Rico Mack facts for kids
| No. 56, 55, 51 | |
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| Position: | Linebacker |
| Personal information | |
| Born: | February 22, 1971 Statham, Georgia, U.S. |
| Height: | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) |
| Weight: | 239 lb (108 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school: | Winder-Barrow (Winder, Georgia) |
| College: | Appalachian State (1989–1992) |
| Career history | |
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| Career highlights and awards | |
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| Player stats at PFR | |
| Player stats at ArenaFan.com | |
Rico Rodrigus Mack (born February 22, 1971) is a former American football player. He was a linebacker, a position on the defense that helps stop the other team. Rico played for the Pittsburgh Steelers in the National Football League (NFL) and also played college football at Appalachian State University.
Contents
Rico Mack's Early Life and College Football Journey
Growing Up and High School Sports
Rico Rodrigus Mack was born on February 22, 1971, in a town called Statham, Georgia. When he was in high school, he played football at Winder-Barrow High School in Winder, Georgia. He was a very good player and earned special awards for being one of the best in his area.
College Football at Appalachian State
After high school, Rico went to Appalachian State University. He played football for the Appalachian State Mountaineers from 1989 to 1992. He was a "letterman" for four years, which means he played on the team for all four seasons. For three of those years, he was a "starter," meaning he was one of the main players on the field.
Rico was excellent at making tackles. He led his team in tackles during his second and third years. In his final year, 1992, he was chosen as the captain of the defense and again tied for the most tackles on the team.
Rico Mack's Professional Football Career
Starting in the NFL
After college, Rico Mack was not chosen in the 1993 NFL draft. However, he still got a chance to play professionally! He signed with the Chicago Bears in April 1993, but he was released a few months later.
Soon after, in August 1993, Rico joined the practice squad for the Pittsburgh Steelers. A practice squad is where players train with the team but aren't on the main roster yet. By November, he was moved to the main team and played in eight games for the Steelers during the 1993 season. He even played in one playoff game that year. Unfortunately, he got injured in August 1994 and missed the entire 1994 season. He was released by the Steelers in 1995.
Playing in Other Leagues
Rico continued his football career in different leagues. In 1996, he played for the Amsterdam Admirals in the World League of American Football. He played in all ten games and had a great season, making 79 tackles, getting two sacks, and even returning an interception 90 yards for a touchdown!
Later in 1996, Rico signed with the St. Louis Rams. However, he suffered a knee injury that ended his season early. He was released by the Rams in 1997.
He then briefly joined the Dallas Cowboys in April 1997 but was released in August of the same year.
Rico returned to the Amsterdam Admirals in 1998. This time, he played as a defensive end and continued to perform well, with 27 tackles and 3.5 sacks.
Arena Football and XFL Championship
In 1999, Rico played for the Buffalo Destroyers in the Arena Football League (AFL). The AFL had "ironman rules," which meant players often played both offense and defense. Rico played in all 14 games, making tackles and even catching a one-yard touchdown pass! He played in the first four games of the 2000 season before leaving the team.
In October 2000, Rico was picked by the Los Angeles Xtreme in the XFL draft. The XFL was a new football league. He played in all ten games for the Xtreme in 2001, starting nine of them. On April 21, 2001, Rico and the Los Angeles Xtreme won the XFL championship, beating the San Francisco Demons in the Million Dollar Game. This was a big achievement in his career!
