Lance Briggs facts for kids
Briggs in 2011
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| No. 55 | |||||||||||||
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| Position: | Linebacker | ||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||
| Born: | November 12, 1980 Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
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| Height: | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | ||||||||||||
| Weight: | 244 lb (111 kg) | ||||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||||
| High school: | Elk Grove (CA) | ||||||||||||
| College: | Arizona (1999–2002) | ||||||||||||
| NFL Draft: | 2003 / Round: 3 / Pick: 68 | ||||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||||
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| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||||||
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| Player stats at PFR | |||||||||||||
Lance Marell Briggs (born November 12, 1980) is a former American football player. He was a linebacker for the Chicago Bears in the National Football League (NFL). Briggs played his entire 12-year career with the Bears.
He played college football for the Arizona Wildcats. The Bears chose him in the third round of the 2003 NFL draft. Briggs was picked for the Pro Bowl seven times. He and Brian Urlacher were known as one of the best linebacker duos in NFL history.
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Early Life and College Career
Lance Briggs grew up in Sacramento, California. He went to Elk Grove High School.
After high school, he played college football at the University of Arizona. He was a first-team All-Pac-10 Conference selection three times. Briggs had a great college career. He made 308 tackles and 10.5 sacks. He also had three interceptions and five forced fumbles.
Professional Football Career
The Chicago Bears picked Lance Briggs in the third round of the 2003 NFL draft. He was the 68th player chosen overall.
Starting His NFL Journey
In July 2003, Briggs signed a four-year contract with the Bears. He competed for a starting spot during training camp. His coach named him a backup outside linebacker at first.
Briggs played his first professional game in September 2003. He made his first start in Week 4. In Week 13, he had a big game. He made nine tackles and got his first career interception. He returned that interception for a 45-yard touchdown. This was his first touchdown in the NFL. He finished his first year with 78 tackles and one touchdown.
Becoming a Pro Bowl Player
In 2004, Briggs made 126 tackles. He was chosen as an alternate for the Pro Bowl. In 2005, he was officially selected to play in the 2006 Pro Bowl.
Briggs was a key player for the Bears' defense in 2006. That year, the team reached Super Bowl XLI. He had 134 tackles, two interceptions, and four forced fumbles. He was invited to the 2007 Pro Bowl but could not play due to an injury.
In 2007, Briggs continued to play well for the Bears. He made 140 tackles and earned his third Pro Bowl selection. The Bears signed him to a new six-year contract in 2008.
Later Career and Retirement
Briggs continued to be a strong player for the Bears. He was selected for the 2012 Pro Bowl team. However, he could not play because of an ankle injury.
In 2012, his contract was extended through 2014. In 2013, he hurt his shoulder but returned to play later that season.
In his final season in 2014, Briggs recorded 24 tackles and one interception. He was injured during the season and missed some games. He injured his groin muscle in Week 13 and was placed on the injury reserve list.
Lance Briggs became a free agent after the 2014 season. He announced his retirement from football on September 2, 2015.
NFL Statistics
| Year | Team | GP | COMB | TOTAL | AST | SACK | FF | FR | FR YDS | INT | IR YDS | AVG IR | LNG | TD | PD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | CHI | 16 | 78 | 65 | 13 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 45 | 45 | 45 | 1 | 4 |
| 2004 | CHI | 16 | 126 | 102 | 24 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 38 | 38 | 38 | 1 | 10 |
| 2005 | CHI | 16 | 107 | 83 | 24 | 2.0 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 30 | 15 | 20 | 1 | 11 |
| 2006 | CHI | 16 | 134 | 113 | 21 | 1.0 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 18 | 9 | 18 | 0 | 9 |
| 2007 | CHI | 14 | 102 | 83 | 19 | 2.0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| 2008 | CHI | 16 | 110 | 90 | 20 | 0.5 | 1 | 2 | 21 | 3 | 12 | 4 | 9 | 0 | 11 |
| 2009 | CHI | 15 | 118 | 93 | 25 | 2.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 |
| 2010 | CHI | 15 | 89 | 76 | 13 | 2.0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 7 |
| 2011 | CHI | 16 | 105 | 86 | 19 | 0.0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| 2012 | CHI | 16 | 103 | 74 | 29 | 1.5 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 110 | 55 | 74 | 2 | 11 |
| 2013 | CHI | 9 | 71 | 51 | 20 | 3.0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 |
| 2014 | CHI | 8 | 35 | 24 | 11 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| Career | 173 | 1,174 | 936 | 238 | 15.0 | 16 | 7 | 32 | 16 | 256 | 17 | 74 | 5 | 86 |
Key to Statistics
- GP: games played
- COMB: combined tackles (solo + assisted)
- TOTAL: total solo tackles
- AST: assisted tackles
- SACK: sacks (tackling the quarterback behind the line of scrimmage)
- FF: forced fumbles (making an opponent drop the ball)
- FR: fumble recoveries (picking up a dropped ball)
- FR YDS: fumble return yards
- INT: interceptions (catching a pass meant for an opponent)
- IR YDS: interception return yards
- AVG IR: average interception return yards
- LNG: longest interception return
- TD: interceptions returned for a touchdown
- PD: passes defensed (breaking up a pass)
Life After Football
After retiring from playing, Briggs became a football analyst. He works for NBC Sports Chicago on their Football Aftershow. He discusses games with other former players and coaches.
Briggs is also a big fan of comic books. In 2020, he helped create a science fiction graphic novel called The Trap.
