Tom Rouen
Encyclopedia
Thomas Francis Rouen is an American football
punter
who is currently a free agent. He last played for the Seattle Seahawks
of the National Football League
in the 2005 season.
, where he lettered in football and baseball. He was listed on the depth chart as a tight end.
in 1987 before transferring to the University of Colorado
.He led the nation as a junior with a 45.9 yards per punt average, and was rewarded with a spot on the All-America
team. Rouen's most famous punt came in the final minute of the 1991 Orange Bowl
when Raghib Ismail
returned the punt 91 yards for a touchdown. Fortunately for Rouen, the return was called back on a clipping penalty and Colorado won the game 10-9 and a share of the 1990 National Championship.
in 1991 but was waived before the preseason. The following year, he signed with the Los Angeles Rams but again was waived before the preseason.
He signed with the Ohio Glory
of the World League of American Football
and made the All-World League team. He then joined the Denver Broncos
before the start of the 1993 NFL season
and stayed with the team for eight seasons, in the process winning Super Bowl XXXII
and Super Bowl XXXIII
. He appeared in every game with the Broncos and left the team as the all-time leader in punts.
He then had a journeyman
-like 2002 season
, as he was waived by the Broncos, signed and subsequently waived by the New York Giants
, and picked up by the Pittsburgh Steelers
all within the course of a month and a half. He finished the season with Pittsburgh before signing with the Seattle Seahawks
before the 2003 NFL season
. He was placed on injured reserve
midway through the 2004 campaign and was later waived by Seattle. He was signed by the Carolina Panthers
before the 2005 season, but they released him in favor of Jason Baker
, and he was re-signed by Seattle, where he completed the 2005 season before being released.
He was later signed by the 49ers to compete with Andy Lee for the starting punter job but later cut from the team and did not play in 2006.
gold medal
ist Amy Van Dyken
.
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...
punter
Punter (football position)
A punter in American or Canadian football is a special teams player who receives the snapped ball directly from the line of scrimmage and then punts the football to the opposing team so as to limit any field position advantage. This generally happens on a fourth down in American football and a...
who is currently a free agent. He last played for the Seattle Seahawks
Seattle Seahawks
The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle, Washington. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team joined the NFL in 1976 as an expansion team...
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...
in the 2005 season.
Early life
Rouen attended Heritage High School in Littleton, ColoradoLittleton, Colorado
Littleton is a Home Rule Municipality contained in Arapahoe, Douglas, and Jefferson counties in the U.S. state of Colorado. Littleton is a suburb of the Denver-Aurora Metropolitan Statistical Area. Littleton is the county seat of Arapahoe County and the 20th most populous city in the state of...
, where he lettered in football and baseball. He was listed on the depth chart as a tight end.
College career
Rouen started his career at Colorado State UniversityColorado State University
Colorado State University is a public research university located in Fort Collins, Colorado. The university is the state's land grant university, and the flagship university of the Colorado State University System.The enrollment is approximately 29,932 students, including resident and...
in 1987 before transferring to the University of Colorado
University of Colorado at Boulder
The University of Colorado Boulder is a public research university located in Boulder, Colorado...
.He led the nation as a junior with a 45.9 yards per punt average, and was rewarded with a spot on the All-America
All-America
An All-America team is an honorary sports team composed of outstanding amateur players—those considered the best players of a specific season for each team position—who in turn are given the honorific "All-America" and typically referred to as "All-American athletes", or simply...
team. Rouen's most famous punt came in the final minute of the 1991 Orange Bowl
1991 Orange Bowl
The 1991 Orange Bowl was a 1990–1991 college football bowl game that was played on January 1, 1991, for the national championship. The 57th edition of the Orange Bowl featured the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, and the Colorado Buffaloes. Colorado came into the game with a 10–1–1 record and #1 AP...
when Raghib Ismail
Raghib Ismail
Raghib Ramadian Ismail is a retired professional American and Canadian football player, who played Wide receiver in both the Canadian Football League and National Football League. He played college football at Notre Dame...
returned the punt 91 yards for a touchdown. Fortunately for Rouen, the return was called back on a clipping penalty and Colorado won the game 10-9 and a share of the 1990 National Championship.
Professional career
Rouen was an undrafted free agent with the New York GiantsNew 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...
in 1991 but was waived before the preseason. The following year, he signed with the Los Angeles Rams but again was waived before the preseason.
He signed with the Ohio Glory
Ohio Glory
The Ohio Glory played one season in the World League of American Football, which later became NFL Europe.Columbus, Ohio was awarded the WLAF franchise after the Raleigh-Durham Skyhawks posted an 0-10 season. Ohio didn't do much better, posting a 1-9 record after one season of play...
of the World League of American Football
World League of American Football
The World League of American Football was founded in 1990 with support from the National Football League to play professional American football in North America, Europe and later possibly Asia...
and made the All-World League team. He then joined 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...
before the start of the 1993 NFL season
1993 NFL season
The 1993 NFL season was the 74th regular season of the National Football League. For the first time in league history, all NFL teams played their 16-game schedule over a span of 18 weeks. After the success of expanding the regular season to a period of 17 weeks in 1990, the league hoped this new...
and stayed with the team for eight seasons, in the process winning Super Bowl XXXII
Super Bowl XXXII
Super Bowl XXXII was an American football game played on January 25, 1998 at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego, California to decide the National Football League champion following the 1997 regular season...
and Super Bowl XXXIII
Super Bowl XXXIII
Super Bowl XXXIII was an American football game played on January 31, 1999, at Pro Player Stadium in Miami, Florida to decide the National Football League champion, following the 1998 regular season. The American Football Conference champion Denver Broncos defeated the National Football...
. He appeared in every game with the Broncos and left the team as the all-time leader in punts.
He then had a journeyman
Journeyman (sports)
A journeyman or journeywoman is an athlete or professional sports player who is technically competent, but unable to excel. In certain parts of the world the term has less negative connotations and the inability to excel is not needed for a player to be labelled thus.-Definitions:Alexandra Allred...
-like 2002 season
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...
, as he was waived by the Broncos, signed and subsequently waived by 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...
, and picked up by the 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...
all within the course of a month and a half. He finished the season with Pittsburgh before signing with the Seattle Seahawks
Seattle Seahawks
The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle, Washington. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team joined the NFL in 1976 as an expansion team...
before the 2003 NFL season
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 was 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...
midway through the 2004 campaign and was later waived by Seattle. He was signed by 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...
before the 2005 season, but they released him in favor of Jason Baker
Jason Baker
Jason Michael Baker is an American football punter for the Carolina Panthers of the National Football League.-High school years:...
, and he was re-signed by Seattle, where he completed the 2005 season before being released.
He was later signed by the 49ers to compete with Andy Lee for the starting punter job but later cut from the team and did not play in 2006.
Personal life
Rouen is married to six-time OlympicOlympic Games
The Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...
gold medal
Gold medal
A gold medal is typically the medal awarded for highest achievement in a non-military field. Its name derives from the use of at least a fraction of gold in form of plating or alloying in its manufacture...
ist Amy Van Dyken
Amy Van Dyken
Amy Van Dyken is an American swimmer who has six career Olympic gold medals. Four of these gold medals came in the 1996 Summer Olympics, making her the first American woman to accomplish such a feat and the most successful athlete at the 1996 Summer Olympics...
.