John Lynch (American football)

John Terrence Lynch, Jr. (born September 25, 1971) is a former National Football League strong safety and current NFL on Fox color commentator. He was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the third round of the 1993 NFL Draft. He played college football at Stanford.

A nine-time Pro Bowl selection, Lynch earned a Super Bowl ring with the Buccaneers in Super Bowl XXXVII. He also spent time with the Denver Broncos and New England Patriots before retiring as a free agent during the 2008 season. He was ranked #10 as the most feared tackler in NFL history, on the NFL Films production "Top 10 Most Feared Tacklers", for the NFL Network, a list shared with the likes of Dick Butkus, Lawrence Taylor, Jack Tatum, Ronnie Lott, and Jack Lambert.

Early years
Lynch was born in Hinsdale, Illinois. He attended Torrey Pines High School in the Carmel Valley/Del Mar area of San Diego, California, where he also played baseball and basketball.

College career
Lynch starred in baseball and football at Stanford University. While there he was a member of Delta Tau Delta fraternity.

Baseball career
Lynch was drafted as a right handed pitcher by the Florida Marlins the second round (66th overall) of the 1992 amateur draft. He threw the first pitch in the organization's history as a member of the Erie Sailors, which was a 95 mph ball. His jersey is in the Baseball Hall of Fame. He played two seasons in the minor leagues with the Sailors and Kane County Cougars, starting nine games and going 1–3 with a 2.36 earned run average.

He roomed with Edgar Renteria according to the Oct. 31 broadcast of the Oakland Raiders versus Seattle Seahawks, which Lynch acts as a broadcaster for.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Lynch was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the third round (82nd pick overall) of the 1993 NFL Draft. Lynch played his first 11 seasons in the league with the Buccaneers.

In 2002, Lynch collected a Super Bowl ring in Super Bowl XXXVII with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in San Diego. He was the first player to wear a microphone in the Super Bowl.

Lynch was released by the Buccaneers following the 2003 season for salary cap reasons.

Denver Broncos
Lynch signed a free agent contract with the Denver Broncos prior to the 2004 season, despite being courted by the New England Patriots.

In the 2005 season, John Lynch nearly made his second Super Bowl, but the Broncos lost to the Steelers in the AFC Championship Game.

He served as the Broncos defensive captain in 2006 and 2007. On July 31, 2008, Lynch was granted his release by the Broncos. Lynch said in a news conference that his lack of playing time heading into this season was a reason for his departure.

New England Patriots
Lynch visited with the New England Patriots on August 13, 2008, then agreed to a 1-year deal worth $1.5 million. However, on September 1, 2008, Lynch was released from the team.

Retirement
On November 17, 2008, while in Tampa, Lynch officially announced his retirement from football and six days later he joined NFL on Fox in the broadcasting booth as a color commentator. He was paired with Chris Rose. His first game covered was the week 12, November 23, 2008, match-up of the Minnesota Vikings at the Jacksonville Jaguars. He now does commentary alongside Ron Pitts and Dick Stockton.

Personal
Lynch is married to Linda, older sister of his close friend and former NFL tight end John Allred. He and Allred had a run-in during a 1997 NFL game that resulted in Allred almost getting knocked out from a hit.