71 Facts About DeMarcus Ware

1.

DeMarcus Omar Ware was born on July 31,1982 and is an American former professional football player who was an outside linebacker in the National Football League.

2.

DeMarcus Ware played college football at Troy University and was drafted by the Dallas Cowboys with the 11th overall pick in the first round of the 2005 NFL Draft.

3.

DeMarcus Ware then played three seasons for the Denver Broncos, with whom he won Super Bowl 50 over the Carolina Panthers.

4.

In 2023, DeMarcus Ware was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

5.

DeMarcus Ware was born on July 31,1982, in Auburn, Alabama.

6.

DeMarcus Ware played football, basketball, baseball, and ran track in high school; he attended Auburn High School.

7.

In football, DeMarcus Ware played both linebacker and wide receiver, and as a senior, he won every game, and was named the team's Most Valuable Wide Receiver and Most Valuable Linebacker, and won Top Leadership honors.

8.

DeMarcus Ware finished his senior season with seven sacks and 55 total tackles.

9.

DeMarcus Ware ran the 55 metres in 6.74 seconds and had a personal-best jump of 1.94 meters in the high jump.

10.

DeMarcus Ware accepted a scholarship from Troy University, where he was a two-time All-Sun Belt Conference selection for the Troy Trojans football team.

11.

DeMarcus Ware became a starter at defensive end as a sophomore, and was a part of a defensive line that included future NFL player Osi Umenyiora.

12.

DeMarcus Ware posted 72 tackles and 19.5 tackles for loss.

13.

DeMarcus Ware posted 53 tackles, 10.5 sacks, 19 tackles for loss and four forced fumbles.

14.

DeMarcus Ware finished his college career with 27.5 sacks, 201 tackles, 74 quarterback hurries, ten forced fumbles, four fumble recoveries, and one interception.

15.

DeMarcus Ware was named to the Sun Belt Conference All-Decade Team.

16.

DeMarcus Ware was credited with a 430-pound bench press, a 570-pound squat, and a 360-pound power clean.

17.

In Week 16, DeMarcus Ware recorded three sacks and three forced fumbles in a match against the Carolina Panthers.

18.

DeMarcus Ware tied the Cowboys record for most sacks in a single game, held by Randy White.

19.

DeMarcus Ware finished with 58 total tackles, 14 tackles for losses and three forced fumbles.

20.

DeMarcus Ware tied Greg Ellis for a team-best eight sacks and joined Jimmie Jones as the only rookies to ever lead or tie for the Dallas Cowboys' team lead in sacks.

21.

In 2006, DeMarcus Ware ended the regular season with a team-high 11.5 sacks, the most ever by a Cowboys linebacker.

22.

DeMarcus Ware added 73 tackles, a fumble recovery, and an interception, both returned for a touchdown.

23.

In Week 6 against division rival Eagles, DeMarcus Ware had a memorable moment with his 69-yard fumble return for his first career NFL touchdown.

24.

DeMarcus Ware recorded his first career interception against Michael Vick in a game against the Atlanta Falcons and returned it for a 41-yard touchdown.

25.

DeMarcus Ware finished tied for ninth in the league in total sacks and Shawne Merriman led the league with 17 sacks.

26.

DeMarcus Ware broke out with his 2007 season, leading new Cowboys' head coach Wade Phillips to call him the best outside linebacker in the league.

27.

DeMarcus Ware became the second Cowboy ever to record at least 14 sacks in a season, since Jim Jeffcoat in 1986.

28.

DeMarcus Ware led the team with 27 quarterback pressures, eight tackles for losses, and four forced fumbles while finishing with 80 tackles.

29.

DeMarcus Ware made his second straight Pro Bowl along with 12 other teammates.

30.

DeMarcus Ware was selected to the All-Pro team for the second straight year along with teammates, Terrell Owens and Jason Witten.

31.

DeMarcus Ware finished tied for third in the league behind Patrick Kerney and Jared Allen.

32.

DeMarcus Ware was named NFC Defensive Player of the Week for his Week 15 game against the New York Giants, where he had three sacks.

33.

DeMarcus Ware was selected to his third consecutive Pro Bowl after pacing the league, establishing an official club record and tying Derrick Thomas for sixth in league history with 20 sacks.

34.

DeMarcus Ware ended the 2008 season with 84 tackles, nine tackles for a loss, six forced fumbles, and two passes defended.

35.

DeMarcus Ware was named NFC Defensive Player of the Year by Kansas City Committee as well as NFL Alumni Pass Rusher of the Year.

36.

DeMarcus Ware finished the 2008 season as the league leader in sacks for the first time in his career.

37.

DeMarcus Ware finished second in AP Defensive Player of the Year voting.

38.

DeMarcus Ware became the first recipient of the professional Butkus Award.

39.

Two months later, DeMarcus Ware suffered a neck injury and was taken off the field by a cart while playing against the San Diego Chargers.

40.

DeMarcus Ware was taken to the hospital for further tests, but was released the next day.

41.

DeMarcus Ware came back to play the next week, against the then-undefeated New Orleans Saints, and recorded two sack-fumbles, including the one that ended the Saints' chances at a comeback and an undefeated season.

42.

DeMarcus Ware made his fourth consecutive appearance in the Pro Bowl as a starter in 2009, after leading the Cowboys with 11.0 sacks, a career-high 45 pressures, and five forced fumbles.

43.

DeMarcus Ware was named to the First All-Pro team in recognition of his 2009 season.

44.

DeMarcus Ware recorded 15.5 sacks and led the NFL in that category for the second time in three seasons.

45.

DeMarcus Ware was ranked 12th by his fellow players on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2011.

46.

In 2011, DeMarcus Ware had 19.5 sacks, 47 tackles, two pass deflections, and two forced fumbles.

47.

DeMarcus Ware finished second in the NFL in total sacks for the 2011 season behind Jared Allen who posted 22.0 sacks.

48.

DeMarcus Ware was selected to the 2012 Pro Bowl as a starter and voted to the All-Pro team again.

49.

DeMarcus Ware was ranked sixth by his fellow players on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2012.

50.

DeMarcus Ware was unable to play in the Pro Bowl after his off-season shoulder surgery.

51.

DeMarcus Ware endured a difficult season having to deal with a hamstring he tore in training camp, a fractured right wrist and losing mobility on his right arm in the last three games, because of a hyperextended elbow and a torn labrum that forced him to use an elbow and shoulder harness.

52.

DeMarcus Ware was ranked 12th by his fellow players on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2013.

53.

DeMarcus Ware was ranked 56th by his fellow players on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2014.

54.

On March 12,2014, one day following his release from the Cowboys, DeMarcus Ware signed a three-year, $30 million contract with the Denver Broncos.

55.

DeMarcus Ware played 16 games, of which he started 15, finishing the season with 41 tackles, 10 sacks, one interception, one pass defensed, and two forced fumbles.

56.

DeMarcus Ware received Pro Bowl honors in his first season with the Broncos.

57.

DeMarcus Ware was ranked 87th by his fellow players on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2015.

58.

DeMarcus Ware posted 25 tackles and 7.5 sacks while playing in 11 of the regular season games, missing five games due to injury.

59.

On February 7,2016, DeMarcus Ware was part of the Broncos team that won Super Bowl 50.

60.

DeMarcus Ware recorded five tackles and two sacks in the Super Bowl.

61.

DeMarcus Ware was ranked 36th by his fellow players on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2016.

62.

In Week 2 against the Colts, DeMarcus Ware left the game with an apparent arm injury as he was trying to bring down quarterback Andrew Luck.

63.

DeMarcus Ware went on to play 10 games recording four sacks before having season-ending back surgery on December 28,2016.

64.

On March 13,2017, DeMarcus Ware announced his retirement from the NFL after 12 seasons and 138.5 sacks, through his Twitter account.

65.

DeMarcus Ware is tied for the record of most seasons leading the league in sacks with two.

66.

DeMarcus Ware is the second fastest player ever to reach 100 sacks.

67.

DeMarcus Ware recorded 28 multiple-sack games and 32 forced fumbles as a member of the Dallas Cowboys, both most in club history.

68.

DeMarcus Ware has ranked in the top three in total sacks league-wide in 4 out of 5 seasons.

69.

On February 9,2023, the Pro Football Hall of Fame announced that DeMarcus Ware would be inducted in its 2023 class, joining Joe Thomas, Darrelle Revis, Ronde Barber, and five others.

70.

In March 2005, DeMarcus Ware married his high school sweetheart, Taniqua Smith, a former Air Force member and the daughter of a police officer.

71.

On September 12,2018, DeMarcus Ware was announced as one of the celebrities who would compete on season 27 of Dancing with the Stars.