Ken Hamlin (born January 20, 1981) 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 wi ...
safety
Safety is the state of being "safe", the condition of being protected from harm or other danger. Safety can also refer to the control of recognized hazards in order to achieve an acceptable level of risk.
Meanings
There are two slightly dif ...
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
Seattle Seahawks in the second round of the
2003 NFL Draft
The 2003 NFL draft was the procedure by which National Football League (NFL) teams selected amateur college football players. The draft is known officially as the "NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting" and has been conducted annually since 1936. T ...
and also played for the
Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football team based in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The Cowboys compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East divi ...
,
Baltimore Ravens
The Baltimore Ravens are a professional American football team based in Baltimore, Maryland. The Ravens compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) North division. The team plays it ...
and
Indianapolis Colts. He played
college football at
Arkansas
Arkansas ( ) is a landlocked state in the South Central United States. It is bordered by Missouri to the north, Tennessee and Mississippi to the east, Louisiana to the south, and Texas and Oklahoma to the west. Its name is from the O ...
.
Hamlin earned a
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 ...
selection with the Cowboys in
2007. He was also the first freshman and only the second defensive back to lead the school in tackles, recording 104 (57 solo).
On October 17, 2005, he was involved in an altercation that allegedly took place between himself and two unidentified men in a
Seattle
Seattle ( ) is a seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the seat of King County, Washington. With a 2020 population of 737,015, it is the largest city in both the state of Washington and the Pacific Northwest regio ...
nightclub
A nightclub (music club, discothèque, disco club, or simply club) is an entertainment venue during nighttime comprising a dance floor, lightshow, and a stage for live music or a disc jockey (DJ) who plays recorded music.
Nightclubs gener ...
. As a result of the incident, Hamlin suffered multiple injuries that ended his
2005 season after just five games. The injuries included a
fractured skull, a small
blood clot
A thrombus (plural thrombi), colloquially called a blood clot, is the final product of the blood coagulation step in hemostasis. There are two components to a thrombus: aggregated platelets and red blood cells that form a plug, and a mesh of ...
, and
bruising
A bruise, also known as a contusion, is a type of hematoma of tissue, the most common cause being capillaries damaged by trauma, causing localized bleeding that extravasates into the surrounding interstitial tissues. Most bruises occur clos ...
of the
brain
A brain is an organ that serves as the center of the nervous system in all vertebrate and most invertebrate animals. It is located in the head, usually close to the sensory organs for senses such as vision. It is the most complex organ in a ve ...
tissue.
Early years
Hamlin attended Frayser High School in
Frayser neighborhood of Memphis where he was the Class 3A Player of the Year as a
senior in 1999, when he gained 2,327 all-purpose yards and rushed for 1,276 yards and 16
touchdown
A touchdown (abbreviated as TD) is a scoring play in gridiron football. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchdown by advancing the ball into the opponent's end zone. In Amer ...
s and recorded 380 receiving yards. He also recorded 136
tackles
Tackle may refer to:
* In football:
** Tackle (football move), a play in various forms of football
** Tackle (gridiron football position), a position in American football and Canadian football
** Dump tackle, a forceful move in rugby of picking u ...
(96 solo) and eight
interception
In ball-playing competitive team sports, an interception or pick is a move by a player involving a pass of the ball—whether by foot or hand, depending on the rules of the sport—in which the ball is intended for a player of the same team ...
s as a safety. He also lettered in
track and
baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each, taking turns batting and fielding. The game occurs over the course of several plays, with each play generally beginning when a player on the fielding t ...
. He was also a member of the school's
National Honor Society and the senior class vice president.
College career
Hamlin then attended the
University of Arkansas
The University of Arkansas (U of A, UArk, or UA) is a public land-grant research university in Fayetteville, Arkansas. It is the flagship campus of the University of Arkansas System and the largest university in the state. Founded as Arkansas ...
where he became the first freshman and only the second defensive back to lead the school in tackles, recording 104 (57 solo). As a freshman, he was named an
All-America
The All-America designation is an annual honor bestowed upon an amateur sports person from the United States who is considered to be one of the best amateurs in their sport. Individuals receiving this distinction are typically added to an All-Am ...
n by ''
The Sporting News
The ''Sporting News'' is a website and former magazine publication owned by Sporting News Holdings, which is a U.S.-based sports media company formed in December 2020 by a private investor consortium. It was originally established in 1886 as a pr ...
'' and ''Football News'' and also named to the
SEC Coaches Freshman All-SEC team. As a sophomore, he was named a Second-team All-American by ''The NFL Draft Report'' and also named First-team All-SEC.
As a junior, he forced eight
fumbles, recovered five, deflected 28 passes and intercepted nine. For his performance, he was named a First-team All-American by ''The NFL Draft Report'' and ''The Sporting News'' and nominated for the
Jim Thorpe Award
The Jim Thorpe Award, named in memory of multi-sport athlete Jim Thorpe, has been awarded to the top defensive back in college football since 1986. It is voted on by the Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame. In 2017, the award became sponsored by Payco ...
. He also became the first player in school history to record more than 100 tackles in a season three times. He was also nominated in 2002 for the
Bronko Nagurski Trophy, given to the best defensive player in the nation. In his college career, Hamlin played in 36 games finishing with 381 tackles (221 solo), breaking the school record of 367 tackles by Cliff Powell (1967–69). Hamlin is a member of
Omega Psi Phi fraternity. During his junior season, he helped Arkansas win a share of the 2002 SEC West Division Championship.
Professional career
Hamlin entered 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 ...
after his junior season at Arkansas where he was considered the Razorbacks best defensive back since
Steve Atwater (1985–88). Hamlin was selected in the
second round (42nd overall) of the
2003 NFL Draft
The 2003 NFL draft was the procedure by which National Football League (NFL) teams selected amateur college football players. The draft is known officially as the "NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting" and has been conducted annually since 1936. T ...
by the
Seattle Seahawks.
Seattle Seahawks
As a
rookie
A rookie is a person new to an occupation, profession, or hobby. In sports, a ''rookie'' is a professional athlete in their first season (or year).
In contrast with a veteran who has experience and expertise, a rookie is usually inexperienced ...
, Hamlin started 14-of-16 games making ''Pro Football Weeklys All-Rookie Team. He finished second on team with 96 tackles and was third on the team with 10 passes defended. In his first career start against the
New Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans. The Saints compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. Since 1975, the te ...
on September 7, he recorded five tackles and gained national attention after knocking off
Donte' Stallworth's helmet on a hit over the middle.
![SeahawksTC-EWU-111](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4d/SeahawksTC-EWU-111.jpg)
In
2004, he started all of the team's 16 regular season games and finished third on the team with 79 tackles. He was fourth on the team with a career-high four interceptions, which ranked 10th in the
NFC. In
2005, he started the first six games of the season, recording 26 tackles, before suffering off-field head injuries. He was placed on the Reserve/Non-Football Injury list on November 1 and missed the rest of the season. In
2006, Hamlin started all 16 regular-season games and finished second on the team with 96 tackles while recording three interceptions (led the team), 11 pass deflections, and one forced fumble.
2005 altercation
Hamlin was involved in an altercation that allegedly took place between himself and two unidentified men in a Seattle nightclub on October 17, 2005.
According to a police report, Hamlin and his girlfriend were leaving the club at about 2 a.m.,
several hours after the Seahawks defeated the
Houston Texans. Hamlin's girlfriend told officers that he placed a hand on another man's shoulder and said, "Excuse me."
The man told Hamlin to stop pushing, and the two men began shoving one another.
According to the report, Hamlin punched the man in the face.
Another man knocked Hamlin down.
Other
witnesses
In law, a witness is someone who has knowledge about a matter, whether they have sensed it or are testifying on another witnesses' behalf. In law a witness is someone who, either voluntarily or under compulsion, provides testimonial evidence, e ...
told police another man hit Hamlin twice with a
street sign
Traffic signs or road signs are signs erected at the side of or above roads to give instructions or provide information to road users. The earliest signs were simple wooden or stone milestones. Later, signs with directional arms were introduce ...
.
Hamlin sustained serious injuries to his head due to a blow from a street sign. He was rushed to a local hospital in critical condition with a
fractured skull, a small
blood clot
A thrombus (plural thrombi), colloquially called a blood clot, is the final product of the blood coagulation step in hemostasis. There are two components to a thrombus: aggregated platelets and red blood cells that form a plug, and a mesh of ...
and
bruising
A bruise, also known as a contusion, is a type of hematoma of tissue, the most common cause being capillaries damaged by trauma, causing localized bleeding that extravasates into the surrounding interstitial tissues. Most bruises occur clos ...
of the
brain
A brain is an organ that serves as the center of the nervous system in all vertebrate and most invertebrate animals. It is located in the head, usually close to the sensory organs for senses such as vision. It is the most complex organ in a ve ...
tissue.
He was released on October 20, 2005 in stable condition. He did not play football for the rest of the season.
Dallas Cowboys
In the free agency period of 2007, teams were reluctant to offer Hamlin a multi-year contract because of concerns stemming from his previous head injury. On March 23, he signed a one-year contract worth
$2.5 million with the
Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football team based in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The Cowboys compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East divi ...
.
![Demarcus ware](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/18/DeMarcus_Ware.JPG)
In his
first season with the Cowboys, he earned his first
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 ...
selection, being named a starter for the NFC and was one-of-13 Cowboys selected - setting a team and NFL record. He started all 16 games at free safety recording career-bests with 102 tackles (third on the team) - his first career 100-tackle season - five interceptions (second on the team and tied for ninth in the league) and 14 pass breakups. He made his Cowboys debut against the
New York Giants on September 9, recording nine tackles and one pass breakup.
After the season, on February 21, 2008, the Cowboys placed a
franchise tag
In the National Football League (NFL), the franchise tag is a designation a team may apply to a player scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent. The tag binds the player to the team for one year if certain conditions are met. Each team has on ...
on him, insuring he would play at least one more year with the team.
On July 15, he was rewarded with a six-year, $38 million contract.
In
2008
File:2008 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Lehman Brothers went bankrupt following the Subprime mortgage crisis; Cyclone Nargis killed more than 138,000 in Myanmar; A scene from the opening ceremony of the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing; ...
, Hamlin was elected as one of the defensive team captains for the season and finished fourth on the team - first in the secondary - with 92 tackles, along with three pass breakups, one interception, a
sack, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery. The next year, he registered 12 starts (missed 4 games with a high ankle injury), 74 tackles and 4 passes defensed. He was released on April 2, 2010.
Baltimore Ravens
Hamlin was signed by the
Baltimore Ravens
The Baltimore Ravens are a professional American football team based in Baltimore, Maryland. The Ravens compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) North division. The team plays it ...
on June 17, 2010. Third on the depth chart behind
Haruki Nakamura
Haruki Robert Nakamura (born April 18, 1986) is a former American football safety who was drafted by the Baltimore Ravens in the sixth round of the 2008 NFL Draft. He played college football for the University of Cincinnati.
Early life
Nakamur ...
and
Tom Zbikowski
Thomas Michael Zbikowski (born May 22, 1985) is a former American football safety. He is also a professional boxer and a firefighter. He was drafted by the Baltimore Ravens in the third round (86th overall) of the 2008 NFL Draft. He earned All-Ame ...
, he was released by the Ravens on 22 Sept 2010. Hamlin dressed for both regular season games before his release, but recorded no statistics.
On September 29, 2010, the Ravens re-signed Hamlin; taking the roster spot of defensive end
Trevor Pryce
Trevor Wesley Pryce II (born August 3, 1975) is a former American football defensive end and author who played fourteen seasons in the National Football League (NFL). Pryce played college football for the University of Michigan before transferri ...
, who was released and subsequently signed with the
New York Jets. He intercepted
Tom Brady
Thomas Edward Patrick Brady Jr. (born August 3, 1977) is an American football quarterback for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League (NFL). He spent his first 20 seasons with the New England Patriots organization, with which ...
when the Ravens played against the
New England Patriots.
The Ravens again released Hamlin on November 30, 2010. He played mainly on special teams and had three defensive tackles during his time with the team.
Indianapolis Colts
On December 22, 2010, Hamlin was signed by the
Indianapolis Colts, filling the roster spot made available when
Austin Collie
Austin Kirk Collie (born November 11, 1985) is a Canadian former professional gridiron football wide receiver. He was drafted by the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League (NFL) in the fourth round (127th overall) in the 2009 NFL D ...
was placed on injured reserve. He played in two regular season games but did not record a statistic. In the playoffs against the
New York Jets he posted 3 tackles in a reserve role. He wasn't re-signed at the end of the season.
NFL statistics
Key
* GP: games played
* COMB: combined tackles
* TOTAL: total tackles
* AST: assisted tackles
* SACK: sacks
* FF: forced fumbles
* FR: fumble recoveries
* FR YDS: fumble return yards
* INT: interceptions
* IR YDS: interception return yards
* AVG IR: average interception return
* LNG: longest interception return
* TD: interceptions returned for touchdown
* PD: passes defensed
References
External links
Indianapolis Colts bioOfficial Website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hamlin, Ken
1981 births
Living people
People from Memphis, Tennessee
Players of American football from Tennessee
American football safeties
National Conference Pro Bowl players
Arkansas Razorbacks football players
Seattle Seahawks players
Dallas Cowboys players
Baltimore Ravens players
Indianapolis Colts players
Ed Block Courage Award recipients