Gabriel 'Gabe' Nyenhuis (born June 26, 1981) is a former professional
gridiron football defensive lineman. His nickname at the
San Jose SaberCats
The San Jose SaberCats were a professional arena football team based in San Jose, California. The SaberCats had been members of the Arena Football League (AFL) since 1995 (the year in which the team was founded); and until 2015, they belonged to ...
according to some fans is Hunger Games, as he is seen reading the books during practice. He was named AFL Defensive Player of the Year as well as Lineman of the Year in 2010. He was signed as an
undrafted free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player who is eligible to sign with other clubs or franchises; i.e., not under contract to any specific team. The term is also used in reference to a player who is under contract at present but who is a ...
by the
Seattle Seahawks in 2004. He played
college football for the
Colorado Buffaloes
The Colorado Buffaloes are the athletic teams that represent the University of Colorado. The university sponsors 17 varsity sports teams. Both the men's and women's teams are called the Buffaloes (Buffs for short) or, rarely, the Golden Buffalo ...
.
Nyenhuis was also a member of the
Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jacksonville Jaguars are a professional American football team based in Jacksonville, Florida. The Jaguars compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) South division. The team pla ...
,
Atlanta Falcons,
Indianapolis Colts,
Philadelphia Soul
Philadelphia soul, sometimes called Philly soul, the Philadelphia sound, Phillysound, or The Sound of Philadelphia TSOP, is a genre of late 1960sā1970s soul music characterized by funk influences and lush instrumental arrangements, often featu ...
,
Saskatchewan Roughriders
The Saskatchewan Roughriders are a professional Canadian football team based in Regina, Saskatchewan. The Roughriders compete in the Canadian Football League (CFL) as a member club of the league's West Division.
The Roughriders were founded in ...
,
Dallas Vigilantes
The Dallas Vigilantes were an Arena Football League (AFL) team based in Dallas, Texas. Like its AFL predecessor, the Dallas Desperados, the Vigilantes played at the American Airlines Center. The Vigilantes and the Jacksonville Sharks began play ...
and
Tulsa Talons
Tulsa () is the second-largest city in the state of Oklahoma and 47th-most populous city in the United States. The population was 413,066 as of the 2020 census. It is the principal municipality of the Tulsa Metropolitan Area, a region with ...
.
Professional career
Seattle Seahawks
Nyenhuis went undrafted in the
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 24ā25, 2004 at the Theater at ...
and was signed by the
Seattle Seahawks on April 30, 2004. He was released as a late training camp cut on August 31.
Jacksonville Jaguars
On September 7, 2004, the
Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jacksonville Jaguars are a professional American football team based in Jacksonville, Florida. The Jaguars compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) South division. The team pla ...
signed Nyenhuis to their
practice squad.
Indianapolis Colts
He re-signed on January 24, 2006.
He was released on August 18, 2006.
Saskatchewan Roughriders
Nyenhuis signed with the
Saskatchewan Roughriders
The Saskatchewan Roughriders are a professional Canadian football team based in Regina, Saskatchewan. The Roughriders compete in the Canadian Football League (CFL) as a member club of the league's West Division.
The Roughriders were founded in ...
on April 15, 2009.
He was released on September 16.
Philadelphia Soul
In 2007, Nyenhuis signed with the
Philadelphia Soul
Philadelphia soul, sometimes called Philly soul, the Philadelphia sound, Phillysound, or The Sound of Philadelphia TSOP, is a genre of late 1960sā1970s soul music characterized by funk influences and lush instrumental arrangements, often featu ...
of the
Arena Football League
The Arena Football League (AFL) was a professional arena football league in the United States. It was founded in 1986, but played its first official games in the 1987 season, making it the third longest-running professional football league in ...
. Nyenhuis would play two years with the Soul, posting 9.5 sacks in 2008 to lead the Soul.
Tulsa Talons
In 2010, Nyenhuis signed with the
Tulsa Talons
Tulsa () is the second-largest city in the state of Oklahoma and 47th-most populous city in the United States. The population was 413,066 as of the 2020 census. It is the principal municipality of the Tulsa Metropolitan Area, a region with ...
. Nyenhuis posted career highs in tackles (19) and sacks (15.5) on his way to winning the
Arena Football League Defensive Player of the Year Award.
San Jose SaberCats
Since 2011, Nyenhuis has played for the
San Jose SaberCats
The San Jose SaberCats were a professional arena football team based in San Jose, California. The SaberCats had been members of the Arena Football League (AFL) since 1995 (the year in which the team was founded); and until 2015, they belonged to ...
. He has yet to replicate his 2010 season.
References
External links
Colorado bioIndianapolis Colts bioSaskatchewan Roughriders bio
{{DEFAULTSORT:Nyenhuis, Gabe
1981 births
Living people
People from St. Charles, Illinois
American players of Canadian football
American football defensive linemen
Canadian football defensive linemen
Colorado Buffaloes football players
Seattle Seahawks players
Jacksonville Jaguars players
Atlanta Falcons players
Indianapolis Colts players
Philadelphia Soul players
Saskatchewan Roughriders players
Tulsa Talons players
San Jose SaberCats players
Garden City Broncbusters football players
Dallas Vigilantes players