Teddy Lehman
Encyclopedia
Teddy Lehman is an American football
linebacker
for the Las Vegas Locomotives
of the United Football League. He was drafted by the Detroit Lions
in the second round of the 2004 NFL Draft
. He played college football
at Oklahoma
.
Lehman has also been a member of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
, Buffalo Bills
and Jacksonville Jaguars
.
in Oklahoma
, Lehman started at both linebacker
and running back
, wearing number 34. As a senior, he helped his squad post its best record ever (13-1) and advance to the Class 4A title game.
He ended his senior season with 181 tackles, nine interceptions, eleven sacks, and six forced fumbles. He ranked first in the state in rushing with 1,892 yards and 36 touchdowns on 206 carries (8.1 avg.) as a running back. He also shared the punting duties for the Tigers with an average of 51.6 which was the top in Class 4A.
He recorded more than 600 tackles and twenty interceptions during his career.
In 2001, Lehman replaced departed Dick Butkus Award
winner Rocky Calmus
as weak-side linebacker, and was more than able to fill his predecessor's shoes. He finished the year with 132 tackles, including four sacks and 17 stops for losses, and garnered accolades from around the country. He was the Chevrolet National Defensive Player of the Year and was one of three finalists for the Butkus Award. He was the recipient of the fumble by Texas quarterback Chris Simms
which was jarred loose by Roy Williams
and Lehman took it into the endzone for the game-winning score.
In 2002, Lehman was named a first-team All-American selection by various publications, including The NFL Draft Report, the Associated Press
, and Sports Illustrated
. Lehman was also named Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year and added All-Big 12 Conference first-team honors from the media and league coaches.
Lehman posted six tackles (five solo) in the Rose Bowl
against Washington State
and sacked Quarterback Jason Gesser
twice for a loss of 17 yards. Both sacks ended scoring drives at the end of the second quarter and were instrumental in securing Oklahoma's first-ever Rose Bowl win.
During the 2003 season, Lehman continued his success from his breakout 2002 campaign. He led the team in tackles, with 157, adding six forced fumbles, nine pass breakups, and 29 tackles for loss. His 24 stops behind the line of scrimmage shattered the school’s season record for linebackers (17, shared by Brian Bosworth
in 1986, Torrance Marshall
in 1999, and Rocky Calmus in 2000.)
Lehman closed out his college career in the 21-14 Sugar Bowl loss against LSU
with eight tackles (six solo) and two stops behind the line of scrimmage, including one sack.
He was named a consensus All-American First-Team selection and a unanimous All-Big 12 Conference first-team choice. He was awarded the Dick Butkus Award, given to the nation’s top linebacker, as well as the Chuck Bednarik Award
, given to the nation’s top defensive player. Lehman was rated the top outside linebacker pro prospect in the country by The NFL Draft Report.
with the fifth pick of the second round (37th overall) in 2004.
Lehman was the only rookie linebacker in the NFL to start all 16 games in 2004. He also logged a total of 1,225 plays (1,054 on defense, 171 on special teams), more than any other member of the team. He finished the season with 102 tackles, the second-highest total on the team.
as an unrestricted free-agent on March 4, 2008. However, he was released on July 25.
. His No. 54 taken by Gilbert Gardner
, Lehman was assigned No. 58. He was placed on Injured Reserve on August 4. On August 8, he was taken off IR and released.
on November 7, 2008 after cornerback
Ashton Youboty
was placed on injured reserve
.
of the United Football League on August 5, 2009.
. He was one of eight players that participated in the club’s May 1–3 mini-camp on a tryout basis. On September 3, 2010 he was released by the Jaguars.
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...
for the Las Vegas Locomotives
Las Vegas Locomotives
The Las Vegas Locomotives are a professional American football team based in Las Vegas, Nevada who play in the United Football League. The team plays its home games in Sam Boyd Stadium, home field for the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Jim Fassel is the franchise's head coach, president, and...
of the United Football League. He was drafted by the Detroit Lions
Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League , and play their home games at Ford Field in Downtown Detroit.Originally based in Portsmouth, Ohio and...
in the second 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 Oklahoma
Oklahoma Sooners football
The Oklahoma Sooners football program is a college football team that represents the University of Oklahoma . The team is currently a member of the Big 12 Conference, which is a Division I Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletic Association...
.
Lehman has also been a member of the 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...
, 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...
and Jacksonville Jaguars
Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jacksonville Jaguars are a professional American football team based in Jacksonville, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
.
Early years
At Fort Gibson High SchoolFort Gibson High School
Fort Gibson Public Schools is located in the small town of Fort Gibson, Oklahoma. The school mascot is the tiger.Teddy Lehman attended Fort Gibson High School and graduated in 2000. Filmmaker and author, Mark L. Cowden, also graduated from Fort Gibson High School in 1993.There was a school...
in Oklahoma
Oklahoma
Oklahoma is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. With an estimated 3,751,351 residents as of the 2010 census and a land area of 68,667 square miles , Oklahoma is the 28th most populous and 20th-largest state...
, Lehman started at both 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...
and running back
Running back
A running back is a gridiron football position, who is typically lined up in the offensive backfield. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback for a rushing play, to catch passes from out of the backfield, and to block.There are usually one or two running...
, wearing number 34. As a senior, he helped his squad post its best record ever (13-1) and advance to the Class 4A title game.
He ended his senior season with 181 tackles, nine interceptions, eleven sacks, and six forced fumbles. He ranked first in the state in rushing with 1,892 yards and 36 touchdowns on 206 carries (8.1 avg.) as a running back. He also shared the punting duties for the Tigers with an average of 51.6 which was the top in Class 4A.
He recorded more than 600 tackles and twenty interceptions during his career.
College career
In 2000 as a freshman, Lehman played in all 13 games starting 5 and finished the season with 59 tackles and two sacks. He was a First-Team Freshman All American Selection.In 2001, Lehman replaced departed Dick Butkus Award
Dick Butkus Award
The Butkus Award, instituted in 1985, is given annually to the top linebackers at the high school, collegiate and professional levels of football...
winner Rocky Calmus
Rocky Calmus
Rocky Calmus is a retired American football linebacker who played for the Tennessee Titans and Indianapolis Colts. He played college football at Oklahoma, where he won the 2001 Butkus Award as the nation's top college linebacker....
as weak-side linebacker, and was more than able to fill his predecessor's shoes. He finished the year with 132 tackles, including four sacks and 17 stops for losses, and garnered accolades from around the country. He was the Chevrolet National Defensive Player of the Year and was one of three finalists for the Butkus Award. He was the recipient of the fumble by Texas quarterback Chris Simms
Chris Simms
Christopher David Simms is an American football quarterback who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the third round of in the 2003 NFL Draft. He played college football at Texas.Simms has also played for the Denver Broncos and Tampa Bay Buccaneers...
which was jarred loose by Roy Williams
Roy Williams (safety)
Roy Lee Williams is a retired American football safety. He played college football at Oklahoma before he was drafted by the Dallas Cowboys eighth overall in the 2002 NFL Draft. He spent seven seasons with the Cowboys and earned five straight Pro Bowl selections from 2003–2007...
and Lehman took it into the endzone for the game-winning score.
In 2002, Lehman was named a first-team All-American selection by various publications, including The NFL Draft Report, the Associated Press
Associated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
, and Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated is an American sports media company owned by media conglomerate Time Warner. Its self titled magazine has over 3.5 million subscribers and is read by 23 million adults each week, including over 18 million men. It was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the...
. Lehman was also named Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year and added All-Big 12 Conference first-team honors from the media and league coaches.
Lehman posted six tackles (five solo) in the 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...
against Washington State
Washington State University
Washington State University is a public research university based in Pullman, Washington, in the Palouse region of the Pacific Northwest. Founded in 1890, WSU is the state's original and largest land-grant university...
and sacked Quarterback Jason Gesser
Jason Gesser
Jason John Gesser , formerly an American football quarterback for the Utah Blaze of the Arena Football League, is the running backs coach for the University of Idaho Vandals. He is the grandson of Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame member Joseph "Red" Dunn.-High school years:Gesser attended Saint Louis...
twice for a loss of 17 yards. Both sacks ended scoring drives at the end of the second quarter and were instrumental in securing Oklahoma's first-ever Rose Bowl win.
During the 2003 season, Lehman continued his success from his breakout 2002 campaign. He led the team in tackles, with 157, adding six forced fumbles, nine pass breakups, and 29 tackles for loss. His 24 stops behind the line of scrimmage shattered the school’s season record for linebackers (17, shared by Brian Bosworth
Brian Bosworth
Brian Keith "The Boz" Bosworth, is a former American football linebacker. He played college football for the University of Oklahoma...
in 1986, Torrance Marshall
Torrance Marshall
Torrance James Marshall , is a former professional American football player. He played high school football at Miami Sunset Senior High. He played college football at the University of Oklahoma and was a the MVP of the 2001 Orange Bowl. In the past, he has played in the National Football League,...
in 1999, and Rocky Calmus in 2000.)
Lehman closed out his college career in the 21-14 Sugar Bowl loss against LSU
LSU Tigers football
The LSU Tigers football team, also known as the Fighting Tigers or Bayou Bengals, represents Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, United States in NCAA Division I FBS college football. Current head coach Les Miles has led the team since 2005. Since 1999 when Nick Saban took over as...
with eight tackles (six solo) and two stops behind the line of scrimmage, including one sack.
He was named a consensus All-American First-Team selection and a unanimous All-Big 12 Conference first-team choice. He was awarded the Dick Butkus Award, given to the nation’s top linebacker, as well as the Chuck Bednarik Award
Chuck Bednarik Award
The Chuck Bednarik Award is presented annually to the defensive collegiate football player adjudged by the Maxwell Football Club to be the best in the United States...
, given to the nation’s top defensive player. Lehman was rated the top outside linebacker pro prospect in the country by The NFL Draft Report.
First stint with Lions
Teddy Lehman was drafted by the Detroit LionsDetroit Lions
The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League , and play their home games at Ford Field in Downtown Detroit.Originally based in Portsmouth, Ohio and...
with the fifth pick of the second round (37th overall) in 2004.
Lehman was the only rookie linebacker in the NFL to start all 16 games in 2004. He also logged a total of 1,225 plays (1,054 on defense, 171 on special teams), more than any other member of the team. He finished the season with 102 tackles, the second-highest total on the team.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
He signed with the Tampa Bay BuccaneersTampa 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...
as an unrestricted free-agent on March 4, 2008. However, he was released on July 25.
Second stint with Lions
On July 26, 2008, Lehman re-signed with the Detroit LionsDetroit Lions
The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League , and play their home games at Ford Field in Downtown Detroit.Originally based in Portsmouth, Ohio and...
. His No. 54 taken by Gilbert Gardner
Gilbert Gardner
Gilbert Ravelle Gardner, II is an American football linebacker who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Indianapolis Colts in the third round of the 2004 NFL Draft. He played college football at Purdue....
, Lehman was assigned No. 58. He was placed on Injured Reserve on August 4. On August 8, he was taken off IR and released.
Buffalo Bills
Lehman was signed by the Buffalo BillsBuffalo 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...
on November 7, 2008 after cornerback
Cornerback
A cornerback is a member of the defensive backfield or secondary in American and Canadian football. Cornerbacks cover receivers, to defend against pass offenses and make tackles. Other members of the defensive backfield include the safeties and occasionally linebackers. The cornerback position...
Ashton Youboty
Ashton Youboty
Ashton Youboty is an American football cornerback for the Jacksonville Jaguars of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Buffalo Bills in the third round of the 2006 NFL Draft...
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...
.
Las Vegas Locomotives
Lehman signed with the Las Vegas LocomotivesLas Vegas Locomotives
The Las Vegas Locomotives are a professional American football team based in Las Vegas, Nevada who play in the United Football League. The team plays its home games in Sam Boyd Stadium, home field for the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Jim Fassel is the franchise's head coach, president, and...
of the United Football League on August 5, 2009.
Jacksonville Jaguars
On May 11, 2010 Teddy Lehman signed a contract with the Jacksonville JaguarsJacksonville Jaguars
The Jacksonville Jaguars are a professional American football team based in Jacksonville, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
. He was one of eight players that participated in the club’s May 1–3 mini-camp on a tryout basis. On September 3, 2010 he was released by the Jaguars.