, but lost to the Houston Texans.
.jpg)
In 2017, Irvin continued to play well for the Raiders. He had two sacks against the Denver Broncos in November. He also had two sacks against the Kansas City Chiefs. He finished the 2017 season with a career-high eight sacks. His fellow players ranked him among the top 100 players in the NFL. In 2018, he played eight games for the Raiders before being released.
Other Teams
After leaving the Raiders, Irvin signed with his hometown team, the Atlanta Falcons, in November 2018. He played eight games for them and had 3.5 sacks.
In 2019, Bruce signed a one-year contract with the Carolina Panthers. He had two sacks in a game against the Indianapolis Colts.
Returning to Seattle (Second and Third Times)
Irvin re-signed with the Seattle Seahawks in April 2020. However, he suffered a serious knee injury (a torn ACL) in Week 2 and missed the rest of the season.
In November 2021, Irvin joined the Chicago Bears. He helped the Bears win a close game against his former team, the Seahawks.
He returned to the Seattle Seahawks for a third time in October 2022. He played in 11 games and had 3.5 sacks.
Recent Teams
In November 2023, Irvin signed with the Detroit Lions. He played two games for them. In January 2024, he signed with the Miami Dolphins.
See also
In Spanish: Bruce Irvin (fútbol americano) para niños
