Brian Waters

Lore & Background

Waters was born in Waxahachie, Texas, and attended Waxahachie High School. He lettered in football. As a senior, he was an All-District honoree as both a tight end and defensive end. He made 16 receptions for 380 yards on offense, and made five sacks and 66 tackles on defense. He attended the University of North Texas where he started his first three years at tight end, recording 86 receptions for 975 yards and nine touchdowns. As a senior, he was moved to defensive end, but also played as a backup fullback and tight end. On defense, he had 45 tackles (32 solo) and 5 sacks. The Dallas Cowboys signed him as an undrafted free agent after the 1999 NFL draft to play tight end and fullback, but released him during training camp. The Kansas City Chiefs signed him as a free agent during the 2000 offseason and sent him to play with the Berlin Thunder in NFL Europe, with the plan of converting him to center. Waters was named an All-Pro twice and was selected to the Pro Bowl five times in his 11-year career with the Chiefs. In 2003, he was a part of a 13-3 Chiefs team. During the 2004 season, Waters was selected as the AFC Offensive Player of the Week for his play during a game against the Atlanta Falcons on October 24, 2004. The Chiefs scored an NFL-record eight rushing touchdowns during that game. Waters is the only offensive lineman in the AFC to have received the award, and the only lineman in the NFL to win since 1992. Waters was recognized as the recipient of the 2009 Walter Payton Man of the Year Award. He was ranked 67th by his fellow players on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2011. After 11 seasons in Kansas City, he was released on July 28, 2011. On September 4, 2011, Waters signed with the New England Patriots. He started every game at right guard for the Patriots and was voted a starter for the Pro Bowl. After never having won a playoff game before the 2011 season, Waters played for the Patriots in Super Bowl XLVI. Prior to the start of the 2012 season, Waters refused to report to the Patriots. The Patriots released Waters from his contract on April 30, 2013. The Dallas Cowboys signed Waters to a one-year contract worth $3 million on September 3, 2013. Waters announced his retirement on September 2, 2014.

In Their Own Story

The stadium lights hummed over Arrowhead, casting long shadows across the green turf. The crowd was a roaring ocean, but on the line, there was only silence and tension. A massive defensive end lined up opposite Brian Waters, eyes locked in a predator's stare. Waters didn't flinch; he adjusted his helmet strap, took a breath that smelled of cut grass and deep heat, and dropped into his stance. The snap came. The collision was thunderous, a clash of steel and flesh. But the defender never moved an inch. Waters drove him backward with surgical precision, his feet churning like pistons. He didn't just block; he erased the man in front of him from existence. As the running back sliced through the gap Waters had carved, the crowd erupted, but Brian was already resetting, eyes scanning for the next threat, the unshakeable wall standing tall.

Reader's Guide

Brian Waters played guard for the Kansas City Chiefs and New England Patriots. He was an undrafted free agent out of North Texas. He earned six Pro Bowl selections and two All-Pro honors. He won the Walter Payton Man of the Year Award in 2009. He played in Super Bowl XLVI with the Patriots.

Did You Know?

• Waters was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Dallas Cowboys in 1999.
• He was converted from tight end and defensive end to center and then guard.
• He was the AFC Offensive Player of the Week in 2004, the only offensive lineman in the AFC to win the award.
• He was a starter for the Patriots in Super Bowl XLVI.
• He was ranked 67th on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2011.