Richard Seymour
Encyclopedia
Richard Vershaun Seymour (born October 6, 1979) is an American football
defensive tackle for the Oakland Raiders
of the National Football League
. He was drafted by the New England Patriots
sixth overall in the 2001 NFL Draft
. He played college football
at Georgia
.
Seymour has played in six Pro Bowl
s, has been named to four All-Pro
teams, and has been a member of three Super Bowl
-winning Patriots teams. Some have considered Seymour to be the best defensive lineman in the NFL. He has also been described as the best #6 overall draft pick of all time.
Seymour has gone to the Pro Bowl
both as a 4-3 defensive tackle and as a 3-4 defensive end. He has also occasionally played fullback
on short yardage and goal line situations. However, Seymour has not seen work as a fullback since suffering a knee injury on a one-yard Corey Dillon
touchdown run against the San Diego Chargers
in October 2005.
, Seymour won first team All-Region honors, won first team All-Area honors, and as a senior, was voted the team's best defensive lineman, was a team captain, won an All-Area Player of the Week award, led his team to four All-Area Team of the Week honors, and finished the season with 8 sacks and 83 tackles.
and was part of a defensive line that consisted of four future first-round draft picks: Seymour, current Buffalo Bills
defensive tackle Marcus Stroud
, New Orleans Saints
defensive end Charles Grant
, and former Patriots teammate Johnathan Sullivan
.
A housing and consumer economics major, Seymour was a four-year letterman at Georgia (1997–2000) who played in 41 games for the Bulldogs, starting 25. He finished his career with 223 tackles (106 solos), 9.5 sacks, 25.5 tackles for losses and 35 quarterback pressures.
He was selected two times to the All-Southeastern Conference
first-team (1999–2000). As a senior Seymour was named All-American first-team selection by the American Football Coaches Association
and Walter Camp
, and was selected by The Sporting News
for their second team.
Seymour appeared in nine games during his 1997 freshman year at right defensive tackle and made two tackles and had a quarterback pressure. He also appeared in every game in 1998 as a sophomore and made 4 starts. He finished fourth on the team with 69 tackles (32 solos) and had 4 sacks and 14 quarterback pressures.
In 1999, as a junior, Seymour started all 11 games at right defensive tackle and led the team with 74 tackles (38 solos), including 10 tackles-for-loss, four sacks and seven quarterback pressures. He also intercepted a pass. He was named SEC defensive player of the week for his performance against the South Carolina Gamecocks
. In that contest he collected six tackles (5 solos), including a pair of sacks, three stops for minus 12 yards and a pressure that resulted in an interception in a 24-6 victory.
As a senior, Seymour started ten games at right defensive tackle, recording 78 tackles (35 solos) and a team-leading 10.5 tackles for loss, and 1-1/2 sacks plus 13 quarterback pressures. He earned SEC
player of the week honors following his performance versus the Tennessee Volunteers
.
. On July 24, 2001, the Patriots signed Seymour to a six-year, $14.3 million contract. He played in 13 games in his 2001
rookie season, starting 10 of them, amassing three sacks mainly as a 4-3 defensive tackle. Seymour missed the season opener against the Cincinnati Bengals
as well as two late October games with a leg injury. In Super Bowl XXXVI
, Seymour started at defensive tackle and earned a Super Bowl ring
for the Patriots' victory over the St. Louis Rams
.
The 2002
season saw Seymour starting all 16 games at 4-3 defensive tackle in his second season in the NFL, collecting 5.5 sacks and an interception en route to his first Pro Bowl
appearance. Seymour also had a presence on special teams, blocking field goals in back-to-back November games against the Oakland Raiders
and Minnesota Vikings
.
, Seymour moved outside to defensive end in the scheme and was also named a defensive team captain for the first time in his career. Despite missing a game against the Denver Broncos
in October due to a leg injury, Seymour finished with a career-high eight sacks and 57 tackles in 15 games played (14 starts). He was twice named AFC Special Teams Player of the Week, after blocked field goals against the Miami Dolphins
in Week 7 and the Tennessee Titans
in the divisional playoffs. Seymour and the Patriots would go to win their second championship in three years, defeating the Carolina Panthers
in Super Bowl XXXVIII
.
Seymour was elected to the 2004 Pro Bowl
and was a first-team All-Pro
selection following the season.
Seymour started all 15 games he played in during the 2004
season, but missed the final regular season and first two playoff games against the Indianapolis Colts
and Pittsburgh Steelers
after injuring the MCL
in his right knee in Week 16. He also recorded the first touchdown of his career on a 68-yard fumble return against the Buffalo Bills
in Week 4. Seymour's tackle and sack numbers dipped slightly from the previous season to 39 tackles and five sacks, but he was still named to his third consecutive Pro Bowl
and was again a first-team All-Pro
choice. Seymour earned his third Super Bowl win with a Patriots victory over the Philadelphia Eagles
in Super Bowl XXXIX
, a game he started.
offseason minicamps and missed the first four days of training camp in hopes of securing a new contract. While the Patriots did not fulfill Seymour's request, they did give him a pay raise for the 2005 season in order to end his holdout. In April 2006, Seymour signed a three-year, $30 million contract extension through the 2009 season.
Seymour's 2005 season began with the defensive end recording two sacks and averaging more than five tackles in the first four games before Seymour suffered a left knee injury playing fullback in a goal line situation against the San Diego Chargers
in Week 4. He missed the next four games, returning on November 13. Seymour finished the season with four sacks and 46 tackles, and was named to his third-consecutive first-team All-Pro
team as well as his fourth consecutive Pro Bowl
, which he did not play in due to injury.
The 2006
season became the third straight in which Seymour would have to endure an injury; a left elbow injury suffered in Week 7 lingered throughout the season and cost Seymour a start in Week 8, but Seymour still appeared in all 16 regular season games and the playoffs. Seymour was fined $7,500 by the NFL for stepping on Indianapolis Colts
offensive lineman Tarik Glenn
during a November 5, 2006 game. Seymour was reportedly angered that Glenn was diving for Seymour's knees. Regardless, Seymour professed his regret for the incident and stated he would apologize to Glenn at their next meeting. Seymour, who also had a groin injury and admitted he was not 100 percent, tallied four sacks, 40 tackles, and a blocked field goal on the season. He was
named to the 2007 Pro Bowl
, his fifth straight, and was a second-team All-Pro
selection. However, he did not play in the Pro Bowl for the second straight season.
In the 2007
offseason, Seymour had surgery on the left knee he had originally injured more than two years prior, an injury he said had hampered his conditioning and play during the 2005 and 2006 seasons. The surgery kept Seymour out of training camp and the preseason, and eventually the Patriots decided to keep Seymour on the Physically Unable to Perform
list, keeping him out at least the first six weeks of the regular season. Seymour was activated from the PUP on October 27, and played the balance of the regular season and the playoffs, including Super Bowl XLII
, a loss to the New York Giants
. Recording 23 tackles and 1.5 sacks, Seymour was not named to the Pro Bowl or the All-Pro team for the first time since his rookie season.
season proved to be a much healthier one for Seymour, who started the first 15 games, only to miss to the season finale against the Buffalo Bills
with a back injury. Seymour tied his career high of eight sacks, recorded 52 tackles, and also led the team with 17 quarterback hits but for the second straight season was not named to the Pro Bowl or All-Pro teams but was as a key part of a defense that finished eighth in the NFL in allowing 19.3 points per game.
for a first-round pick in the 2011 NFL Draft
. Seymour refused to report to the Raiders in the days following the trade, reportedly unhappy about being traded to the team.
The Boston Herald
, Boston Globe, and National Football Post all claimed that on or before September 10, the Raiders sent Seymour a formal letter ordering him to report within five days or risk being placed on the reserve/left squad list, which would prevent him from playing for any team in 2009, and thus would prevent him from achieving free agency until he played out his contract in 2010. Moreover, the Herald reported that Seymour was in fact in possession of that letter. The next day, on September 11, he was placed on the team's exempt/left squad list.
On September 12, the Globe reported Seymour reported to the Raiders after the Herald had reported that Seymour felt "blindsided" by the trade. Seymour said there were "personal issues" concerning his family and that an NFLPA grievance filed on his behalf, which claimed the Raiders were not allowed to send him a five-day letter, was a "procedural thing." The NFLPA dropped the grievance shortly after, calling it a "moot point." He did report to the team on September 12, and started in the team's first game on September 14 in which he recorded six tackles and sacked Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers
twice. He went on to start all 16 games of the 2009 NFL season
, recording 47 tackles and four sacks on the year.
. The Raiders and Seymour negotiated a long-term contract, but Seymour opted to sign a one year deal worth $12.4 million on June 19, 2010.
Throughout the 2010 NFL season
, he was a starting left defensive tackle next to Tommy Kelly
on the Raiders defensive line. He was ejected during a game in Pittsburgh on November 22 for punching Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger
. He was later fined $25,000 for his actions. For his play, Seymour was selected to his sixth career Pro Bowl
, but did not play due to a hamstring injury and was replaced by Kyle Williams
.
, still at left defensive tackle next to Tommy Kelly
, he recorded 2 sacks and 3 tackles as the Raiders defeated the Denver Broncos
.
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...
defensive tackle for the Oakland Raiders
Oakland Raiders
The Oakland Raiders are a professional American football team based in Oakland, California. They currently play in the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
of the 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...
. He was drafted by the New England Patriots
New England Patriots
The New England Patriots, commonly called the "Pats", are a professional football team based in the Greater Boston area, playing their home games in the town of Foxborough, Massachusetts at Gillette Stadium. The team is part of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National...
sixth overall in the 2001 NFL Draft
2001 NFL Draft
The 2001 NFL Draft took place on April 21–22, 2001 at the theater at Madison Square Garden, in New York City. This was the 66th National Football League draft in league history. The draft was broadcast on ESPN both days and eventually moved to ESPN2. No teams elected to claim any players in the...
. He played college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
at Georgia
Georgia Bulldogs football
The Georgia Bulldogs football team represents the University of Georgia in football. The Bulldogs are a member of the Southeastern Conference and are frequently a top-25 team. The University of Georgia has had a football team since 1892 and has an all-time record of 738–398–54...
.
Seymour has played in six Pro Bowl
Pro Bowl
In professional American football, the Pro Bowl is the all-star game of the National Football League . Since the merger with the rival American Football League in 1970, it has been officially called the AFC–NFC Pro Bowl, matching the top players in the American Football Conference against those...
s, has been named to four All-Pro
All-Pro
All-Pro is a term mostly used in the NFL for the best players of each position during that season. It began as polls of sportswriters in the early 1920s...
teams, and has been a member of three Super Bowl
Super Bowl
The Super Bowl is the championship game of the National Football League , the highest level of professional American football in the United States, culminating a season that begins in the late summer of the previous calendar year. The Super Bowl uses Roman numerals to identify each game, rather...
-winning Patriots teams. Some have considered Seymour to be the best defensive lineman in the NFL. He has also been described as the best #6 overall draft pick of all time.
Seymour has gone to the Pro Bowl
Pro Bowl
In professional American football, the Pro Bowl is the all-star game of the National Football League . Since the merger with the rival American Football League in 1970, it has been officially called the AFC–NFC Pro Bowl, matching the top players in the American Football Conference against those...
both as a 4-3 defensive tackle and as a 3-4 defensive end. He has also occasionally played fullback
Fullback (American football)
A fullback is a position in the offensive backfield in American and Canadian football, and is one of the two running back positions along with the halfback...
on short yardage and goal line situations. However, Seymour has not seen work as a fullback since suffering a knee injury on a one-yard Corey Dillon
Corey Dillon
Corey James Dillon is a former American football running back. He played his ten-season career for the Cincinnati Bengals and the New England Patriots, wearing jersey number 28 for both teams. Dillon played college football the University of Washington where he wore the number 4.-High school...
touchdown run against the San Diego Chargers
San Diego Chargers
The San Diego Chargers are a professional American football team based in San Diego, California. they were members of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
in October 2005.
Early years
At Lower Richland High School in Hopkins, South CarolinaHopkins, South Carolina
Hopkins is an unincorporated community in Richland County, South Carolina, United States that was founded in circa 1836 named after John Hopkins...
, Seymour won first team All-Region honors, won first team All-Area honors, and as a senior, was voted the team's best defensive lineman, was a team captain, won an All-Area Player of the Week award, led his team to four All-Area Team of the Week honors, and finished the season with 8 sacks and 83 tackles.
College career
Seymour played college football at the University of GeorgiaUniversity of Georgia
The University of Georgia is a public research university located in Athens, Georgia, United States. Founded in 1785, it is the oldest and largest of the state's institutions of higher learning and is one of multiple schools to claim the title of the oldest public university in the United States...
and was part of a defensive line that consisted of four future first-round draft picks: Seymour, current Buffalo Bills
Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills are a professional football team based in Buffalo, New York. They are currently members of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
defensive tackle Marcus Stroud
Marcus Stroud
Marcus LaVar Stroud is an American Football defensive end who is currently a free agent. He was originally drafted by the Jacksonville Jaguars 13th overall in the 2001 NFL Draft. He played college football at Georgia...
, New Orleans Saints
New Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans, Louisiana. They are members of the South Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League ....
defensive end Charles Grant
Charles Grant (American football)
Charles Gabriel Grant is an American football defensive end who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the New Orleans Saints in the first round of the 2002 NFL Draft...
, and former Patriots teammate Johnathan Sullivan
Johnathan Sullivan
Johnathan Lamar Sullivan is an American football defensive tackle and current free agent. He was drafted sixth in the first round by the New Orleans Saints in the 2003 NFL Draft...
.
A housing and consumer economics major, Seymour was a four-year letterman at Georgia (1997–2000) who played in 41 games for the Bulldogs, starting 25. He finished his career with 223 tackles (106 solos), 9.5 sacks, 25.5 tackles for losses and 35 quarterback pressures.
He was selected two times to the All-Southeastern Conference
Southeastern Conference
The Southeastern Conference is an American college athletic conference that operates in the southeastern part of the United States. It is headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama...
first-team (1999–2000). As a senior Seymour was named All-American first-team selection by the American Football Coaches Association
American Football Coaches Association
The American Football Coaches Association is an association of over 11,000 football coaches and staff on all levels. According to its constitution, some of the main goals of the American Football Coaches Association are to "maintain the highest possible standards in football and the profession of...
and Walter Camp
Walter Camp
Walter Chauncey Camp was an American football player, coach, and sports writer known as the "Father of American Football". With John Heisman, Amos Alonzo Stagg, Pop Warner, Fielding H. Yost, and George Halas, Camp was one of the most accomplished persons in the early history of American football...
, and was selected by The Sporting News
The Sporting News
Sporting News is an American-based sports magazine. It was established in 1886, and it became the dominant American publication covering baseball — so much so that it acquired the nickname "The Bible of Baseball"...
for their second team.
Seymour appeared in nine games during his 1997 freshman year at right defensive tackle and made two tackles and had a quarterback pressure. He also appeared in every game in 1998 as a sophomore and made 4 starts. He finished fourth on the team with 69 tackles (32 solos) and had 4 sacks and 14 quarterback pressures.
In 1999, as a junior, Seymour started all 11 games at right defensive tackle and led the team with 74 tackles (38 solos), including 10 tackles-for-loss, four sacks and seven quarterback pressures. He also intercepted a pass. He was named SEC defensive player of the week for his performance against the South Carolina Gamecocks
University of South Carolina
The University of South Carolina is a public, co-educational research university located in Columbia, South Carolina, United States, with 7 surrounding satellite campuses. Its historic campus covers over in downtown Columbia not far from the South Carolina State House...
. In that contest he collected six tackles (5 solos), including a pair of sacks, three stops for minus 12 yards and a pressure that resulted in an interception in a 24-6 victory.
As a senior, Seymour started ten games at right defensive tackle, recording 78 tackles (35 solos) and a team-leading 10.5 tackles for loss, and 1-1/2 sacks plus 13 quarterback pressures. He earned SEC
Southeastern Conference
The Southeastern Conference is an American college athletic conference that operates in the southeastern part of the United States. It is headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama...
player of the week honors following his performance versus the Tennessee Volunteers
Tennessee Volunteers
The Tennessee Volunteers and Lady Volunteers are the National Collegiate Athletic Association college sports teams at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, Tennessee. Mike Hamilton is the most recent Men's Athletic Director, but resigned on June 7, 2011, and Joan Cronan is the current Women's...
.
2001–02 seasons
Seymour was drafted by the Patriots in the first round (sixth overall) of the 2001 NFL Draft2001 NFL Draft
The 2001 NFL Draft took place on April 21–22, 2001 at the theater at Madison Square Garden, in New York City. This was the 66th National Football League draft in league history. The draft was broadcast on ESPN both days and eventually moved to ESPN2. No teams elected to claim any players in the...
. On July 24, 2001, the Patriots signed Seymour to a six-year, $14.3 million contract. He played in 13 games in his 2001
2001 New England Patriots season
The 2001 New England Patriots season was the 32nd season for the team in the National Football League and 42nd season overall. They finished with an 11–5 record and a division title before advancing to and winning Super Bowl XXXVI....
rookie season, starting 10 of them, amassing three sacks mainly as a 4-3 defensive tackle. Seymour missed the season opener against the Cincinnati Bengals
Cincinnati Bengals
The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional football team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the AFC's North Division in the National Football League . The Bengals began play in 1968 as an expansion team in the American Football League , and joined the NFL in 1970 in the AFL-NFL...
as well as two late October games with a leg injury. In Super Bowl XXXVI
Super Bowl XXXVI
Super Bowl XXXVI was an American football game played on February 3, 2002 at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana to decide the National Football League champion following the 2001 regular season. The American Football Conference champion New England Patriots won their first Super...
, Seymour started at defensive tackle and earned a Super Bowl ring
Super Bowl ring
The Super Bowl ring is an award in the National Football League given to the winners of the league's annual championship game, the Super Bowl...
for the Patriots' victory over the St. Louis Rams
St. Louis Rams
The St. Louis Rams are a professional American football team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are currently members of the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Rams have won three NFL Championships .The Rams began playing in 1936 in Cleveland,...
.
The 2002
2002 New England Patriots season
The 2002 New England Patriots season was the 33rd season for the team in the National Football League and 43rd season overall. They finished with a 9–7 record, good enough for second in the division but not a playoff berth....
season saw Seymour starting all 16 games at 4-3 defensive tackle in his second season in the NFL, collecting 5.5 sacks and an interception en route to his first Pro Bowl
2003 Pro Bowl
The 2003 AFC-NFC Pro Bowl was played on February 2, 2003 at Aloha Stadium in Honolulu, Hawaii. The final Score was AFC 45, NFC 20. Ricky Williams of the Miami Dolphins was the game's MVP.-Offense:-Defense:-Special teams:-Offense:-Defense:...
appearance. Seymour also had a presence on special teams, blocking field goals in back-to-back November games against the Oakland Raiders
Oakland Raiders
The Oakland Raiders are a professional American football team based in Oakland, California. They currently play in the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
and Minnesota Vikings
Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Vikings joined the National Football League as an expansion team in 1960...
.
2003–04 seasons
With the Patriots defense moving to a 3-4 in 20032003 New England Patriots season
The 2003 New England Patriots season was the 34th season for the team in the National Football League and 44th season overall. They finished with a league-best 14–2 record before advancing to and winning Super Bowl XXXVIII....
, Seymour moved outside to defensive end in the scheme and was also named a defensive team captain for the first time in his career. Despite missing a game against the Denver Broncos
Denver Broncos
The Denver Broncos are a professional American football team based in Denver, Colorado. They are currently members of the West Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
in October due to a leg injury, Seymour finished with a career-high eight sacks and 57 tackles in 15 games played (14 starts). He was twice named AFC Special Teams Player of the Week, after blocked field goals against the Miami Dolphins
Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins are a Professional football team based in the Miami metropolitan area in Florida. The team is part of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
in Week 7 and the Tennessee Titans
Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. They are members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Previously known as the Houston Oilers, the team began play in 1960 as a charter...
in the divisional playoffs. Seymour and the Patriots would go to win their second championship in three years, defeating the Carolina Panthers
Carolina Panthers
The Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. They are currently members of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Panthers, along with the Jacksonville Jaguars, joined the NFL as expansion...
in Super Bowl XXXVIII
Super Bowl XXXVIII
Super Bowl XXXVIII was an American football game played on February 1, 2004 at Reliant Stadium in Houston, Texas to decide the National Football League champion following the 2003 regular season....
.
Seymour was elected to the 2004 Pro Bowl
2004 Pro Bowl
The 2004 AFC-NFC Pro Bowl was played on February 8, 2004 at Aloha Stadium in Honolulu, Hawaii. The final score was NFC 55, AFC 52, the most points scored in a Pro Bowl game. Marc Bulger of the St. Louis Rams was the game's MVP.-Game summary:...
and was a first-team All-Pro
2003 All-Pro Team
The 2003 All-Pro Team is composed of the National Football League players that were named to the Associated Press, Pro Football Writers Association, and The Sporting News All-Pro Teams in 2003. Both first and second teams are listed for the AP team. These are the three teams that are included in...
selection following the season.
Seymour started all 15 games he played in during the 2004
2004 New England Patriots season
The 2004 New England Patriots season was the 35th season for the team in the National Football League and 45th season overall. They finished with their second straight 14–2 record before advancing to and winning Super Bowl XXXIX, their third Super Bowl victory in four years.Following a Super Bowl...
season, but missed the final regular season and first two playoff games against the Indianapolis Colts
Indianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League ....
and Pittsburgh Steelers
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team currently belongs to the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Founded in , the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC...
after injuring the MCL
Medial collateral ligament
The medial collateral ligament of the knee is one of the four major ligaments of the knee. It is on the medial side of the knee joint in humans and other primates. It is also known as the tibial collateral ligament, or abbreviated as the MCL.- Structure :It is a broad, flat, membranous band,...
in his right knee in Week 16. He also recorded the first touchdown of his career on a 68-yard fumble return against the Buffalo Bills
Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills are a professional football team based in Buffalo, New York. They are currently members of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
in Week 4. Seymour's tackle and sack numbers dipped slightly from the previous season to 39 tackles and five sacks, but he was still named to his third consecutive Pro Bowl
2005 Pro Bowl
The 2005 AFC-NFC Pro Bowl was played February 13, 2005 at Aloha Stadium in Honolulu, Hawaii. The final score was AFC 38 - NFC 27. The most valuable player was Peyton Manning of the Colts. The game holds the record as the latest Pro Bowl played during the calendar year.-Game summary:The game...
and was again a first-team All-Pro
2004 All-Pro Team
The 2004 All-Pro Team is composed of the National Football League players that were named to the Associated Press, Pro Football Writers Association, and The Sporting News All-Pro Teams in 2004. Both first and second teams are listed for the AP team. These are the three teams that are included in...
choice. Seymour earned his third Super Bowl win with a Patriots victory over the Philadelphia Eagles
Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
in Super Bowl XXXIX
Super Bowl XXXIX
Super Bowl XXXIX was an American football game played on February 6, 2005, at Alltel Stadium in Jacksonville, Florida, to decide the National Football League champion following the 2004 regular season...
, a game he started.
2005–07 seasons
Entering the final year of his rookie contract, Seymour held out of the 20052005 New England Patriots season
The 2005 New England Patriots season was the 36th season for the team in the National Football League and 46th season overall. They finished with a 10–6 record and the division title before losing in the playoffs to the Denver Broncos....
offseason minicamps and missed the first four days of training camp in hopes of securing a new contract. While the Patriots did not fulfill Seymour's request, they did give him a pay raise for the 2005 season in order to end his holdout. In April 2006, Seymour signed a three-year, $30 million contract extension through the 2009 season.
Seymour's 2005 season began with the defensive end recording two sacks and averaging more than five tackles in the first four games before Seymour suffered a left knee injury playing fullback in a goal line situation against the San Diego Chargers
San Diego Chargers
The San Diego Chargers are a professional American football team based in San Diego, California. they were members of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
in Week 4. He missed the next four games, returning on November 13. Seymour finished the season with four sacks and 46 tackles, and was named to his third-consecutive first-team All-Pro
2005 All-Pro Team
The 2005 All-Pro Team is composed of the National Football League players that were named to the Associated Press, Pro Football Writers Association, and The Sporting News All-Pro Teams in 2005. Both first and second teams are listed for the AP team. These are the three teams that are included in...
team as well as his fourth consecutive Pro Bowl
2006 Pro Bowl
The 2006 AFC-NFC Pro Bowl was played on February 12, 2006 at Aloha Stadium in Honolulu, Hawaii. It marked the 27th consecutive time that the National Football League's all-star game was held in Honolulu...
, which he did not play in due to injury.
The 2006
2006 New England Patriots season
The 2006 New England Patriots season was the 37th season for the team in the National Football League and 47th season overall. They finished with a 12–4 record and a division title before losing to the Indianapolis Colts in the playoffs....
season became the third straight in which Seymour would have to endure an injury; a left elbow injury suffered in Week 7 lingered throughout the season and cost Seymour a start in Week 8, but Seymour still appeared in all 16 regular season games and the playoffs. Seymour was fined $7,500 by the NFL for stepping on Indianapolis Colts
Indianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League ....
offensive lineman Tarik Glenn
Tarik Glenn
Tarik Glenn is a former American football offensive tackle who played for the Indianapolis Colts. Glenn performed as two-way lineman at Bishop O'Dowd High School in Oakland, California....
during a November 5, 2006 game. Seymour was reportedly angered that Glenn was diving for Seymour's knees. Regardless, Seymour professed his regret for the incident and stated he would apologize to Glenn at their next meeting. Seymour, who also had a groin injury and admitted he was not 100 percent, tallied four sacks, 40 tackles, and a blocked field goal on the season. He was
named to the 2007 Pro Bowl
2007 Pro Bowl
The 2007 AFC-NFC Pro Bowl took place on February 10, 2007, at Aloha Stadium in Honolulu, Hawaii. The game was held on a Saturday instead of the usual Sunday after the Super Bowl because of a request by broadcaster CBS....
, his fifth straight, and was a second-team All-Pro
2006 All-Pro Team
-Offense: -Defense:-Special teams:-Key:*AP = Associated Press All-Pro team*AP-2 = Associated Press Second-team All-Pro*PFWA = Pro Football Writers Association/Pro Football Weekly All-Pro team*TSN = The Sporting News All-Pro Team-References:**...
selection. However, he did not play in the Pro Bowl for the second straight season.
In the 2007
2007 New England Patriots season
The 2007 New England Patriots season was the 38th season for the team in the National Football League and 48th season overall. They finished with a perfect 16–0 regular season record but lost to the New York Giants in Super Bowl XLII....
offseason, Seymour had surgery on the left knee he had originally injured more than two years prior, an injury he said had hampered his conditioning and play during the 2005 and 2006 seasons. The surgery kept Seymour out of training camp and the preseason, and eventually the Patriots decided to keep Seymour on the Physically Unable to Perform
Physically Unable to Perform
Players can be labeled Physically Unable to Perform in the National Football League if they suffer from football-related injuries during the preseason...
list, keeping him out at least the first six weeks of the regular season. Seymour was activated from the PUP on October 27, and played the balance of the regular season and the playoffs, including Super Bowl XLII
Super Bowl XLII
Super Bowl XLII was an American football game on February 3, 2008 that featured the National Football Conference champion New York Giants and the American Football Conference champion New England Patriots to decide the National Football League champion for the 2007 season...
, a loss to the New York Giants
New York Giants
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey, representing the New York City metropolitan area. The Giants are currently members of the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
. Recording 23 tackles and 1.5 sacks, Seymour was not named to the Pro Bowl or the All-Pro team for the first time since his rookie season.
2008 season
The 20082008 New England Patriots season
The 2008 New England Patriots season was the 39th season for the team in the National Football League and 49th season overall. Despite finishing the regular season with an 11–5 record, the Patriots did not qualify for the playoffs—becoming the first 11-win team since the expansion to a 12-team...
season proved to be a much healthier one for Seymour, who started the first 15 games, only to miss to the season finale against the Buffalo Bills
Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills are a professional football team based in Buffalo, New York. They are currently members of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
with a back injury. Seymour tied his career high of eight sacks, recorded 52 tackles, and also led the team with 17 quarterback hits but for the second straight season was not named to the Pro Bowl or All-Pro teams but was as a key part of a defense that finished eighth in the NFL in allowing 19.3 points per game.
2009 season
On September 6, 2009, the Patriots traded Seymour, who was entering the final year of his contract, to the Oakland RaidersOakland Raiders
The Oakland Raiders are a professional American football team based in Oakland, California. They currently play in the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
for a first-round pick in the 2011 NFL Draft
2011 NFL Draft
The 2011 NFL Draft was the 76th installment of the annual NFL Draft, where the franchises of the National Football League select newly eligible football players...
. Seymour refused to report to the Raiders in the days following the trade, reportedly unhappy about being traded to the team.
The Boston Herald
Boston Herald
The Boston Herald is a daily newspaper that serves Boston, Massachusetts, United States, and its surrounding area. It was started in 1846 and is one of the oldest daily newspapers in the United States...
, Boston Globe, and National Football Post all claimed that on or before September 10, the Raiders sent Seymour a formal letter ordering him to report within five days or risk being placed on the reserve/left squad list, which would prevent him from playing for any team in 2009, and thus would prevent him from achieving free agency until he played out his contract in 2010. Moreover, the Herald reported that Seymour was in fact in possession of that letter. The next day, on September 11, he was placed on the team's exempt/left squad list.
On September 12, the Globe reported Seymour reported to the Raiders after the Herald had reported that Seymour felt "blindsided" by the trade. Seymour said there were "personal issues" concerning his family and that an NFLPA grievance filed on his behalf, which claimed the Raiders were not allowed to send him a five-day letter, was a "procedural thing." The NFLPA dropped the grievance shortly after, calling it a "moot point." He did report to the team on September 12, and started in the team's first game on September 14 in which he recorded six tackles and sacked Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers
Philip Rivers
Philip Rivers is an American football quarterback for the San Diego Chargers of the National Football League . He was one half of the Manning-Rivers draft trade which sent him to San Diego and the 1st overall pick, Ole Miss quarterback Eli Manning, to the New York Giants. Rivers played college...
twice. He went on to start all 16 games of the 2009 NFL season
2009 NFL season
The 2009 NFL season was the 90th regular season of the National Football League.The preseason started with the Pro Football Hall of Fame Game on August 9, 2009, and the regular season began September 10. The season ended with Super Bowl XLIV, the league's championship game, on February 7, 2010 at...
, recording 47 tackles and four sacks on the year.
2010 season
On February 24, 2010, the Raiders gave Seymour the franchise tagFranchise Tag
In the National Football League, the franchise tag is a designation a team may apply to a player scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent. The tag binds the player to the team for one year if certain conditions are met. Each team has access each year to only one franchise tag and one...
. The Raiders and Seymour negotiated a long-term contract, but Seymour opted to sign a one year deal worth $12.4 million on June 19, 2010.
Throughout the 2010 NFL season
2010 NFL season
The 2010 NFL season was the 91st regular season of the National Football League.The regular season began with the NFL Kickoff game on NBC on Thursday, September 9, at the Louisiana Superdome as the New Orleans Saints, Super Bowl XLIV champions, defeated the Minnesota Vikings 14–9.Tom Brady,...
, he was a starting left defensive tackle next to Tommy Kelly
Tommy Kelly
Tommy Kelly is an American football player who currently plays defensive tackle for the Oakland Raiders.-Early years:...
on the Raiders defensive line. He was ejected during a game in Pittsburgh on November 22 for punching Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger
Ben Roethlisberger
Benjamin Todd "Ben" Roethlisberger , nicknamed Big Ben, is an American football quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Steelers in the first round in the 2004 NFL Draft...
. He was later fined $25,000 for his actions. For his play, Seymour was selected to his sixth career Pro Bowl
2011 Pro Bowl
The 2011 AFC–NFC Pro Bowl was the NFL's all-star game for the 2010 season. It took place at 7:00 p.m. EST on Sunday, January 30, 2011 at Aloha Stadium in Honolulu, Hawaii...
, but did not play due to a hamstring injury and was replaced by Kyle Williams
Kyle Williams (defensive tackle)
Kyle Derrick Williams is an American football nose tackle who currently plays for the Buffalo Bills of the National Football League. He was originally drafted by the Bills in the fifth round of the 2006 NFL Draft. He played collegiately at Louisiana State.-High school:Williams attended Ruston...
.
2011 season
On February 17, 2011, Seymour agreed to a two year, $30 million contract extension, making him the highest paid defensive player in the NFL. On opening day of the 2011 NFL season2011 NFL season
The 2011 NFL season, the 92nd regular season of the National Football League, began on Thursday, September 8, 2011 with the Super Bowl XLV champion Green Bay Packers defeating the New Orleans Saints 42–34 at Lambeau Field and will end with Super Bowl XLVI, the league's championship game, on...
, still at left defensive tackle next to Tommy Kelly
Tommy Kelly
Tommy Kelly is an American football player who currently plays defensive tackle for the Oakland Raiders.-Early years:...
, he recorded 2 sacks and 3 tackles as the Raiders defeated the Denver Broncos
Denver Broncos
The Denver Broncos are a professional American football team based in Denver, Colorado. They are currently members of the West Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
.