Rudolph Nelson Niswanger ( ; born November 9, 1982) 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 ...

center Center or centre may refer to: Mathematics *Center (geometry), the middle of an object * Center (algebra), used in various contexts ** Center (group theory) ** Center (ring theory) * Graph center, the set of all vertices of minimum eccentrici ...

. He was signed by 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 ...

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 2006. He played college football at

Louisiana State Louisiana State University (officially Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, commonly referred to as LSU) is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Baton Rouge, Louisian ...

Early years

He is a native of Monroe, Louisiana, where he attended

Ouachita Christian High School Ouachita Christian School is a private K–12 Christian school in Monroe, Louisiana. Athletics Ouachita Christian High athletics competes in the LHSAA. State championships *Football (8) State Championships: 1985, 1997, 2000, 2011, 2012, 201 ...

. He led his team to a 2A State Championship title in Football.

College career

During his college career, he started at least one game in every

offensive line In gridiron football, a lineman is a player who specializes in play at the line of scrimmage. The linemen of the team currently in possession of the ball are the offensive line, while linemen on the opposing team are the defensive line. A numb ...

position. As a senior, he was team captain and was elected as Second-team All-SEC.

Professional career

Kansas City Chiefs

In 2006 season, Rudy signed a

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 ...

contract with the Kansas City Chiefs. He played in five games at two different positions -

guard Guard or guards may refer to: Professional occupations * Bodyguard, who protects an individual from personal assault * Crossing guard, who stops traffic so pedestrians can cross the street * Lifeguard, who rescues people from drowning * Prison ...

and on

special teams In American football, the specific role that a player takes on the field is referred to as their "position". Under the modern rules of American football, both teams are allowed 11 players on the field at one time and have "unlimited free substitu ...

- in his first season. During the 2007 season, Niswanger appeared in 12 games, including five games as a reserve guard. His season ended on December 2 in a game against the San Diego Chargers, when he injured his right knee. He was placed on injured reserve the next day. Before the 2008 season, Niswanger became the starting center in the preseason. He started in 15 games, missing one game against the Chargers in Week 15. A

restricted free agent A restricted free agent (RFA) is a type of free agent in the National Football League (NFL), National Hockey League (NHL), or National Basketball Association (NBA). Such players have special restrictions on the terms under which they can retain ...

in the 2009 offseason, Niswanger re-signed with the Chiefs on April 24. During the offseason, the Chiefs signed veteran Mike Goff, who competed with Niswanger for the starting center position.

Detroit Lions

Niswanger signed with the Detroit Lions on August 10, 2011. Niswanger was cut by the team on September 3, 2011.

Personal life

Niswanger is married to Patricia Hodge of Monroe, Louisiana and they make their home in Monroe, Louisiana, and they have 5 children. He is CEO of Joe Gear Companies.

References

External links

Kansas City Chiefs bioLSU Tigers bio
{{DEFAULTSORT:Niswanger, Rudy 1982 births Living people Sportspeople from Monroe, Louisiana Players of American football from Louisiana American football centers LSU Tigers football players Kansas City Chiefs players Detroit Lions players William V. Campbell Trophy winners