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Lawrence Timmons

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Lawrence Timmons
refer to caption
Timmons with the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2013
No. 94
Position:Linebacker
Personal information
Born: (1986-05-14) May 14, 1986 (age 38)
Florence, South Carolina, U.S.
Height:6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
Weight:242 lb (110 kg)
Career information
High school:Wilson (Florence, South Carolina)
College:Florida State (2004–2006)
NFL draft:2007 / round: 1 / pick: 15
Career history
Career highlights and awards
Career NFL statistics
Total tackles:1,067
Sacks:35.5
Forced fumbles:13
Fumble recoveries:7
Interceptions:12
Defensive touchdowns:1
Stats at Pro Football Reference

Lawrence Olajuwon Timmons (born May 14, 1986) is an American former professional football player who was a linebacker in the National Football League (NFL). He was selected by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the first round of the 2007 NFL draft. He won Super Bowl XLIII with the Steelers the following year, and played in Super Bowl XLV two years later. He played college football for the Florida State Seminoles.

Early life

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Timmons attended Wilson High School in Florence, South Carolina, where he played football and ran track. In football, he played tight end on offense and linebacker on defense. He was teammates with Justin Durant until his junior year. During his senior year, Timmons registered over 150 tackles and two sacks, while also catching 47 passes for over 800 yards and five touchdowns as a tight end, which earned him all-state first-team honors. He was awarded the Defensive Player of the Year and received Super Prep Elite 50 honors, as well as selected to play in the 2003 East-West Shrine Game.

In track & field, Timmons competed in the long jump event. He recorded a career-best leap of 6.55 meters at the 2003 SCHSL State Championships, where he placed sixth in the finals.[1] He was also a member of the 4 × 100 m and 4 × 200 m relay squads, and was timed at 4.6 seconds in the 40-yard dash.

Regarded as a four-star recruit by Rivals.com, Timmons was ranked as the No. 5 outside linebacker prospect in the nation.[2] He took official visits to North Carolina, Florida State, Florida, and Tennessee, before committing to the Seminoles.

College career

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In his true freshman year, Timmons played in all 12 games including the Seminoles' Gator Bowl victory over West Virginia, although only limited minutes mainly on special teams and as a backup linebacker. He recorded 12 tackles, 11 of which were unassisted, which ranked second among the Seminole freshmen behind Jae Thaxton. A season-high three tackles came against Alabama–Birmingham.

As a sophomore, Timmons ranked second on the Seminoles' depth chart at strongside linebacker behind Ernie Sims. He played in all 13 games, both at linebacker and on special teams, as well as defensive end in some third-and-long formations. Timmons finished the year with 35 tackles (17 solo), which ranked third on the team (behind Buster Davis and Sam McGrew), as well as three quarterback sacks, which also was third-best among all Seminoles (behind Kamerion Wimbley and Marcello Church). His season-best performance came in the ACC Championship Game against Virginia Tech, when he recorded eight tackles, six solo, two quarterback sacks and two QB hurries.

After Sims decided to forgo his senior season, Timmons took over as the starter at strongside linebacker. He had a productive season, recording 79 tackles and five sacks, and was honored with All-American third-team and All-Atlantic Coast Conference first-team. He finished his college career with 126 tackles and eight sacks.

Professional career

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Pre-draft measurables
Height Weight Arm length Hand span 40-yard dash 10-yard split 20-yard split 20-yard shuttle Three-cone drill Vertical jump Broad jump Bench press
6 ft 0+7⁄8 in
(1.85 m) 		234 lb
(106 kg) 		33 in
(0.84 m) 		9+1⁄4 in
(0.23 m)		 4.63 s 1.56 s 2.69 s 4.32 s 6.89 s 35 in
(0.89 m)		 10 ft 3 in
(3.12 m)		 25 reps
All values from NFL Combine/Pro Day[3]
Timmons (94) playing against the Baltimore Ravens in 2008.

Pittsburgh Steelers

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2007

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Timmons was selected by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the first round with the 15th overall pick in the 2007 NFL draft.[4] He was the first player drafted under head coach Mike Tomlin.[5][6] He began his rookie season as the backup right outside linebacker to James Harrison. He made his professional debut in the Steelers' season opener against the Cleveland Browns, making one tackle in the Steelers' victory. The following week, he made a season-high two solo tackles during a 26–3 victory over the Buffalo Bills. As a rookie, he was rarely used as a rotational player and on special teams but appeared in all 16 regular-season contests. He made 13 tackles throughout his rookie season.[7]

2008

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The following season, he was moved over to right inside linebacker, backing up veteran Larry Foote on a Steelers defensive linebacking corps with veteran depth and talent that included himself, Foote, Harrison, LaMarr Woodley, and James Farrior.[8] In the season opener, he made four solo tackles in a 38–17 victory over the Houston Texans. On September 29, 2008, Timmons made four combined tackles, a pass deflection, and sacked Baltimore Ravens' quarterback Joe Flacco for his first career sack, as the Steelers defeated them 23–20 in overtime on Monday Night Football. In Week 7, he had his best game of the season statistically, finishing with a season-high ten combined tackles and had a season-high two sacks after getting to Bengals' quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick twice during the Steelers' 38–10 victory. On November 3, Timmons earned his first career start in a victory over the Washington Redskins during Monday Night Football and finished the game with four combined tackles.[9]

On November 30, he made four tackles and intercepted Patriots's quarterback Matt Cassel for his first career interception during the Steelers' 33–10 victory. On January 11, 2009, he played in his first career playoff game when the Steelers defeated the San Diego Chargers 35–24 in the wild card round. He finished the game with six combined tackles, three of them being solo. The Steelers defeated the Baltimore Ravens in the AFC Championship and went on to play the Arizona Cardinals in Super Bowl XLIII. In his first Super Bowl, Timmons recorded five tackle, helping his team win 27–23. He finished his second season with 65 tackles, 5.0 sacks and an interception, while starting three games and playing in all 16 regular-season contests.[10]

2009

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Timmons took over as starter for the 2009 season following the release of Larry Foote, who asked for his release, foreseeing Timmons's future emergence as the starter and receiving increased playing time.[11] The latter was slated as the Steelers' starting right inside linebacker to begin the season but missed the season opener against the Tennessee Titans. He returned the following week, making three solo tackles and two pass deflections during a 14–17 loss to the Chicago Bears. The next game, he made his first start of the season during a loss to the Bengals and finished the game with three combined tackles and a pass deflection. During Week 5, Timmons made five tackles and forced two fumbles as the Steelers routed the Cleveland Browns 27–14. He finished the 2009 season with a total of 78 combined tackles, 7.0 sacks, 4 pass deflections, and 3 forced fumbles in 14 games with 13 starts.[12]

2010

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Timmons started in the season opener against the Atlanta Falcons and finished the 15–9 victory with 11 tackles. The next week, he recorded a career-high 15 combined tackles (12 solo) and a forced fumble during a win over the Tennessee Titans.

In 2010, he had a career year for the Steelers and finished off the season as the highest-rated inside linebacker by Pro Football Focus. He led the team with 135 tackles, and recorded 3.0 sacks, 9 pass deflections, 2 forced fumbles and 2 interceptions. The Steelers finished with the No. 1 run defense in the league, allowing only 63.2 yards per game. Timmons started 15 of the 16 regular season games, while playing in all of them.[13]

At the end of the 2010 season, Timmons and the Steelers appeared in Super Bowl XLV against the Green Bay Packers. He was a starter and had three total tackles in the 31–25 loss.[14]

2011

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On August 23, 2011, the Steelers gave Timmons a five-year, $47.79 million contract extension, which included $11 million guaranteed and a signing bonus of $10 million for his performance throughout the 2010 NFL season.[15] His rookie deal expired at the end of the 2010 season and he was a free agent; however, the Steelers signed him to an extension after the NFL lockout was resolved.[16] In the season opener against the Ravens, he collected a season-high 12 tackles as the Steelers lost 7–35. Timmons' numbers dropped from the previous season due to his moving from his normal inside linebacker position to outside linebacker, filling in for an injured James Harrison. He recorded 93 tackles, 2.0 sacks, 2 forced fumbles, and an interception.[17]

2012

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He started the season making five solo tackles in a 19–31 loss to the Denver Broncos. During a Week 6 contest against the Tennessee Titans, he made six total tackles and intercepted Titans' quarterback Matt Hasselbeck for his first pick of the season. On November 25, 2012, Timmons racked up ten combined tackles and intercepted Browns' quarterback Brandon Weeden, and scored a 52-yard touchdown for the first of his career. The Steelers went on to lose to the Browns 14–20. During Week 14, he made a season-high 11 solo tackles in a loss to the San Diego Chargers.[18] He finished his sixth NFL season with a total of 106 tackles, 6.0 sacks, 2 forced fumbles and a career-high 3 interceptions. This was his first season starting all 16 regular season contests.[19]

2013

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On October 20, 2013, Timmons collected a season-high 17 tackles (12 solo) during a 17–13 victory over the Baltimore Ravens.[20]

That season, Timmons led the team with 126 tackles, 3.0 sacks, 2 interceptions, and a forced fumble. This was the second time in the last 3 seasons that he led the team in tackles. He started all 16 games for the second consecutive year.[21]

2014

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On September 11, 2014, he made 12 total tackles during a 6–26 loss to the Baltimore Ravens. On October 20, Timmons made a season-high 11 solo tackles and an assisted tackle against the Houston Texans. During a Week 10 loss to the Jets, he collected a season-high 13 combined tackles. On December 21, Timmons tied his season-high of 13 combined tackles in a 20–12 victory over the Kansas City Chiefs.

On December 23, his efforts were recognized for having another excellent season and he was named to his first career Pro Bowl. On January 2, 2015, Lawrence Timmons was named Second-team All-Pro for the first time of his career. He finished the 2014 season with 132 combined tackles, 87 solo tackles, and 2.0 sacks. He played in all 16 games for the third consecutive season.[22]

2015

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During Week 4 of the 2015 season, Timmons had a season-high 11 tackles and sacked Ravens' quarterback Joe Flacco for his first of the season during a 20–23 loss to the Baltimore Ravens. On October 18, 2015, he had six combined tackles and intercepted quarterback Carson Palmer in a 25–13 win over the Arizona Cardinals. On January 3, 2016, he recorded ten combined tackles and a season-high 1.5 sacks in a 28–12 win over the Cleveland Browns. Timmons finished the season with 119 combined tackles, 77 solo tackles, 5.0 sacks, one interception, and a forced fumble.[23]

The Pittsburgh Steelers finished the season 10–6 and received a playoff berth. On January 9, 2016, Timmons recorded four combined tackles in an 18–16 AFC Wild Card victory over the Cincinnati Bengals. On January 17, he made six combined tackles in a 23–16 divisional loss to the eventual Super Bowl champions, the Denver Broncos.[24]

2016

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On October 20, 2016, the Steelers lost to the New England Patriots 27-16 and Timmons racked up a season-high 11 solo tackles during the game. In Week 11, Timmons recorded eight combined tackles and made his first sack of the season in a 24–9 victory over the Cleveland Browns.[25] During Week 13, he made seven combined tackles and intercepted New York Giants' quarterback Eli Manning and returned it 58-yards.[9] He finished the season with 114 combined tackles, 2.5 sacks, 5 pass deflections, two interceptions, and a forced fumble in 16 games with 16 starts.[26]

On January 8, 2017, Timmons recorded a team-leading 14 combined tackles and sacked quarterback Matt Moore twice in a 30–12 AFC Wild Card Round victory over the Miami Dolphins.[27] On January 22, Timmons repeated a team-leading performance of 14 combined tackles in a 36-17 AFC Championship loss to the eventual Super Bowl champions, the New England Patriots.[28]

Miami Dolphins

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On March 10, 2017, Timmons signed a two-year, $12 million contract with the Miami Dolphins.[29][30]

On September 19, the Dolphins suspended Timmons indefinitely after he went missing before the team's Week 2 match-up against the Los Angeles Chargers. It was revealed that Timmons was reported missing from the team's hotel in Los Angeles, and the Dolphins filed a missing persons report. He was later found at the Los Angeles International Airport, but was headed to see his daughter who lives in Pennsylvania.[31] On September 26, Timmons was reinstated by the team.[32]

On March 13, 2018, Timmons was released by the Dolphins.[33]

NFL career statistics

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Legend
Won the Super Bowl
Bold Career high
Year Team GP Tackles Fumbles Interceptions
Cmb Solo Ast Sck FF FR Yds Int Yds Avg Lng TD PD
2007 PIT 16 15 13 2 0.0 0 2 5 0 0 0.0 0 0 0
2008 PIT 16 65 43 22 5.0 1 1 0 1 89 89.0 89 0 3
2009 PIT 14 78 56 22 7.0 4 0 0 0 0 0.0 0 0 4
2010 PIT 16 135 96 39 3.0 2 2 0 2 5 2.5 5 0 9
2011 PIT 16 93 68 25 2.0 1 0 0 1 0 0.0 0 0 5
2012 PIT 16 106 75 31 6.0 2 1 1 3 80 27.7 53 1 5
2013 PIT 16 126 86 40 3.0 1 1 29 2 26 13.0 23 0 6
2014 PIT 16 132 87 45 2.0 0 0 0 0 0 0.0 0 0 1
2015 PIT 16 119 77 42 5.0 1 0 0 1 0 0.0 0 0 6
2016 PIT 16 114 78 36 2.5 1 0 0 2 74 37.0 54 0 5
2017 MIA 14 84 58 26 0.0 0 0 0 0 0 0.0 0 0 3
Career 172 1,067 737 330 35.5 13 7 35 12 274 22.8 89 1 46

Personal life

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Timmons's mother, a huge basketball fan, named Timmons after NBA legend and Basketball Hall of Famer Hakeem Olajuwon by giving him the middle name Olajuwon.[34]

References

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  1. ^ "State Championships (2003) 2003 - AAA Boys (Raw)". SCRUNNERS.COM. Retrieved July 28, 2023.
  2. ^ "Lawrence Timmons, 2004 Outside Linebacker, Florida State". Rivals.com. Retrieved July 28, 2023.
  3. ^ "2007 NFL Draft Scout Lawrence Timmons College Football Profile". DraftScout.com. Retrieved November 12, 2023.
  4. ^ "2007 NFL Draft Listing". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved May 10, 2023.
  5. ^ "SI.com - 2007 NFL Draft - Lawrence Timmons". Archived from the original on October 4, 2013. Retrieved October 4, 2013.
  6. ^ "Lawrence Timmons". databaseFootball.com. Archived from the original on November 3, 2012. Retrieved December 21, 2012.
  7. ^ "Lawrence Timmons 2007 Game Log". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved July 28, 2023.
  8. ^ "Ourlads.com: Pittsburgh Steeler's depth chart". ourlads.com. Retrieved December 8, 2016.
  9. ^ a b "NFL Player Profile: Lawrence Timmons". NFL.com. Retrieved December 8, 2016.
  10. ^ "Lawrence Timmons 2008 Game Log". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved July 28, 2023.
  11. ^ "Steelers to release veteran linebacker Foote". ESPN.com. April 28, 2009. Retrieved December 25, 2017.
  12. ^ "Lawrence Timmons 2009 Game Log". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved July 28, 2023.
  13. ^ "Lawrence Timmons 20102 Game Log". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved July 28, 2023.
  14. ^ "Super Bowl XLV - Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Green Bay Packers - February 6th, 2011". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved December 15, 2017.
  15. ^ "Sportrac.com: Lawrence Timmons contract". Retrieved December 8, 2016.
  16. ^ Steelers reward LB Lawrence Timmons Retrieved August 24, 2012.
  17. ^ "Lawrence Timmons 2011 Game Log". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved July 28, 2023.
  18. ^ "San Diego Chargers at Pittsburgh Steelers - December 9th, 2012". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved December 20, 2017.
  19. ^ "Lawrence Timmons 2012 Game Log". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved July 28, 2023.
  20. ^ "Baltimore Ravens at Pittsburgh Steelers - October 20th, 2013". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved December 20, 2017.
  21. ^ "Lawrence Timmons 2013 Game Log". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved July 28, 2023.
  22. ^ "Lawrence Timmons 2014 Game Log". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved July 28, 2023.
  23. ^ "Lawrence Timmons 2015 Game Log". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved July 28, 2023.
  24. ^ "Divisional Round - Pittsburgh Steelers at Denver Broncos - January 17th, 2016". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved December 20, 2017.
  25. ^ "Pittsburgh Steelers at Cleveland Browns - November 20th, 2016". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved December 20, 2017.
  26. ^ "Lawrence Timmons 2016 Game Log". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved July 28, 2023.
  27. ^ "Wild Card - Miami Dolphins at Pittsburgh Steelers - January 8th, 2017". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved July 28, 2023.
  28. ^ "AFC Championship - Pittsburgh Steelers at New England Patriots - January 22nd, 2017". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved March 6, 2024.
  29. ^ "Dolphins Sign Timmons and Allen". MiamiDolphins.com. March 10, 2017. Archived from the original on March 11, 2017. Retrieved March 11, 2017.
  30. ^ Orr, Conor (March 10, 2017). "Lawrence Timmons is headed to Miami Dolphins". NFL.com. Archived from the original on March 11, 2017.
  31. ^ "Dolphins suspend LB Lawrence Timmons indefinitely". NFL.com. September 19, 2017. Retrieved July 28, 2023.
  32. ^ Patra, Kevin (September 26, 2017). "Miami Dolphins reinstate LB Lawrence Timmons". NFL.com. Retrieved July 28, 2023.
  33. ^ "Dolphins Release Timmons". Miami Dolphins. March 13, 2018. Retrieved July 28, 2023.
  34. ^ Despite lack of expertise, Timmons ready for BCB Retrieved August 24, 2012.
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