Niko Koutouvides
Encyclopedia
Niko Stelios Koutouvides (born March 25, 1981) is an American football
linebacker
, currently with the New England Patriots
of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Seattle Seahawks
in the fourth round of the 2004 NFL Draft
. He played college football
at Purdue
.
He has also played for the Denver Broncos
and Tampa Bay Buccaneers
.
and attended Plainville High School
, where he was a letterman in football. In football, he was named the team's Most Valuable Player, was an All-Conference selection, and an All-State Honorable Mention selection.
Koutouvides attended Milford Academy
, a postgraduate school in 1999 and was a student and a letterman in football. In football, he led team in sacks and finished second on team in tackles.
As a junior, he started all 13 games and notched career-high 121 tackles (80 solo) to lead the team to their 6th straigh bowl game appearance. He had team-high 11.5 tackles for loss, including four sacks. Knocked down three passes and intercepted three, posted at least 11 tackles in six games, and saw action in every game his first two seasons in a reserve role with 74 tackles, four fumble recoveries, and three forced fumbles.
His senior year began with him winning the Hammer Award as Purdue's best tackler. After anchoring a great Boilermaker defense that played in the 2004 Captital One Bowl, Koutouvides was named first team All-Big Ten by the media and second team by the coaches after starting every game at middle linebacker. Niko finished second on the team with 101 tackles (57 solo), including 5.5 stops for losses, intercepted two passes and knocked down four, and caused and recovered a fumble.
in the fourth round of the 2004 NFL Draft
. He played four seasons for the team from 2004 to 2007.
. He was released on February 16, 2009 after just one season with the team.
on August 14, 2011. Koutouvides was cut by the Patriots on September 3 2011. Koutouvides was resigned on November 9, 2011.
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...
linebacker
Linebacker
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...
, currently with 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...
of the National Football League. He was drafted by 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...
in the fourth round of the 2004 NFL Draft
2004 NFL Draft
The 2004 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 24-25, 2004 at the theater at Madison Square Garden...
. 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 Purdue
Purdue Boilermakers football
The Purdue Boilermakers football team is the intercollegiate football program of the Purdue University Boilermakers. The program is classified in the NCAA's Division I Bowl Subdivision, and the team competes in the Big Ten Conference. The Boilermakers have an all-time record of...
.
He has also played for 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...
and Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football franchise based in Tampa, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the Southern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League – they are the only team in the division not to come from the old NFC West...
.
Early years
Koutouvides was born in Plainville, ConnecticutPlainville, Connecticut
Plainville is a town in Hartford County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 17,328 at the 2000 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 9.8 square miles , of which 9.8 square miles is land and 0.1 square miles is water...
and attended Plainville High School
Plainville High School
Plainville High School is a public high school in Plainville, Connecticut. It is the only high school in the town of Plainville, Connecticut, serving roughly 873 students...
, where he was a letterman in football. In football, he was named the team's Most Valuable Player, was an All-Conference selection, and an All-State Honorable Mention selection.
Koutouvides attended Milford Academy
Milford Academy
Milford Academy is a post-secondary school founded in 1906 in Milford, Connecticut as Yale Preparatory School. The school is located since 2004 in New Berlin, New York...
, a postgraduate school in 1999 and was a student and a letterman in football. In football, he led team in sacks and finished second on team in tackles.
College career
At Purdue, he started in 32 of 50 games from 2000-2003. His career stats include 296 tackles (180 solo), 21½ tackles for a loss, five interceptions, four sacks, four fumble recoveries, and four forced fumbles. He majored in Organizational Leadership and Supervision.As a junior, he started all 13 games and notched career-high 121 tackles (80 solo) to lead the team to their 6th straigh bowl game appearance. He had team-high 11.5 tackles for loss, including four sacks. Knocked down three passes and intercepted three, posted at least 11 tackles in six games, and saw action in every game his first two seasons in a reserve role with 74 tackles, four fumble recoveries, and three forced fumbles.
His senior year began with him winning the Hammer Award as Purdue's best tackler. After anchoring a great Boilermaker defense that played in the 2004 Captital One Bowl, Koutouvides was named first team All-Big Ten by the media and second team by the coaches after starting every game at middle linebacker. Niko finished second on the team with 101 tackles (57 solo), including 5.5 stops for losses, intercepted two passes and knocked down four, and caused and recovered a fumble.
Seattle Seahawks
Koutouvides was drafted by the Seattle SeahawksSeattle 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...
in the fourth round of the 2004 NFL Draft
2004 NFL Draft
The 2004 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 24-25, 2004 at the theater at Madison Square Garden...
. He played four seasons for the team from 2004 to 2007.
Denver Broncos
On March 3, 2008, Koutouvides signed a three-year, $7.5 million contract with the Denver BroncosDenver 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...
. He was released on February 16, 2009 after just one season with the team.
New England Patriots
Koutouvides signed with the New England PatriotsNew 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...
on August 14, 2011. Koutouvides was cut by the Patriots on September 3 2011. Koutouvides was resigned on November 9, 2011.