Marshawn Lynch facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Marshawn Lynch

Lynch with the Seattle Seahawks in 2014
No. 23, 24
Position:	Running back
Personal information
Born:	(1986-04-22) April 22, 1986 (age 39) Oakland, California, U.S.
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
As player:
Buffalo Bills (2007–2010) Seattle Seahawks (2010–2015) Oakland Raiders (2017–2018) Seattle Seahawks (2019)
As executive:
Bay Area Panthers (2019–present) Owner FCF Beasts (2022–present) Owner Seattle Kraken (2022–present) Minority owner
Career highlights and awards
Super Bowl champion (XLVIII) First-team All-Pro (2012) Second-team All-Pro (2014) 5× Pro Bowl (2008, 2011–2014) 2× NFL rushing touchdowns leader (2013, 2014) NFL 2010s All-Decade Team PFWA All-Rookie Team (2007) First-team All-American (2006) Pac-10 Offensive Player of the Year (2006) First-team All-Pac-10 (2006) Holiday Bowl Co-Offensive MVP (2006) Las Vegas Bowl MVP (2005)
Career NFL statistics
Rushing yards: 10,413 Rushing average: 4.2 Rushing touchdowns: 85 Receptions: 287 Receiving yards: 2,214 Receiving touchdowns: 9
Player stats at PFR

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 called him "Beast Mode" because of his powerful playing style. He played most of his career with the Seattle Seahawks.

Marshawn grew up in Oakland, California. He played college football for the California Golden Bears. 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 the Seattle Seahawks in 2010.

With the Seahawks from 2010 to 2015, Lynch was chosen for four Pro Bowls in a row. He was also named a first-team All-Pro once. He led the league in rushing touchdowns twice. He helped the Seahawks win their first Super Bowl title in Super Bowl XLVIII. His amazing "Beast Quake" touchdown run in 2011 is famous. He ran 67 yards, breaking nine tackles! Many consider it one of the best runs in NFL history.

Lynch first retired in 2015 due to injuries. But he came back in 2017 to play for his hometown team, the Oakland Raiders. After two seasons, he retired again. Then, he rejoined the Seahawks in 2019 for their last regular-season game and playoff run. Since his final retirement, he has become a co-owner of the Seattle Kraken (an NHL team), the Beasts (a FCF team), and the Bay Area Panthers (an IFL team).

Early Life and School Days

Marshawn Lynch grew up in Oakland, California, with three older brothers and sisters. His mother, Delisa, was a great athlete herself. She once held a track record at Oakland Technical High School. Marshawn started playing youth football in Oakland when he was very young.

He went to Oakland Technical High School, the same school as his mother, from 2000 to 2004.

At Oakland Tech, Lynch was a star in four sports: football, basketball, track, and wrestling. In his 2003 football season, he ran for 1,722 yards and scored 23 touchdowns in just eight games. He also added 375 yards and 10 touchdowns in two playoff games. He was named an All-American by PrepStar and SuperPrep. He was also voted the San Francisco East Bay Player of the Year. In basketball, he played with future college star Leon Powe. Lynch helped his team reach the state semi-finals. He also competed in track and field, running sprints and doing jumping events. He ran the 100-meter dash in 10.94 seconds as a senior. He also jumped 1.94 meters (6 feet, 4 inches) in the high jump and 6.38 meters (20 feet, 10 inches) in the long jump.

Lynch was a very flexible football player in high school. He played defensive back, quarterback, wide receiver, and linebacker. Recruiting experts at Rivals.com ranked him as the second-best running back in the country.

He went to the University of California, Berkeley, and studied social welfare. He played for the Golden Bears football team from 2004 to 2006. In 2020, he received an honorary degree from Princeton University.

College Football Career

Freshman Year: 2004 Season

As a new student in 2004 at the University of California Berkeley, Lynch was the main backup running back. In his first college game against Air Force, he ran for 92 yards and scored a touchdown. Later that season, against Washington, he ran for 121 yards and two touchdowns. He also caught a 29-yard touchdown pass. Against Stanford, he ran for 122 yards and a touchdown. He even threw a 20-yard touchdown pass! In his first year, Lynch ran for 628 yards and eight touchdowns. He also caught 19 passes for 147 yards and two touchdowns.

Sophomore Year: 2005 Season

Lynch playing against BYU at the 2005 Las Vegas Bowl

In 2005, Lynch became the main starting running back. He changed his jersey number to 10, his high school number. He started the season strong, running for 147 yards and a touchdown against Sacramento State. He had several more games with over 100 rushing yards and touchdowns. In the 2005 Las Vegas Bowl, Lynch ran for 194 yards and three touchdowns. He was named the game's Most Valuable Player (MVP). Even though he missed two games due to injuries, he still ran for 1,246 yards and 10 touchdowns. He also caught 15 passes for 125 yards.

Junior Year: 2006 Season

In 2006, Lynch was considered one of the best players in the nation. He was even on the watchlist for the Maxwell Award. He also joined the Cal Track & Field team and ran the 60-meter dash. The Cal football team even started a website to support Lynch winning the Heisman Trophy.

He had many great games in 2006, often running for over 100 yards and scoring touchdowns. One memorable moment was against Washington. He ran for 150 yards and two touchdowns, including the game-winning score in overtime. After that run, Lynch famously drove around the football field in an injury cart! He was named the Pac-10 Offensive Player of the Year. He was also chosen as an All-American.

In his last game for Cal, the 2006 Holiday Bowl, Lynch ran for 111 yards and two touchdowns. He shared the Co-Offensive Player of the Game award. He finished his final season with 1,356 rushing yards and 11 rushing touchdowns. He also caught 34 passes for 328 yards and four receiving touchdowns. Lynch holds the Cal school record for the most games with over 100 rushing yards, with 17. On January 2, 2007, Lynch decided to leave college early and enter the 2007 NFL draft.

College Statistics

Professional Football Career

Buffalo Bills: 2007-2010

On April 28, 2007, the Buffalo Bills picked Marshawn Lynch as the 12th player in the 2007 NFL draft. He was the second running back chosen. He signed a six-year contract with the Bills.

Rookie Season: 2007

Lynch started as the main running back for the Bills. In his first game, he ran for 90 yards and scored his first touchdown. A big game for him was on November 4 against the Cincinnati Bengals. He ran 29 times for 153 yards, including a 56-yard touchdown. He even threw a touchdown pass! Lynch injured his ankle later and missed three games. He returned and continued to play well. He ran for over 1,000 yards in his rookie season, scoring seven touchdowns. He was named to the NFL All-Rookie Team.

Second Season: 2008

Lynch started the 2008 season strong, scoring four rushing touchdowns in his first three games. He had his first receiving touchdown in November. He ran for over 1,000 yards again, finishing with 1,036 yards and eight rushing touchdowns. He also caught 47 passes for 300 yards and one receiving touchdown. Lynch was chosen for his first Pro Bowl.

Third Season: 2009

Lynch was suspended for the first three games of the 2009 season due to a violation of the NFL's personal conduct policy. When he returned, he was replaced as the Bills' starting running back by Fred Jackson. Lynch finished the season with 450 rushing yards and two touchdowns.

Final Season with Bills: 2010

Lynch had an ankle sprain in the preseason. He started three games for the Bills before being traded to the Seattle Seahawks on October 5, 2010.

Seattle Seahawks: First Time (2010-2015)

Marshawn Lynch joined his former college roommate, Justin Forsett, on the Seahawks. He scored his first touchdown with the Seahawks on October 17. He finished the 2010 season with 737 rushing yards and six touchdowns.

Lynch during his Beast Quake run in the Seahawks' 2011 NFC Wild Card game

In his first playoff game, against the New Orleans Saints in January 2011, Lynch had an incredible 67-yard touchdown run. He broke nine tackles! This play became known as the "Beast Quake". It got its name because fans jumping and cheering caused movement that was recorded on a seismograph near the stadium.

2011 Season

Lynch played in 15 games in 2011. He ran for 1,204 yards and 12 touchdowns, both career bests. This was his first 1,000-yard season since 2008. During a game, he was seen eating Skittles after scoring a touchdown. Fans later started throwing Skittles onto the field when he scored! He set a team record by scoring a touchdown in 10 straight games. Lynch was added to the NFC Pro Bowl team.

2012 Season

In 2012, Lynch had another great season. He ran for 122 yards and a touchdown against the Dallas Cowboys. He had several games with over 100 rushing yards. In a huge 58-0 win over the Arizona Cardinals, he ran for 128 yards and three touchdowns. The Seahawks finished with an 11-5 record and made the playoffs. In the playoffs, he ran for 132 yards and a touchdown against the Washington Redskins. Overall, Lynch started all 16 regular-season games. He ran for 1,590 yards and 11 touchdowns. He was named a First-team All-Pro and went to the 2013 Pro Bowl.

2013 Season

In 2013, Lynch continued to be a key player for the Seahawks. He ran for 98 yards and two touchdowns against the San Francisco 49ers. He had three games with over 100 rushing yards. He finished the season with 1,257 rushing yards and 12 touchdowns. He tied for the league lead in rushing touchdowns. The Seahawks had a 13-3 record and earned a first-round bye in the playoffs. In the playoffs, he ran for 140 yards and two touchdowns against the New Orleans Saints. He also ran for 109 yards and a touchdown against the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC Championship. He was voted to the Pro Bowl again. The Seahawks won Super Bowl XLVIII, beating the Denver Broncos 43-8. Lynch ran for 39 yards and a touchdown in that game.

2014 Season

Lynch with the Seahawks in 2014

Lynch with the Seattle Seahawks in 2014

Before the 2014 season, Lynch held out of training camp for a new contract. He quickly agreed to new terms and remained the starting running back. In the season opener, he ran for 110 yards and two touchdowns. He had a fantastic game against the New York Giants, running for 140 yards and scoring four touchdowns! He tied for the most points scored by any player in a single game that season. He also had a career-long 79-yard touchdown run against the Arizona Cardinals. Lynch tied for the league lead in rushing touchdowns for the second year in a row.

The Seahawks finished with a 12-4 record and made the playoffs. Lynch was named to the Pro Bowl for the fifth time. In the NFC Championship against the Green Bay Packers, he ran for a career-high 157 yards. The Seahawks won in overtime after being far behind.

In Super Bowl XLIX, the Seahawks lost to the New England Patriots. Lynch ran for 102 yards and a touchdown. Late in the game, the Seahawks chose to pass the ball instead of running it with Lynch, and the pass was intercepted. Lynch was upset by this decision.

2015 Season

In March 2015, Lynch signed a new contract with the Seahawks. He had a strong game against the San Francisco 49ers, running for 122 yards and a touchdown. However, he needed surgery for a sports hernia during the season. Lynch returned for the playoffs but had limited carries in the Divisional Round loss to the Carolina Panthers.

First Retirement

On February 7, 2016, the day of Super Bowl 50, Lynch announced his retirement. He posted a picture of his football cleats hanging from a wire. After retiring, he became a mentor for college football players at Cal.

Oakland Raiders: 2017-2018

In April 2017, rumors spread that Lynch would return to the NFL to play for his hometown team, the Oakland Raiders. He said he wanted to play for the Raiders before they moved to Las Vegas. On April 26, 2017, Lynch was officially traded to the Raiders.

2017 Season

In his first game as a Raider, Lynch ran for 76 yards. He scored his first touchdown as a Raider in Week 2. During a game against the Kansas City Chiefs, Lynch was ejected for running onto the field and pushing an official. He was suspended for one game. In the last game of the season, Lynch ran for over 10,000 career rushing yards, becoming the 31st player in NFL history to do so. He finished the 2017 season with 891 rushing yards and seven touchdowns.

2018 Season

Lynch returned for the 2018 season. He scored a rushing touchdown in the first three games. In Week 4, he ran for 130 yards against the Cleveland Browns. He was later placed on injured reserve due to a groin injury. He finished the 2018 season with 376 rushing yards and three touchdowns in six games. After the 2018 season, Lynch planned to retire again.

Seattle Seahawks: Second Time (2019)

Lynch returned to the NFL in December 2019, signing with the Seahawks for the final week of the 2019 regular season. He made his debut in Week 17, running for 34 yards and a touchdown. After his touchdown, fans again threw Skittles onto the field. In the playoffs, Lynch scored a five-yard touchdown against the Philadelphia Eagles. In the Divisional Round against the Green Bay Packers, he scored two more touchdowns. With these three playoff touchdowns, Lynch moved into fourth place on the all-time postseason rushing touchdowns list.

NFL Career Statistics

Regular Season

Postseason

Seahawks Team Records

Marshawn Lynch holds several records for the Seattle Seahawks:

• Most rushing attempts in playoff career: 211
• Most rushing attempts in a playoff season: 65 (2013)
• Most rushing yards in playoff career: 970
• Most rushing yards in a playoff season: 318 (2014)
• Most rushing touchdowns in a game: 4 (November 9, 2014, tied with other players)
• Most rushing touchdowns in playoff career: 12
• Most rushing touchdowns in a playoff season: 4 (2013)
• Most total touchdowns in playoff career: 12
• Most total touchdowns in a playoff season: 4 (2013)
• Most games with over 100 rushing yards in playoffs: 6
• Most games with at least one touchdown scored in playoffs: 7

Acting and Media Appearances

Marshawn Lynch has appeared in several movies and TV shows.

Movies

Television Shows

The "Beast Mode" Nickname

Marshawn Lynch's nickname, "Beast Mode," became very popular. It describes his powerful and unstoppable way of playing football. Lynch says the nickname started when one of his childhood coaches called him a "beast."

Lynch has turned "Beast Mode" into his own brand. This includes a clothing line and a store. The first Beast Mode store opened in Oakland, California, in 2016. Rapper Ludacris even released 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 partnered with SE Bikes to create a special "Beast Mode Ripper" BMX bike. In 2017, Lynch launched his own cellphone service called Beast Mobile.

Indoor Football Team Ownership

In November 2018, Lynch and fellow football player Richard Sherman became the first team owners in a new league called Fan Controlled Football (FCF). This league lets fans use a mobile app to call plays for the team. The FCF played its first game in February 2021, with Lynch as one of the owners of a team called the Beasts.

In 2019, Lynch also became a co-owner of the Oakland Panthers in the Indoor Football League (IFL). He saw this as a way to keep professional football in Oakland after the Raiders moved to Las Vegas. The Panthers were supposed to start playing in 2020, but the season was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

NFLPA Brand Chief Ambassador

In October 2021, Marshawn Lynch was named the first-ever brand chief ambassador for the NFLPA (National Football League Players Association). This means he helps represent the players' brand.

Personal Life and Community Work

Marshawn Lynch has several family members 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.

While playing for the Buffalo Bills, Lynch was known for being very involved in the Buffalo community. He is also known for his frequent community work in his hometown of Oakland. In 2013, he organized a successful food drive for Oakland. He once gave his backpack to a younger teammate, Doug Baldwin, who admired it. When his defensive coordinator's father passed away, Lynch was the only person from the team who went to comfort him at the airport. In 2014, he found a lost wallet and returned it to the owner's address.

Lynch often ate Skittles during games, a habit he started in high school. After he was seen eating them on TV, the company Mars offered him a two-year supply of Skittles and a special dispenser for his locker. In 2014, he made an official deal with Skittles. The agreement said that for each touchdown he scored in Super Bowl XLVIII, $10,000 would be given to his Fam First Foundation.

Lynch also likes to buy grills, which are decorative covers for teeth. He has worn them since high school. After the 2011 season, he bought a custom Seahawks-themed grill.

In April 2021, Lynch joined the ownership group of the Oakland Roots SC, a soccer team. In the same month, he also became a brand ambassador and investor for the PFL. On April 18, 2022, the Seattle Kraken (an NHL team) announced that Lynch had joined its ownership group.

In November 2021, Lynch invested in PORTL Inc., a company that creates "holoportation" technology. Lynch started his own charity, the Fam1st Family Foundation, in 2006. Its goal is to help his hometown of Oakland, California.

Media Interviews

Lynch is known for not liking to talk to the media very much. He was once fined by the NFL for not speaking to reporters. Fans of the Seattle Seahawks even raised money to pay his fine. However, the fine was later removed, and Lynch donated the money raised by fans to charity. He was fined again in 2014 for not speaking to the media. After that, he often answered questions with simple phrases like "Yeah" or "Thanks for asking." He later explained that he felt forced to talk and that it was not how he grew up. During Super Bowl Media Day in 2015, he famously answered almost every question with, "I'm just here so I won't get fined."

In Popular Culture

Before Super Bowl XLIX, Lynch appeared on the TV show Conan. He played a video game against another football player, Rob Gronkowski. Lynch was very cheerful and talkative on the show, which was different from his media appearances. The video became very popular. He appeared on the show again before Super Bowl LI.

Lynch played himself in an episode of Brooklyn Nine-Nine in 2017. In the episode, he is a witness to an escape and talks a lot, which is a funny contrast to his real-life shyness with the press. The 2019 documentary film Marshawn Lynch: A History explores why he is quiet with the media.

Lynch also appeared as himself with Will Arnett in the comedy show Murderville in 2022. He tried to solve a fictional murder mystery. He was also on The Great American Baking Show in 2022.

In 2023, Lynch played a high school teacher in the teen comedy Bottoms. In December 2023, Lynch appeared on Lego Masters for a "Celebrity Holiday Bricktacular" episode. In May 2024, Lynch was in Ian's "Figure It Out" music video.

In July 2024, Lynch started co-hosting a podcast called Politickin' with California governor Gavin Newsom. They talk about many different topics and interview celebrities. In an October 2024 episode, they discussed the idea of Lynch running for mayor of Oakland. Lynch did not confirm he would run, but he seemed serious about considering it.

Lynch is also set to appear in the third season of the TV series Euphoria, which is filming in 2025.

Images for kids

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  Lynch carries the ball against the New York Jets in October 2009

See also

In Spanish: Marshawn Lynch para niños