Marshawn Lynch facts for kids
Lynch with the Seattle Seahawks in 2014
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| Position: | Running back | ||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||
| Born: | April 22, 1986 Oakland, California, U.S. |
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| Height: | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) | ||||||||||||
| Weight: | 215 lb (98 kg) | ||||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||||
| High school: | Oakland Technical | ||||||||||||
| College: | California (2004–2006) | ||||||||||||
| NFL Draft: | 2007 / Round: 1 / Pick: 12 | ||||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||||
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Marshawn Terrell Lynch (born April 22, 1986) is an American actor and former professional football player. He was a running back for 12 seasons in the National Football League (NFL). People often call him "Beast Mode" because of his powerful playing style.
Marshawn spent most of his career with the Seattle Seahawks. He grew up in Oakland, California. He played college football for the California Golden Bears nearby. He was named an All-American and became the school's second-best rusher ever. The Buffalo Bills picked him in the first round of the 2007 NFL draft. He played three seasons there before joining Seattle in 2010.
With the Seahawks from 2010 to 2015, Lynch was chosen for four Pro Bowls. He was also named a first-team All-Pro once. He led the league in rushing touchdowns twice. He helped the team win their first Super Bowl title in Super Bowl XLVIII. His "Beast Quake" touchdown in 2011 is famous. He ran 67 yards, breaking nine tackles! Many consider it one of the best runs in NFL history.
Lynch retired in 2015 after an injury. But he came back to the NFL in 2017 to play for the Oakland Raiders, his hometown team. After two seasons, he retired again. He then rejoined the Seahawks in 2019 for their last regular season game and playoffs. Since retiring for the third time, he has become a co-owner of sports teams. These include the Seattle Kraken (NHL), Beasts (FCF), and Bay Area Panthers (IFL).
Contents
Early Life and Education
Marshawn Lynch grew up in Oakland, California. He lived with his mother, Delisa, and three older siblings. His mother was a great athlete herself. She held a 200-meter track record at Oakland Technical High School. Marshawn later went to the same high school. He started playing youth football in Oakland when he was very young.
Marshawn graduated from Oakland Technical High School in 2004. Then, he went to the University of California, Berkeley. He studied social welfare there. He played for the California Golden Bears football team from 2004 to 2006. In college, his teammates nicknamed him "Money." In 2020, he received an honorary degree from Princeton University. He was invited to speak to the Class of 2020.
High School Sports Star
At Oakland Tech, Lynch was a four-sport star. He played football, basketball, track, and wrestling. In 2003, he ran for 1,722 yards and scored 23 touchdowns in just eight games. He added 375 yards and 10 touchdowns in two playoff games. He was named an All-American and the San Francisco East Bay Player of the Year.
In basketball, he played with future Cal star Leon Powe. Lynch helped his team reach the state semi-finals. He also excelled in track and field. He ran the 100-meter dash in 10.94 seconds. He also did well in high jump and long jump.
Lynch was a very flexible football player. He played defensive back, quarterback, wide receiver, and linebacker. Experts ranked him as the second-best running back in the nation.
College Football Career
Marshawn Lynch played for the California Golden Bears football team at the University of California, Berkeley. He was known as "Money" during his college years.
Freshman Year (2004)
In 2004, Lynch was a backup running back. In his first game, he ran for 92 yards and scored a touchdown. Later, he had 121 rushing yards and two touchdowns against Washington. He also threw a 20-yard touchdown pass! He finished his first year with 628 rushing yards and eight touchdowns. He also caught 19 passes for 147 yards and two touchdowns.
Sophomore Year (2005)
In 2005, Lynch became the main running back. He started strong with 147 rushing yards in the first game. He had several games with over 100 rushing yards. In the 2005 Las Vegas Bowl, he ran for 194 yards and three touchdowns. He was named the MVP of that game. Even with injuries, he gained 1,246 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns.
Junior Year (2006)
Before the 2006 season, Lynch was named one of the best players in the nation. He even joined the Cal Track & Field team for a short time. The Cal football team started a campaign for him to win the Heisman Trophy.
He had many great games in 2006. He ran for over 100 yards in four straight games. Against Washington, he had 150 rushing yards and two touchdowns. He scored the game-winning touchdown in overtime. After that play, he famously drove around the field in an injury cart. He called this his favorite career highlight.
Lynch was named the Pac-10 Offensive Player of the Year. He was also an All-American. In his last college game, he ran for 111 yards and two touchdowns. He holds the Cal school record for most 100-yard rushing games with 17. In January 2007, Lynch decided to leave college early for the NFL Draft.
Professional Football Career
Marshawn Lynch was picked by the Buffalo Bills in the 2007 NFL Draft. He was the 12th player chosen overall.
Buffalo Bills (2007–2010)
Lynch started as the main running back for the Bills. In his first game, he ran for 90 yards and scored a touchdown. He had a huge game against the Cincinnati Bengals, rushing for 153 yards. He even threw a touchdown pass! He became the fourth Bills rookie to run for over 1,000 yards. He finished his first season with 1,115 rushing yards and seven touchdowns. He was named to the NFL All-Rookie Team.
In 2008, Lynch continued to play well. He scored four rushing touchdowns in his first three games. He rushed for over 1,000 yards again, finishing with 1,036 yards and eight touchdowns. He was chosen for his first Pro Bowl.
In 2009, Lynch had a tougher season. He was replaced as the Bills' main running back by Fred Jackson. Lynch finished the season with 450 rushing yards and two touchdowns. In 2010, he played only four games for the Bills before being traded.
Seattle Seahawks (First Time: 2010–2015)
Lynch joined the Seattle Seahawks in October 2010. He quickly scored his first touchdown with the team. He finished the 2010 season with 737 rushing yards and six touchdowns.
The "Beast Quake" Run
In a playoff game against the New Orleans Saints in January 2011, Lynch made history. He had a 67-yard touchdown run where he broke nine tackles! This amazing play is known as the "Beast Quake". Fans jumping and cheering caused the ground to shake so much that it registered on a seismograph near the stadium!
Continued Success and Super Bowl Win
In 2011, Lynch had a great season. He rushed for 1,204 yards and 12 touchdowns. He was known for eating Skittles during games, a habit from high school. Fans even started throwing Skittles onto the field after he scored! He set a team record by scoring a touchdown in 10 straight games. He was added to the Pro Bowl roster.
In 2012, Lynch signed a big contract with the Seahawks. He had an incredible season, rushing for 1,590 yards and 11 touchdowns. He was named a First-team All-Pro and went to the Pro Bowl.
The 2013 season was even better. Lynch rushed for 1,257 yards and 12 touchdowns. He helped the Seahawks reach Super Bowl XLVIII. They won the Super Bowl by beating the Denver Broncos 43–8. It was the team's first Super Bowl victory!
In 2014, Lynch continued his strong play. He had 1,306 rushing yards and a career-high 13 rushing touchdowns. He tied for the league lead in rushing touchdowns. He made it to the Pro Bowl for the fifth time. The Seahawks returned to the Super Bowl, but lost a close game to the New England Patriots. Lynch ran for 102 yards and a touchdown in that game.
The 2015 season was tough for Lynch due to injuries. He played in only seven games.
First Retirement
On February 7, 2016, Marshawn Lynch announced his retirement. He posted a picture of his football cleats hanging up. After retiring, he became a mentor for college football players at Cal.
Oakland Raiders (2017–2018)
In 2017, Lynch decided to come out of retirement. He wanted to play for his hometown team, the Oakland Raiders, before they moved to Las Vegas. He was traded to the Raiders and signed a two-year contract.
In his first game as a Raider, he ran for 76 yards. He scored his first touchdown with the Raiders in Week 2. He finished the 2017 season with 891 rushing yards and seven touchdowns. He also reached over 10,000 career rushing yards, a huge milestone!
In 2018, Lynch played in six games before an injury ended his season. He finished with 376 rushing yards and three touchdowns. After the 2018 season, he planned to retire again.
Seattle Seahawks (Second Time: 2019)
Lynch made another comeback in December 2019. He rejoined the Seahawks for their final regular season game and playoffs. He scored a touchdown in his first game back. In the playoffs, he scored three more touchdowns, moving him into fourth place all-time for postseason rushing touchdowns.
Marshawn Lynch's "Beast Mode"
The nickname "Beast Mode" is very popular for Marshawn Lynch. It describes his powerful and determined way of playing football. Lynch says the nickname came from a childhood coach who called him a "beast."
Lynch has turned "Beast Mode" into a brand. He has his own clothing line and a store in Oakland, California. Rapper Ludacris even made a song and music video called "Beast Mode," featuring Lynch. Lynch has also appeared in video games like Call of Duty: Black Ops III and Predator: Hunting Grounds. He even partnered with a bike company, SE Bikes, to create a special "Beast Mode Ripper" BMX bike.
In 2017, Lynch launched Beast Mobile, a cellphone service. It lets users pay their phone bill by watching ads.
Beyond Football: Team Ownership and More
Marshawn Lynch has become an owner of several sports teams. In 2019, he became a co-owner of the Bay Area Panthers in the Indoor Football League (IFL). He wanted to keep professional football in Oakland after the Raiders moved. In 2021, he also became a co-owner of the FCF Beasts in Fan Controlled Football (FCF). In April 2022, he joined the ownership group of the Seattle Kraken, a professional hockey team in the National Hockey League (NHL).
In October 2021, Lynch was named the first brand chief ambassador for the NFLPA. This means he helps promote the NFL players' union. He has also invested in other companies, like a "holoportation" startup called PORTL Inc.
Personal Life and Community Work
Marshawn Lynch has many relatives who also played professional football. His cousins include wide receiver Robert Jordan and quarterbacks Josh Johnson and JaMarcus Russell. His uncle, Lorenzo Lynch, played in the NFL for eleven years.
Lynch is known for his strong connection to his hometown of Oakland. He started his own charity, the Fam1st Family Foundation, in 2006. It helps give back to the community in Oakland, California. He is also known for his kindness. Once, he returned a lost wallet he found at a gas station.
His love for Skittles is famous. He often ate them during games. After he was seen eating them on TV, the company Mars gave him a two-year supply of Skittles! They also made a special dispenser for his locker. He even had a deal with Skittles where they donated money to his foundation for every touchdown he scored in the Super Bowl.
Lynch also loves to wear grills, which are decorative covers for teeth. He has worn them since high school.
Talking to the Media
Marshawn Lynch is famous for not liking to talk to reporters. He often gave very short answers or repeated the same phrase. For example, at Super Bowl Media Day in 2015, he famously said, "I'm just here so I won't get fined" to every question. He later explained that he felt forced to talk to the media.
Film and TV Appearances
Marshawn Lynch has also appeared in several movies and TV shows.
- The League (2014–2015) - Himself
- Running Wild with Bear Grylls (2016) - Himself
- Brooklyn Nine-Nine (2017) - Himself
- No Script with Marshawn Lynch (2017) - Himself
- Westworld (2020) - Giggles
- Bar Rescue (2020) - Himself (featured his own sports bar)
- Murderville (2022) - Himself
- The Great American Baking Show (2022) - Himself (contestant)
- 80 for Brady (2023) - Himself (cameo)
- Bottoms (2023) - Mr. G (nominated for an award)
Images for kids
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Lynch with the Seattle Seahawks in 2014
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Lynch playing against BYU at the 2005 Las Vegas Bowl
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Lynch during his "Beast Quake" run in the Seahawks' 2011 NFC Wild Card game
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Lynch carries the ball against the New York Jets in October 2009.
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Lynch with the Seahawks in 2014
