Tully Banta-Cain facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Tully Banta-Cain

Banta-Cain with the New England Patriots in 2009
No. 48, 95
Position:	Linebacker
Personal information
Born:	(1980-08-28) August 28, 1980 (age 44) Mountain View, California, U.S.
Height:	6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
Weight:	250 lb (113 kg)
Career information
High school:	Sunnyvale (CA) Fremont
College:	California
NFL Draft:	2003 / Round: 7 / Pick: 239
Career history
New England Patriots (2003–2006) San Francisco 49ers (2007–2008) New England Patriots (2009–2010)
Career highlights and awards
2× Super Bowl champion (XXXVIII, XXXIX) First-team All-Pac-10 (2002)
Career NFL statistics
Total tackles: 249 Sacks: 27.5 Forced fumbles: 4 Pass deflections: 5 Interceptions: 1 Defensive touchdowns: 1
Player stats at PFR

Tully Cameron Banta-Cain, born on August 28, 1980, is a former American football player. He played as a linebacker in the National Football League (NFL). The New England Patriots picked him in the 2003 NFL draft. He also played college football for the California Golden Bears.

Banta-Cain won two Super Bowl rings with the Patriots. He also played for the San Francisco 49ers.

Early Life and High School Football

Tully Banta-Cain has a mixed background. His family comes from African-American and Scottish/Irish roots. He is also related to famous athletes. His cousins are Rodney Rogers, a former NBA basketball player, and Jeffrey Leonard, a former MLB baseball player.

Tully went to Fremont High School in Sunnyvale, California. He was a star player there. As a junior, he was named the League's Defensive Player of the Year. In his senior year, he earned All-League honors as an outside linebacker. He also gained over 1,000 yards as a running back.

College Football Career

Banta-Cain played college football at the University of California, Berkeley. He was a very strong defensive player. During his time there, he made 112 tackles and 26.5 sacks. A sack is when a defensive player tackles the opposing team's quarterback.

He holds the record for the most sacks in a single game for Cal, with 4.5 sacks. In 2001, he started every game as a defensive end. As a senior in 2002, he was named to the All-Pac-10 first team. He was also named the team's Defensive Most Valuable Player. His 26.5 career sacks placed him third in the school's history.

Professional NFL Career

Tully Banta-Cain had a successful career in the NFL. He played for two different teams.

First Time with the New England Patriots

The New England Patriots drafted Banta-Cain in 2003. He was the 239th player chosen overall. In his first year, he played in nine games. He made 11 tackles and one sack.

In 2004, he played in all 16 games. He made 28 tackles and 1.5 sacks. He also caught his first career interception. This was against the Buffalo Bills. He was part of the team that won Super Bowl XXXVIII. The next year, he helped the team win Super Bowl XXXIX. In his last year of his first time with the Patriots, he had 43 tackles and 5.5 sacks.

Playing for the San Francisco 49ers

Banta-Cain with the 49ers in 2008

In 2007, Banta-Cain joined the San Francisco 49ers. He signed a three-year contract with them. He started four games but then hurt his ankle. Even with the injury, he kept playing. He finished the year with 61 tackles and 3.5 sacks.

He scored a game-winning touchdown against the Arizona Cardinals. He recovered a fumble in the endzone during overtime. This win ended an eight-game losing streak for the 49ers. In 2008, he led the team in special teams tackles. He was released by the 49ers in February 2009.

Second Time with the New England Patriots

Just eight days after leaving the 49ers, Banta-Cain rejoined the Patriots. This was in February 2009. He played in 16 games that year. He started 10 of them. He had a career-high of 10 sacks and 55 tackles.

He signed a new three-year contract with the Patriots in March 2010. In Week 2 of the 2010 season, he started against the New York Jets. He made eight tackles and one sack. He was later released by the Patriots in July 2011.

NFL Career Statistics

These tables show Tully Banta-Cain's performance during his time in the NFL.

Regular season

Playoffs