1. Robert Michael Ninkovich was born on February 1,1984 and is an American former professional football player who was a linebacker and defensive end for eleven seasons in the National Football League.
38 Facts About Rob Ninkovich
1. 2.
Rob Ninkovich played college football for the Purdue Boilermakers as a defensive end and was selected by the New Orleans Saints in the fifth round of the 2006 NFL draft.
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Rob Ninkovich played in the NFL for the Miami Dolphins and New England Patriots, winning two Super Bowls with the latter.
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Rob Ninkovich was born in Blue Island, Illinois, to a family of Croatian origin.
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Rob Ninkovich attended Lincoln-Way East High School in Frankfort his freshman and sophomore year then attended Lincoln-Way Central High School in New Lenox his junior and senior years.
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Rob Ninkovich earned All-State honors for defensive end during his senior year.
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Rob Ninkovich transferred to Purdue in 2004 and played in all 12 games that season.
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Rob Ninkovich recorded four sacks against Indiana for the second straight season, giving him two of the three individual four-sack performances in school history.
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Rob Ninkovich finished his rookie season with four combined tackles and a pass deflection in three games.
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Rob Ninkovich saw stiff competition throughout training camp, competing with Josh Cooper, Anton Palepoi, Jonathan Hamm, and Willie Evans.
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Rob Ninkovich was inactive for four games and would go on to play sparingly throughout the season.
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Rob Ninkovich was inactive for seven more games in 2007.
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Rob Ninkovich finished the 2007 season with two combined tackles in four games.
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Rob Ninkovich tied Dolphins defensive end Randy Starks with a team-high two sacks during the 2008 preseason.
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On November 15,2008, Rob Ninkovich was promoted to the active roster.
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Rob Ninkovich was re-signed to the practice squad the following day.
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Rob Ninkovich finished the 2008 season without any tackles and appeared in only one game.
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Rob Ninkovich was released on July 30,2009, after the Saints signed long snapper Jason Kyle.
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Rob Ninkovich had previously been considered as a long snapping option for the Saints in the offseason.
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Rob Ninkovich made the Patriots' 53-man roster and recorded his first NFL sack in Week 5 against the Denver Broncos.
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Rob Ninkovich received a contract extension through the 2011 season on November 6,2009.
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Rob Ninkovich began the 2010 season as a starter at outside linebacker.
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Rob Ninkovich finished the season with a career-high 62 tackles, four sacks, and two interceptions in 16 games played.
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Rob Ninkovich had the best statistical season of his career, recording 74 tackles, 6.5 sacks, two interceptions, one forced fumble, and three recovered fumbles while starting all 16 regular-season games.
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Rob Ninkovich recorded seven tackles against the Baltimore Ravens during the AFC Championship.
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Rob Ninkovich recorded four tackles, 0.5 sacks, and two quarterback hits in the game.
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Rob Ninkovich had two forced fumbles in a game against the Denver Broncos and a game-ending overtime strip sack against the New York Jets.
28.
In Week 3 of the 2013 season, Rob Ninkovich signed a three-year contract extension, running through 2016, that included $8.5 million in bonuses and guaranteed money and totaled $15 million over its course.
29.
Rob Ninkovich set a single-game career high with three sacks in the Patriots Week 6 game against the Buffalo Bills.
30.
In Week 8, against the Chicago Bears, Rob Ninkovich recovered a Jay Cutler fumble for his second career touchdown.
31.
Rob Ninkovich led the Patriots with eight sacks, his third straight year with eight sacks.
32.
Rob Ninkovich started all 16 games for the Patriots in the 2015 season, recording 52 total tackles, 6.5 sacks, seven passes defended, and one forced fumble.
33.
Rob Ninkovich tore his triceps in training camp and was expected to miss a few weeks.
34.
On September 2,2016, Rob Ninkovich was suspended for four games after testing positive for a banned substance.
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Rob Ninkovich finished with four sacks, 32 total tackles, two passes defended, and one forced fumble.
36.
On February 5,2017, Rob Ninkovich was part of the Patriots team that won Super Bowl LI.
37.
On July 30,2017, Rob Ninkovich announced his retirement from the NFL after eleven seasons, including eight with the Patriots.
38.
In July 2019, ESPN announced that Rob Ninkovich would be joining the network as an NFL analyst.