John Lynch
Hard-hitting Stanford safety the Buccaneers took in 1993 who helped win Super Bowl XXXVII.
John Lynch is a former NFL safety and current football executive who serves as general manager of the San Francisco 49ers. Tampa Bay drafted him out of Stanford in the third round in 1993, and he became a cornerstone of the Buccaneers defense that won Super Bowl XXXVII. He later spent four seasons with the Denver Broncos before retiring in 2008, then worked as a color commentator on NFL on Fox broadcasts until the 49ers hired him in 2017. Lynch was selected to nine Pro Bowls and entered the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2021.
Quick Facts
- Current team
- San Francisco 49ers
- Position
- President of football operations & general manager
- Career position
- Safety
- Career number
- 47
- Born
- 25 September 1971
- Birthplace
- Hinsdale, Illinois, U.S.
- Draft year
- 1993
- Draft round
- 3
Facts from the source article.
Background
Born in Hinsdale, Illinois, on September 25, 1971, Lynch grew up playing football, baseball and basketball at Torrey Pines High School in San Diego. At Stanford he started as a quarterback and also pitched, and he nearly quit football for baseball. New coach Bill Walsh, impressed by his athleticism, persuaded him to return, and Lynch had a strong senior year at free safety with four interceptions. The Florida Marlins had drafted him as a pitcher in 1992, and he threw the first pitch in the franchise's history for the Erie Sailors. Doubts about his commitment let him fall to Tampa Bay at 82nd overall.
Did You Know?
- His rookie deal with Tampa Bay was worth $526,750.
- The Green Bay Packers considered him in the first round but took George Teague instead.
- His first NFL interception came against Jeff Blake of the Cincinnati Bengals.
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