Brandon Noble
Encyclopedia
Brandon Patrick Noble is a football
coach and former National Football League
player. He is considered one of NFL Europa's great success stories. Noble is currently the Omaha Nighthawks
' defensive line coach.
in Virginia Beach, Virginia
. He played as an offensive and defensive lineman.
. As a sophomore, he totaled 22 tackles and two sack
s during Penn State's undefeated 1994 season, and subsequent Rose Bowl
victory over Oregon
. In his first full season as a starter during his junior campaign, he registered 53 tackles and four sack
s.
As a senior in 1996, Noble posted a team-high eight sack
s and a career-high 72 tackles. He was named second-team All-Big Ten
, and was awarded the Hall Foundation Athletic Award, given to the team's most outstanding senior player. He was also named the Nittany Lions' most outstanding senior player and the defensive Most Valuable Player of the Fiesta Bowl
.
He earned a degree in Criminal Justice in 1998.
in 1997
as an undrafted rookie
free agent
and was waived during training camp. The 49ers signed him to the practice squad for a week in November 1997
and then cut him again.
By January 1998
, he was back with the 49ers
, who then allocated him to the Barcelona Dragons
of NFL Europe
. Noble returned to training camp with the 49ers
and was released at the end of camp. He returned to the 49ers practice squad, this time for the final four weeks of the 1998 season
before being waived.
, Noble signed as a free agent
with the Dallas Cowboys
, and was again assigned to the Barcelona Dragons
of NFL Europe
. He had a strong showing there, including NFL Europe
Defensive Player of the Week, All-NFLEL
honors, and helping lead Barcelona to victory in World Bowl V
. The experience and the salary cap problems the team was having during that period of time, helped him make the team as backup defensive tackle, where he was second on the squad in tackles by non-starters and fourth on the team with 3 sacks.
In 2000
Noble took over the starting role at left defensive tackle during the middle of the season, after injuries forced Chad Hennings
to miss the rest of the games and eventually retire.
By 2001
through hard work he had turned himself into a very good player. He had his best season after starting all 16 games and playing a key role in the Cowboy's significant improvement on defense, helping a mostly blue-collar cast finish fourth overall by allowing only 287.4 yards per game. Noble contributed 37 tackles, six quarterback pressures, 3.5 sacks and two passes defensed.
In 2002
playing next to Laroi Glover, he delivered another solid season.
as a free agent on March 1, 2003
. He suffered a season-ending left knee injury in the preseason and spent the year on injured reserve
. In 2004
, he returned from his injury to play in all 16 games, starting seven. He recorded 38 tackles (19 solo) with one sack. He was awarded the team's Ed Block Courage Award
, given to the player who best persevered through injury. However, Noble injured his right knee in the 2005
preseason and was again placed on injured reserve
for the remainder of the season.
During his rehabilitation, Noble developed a serious type of staph infection, MRSA
, which nearly required amputation
of his leg. After a long series of setbacks to his recovery, he was released by the Redskins
on March 10, 2006
on a salary cap saving move and retired prior to the 2006 season
.
s coach at West Chester University
in 2006.http://www.myfoxphilly.com/myfox/pages/News/Detail?contentId=5091717&version=2&locale=EN-US&layoutCode=TSTY&pageId=3.2.1 After a one-year hiatus from coaching, he returned as the Golden Rams' defensive line coach in 2010.
On February 17, 2011, Noble was introduced as the defensive line coach for the UFL's Omaha Nighthawks
.
show All Night with Jason Smith during the NFL season in which Smith would dial up Noble's phone number only to get the "caller ID" message and that Smith would get through by identifying himself as an NFL player or coach making news that week. Noble appears via the OnStar
hotline when either Amy Lawrence or Bob Valvano
is filling in for Smith on AllNight.
He is also a frequent guest on DC101
's "Elliot in the Morning
" in Washington, D.C.
, providing NFL news and analysis.
weekend during the 2000 season. They live in Chester Springs, Pennsylvania
with their three children: Conner, Grace, and a newborn (born fall 2005), and a number of Bulldog
s.
Noble was the celebrity football coach for the 2001 Let Us Play! Sports Camp for Girls, a three-day sports camp for inner-city girls founded by former Redskins
teammate Bryan Barker
.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
coach and former National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
player. He is considered one of NFL Europa's great success stories. Noble is currently the Omaha Nighthawks
Omaha Nighthawks
The Omaha Nighthawks are a professional American football team based in Omaha, Nebraska, which plays in the United Football League, joining the league as an expansion team in 2010. For their first season, the Nighthawks played their home games at Johnny Rosenblatt Stadium before moving to TD...
' defensive line coach.
Early life
Noble was named the Class AAA State Player of the Year as a senior at First Colonial High SchoolFirst Colonial High School
First Colonial High School is a high school in Virginia Beach, Virginia. First Colonial opened in 1966 by splitting students out of the former Virginia Beach High School. Virginia Beach High then became Virginia Beach Middle School. James C. Mounie was the first principal of the new high school...
in Virginia Beach, Virginia
Virginia Beach, Virginia
Virginia Beach is an independent city located in the Hampton Roads metropolitan area of Virginia, on the Atlantic Ocean at the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay...
. He played as an offensive and defensive lineman.
College career
Noble was a three-year starter at defensive tackle for Penn State UniversityPennsylvania State University
The Pennsylvania State University, commonly referred to as Penn State or PSU, is a public research university with campuses and facilities throughout the state of Pennsylvania, United States. Founded in 1855, the university has a threefold mission of teaching, research, and public service...
. As a sophomore, he totaled 22 tackles and two sack
Quarterback sack
In American football and Canadian football, a sack occurs when the quarterback is tackled behind the line of scrimmage before he can throw a forward pass, or when the quarterback is tackled behind the line of scrimmage in the "pocket" and the intent of what he was going to do is unclear...
s during Penn State's undefeated 1994 season, and subsequent Rose Bowl
Rose Bowl Game
The Rose Bowl is an annual American college football bowl game, usually played on January 1 at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California. When New Year's Day falls on a Sunday, the game is played on Monday, January 2...
victory over Oregon
University of Oregon
-Colleges and schools:The University of Oregon is organized into eight schools and colleges—six professional schools and colleges, an Arts and Sciences College and an Honors College.- School of Architecture and Allied Arts :...
. In his first full season as a starter during his junior campaign, he registered 53 tackles and four sack
Quarterback sack
In American football and Canadian football, a sack occurs when the quarterback is tackled behind the line of scrimmage before he can throw a forward pass, or when the quarterback is tackled behind the line of scrimmage in the "pocket" and the intent of what he was going to do is unclear...
s.
As a senior in 1996, Noble posted a team-high eight sack
Quarterback sack
In American football and Canadian football, a sack occurs when the quarterback is tackled behind the line of scrimmage before he can throw a forward pass, or when the quarterback is tackled behind the line of scrimmage in the "pocket" and the intent of what he was going to do is unclear...
s and a career-high 72 tackles. He was named second-team All-Big Ten
Big Ten Conference
The Big Ten Conference is the United States' oldest Division I college athletic conference. Its twelve member institutions are located primarily in the Midwestern United States, stretching from Nebraska in the west to Pennsylvania in the east...
, and was awarded the Hall Foundation Athletic Award, given to the team's most outstanding senior player. He was also named the Nittany Lions' most outstanding senior player and the defensive Most Valuable Player of the Fiesta Bowl
Fiesta Bowl
The Fiesta Bowl, now sponsored by Frito-Lay and named with their Tostitos brand, is a United States college football bowl game played annually at the University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. Between its origination in 1971 and 2006, the game was hosted in Tempe, Arizona at Sun Devil...
.
He earned a degree in Criminal Justice in 1998.
San Francisco 49ers
Noble signed with the San Francisco 49ersSan Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers are a professional American football team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team was founded in 1946 as a charter member of the All-America Football Conference and...
in 1997
1997 NFL season
The 1997 NFL season was the 78th regular season of the National Football League. The Oilers relocated from Houston, Texas to Nashville, Tennessee...
as an undrafted rookie
Rookie
Rookie is a term for a person who is in his or her first year of play of their sport or has little or no professional experience. The term also has the more general meaning of anyone new to a profession, training or activity Rookie is a term for a person who is in his or her first year of play of...
free agent
Free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player whose contract with a team has expired and who is thus eligible to sign with another club or franchise....
and was waived during training camp. The 49ers signed him to the practice squad for a week in November 1997
1997 NFL season
The 1997 NFL season was the 78th regular season of the National Football League. The Oilers relocated from Houston, Texas to Nashville, Tennessee...
and then cut him again.
By January 1998
1998 NFL season
The 1998 NFL season was the 79th regular season of the National Football League.The Tennessee Oilers moved their home games from Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium in Memphis to Vanderbilt Stadium in Nashville, still awaiting construction on a new stadium in Nashville.This was the first season that CBS...
, he was back with the 49ers
San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers are a professional American football team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team was founded in 1946 as a charter member of the All-America Football Conference and...
, who then allocated him to the Barcelona Dragons
Barcelona Dragons
The Barcelona Dragons were a team originally in the World League of American Football and later in the resurrected NFL Europe. Their home field in Barcelona was the Estadi Olímpic de Montjuic, the 1992 Olympic Stadium, and later the Mini Estadi. The Dragons were successful on the field, making it...
of NFL Europe
NFL Europe
NFL Europe was an American football league which operated in Europe from 1991 until 2007. Backed by the National Football League , the largest professional American football league in the United States, it was founded as the World League of American Football to serve as a type of spring league...
. Noble returned to training camp with the 49ers
San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers are a professional American football team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team was founded in 1946 as a charter member of the All-America Football Conference and...
and was released at the end of camp. He returned to the 49ers practice squad, this time for the final four weeks of the 1998 season
1998 NFL season
The 1998 NFL season was the 79th regular season of the National Football League.The Tennessee Oilers moved their home games from Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium in Memphis to Vanderbilt Stadium in Nashville, still awaiting construction on a new stadium in Nashville.This was the first season that CBS...
before being waived.
Dallas Cowboys
In 19991999 NFL season
The 1999 NFL season was the 80th regular season of the National Football League. The Cleveland Browns returned to the field for the first time since the 1995 season...
, Noble signed as a free agent
Free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player whose contract with a team has expired and who is thus eligible to sign with another club or franchise....
with the Dallas Cowboys
Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football franchise which plays in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League . They are headquartered in Valley Ranch in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas...
, and was again assigned to the Barcelona Dragons
Barcelona Dragons
The Barcelona Dragons were a team originally in the World League of American Football and later in the resurrected NFL Europe. Their home field in Barcelona was the Estadi Olímpic de Montjuic, the 1992 Olympic Stadium, and later the Mini Estadi. The Dragons were successful on the field, making it...
of NFL Europe
NFL Europe
NFL Europe was an American football league which operated in Europe from 1991 until 2007. Backed by the National Football League , the largest professional American football league in the United States, it was founded as the World League of American Football to serve as a type of spring league...
. He had a strong showing there, including NFL Europe
NFL Europe
NFL Europe was an American football league which operated in Europe from 1991 until 2007. Backed by the National Football League , the largest professional American football league in the United States, it was founded as the World League of American Football to serve as a type of spring league...
Defensive Player of the Week, All-NFLEL
NFL Europe
NFL Europe was an American football league which operated in Europe from 1991 until 2007. Backed by the National Football League , the largest professional American football league in the United States, it was founded as the World League of American Football to serve as a type of spring league...
honors, and helping lead Barcelona to victory in World Bowl V
World Bowl V
World Bowl '97 was NFL Europe's 1997 championship game. The game was played at Estadi Olimpic de Montjuic in Barcelona, Spain on June 22, 1997. This World Bowl was played between the 7-3 Rhein Fire and the 5-5 Barcelona Dragons. 31,100 fans were in attendance as the Dragons won their first and...
. The experience and the salary cap problems the team was having during that period of time, helped him make the team as backup defensive tackle, where he was second on the squad in tackles by non-starters and fourth on the team with 3 sacks.
In 2000
2000 NFL season
The 2000 NFL season was the 81st regular season of the National Football League. The season ended with Super Bowl XXXV when the Baltimore Ravens defeated the New York Giants.Week 1 of the season reverted to Labor Day weekend in 2000...
Noble took over the starting role at left defensive tackle during the middle of the season, after injuries forced Chad Hennings
Chad Hennings
Chad William Hennings is a former American football defensive lineman for the Air Force Academy Falcons and Dallas Cowboys. He won the Outland Trophy in his senior year of college...
to miss the rest of the games and eventually retire.
By 2001
2001 NFL season
The 2001 NFL season was the 82nd regular season of the National Football League.Following a pattern set in 1999, the first week of the season was permanently moved to the weekend following Labor Day...
through hard work he had turned himself into a very good player. He had his best season after starting all 16 games and playing a key role in the Cowboy's significant improvement on defense, helping a mostly blue-collar cast finish fourth overall by allowing only 287.4 yards per game. Noble contributed 37 tackles, six quarterback pressures, 3.5 sacks and two passes defensed.
In 2002
2002 NFL season
The 2002 NFL season was the 83rd regular season of the National Football League.The league went back to an even number of teams, expanding to 32 teams with the addition of the Houston Texans. The clubs were then realigned into eight divisions, four teams in each...
playing next to Laroi Glover, he delivered another solid season.
Washington Redskins
Noble signed with the Washington RedskinsWashington Redskins
The Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,...
as a free agent on March 1, 2003
2003 NFL season
-Milestones:The following teams and players set all-time NFL records during the season:-Team:-Individual:-Awards:-External Links:**-References:*NFL Record and Fact Book *...
. He suffered a season-ending left knee injury in the preseason and spent the year on injured reserve
Injured reserve
The injured reserve list is a list of reserved players who are injured and unable to play for a period of time, used most prominently in the National Hockey League and National Football League . It is used because these leagues have a maximum number of players on the team roster, so placing a...
. In 2004
2004 NFL season
The 2004 NFL season was the 85th regular season of the National Football League.With the New England Patriots as the defending league champions, regular season play was held from September 9, 2004 to January 2, 2005...
, he returned from his injury to play in all 16 games, starting seven. He recorded 38 tackles (19 solo) with one sack. He was awarded the team's Ed Block Courage Award
Ed Block Courage Award
The Ed Block Courage Award is an annual award presented to selected players in the National Football League , who are voted by their teammates as role models of inspiration, sportsmanship, and courage. Named in memory of Ed Block, a well-liked humanitarian and trainer for the Baltimore Colts, the...
, given to the player who best persevered through injury. However, Noble injured his right knee in the 2005
2005 NFL season
The 2005 NFL season was the 86th regular season of the National Football League.With the New England Patriots as the defending league champions, regular season play was held from September 8, 2005 to January 1, 2006...
preseason and was again placed on injured reserve
Injured reserve
The injured reserve list is a list of reserved players who are injured and unable to play for a period of time, used most prominently in the National Hockey League and National Football League . It is used because these leagues have a maximum number of players on the team roster, so placing a...
for the remainder of the season.
During his rehabilitation, Noble developed a serious type of staph infection, MRSA
Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus
Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus is a bacterium responsible for several difficult-to-treat infections in humans. It is also called multidrug-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and oxacillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus...
, which nearly required amputation
Amputation
Amputation is the removal of a body extremity by trauma, prolonged constriction, or surgery. As a surgical measure, it is used to control pain or a disease process in the affected limb, such as malignancy or gangrene. In some cases, it is carried out on individuals as a preventative surgery for...
of his leg. After a long series of setbacks to his recovery, he was released by the Redskins
Washington Redskins
The Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,...
on March 10, 2006
2006 NFL season
The 2006 NFL season was the 87th regular season of the National Football League.Regular season play was held from September 7 to December 31, 2006...
on a salary cap saving move and retired prior to the 2006 season
2006 NFL season
The 2006 NFL season was the 87th regular season of the National Football League.Regular season play was held from September 7 to December 31, 2006...
.
Coaching
Noble was hired as the linebackerLinebacker
A linebacker is a position in American football that was invented by football coach Fielding H. Yost of the University of Michigan. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up approximately three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage, behind the defensive linemen...
s coach at West Chester University
West Chester University of Pennsylvania
West Chester University of Pennsylvania is a public university located in West Chester, Pennsylvania, about miles west of Philadelphia. It is one of the 14 state universities of the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education . West Chester was ranked 69th in the Master's Universities ...
in 2006.http://www.myfoxphilly.com/myfox/pages/News/Detail?contentId=5091717&version=2&locale=EN-US&layoutCode=TSTY&pageId=3.2.1 After a one-year hiatus from coaching, he returned as the Golden Rams' defensive line coach in 2010.
On February 17, 2011, Noble was introduced as the defensive line coach for the UFL's Omaha Nighthawks
Omaha Nighthawks
The Omaha Nighthawks are a professional American football team based in Omaha, Nebraska, which plays in the United Football League, joining the league as an expansion team in 2010. For their first season, the Nighthawks played their home games at Johnny Rosenblatt Stadium before moving to TD...
.
Broadcasting
Noble is a regular guest on the ESPN RadioESPN Radio
ESPN Radio is an American sports radio network. It was launched on January 1, 1992 under the original banner of "SportsRadio ESPN." ESPN Radio is located at ESPN headquarters in Bristol, Connecticut...
show All Night with Jason Smith during the NFL season in which Smith would dial up Noble's phone number only to get the "caller ID" message and that Smith would get through by identifying himself as an NFL player or coach making news that week. Noble appears via the OnStar
OnStar
OnStar Corporation is a subsidiary of General Motors that provides subscription-based communications, in-vehicle security, hands free calling, turn-by-turn navigation, and remote diagnostics systems throughout the United States, Canada and China. A similar service is known as ChevyStar in Latin...
hotline when either Amy Lawrence or Bob Valvano
Bob Valvano
Bob Valvano is an American sportscaster based in Louisville, Kentucky.During the college-basketball season, he is an analyst for ESPN2, ESPNU and ESPN Plus, mostly covering Big East basketball. When not doing those games, Valvano is the color analyst for University of Louisville men's basketball...
is filling in for Smith on AllNight.
He is also a frequent guest on DC101
WWDC (FM)
WWDC is a commercial radio station in Washington, D.C., broadcasting to the Washington, DC-Baltimore, Maryland area. WWDC airs an alternative rock format on 101.1 FM branded as DC101.-History:WWDC-FM signed on in 1947 as a beautiful music station...
's "Elliot in the Morning
Elliot in the Morning
Elliot in the Morning is a morning radio talk show hosted by DJ Elliot Segal. It airs weekdays from "5:48 until 10-something" on WWDC-FM in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area and on WRXL in Richmond, Virginia...
" in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, providing NFL news and analysis.
Personal
Noble and his wife Mary Kate were married ThanksgivingThanksgiving
Thanksgiving Day is a holiday celebrated primarily in the United States and Canada. Thanksgiving is celebrated each year on the second Monday of October in Canada and on the fourth Thursday of November in the United States. In Canada, Thanksgiving falls on the same day as Columbus Day in the...
weekend during the 2000 season. They live in Chester Springs, Pennsylvania
Chester Springs, Pennsylvania
Chester Springs is an unincorporated community in Chester County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is centered on West Pikeland Township, and extends into Upper Uwchlan Township, East Nantmeal Township, Wallace Township and West Vincent Township. The Chester Springs postal zone is considerably...
with their three children: Conner, Grace, and a newborn (born fall 2005), and a number of Bulldog
Bulldog
Bulldog is the name for a breed of dog commonly referred to as the English Bulldog. Other Bulldog breeds include the American Bulldog, Olde English Bulldogge and the French Bulldog. The Bulldog is a muscular heavy dog with a wrinkled face and a distinctive pushed-in nose...
s.
Noble was the celebrity football coach for the 2001 Let Us Play! Sports Camp for Girls, a three-day sports camp for inner-city girls founded by former Redskins
Washington Redskins
The Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,...
teammate Bryan Barker
Bryan Barker
Bryan Christopher Barker is a retired American football punter in the National Football League.Barker last played for the St. Louis Rams in 2005...
.
External links
- "Redskins' Noble Battles Infection That Is a Growing Concern for the NFL", The Washington Post, January 27, 2006
- "Bad Bugs, No Drugs: Brandon Noble's Story", Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) website, March 1, 2006
- "Athletes Vulnerable to Dangerous Staph Infection" ABC World News Tonight, February 4, 2006
- "Penn State's Noble Man," The Virginian-Pilot, October 5, 1996
- Brandon Noble interview Redskins.com TV, August 15, 2005