Linebacker/Defensive
End, Baltimore Ravens
Age: 27 (Dec.
18)
5th
season in pro football & with Ravens
College: Florida State
Height: 6’4” Weight: 255
Prelude:
A defensive
end in college, where he gained notoriety for his pass rushing, Boulware was
taken by the Ravens in the first round (fourth overall) of the 1997 NFL draft. Converted
to outside linebacker, he moved directly into the starting lineup, joining
fellow rookie Jamie Sharper and second year MLB Ray Lewis to create a young but
formidable linebacking corps. He received NFL Defensive Player of the Year
honors from the AP and Pro Football Writers. Boulware followed up on his
outstanding rookie season by gaining selection to the Pro Bowl following the
1998 and ’99 seasons and was also recognized as a first-team All-AFC choice of
Pro Football Weekly and second-team All-NFL pick by the Associated Press in
1999. While a shoulder injury caused his performance to level off, he was a
mainstay of the defense in 2000 that fueled a late-season run culminating in
victory in the Super Bowl. Due to injury depletion, Boulware was shifted to
defensive end during the 2001 season.
2001 Season Summary
Appeared in
all 16 games
[Bracketed
numbers indicate league rank in Top 20]
Sacks – 15
[2, 1st in AFC]
Most sacks,
game – 4 vs. Minnesota 1/7
Multi-sack
games – 3
Interceptions
– 0
Fumble
recoveries – 1
Forced fumbles
– 4
Tackles – 45
Assists – 21
Postseason: 2 G
Sacks – 1
Interceptions
– 0
Fumble
recoveries – 1
TDs – 0
Ravens went 10-6
to finish second in the AFC Central and qualify for the playoffs as a Wild
Card. Won AFC Wild Card playoff over Miami Dolphins (20-3). Lost AFC Divisional
playoff to Pittsburgh Steelers (27-10).
Aftermath:
Boulware
returned to outside linebacker and gained selection to two more Pro Bowls in
2002 and ’03. However, his string of 111 consecutive games was broken when he
sat out the 2003 season finale due to injury and offseason knee surgery cost
him all of 2004. He was released and re-signed to a lesser salary in ’05,
playing as a reserve, and injuries forced his release and retirement prior to
the 2006 season. Overall, he had 70 regular season sacks and three in the
playoffs over the course of his career that included four Pro Bowl selections.
--
Highlighted Years features players who were consensus
first-team All-League* selections or league* or conference** leaders in the
following statistical categories:
Rushing:
Yards, TDs (min. 10)
Passing:
Yards, Completion Pct., Yards per Attempt, TDs, Rating
Receiving: Catches,
Yards, TDs (min. 10)
Scoring: TDs,
Points, Field Goals (min. 5)
All-Purpose:
Total Yards
Defense:
Interceptions, Sacks
Kickoff
Returns: Average
Punt Returns:
Average
Punting:
Average
*Leagues
include NFL (1920 to date), AFL (1926), AFL (1936-37), AAFC (1946-49), AFL
(1960-69), WFL (1974-75), USFL (1983-85)
**NFC/AFC
since 1970
