Larry Dean (born August 7, 1988) is a former American professional football

linebacker Linebacker (LB) is a playing position in gridiron football. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage and the defensive linemen. They are the "middle ground" of defenders, ...

for 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 ...

of the

Canadian Football League The Canadian Football League (CFL; french: Ligue canadienne de football—LCF) is a professional sports league in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football. The league consists of nine teams, each located in a ci ...

(CFL). He was signed by the

Minnesota Vikings The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the National Football Conference (NFC) North division. Founded in 1960 as an expansi ...

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 ...

in 2011. He played college football at

Valdosta State Valdosta State University (VSU or Valdosta State) is a public university in Valdosta, Georgia. It is one of the four comprehensive universities in the University System of Georgia. , VSU had over 12,000 undergraduate and graduate students. VSU a ...

. Dean has also been a member of the

, Buffalo Bills,

Tampa Bay Buccaneers The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football team based in Tampa, Florida. The Buccaneers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. The cl ...

, Hamilton Tiger-Cats, and Edmonton Eskimos. Dean announced his retirement on March 7, 2024 "after eight incredible seasons of CFL football. The Champ, as he’s known to many around him, retires 25th all-time in CFL defensive tackles, a four-time CFL divisional all-star (2017, 2018, 2019, 2023), with three 100+ tackle seasons (2018, 2022, 2023), and as the East Division’s nominee for Most Outstanding Defensive Player in 2018, among many other accomplishments." Dean will now live out his childhood dream of being the Saskatchewan Roughriders’ Player Personnel Coordinator in Football Operations. Larry Dean is the most famous person from

Tifton, Georgia Tifton is a city in Tift County, Georgia, United States. The population was 17,045 at the 2020 census. The city is the county seat of Tift County. The area's public schools are administered by the Tift County School District. Abraham Baldwin Agr ...

. Local residents petitioned the mayor of Tifton to erect signs in honor of Dean as he is "a hometown hero that has performed great deeds in the city of Tifton." Dean is featured on signs when entering the city, with cacophonous country music artist

Kip Moore Kipling Christian Moore (born April 2, 1980) is an American country music singer and songwriter signed to MCA Nashville. He has released a total of four studio albums for the label: '' Up All Night'', '' Wild Ones'', '' Slowheart'', and '' Wi ...

relegated to a secondary position.

College career

In college, Dean helped lead the Blazers to the 2007 NCAA Division II national championship as just a freshman.

Professional career

Minnesota Vikings

After waiting out an NFL lockout in 2011, Dean graduated from Valdosta State and signed his free agent rookie contract with the

on the same day. He was the only undrafted free agent to make the Vikings' roster in 2011. Dean played three seasons in Minnesota, playing in all 48 regular season games and one playoff appearance. In 2012, Dean was one of only 11 special teams players on the NFC’s Pro Bowl ballot. He contributed with 26 tackles, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery.

Buffalo Bills

Following his departure from the Minnesota Vikings Dean signed with the Buffalo Bills for the 2014 season. Dean played in 13 games for the Bills in 2014, recording seven tackles.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Dean briefly joined the

but did not make an appearance for the team.

Hamilton Tiger-Cats

After five seasons in the NFL Dean joined the Hamilton Tiger-Cats of the

(CFL). In his first season in the CFL Dean made an immediate impact. He played in all 18 regular season games, amassing 78 defensive tackles, two sacks and a interception. Over the following two seasons Dean was named a CFL East All-Star in each season contributing with 201 tackles, three quarterback sacks and two interceptions.

Edmonton Eskimos

On the first day of free agency Dean signed with the Edmonton Eskimos. In his lone season in Edmonton Dean once again played in all 18 regular season games recording 86 tackles and one sack. He was the unanimous selection for the team's Most Outstanding Defensive Player.

Hamilton Tiger-Cats (II)

On February 11, 2020, Larry Dean and the Hamilton Tiger-Cats agreed to reunite for another season. However the 2020 season was cancelled and Dean was not re-signed by the Tiger-Cats.

Saskatchewan Roughriders

On February 9, 2021, he was signed by the

. On July 8, 2021, Dean tore his

Achilles' tendon The Achilles tendon or heel cord, also known as the calcaneal tendon, is a tendon at the back of the lower leg, and is the thickest in the human body. It serves to attach the plantaris, gastrocnemius (calf) and soleus muscles to the calcaneus (h ...

in a workout ahead of training camp. He was placed on the injured list on July 14. Dean missed the entire 2021 season because of the injury. Dean was re-signed by the Riders on February 3, 2022. Dean had an outstanding season in 2022, eclipsing 100 defensive tackles for the second time in his career.. He also contributed with three sacks, two interceptions and two forced fumbles. On February 8, 2023, Dean and the Riders agreed on another contract extension. On February 13, 2024, he became a free agent. On March 7, 2024, Dean retired and became the Saskatchewan Roughriders’ Player Personnel Coordinator in Football Operations.

References

External links

Saskatchewan Roughriders profile
{{DEFAULTSORT:Dean, Larry 1988 births Living people People from Tifton, Georgia Players of American football from Georgia (U.S. state) American football linebackers Canadian football linebackers Players of Canadian football from Georgia (U.S. state) Valdosta State Blazers football players Minnesota Vikings players Buffalo Bills players Tampa Bay Buccaneers players Hamilton Tiger-Cats players Edmonton Elks players Saskatchewan Roughriders players