Eric Assad Bakhtiari (born December 2, 1984) is a former American football linebacker. He was most recently playing for the San Francisco 49ers, but was cut from the team on January 1, 2013. He was signed by the

San Diego Chargers The San Diego Chargers were a professional American football team that played in San Diego from 1961 until the end of the 2016 season, before relocating to Los Angeles, where the franchise had played its inaugural 1960 season. The team is now ...

as an undrafted free agent in 2008. He played

college football College football (french: Football universitaire) refers to gridiron football played by teams of student athletes. It was through college football play that American football rules first gained popularity in the United States. Unlike most ...

at San Diego. Bakhtiari was also a member of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Tennessee Titans, Miami Dolphins, and Kansas City Chiefs. He is the older brother of

Green Bay Packers The Green Bay Packers are a professional American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Packers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. It ...

tackle David Bakhtiari.

College career

In 2006, he earned 3rd Team Associated Press All-America honors for all I-AA players, 1st Team Mid-Major All-American (The Sports Network), 2006 co-Pioneer Football League Defender of the Year, First-team All-Pioneer Football League. Making him a key performer of the USD defensive squad that ranked #2 in scoring defense (12.9 ppg), 10th in rushing defense (107.3 yards per game) and 12th in total defense.

Professional career

First stint with Chargers

Bakhtiari signed with the

as an undrafted free agent in 2008. He was released by the Chargers on August 30 during final cuts, but re-signed to the

practice squad In sports, the practice squad, also called the taxi squad or practice roster, is a group of players signed by a team but not part of their main roster. Frequently used in gridiron football, they serve as extra players during the team's practices, ...

on September 10 when linebacker Shawne Merriman was placed on

injured reserve The injured reserve list ( IR list) is a designation used in North American professional sports leagues for athletes who suffer injuries and become unable to play. The exact name of the list varies by league; it is known as "injured reserve" in th ...

. He was released again on September 23.

San Francisco 49ers

Bakhtiari was signed to the

of the San Francisco 49ers on October 7. He remained there through the end of the season.

Second stint with Chargers

After finishing the 2008 season on the practice squad of the 49ers, Bakhtiari was re-signed to a future contract by the

on January 7, 2009.

Tennessee Titans

Bakhtiari was signed to the Tennessee Titans' practice squad on November 11, 2009. He was signed off the practice squad to active roster on December 12. He was released by the Titans on September 4, 2010.

Kansas City Chiefs

Bakhtiari was signed to the Kansas City Chiefs' practice squad on November 18, 2010. On December 3, he was released. On January 13, 2011, he signed with the Chiefs again; on August 29, however, he was waived/injured during the first round of preseason cuts and after passing through waivers unclaimed, was subsequently placed on injured reserve. After reaching an injury settlement, Bakhtiari was released. Despite being on their roster for the 2010 season, he never played in a game during his tenure with the Chiefs.

Second stint with 49ers

Bakhtiari was re-signed by the 49ers during the 2012 preseason. He played in the preseason as a backup to compete on the 53-man roster. After the end of the 2012 preseason, Bakhtiari was cut on August 31, 2012, with 27 other players. However, the 49ers later decided to sign him to a two-year contract. After releasing him earlier in the year, the 49ers re-signed Bakhtiari on December 12, 2012. On January 1, 2013, Bakhtiari was released by the 49ers to create a roster spot for kicker Billy Cundiff. Cundiff was signed to compete with struggling incumbent kicker David Akers.

Personal life

Bakhtiari is of Iranian and Icelandic descent. His younger brother David is an offensive tackle, who played at Colorado (2009–2012), and now plays for the

References

External links

San Francisco 49ers bio
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bakhtiari, Eric 1984 births Living people American people of Icelandic descent American people of Iranian descent Players of American football from California American football defensive ends American football linebackers San Diego Toreros football players San Diego Chargers players San Francisco 49ers players Tampa Bay Buccaneers players Tennessee Titans players Miami Dolphins players Kansas City Chiefs players People from San Mateo, California Sportspeople of Iranian descent Bakhtiari people