Gerard Warren

Gerard Thurston Warren (born July 25, 1978) is an American football defensive tackle of the National Football League (NFL) who is currently a free agent. He played college football for the University of Florida. He was drafted by the Cleveland Browns third overall in the 2001 NFL Draft, and has also played professionally for the Denver Broncos, Oakland Raiders, and New England Patriots of the NFL.

Early years
Warren was born in Lake City, Florida. He attended Union County High School (Florida) in Lake Butler, Florida, where he played for the Union County Tigers high school football team. Warren finished his high school career with 36 sacks, and was ranked among the top ten defensive linemen nationally. During his four years in high school, the Union County Tigers had an overall win-loss record of 49–4 and won three consecutive Florida Class 3A state championships in 1994, 1995 and 1996. Warren was named to the Prep Stars and USA Today high school All-America teams. In 2007, ten years after he graduated from high school, the Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA) recognized Warren as one of the "100 Greatest Players of the First 100 Years" of Florida high school football.

College career
Warren attended the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida, where he played for coach Steve Spurrier's Florida Gators football team from 1998 to 2000. As a junior team captain in 2000, Warren posted 76 tackles and 4.5 sacks at defensive tackle and was a first-team All-Southeastern Conference (SEC) selection and a second-team All-American. He finished his three-season career as a Gator with 159 tackles, 9.5 sacks, and 30 tackles for a loss in 35 games and 22 starts.

Cleveland Browns
Warren was drafted by the Cleveland Browns with the third overall selection in the 2001 NFL Draft. He played in 15 games a rookie in 2001, all starts, and finished with 83 tackles and five sacks. In 2002, Warren started all 16 games, recording 56 tackles, two sacks, and two forced fumbles. He started 15 games for the Browns in 2003, picking up 70 tackles and a career-high 5.5 sacks. In his final season in Cleveland, 2004, Warren played in and started 13 games, missing three to injury, and finished with 38 tackles and four sacks.

Denver Broncos
In March 2005, Warren was traded to the Denver Broncos for a fourth-round pick in the 2005 NFL Draft. In addition to Warren, the Broncos also acquired defensive linemen Michael Myers, Ebenezer Ekuban, and Courtney Brown from the Browns, leading some to dub the new Broncos defensive line the "Browncos." Warren finished the 2005 season with 42 tackles and three sacks in 16 starts. In 2006, Warren started 15 games and recorded 30 tackles and 2.5 sacks on the season.

Oakland Raiders
In August 2007, during the preseason, Warren was traded by the Broncos to the Oakland Raiders in exchange for a conditional fifth-round draft pick in the 2008 NFL Draft. In 2007, Warren played in 12 games (five starts) for the Raiders, posting 22 tackles, four sacks, and one forced fumble. Warren started all 16 games in the 2008 season, finishing with 39 tackles, four sacks, and one forced fumble. In his final season with the Raiders, 2009, Warren again started all 16 games and finished the year with 35 tackles and two sacks. He was released by the Raiders on March 11, 2010.

New England Patriots
On April 24, 2010, during the final day of the 2010 NFL Draft, Warren signed with the New England Patriots. Despite being a late free agent signing, Warren made the Patriots' roster and began the season as a starter at defensive end before moving to nose tackle in Week 6. After two games at nose tackle, Warren moved back to defensive end but did not start the team's Week 8 game against the Minnesota Vikings. He returned to the starting lineup in Week 12 against the Detroit Lions on Thanksgiving, and went on to start four of the team's final five games after Thanksgiving. Warren finished the regular season with 28 tackles and 3.5 sacks in 16 games (10 starts). The Patriots re-signed him on August 8, 2011 after he had been a free agent for most of the offseason. During the 2011 season, he played in eleven games, all off the bench, and compiled a sack and 15 tackles. Afterward, he again became a free agent, but he re-signed with the Patriots on April 30, 2012. He was again released on August 26, 2012.