Gregory Townsend Sr. (born November 3, 1961) is a former
American football
American football (referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada), also known as gridiron, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular field with goalposts at each end. The offense, the team with ...
defensive end
Defensive end (DE) is a defensive position in the sport of gridiron football.
This position has designated the players at each end of the defensive line, but changes in formation (American football), formations over the years have substantially ...
in the
National Football League
The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the ...
. He was drafted by the
Los Angeles Raiders
The Los Angeles Raiders were a professional American football team that played in Los Angeles from 1982 to 1994 before relocating back to Oakland, California, where the team played from its inaugural 1960 season to the 1981 season and then agai ...
in the fourth round of the
1983 NFL Draft
The 1983 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 26–27, 1983, at the New York She ...
. Townsend also played for the
Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia. The Eagles compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East division. The team plays ...
.
Career
College career
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
Texas Christian.
Professional career
Los Angeles Raiders
Townsend was drafted by the
Los Angeles Raiders
The Los Angeles Raiders were a professional American football team that played in Los Angeles from 1982 to 1994 before relocating back to Oakland, California, where the team played from its inaugural 1960 season to the 1981 season and then agai ...
in the fourth round of the
1983 NFL Draft
The 1983 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 26–27, 1983, at the New York She ...
. He was selected to 2
Pro Bowl
The National Football League All-Star Game (1939–1942), Pro Bowl (1951–2022), or Pro Bowl Games (starting in 2023) is an annual event held by the National Football League (NFL) featuring the league's star players.
The format has changed thro ...
s, and he was a 4-time
All-Pro
All-Pro is an honor bestowed upon professional American football players that designates the best player at each position during a given season. All-Pro players are typically selected by press organizations, who select an "All-Pro team," a list th ...
selection. He won a
Super Bowl
The Super Bowl is the annual final playoff game of the National Football League (NFL) to determine the league champion. It has served as the final game of every NFL season since 1966, replacing the NFL Championship Game. Since 2022, the game ...
ring with the Raiders in 1984. Townsend was suspended twice during his time with the Raiders. Once for his participation in a brawl versus the
Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Chiefs compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) West division.
The tea ...
on October 5, 1986, and another for being caught with marijuana in 1988.
Philadelphia Eagles
In 1994, he signed with the Eagles. He recorded 2 sacks during his lone season in Philadelphia.
Oakland Raiders
In 1997, he returned to the Raiders and played for the team that drafted him.
Legacy
Townsend is currently 24th on the NFL's all-time list for career sacks with 109.5. He is also the Raider's all-time sack leader. He also recovered 8 fumbles and returned three of them for touchdowns.
Personal
His son, Greg Townsend, Jr., played defensive end at
USC
USC most often refers to:
* University of South Carolina, a public research university
** University of South Carolina System, the main university and its satellite campuses
**South Carolina Gamecocks, the school athletic program
* University of ...
. and was signed as an undrafted free agent with Oakland Raiders.
In 2012, Townsend partnered with Celebrity Publishing to release his memoir entitled "All Time."
References
1961 births
Living people
American football defensive ends
American football linebackers
American football defensive tackles
TCU Horned Frogs football players
Los Angeles Raiders players
Philadelphia Eagles players
Oakland Raiders players
American Conference Pro Bowl players
Players of American football from Los Angeles
Players of American football from Compton, California
100 Sacks Club
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