 Hitchens with the Dallas Cowboys in 2017 | |||||||||||
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| Position: | Linebacker | ||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||
| Born: | (1992-06-10)June 10, 1992 (age 32) Lorain, Ohio, U.S. | ||||||||||
| Height: | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) | ||||||||||
| Weight: | 235 lb (107 kg) | ||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||
| High school: | Clearview (Lorain) | ||||||||||
| College: | Iowa | ||||||||||
| NFL draft: | 2014: 4th round, 119th pick | ||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||
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| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||||
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Anthony Hitchens (born June 10, 1992) is an American former professionalfootball player who was alinebacker in theNational Football League (NFL). He playedcollege football for theIowa Hawkeyes and was selected by theDallas Cowboys in the fourth round of the2014 NFL draft.
Hitchens was raised by his mother, Norma Hitchens, inLorain, Ohio, where he attendedClearview High School. He has six siblings and does not have a relationship with his father who was in and out of prison. At the age of 12, Hitchens asked his mother if he could move in with his best friend, Zach Anderson, and his family inSheffield Township. His mother gave him her permission and he immediately moved into Brad and Amy Anderson's home. Brad attended high school with Norma and Amy worked at a nonprofit organization in the community with her. Anthony playedfootball with their oldest son Zach and would stay overnight and always eat dinner with them. Amy Anderson said there was no discussion about letting him move in because they both cared for him. With two sons of their own and another friend, James Washington, living there, the Andersons added an additional room so the boys would no longer have to share one room among the four of them.[1]
In high school, Hitchens was a three-sport athlete, playing football,basketball, andtrack. On the football field he was also known for being an explosiverunning back. He is the school's all-timerushing leader with 3,864 yards, and the single game leader with 354 yards.
Hitchens was labeled a two-star recruit byRivals.com.[2] He had offers from theUniversity of Kansas,Indiana University,University of Akron, andEastern Michigan, before deciding to continue his career at theUniversity of Iowa.
At Iowa, Hitchens was a four-yearletter winner. In his first two years, he stayed mainly onspecial teams, before starting atlinebacker as a junior and senior. In his career at Iowa he racked up 270 totaltackles, including 124 as a junior which led theBig Ten Conference.[3]
Hitchens was one of 35 linebackers to perform at theNFL combine inIndianapolis. Although he performed all of the combine drills, his day was considered mediocre. He tied for 12th among his position group in the40-yard dash, tied for ninth among linebackers in thebench press, and finished 17th in thethree-cone drill.[4] On March 24, 2014, Hitchens opted to participate at Iowa'spro day, along withC. J. Fiedorowicz,Christian Kirksey,James Morris, and nine other prospects. He improved upon his 40-yard dash (4.65), 20-yard dash (2.72), and ran positional drills for the scouts and team representatives from 28 NFL teams.[5] At the conclusion of the pre-draft process, Hitchens was projected to be a seventh round pick or priorityundrafted free agent by the majority ofNFL draft experts and scouts. He was ranked the 31st best outside linebacker prospect in the draft by DraftScout.com.[6]
| External videos | |
|---|---|
 Anthony Hitchens' NFL Combine Workout |
| 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 ft0+3⁄8 in (1.84 m) | 240 lb (109 kg) | 32+1⁄2 in (0.83 m) | 9+1⁄4 in (0.23 m) | 4.74 s | 1.62 s | 2.74 s | 4.45 s | 7.15 s | 35+1⁄2 in (0.90 m) | 9 ft 8 in (2.95 m) | 23 reps | |
| All values fromNFL Combine[7] except vertical jump | ||||||||||||
TheDallas Cowboys selected Hitchens in the fourth round with the 119th overall pick of the2014 NFL draft.[8] The Cowboys were heavily criticized regarding his selection, due to many evaluators projecting him to be a seventh round pick or go undrafted. Cowboys' ownerJerry Jones explained that they chose him to provide depth behindSean Lee after experiencing the loss of Lee the year prior.Jones also stated they planned on selecting Hitchens in the fourth round ahead of time and his speed, athleticism, and tackling ability were key factors.[9] On June 1, 2014, the Cowboys signed Hitchens to a four-year, $2.65 million contract that includes a signing bonus of $434,864.[10]
| External videos | |
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| Rookie of the Week: Hitchens pulls weight in win | |
| Anthony Hitchens' Week 16 Highlights |
When Lee was lost for the season during organized team activities, and the team traded forRolando McClain, it was decided to make Hitchens learn all threelinebacker positions.[11] He began organized team activities taking reps with the first-team defense, but was soon moved to the backup middle linebacker after Justin Durant returned from ahamstring injury.[12] He spent the bulk oftraining camp at outside linebacker, competing with Justin Durant andKyle Wilber, before being moved back to middle linebacker. The Dallas Cowboys opted to trade for McClain and have Hitchens compete with him in training camp.[13] Head coachJason Garrett named Hitchens the back up middle linebacker to McClain to begin the 2014 season.[11]
He made his professional regular season debut in the Cowboys' season-opener against theSan Francisco 49ers and assisted on one tackle in the 28–17 loss. He made his first career tackle in the closing seconds of the game, helping safetyBarry Church tackle 49ers' running backFrank Gore who gained five-yards on a short run to seal the win for the 49ers.[14] The following week, Hitchens earned his first career start at weakside linebacker and recorded two combined tackles during a 26–10 victory at theTennessee Titans. He started in place of Justin Durant, who suffered agroin injury in the season-opener against the 49ers.[15] During a Week 3 matchup at theSt. Louis Rams, Hitchens collected a season-high 13 combined tackles and deflected a pass in Dallas' 34–31 victory. He also recorded five combined tackles on special teams. Head coach Jason Garrett named Hitchens the weakside linebacker for the remainder of the season after Justin Durant was placed on injured/reserve after tearing hisbiceps in the Cowboys' 20–17 overtime loss to theWashington Redskins onMonday Night Football.[16] On December 21, 2014, Hitchens made eight solo tackles, defended two passes, and has his first careerinterception after picking off a pass attempt byIndianapolis Colts quarterbackMatt Hasselbeck during the Cowboys' 42–7 victory. He was nominated for the Pepsi Rookie of the Week award after his week 16 performance against the Colts. He finished the regular season with 75 combined tackles (59 solo), fourpass deflections, and one interception in 16 games and nine starts.[17]
The Dallas Cowboys finished atop theNFC East with a 12–4 record. On January 4, 2015, Hitchens played in his first career playoff game and recorded three combined tackles and deflected a pass, as the Cowboys defeated theDetroit Lions 24–20 in thewildcard playoff game against theDetroit Lions. Hitchens was involved in a heavily controversial play during the fourth quarter after the back judge threw a flag and penalized Hitchens for pass interference for making contact and pushing off of Lions' tight endBrandon Pettigrew as he attempted to catch a deep pass byMatt Stafford. The line judge ultimately chose to overturn the penalty and the flag was disregarded without an immediate explanation on the field. After the game, refereePete Morelli stated that the line judge determined there was not enough contact to warrant a penalty.[18][19] The next game, he collected six combined tackles during a 26–21 loss at theGreen Bay Packers in theNFC Divisional Round.[20]
Hitchens was slated to become the strong side linebacker after the departure ofBruce Carter, but was switched to middle linebacker after McClain was suspended for the first four games.[21] He was named the starting middle linebacker, ahead ofJasper Brinkley, to begin the regular season.
In Week 2, Hitchens recorded five combined tackles and made his first career sack onPhiladelphia Eagles quarterbackSam Bradford during a 20–10 victory.[22] On October 4, 2015, he recorded a season-high 11 combined tackles and sackedDrew Brees in Dallas' 26–20 loss at theNew Orleans Saints. On December 19, 2015, Hitchens started at middle linebacker in place of McClain who suffered an injury and collected ten combined tackles during a 19–16 loss to theNew York Jets. He finished the 2015 season with a total of 67 combined tackles (40 solo), two sacks, and a defended pass in 16 games and nine starts as the Cowboys finished 4–12. His production was slightly decreased due to the return of Lee.[23]
Hitchens began training camp competing withKyle Wilber andDamien Wilson for the role as the strongside linebacker.[24] He took over the role as the Cowboys' starting middle linebacker after McClain was dealt a ten-game suspension after violating the performance-enhancing drugs policy.[25][26]
He started the Cowboys' season-opener at theNew York Giants and collected six combined tackles in their 20–19 loss. On December 1, 2016, Hitchens recorded a season-high ten combined tackles, deflected a pass, and sackedMinnesota Vikings quarterbackSam Bradford, as the Cowboys won 17–15. He finished the season with 78 combined tackles (39 solo), 1.5 sacks, and a pass deflection in 16 games and 16 starts.[27] The Dallas Cowboys received a playoff berth after finishing atop the NFC East with a 13–3 record. On January 15, 2017, Hitchens started his first career playoff game and collected seven combined tackles in a 34–31 loss at the Packers in the NFC Divisional Round.[28]
He received a considerable raise for the 2017 season after playing over 35% of the Dallas Cowboys' defensive snaps. His salary went from $690,000 to $1.84 million after qualifying for the Proven Performance Escalator. The Proven Performance Escalator was added to the rookie wage scale as a part of thecollective bargaining agreement in 2011 and applies to players who were drafted in the third to seventh round.[29]
Throughout training camp in 2017, Hitchens competed withJaylon Smith to maintain his role as the starting middle linebacker. Hitchens was slated to start the season at middle linebacker, but suffered atibial plateau fracture in the Cowboys' final preseason game against theOakland Raiders. He was expected to miss up to eight weeks, but was able to return before Week 5.[30] On November 12, 2017, Hitchens recorded ten combined tackles in a 27–7 loss to theAtlanta Falcons. The following week, he moved over to weakside linebacker after Lee suffered a hamstring injury.[31] Hitchens went on to collect five combined tackles before suffering a groin injury, in the Cowboys 37–9 loss to the Eagles.[32] On November 30, 2017, Hitchens recorded a season-high 15 combined tackles in Dallas' 34–15 victory over the Redskins.[33] Hitchens finished the season with 84 combined tackles (55 solo), two pass deflections, and one forcedfumble in 12 games and 12 starts.[34]
Hitchens became an unrestricted free agent in 2018 and was considered one of the top free agent linebackers available. He was heavily linked to the Colts due to his experience under defensive coordinatorMatt Eberflus who was his linebacker coach with the Dallas Cowboys. The Dallas Cowboys were interested in re-signing Hitchens, but were unable to offer a considerable contract.[35]
On March 15, 2018, theKansas City Chiefs signed Hitchens to a five-year, $45 million contract that includes $25.09 million and a signing bonus of $14 million.[36][37][38] Hitchens entered training camp slated as a starting inside linebacker and replacedDerrick Johnson. Head coachAndy Reid named Hitchens andReggie Ragland the starting inside linebackers to begin the regular season. They began the season alongside outside linebackersDee Ford andJustin Houston.[39]
| External videos | |
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| Anthony Hitchens stops Yeldon in tracks for a loss |
He started in the Chiefs season-opener at theLos Angeles Chargers and collected a season-high 14 combined tackles (six solo) during a 38–28 victory. In Week 6, he tied his season-high of 14 combined tackles (six solo) as the Chiefs lost 43–40 at theNew England Patriots. In Week 8, Hitchens sustained a rib injury during the fourth quarter of a 30–23 victory against theDenver Broncos.[40] The following week, he aggravated his rib injury and was subsequently sidelined for the Chiefs' Week 10 victory against theArizona Cardinals. Hitchens finished the2018 NFL season with a career-high 135 combined tackles (81 solo) and forced one fumble in 15 games and 15 starts.[34] His 135 tackles led the Kansas City Chiefs' defense and finished fifth among all players in 2018. He received an overall grade of 40.6 fromPro Football Focus, which ranked 92nd among all linebackers in 2018.[41]
In Week 7 against the Broncos, Hitchens recorded a team high 6 tackles and sackedJoe Flacco twice in the 30–6 win. One of his sacks resulted in a forced fumble which teammate Reggie Ragland returned for a touchdown.[42] Hitchens helped the Chiefs reachSuper Bowl LIV where they defeated the 49ers 31–20. Hitchens recorded four combined tackles in the Super Bowl.[43]
Hitchens was placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list by the Chiefs on December 22, 2020,[44] and activated on January 11, 2021.[45] Hitchens helped the Chiefs reachSuper Bowl LV, but lost 31–9 to theTampa Bay Buccaneers. Hitchens recorded 1 tackle in the loss.
Hitchens entered the 2021 season as the starting middle linebacker. He started 15 games, finishing second on the team with 80 tackles. He was released on February 22, 2022.[46]
| Year | Team | Games | Tackles | Fumbles | Interceptions | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Cmb | Solo | Ast | Sck | FF | FR | Yds | TD | Int | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | PD | ||
| 2014 | DAL | 16 | 11 | 75 | 59 | 16 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 8 | 8.0 | 8 | 0 | 4 |
| 2015 | DAL | 16 | 9 | 67 | 40 | 27 | 2.0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 2016 | DAL | 16 | 16 | 78 | 39 | 39 | 1.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 2017 | DAL | 12 | 12 | 84 | 55 | 29 | 0.0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 2018 | KC | 15 | 15 | 135 | 81 | 54 | 0.0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2019 | KC | 15 | 15 | 88 | 51 | 37 | 2.0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 2020 | KC | 14 | 14 | 78 | 44 | 34 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 2021 | KC | 15 | 15 | 80 | 41 | 39 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Career | 119 | 107 | 605 | 369 | 236 | 5.5 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 8 | 8.0 | 8 | 0 | 10 | |
