Tim Newton
Encyclopedia
Timothy Reginald "Tim" Newton (born March 23, 1963) is a former American college and professional football
player who was a defensive tackle in the National Football League
(NFL) for nine seasons during the 1980s and 1990s. Newton played college football
for the University of Florida
, and thereafter, he played professionally for the Minnesota Vikings
, Tampa Buccaneers and Kansas City Chiefs
of the NFL.
in 1963. He attended Jones High School in Orlando, and played for the Jones Tigers high school football
team.
to attend the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida
, where he played for coach Charley Pell
and coach Galen Hall
's Florida Gators football
teams from 1981 to 1984. As a senior in 1984, Newton was a first-team All-Southeastern Conference
(SEC) selection and a second-team All-American.
, and he played for the Vikings for five seasons from to . He also played for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in and , and the Kansas City Chiefs in and . In his eight-season NFL career, Newton played in a total of 108 regular season games, and started forty-seven of them.
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...
player who was a defensive tackle in 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...
(NFL) for nine seasons during the 1980s and 1990s. Newton 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...
for the University of Florida
University of Florida
The University of Florida is an American public land-grant, sea-grant, and space-grant research university located on a campus in Gainesville, Florida. The university traces its historical origins to 1853, and has operated continuously on its present Gainesville campus since September 1906...
, and thereafter, he played professionally for the 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...
, Tampa Buccaneers and Kansas City Chiefs
Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. They are a member of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Originally named the Dallas Texans, the club was founded by Lamar Hunt in 1960 as a...
of the NFL.
Early years
Newton was born in Orlando, FloridaOrlando, Florida
Orlando is a city in the central region of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat of Orange County, and the center of the Greater Orlando metropolitan area. According to the 2010 US Census, the city had a population of 238,300, making Orlando the 79th largest city in the United States...
in 1963. He attended Jones High School in Orlando, and played for the Jones Tigers high school football
High school football
High school football, in North America, refers to the game of football as it is played in the United States and Canada. It ranks among the most popular interscholastic sports in both of these nations....
team.
College career
Newton received an athletic scholarshipAthletic scholarship
An athletic scholarship is a form of scholarship to attend a college or university awarded to an individual based predominantly on his or her ability to play in a sport...
to attend the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida
Gainesville, Florida
Gainesville is the largest city in, and the county seat of, Alachua County, Florida, United States as well as the principal city of the Gainesville, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area . The preliminary 2010 Census population count for Gainesville is 124,354. Gainesville is home to the sixth...
, where he played for coach Charley Pell
Charley Pell
Charles Byron "Charley" Pell was an American college football player and coach. Pell was an Alabama native and an alumnus of the University of Alabama, where he played college football. He is most notably remembered as the head coach of the Clemson University and the University of Florida...
and coach Galen Hall
Galen Hall
Galen Samuel Hall is an American college and professional football coach and former player. He is a native of Pennsylvania, and an alumnus of Penn State University, where he played college football...
's Florida Gators football
Florida Gators football
The Florida Gators football team represents the University of Florida in the sport of American football. The Florida Gators compete in the Football Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletics Association and the Eastern Division of the Southeastern Conference...
teams from 1981 to 1984. As a senior in 1984, Newton was a first-team 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...
(SEC) selection and a second-team All-American.
Professional career
The Minnesota Vikings selected Newton in the sixth round (164th pick overall) of the 1985 NFL Draft1985 NFL Draft
The 1985 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 30 and May 1, 1985...
, and he played for the Vikings for five seasons from to . He also played for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in and , and the Kansas City Chiefs in and . In his eight-season NFL career, Newton played in a total of 108 regular season games, and started forty-seven of them.
See also
- Florida GatorsFlorida GatorsThe Florida Gators are the intercollegiate sports teams that represent the University of Florida located in Gainesville, Florida. The "Lady Gators" is an alternative nickname sometimes used by the Gators women's teams...
- Florida Gators football, 1980–1989
- History of the Minnesota VikingsHistory of the Minnesota VikingsThis article details the history of the Minnesota Vikings, an American football club of the National Football League .-Origins:Professional football history in the Twin Cities began with the Minneapolis Marines/Red Jackets, an NFL team that played intermittently in the 1920s and 1930s...
- List of Florida Gators football players
- List of Kansas City Chiefs players