| No. 50 | |||||||||||||||
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| Position | Linebacker | ||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||
| Born | (1980-01-24)January 24, 1980 (age 46) Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S. | ||||||||||||||
| Listed height | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) | ||||||||||||||
| Listed weight | 236 lb (107 kg) | ||||||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||||||
| High school | St. Xavier (Cincinnati) | ||||||||||||||
| College | Notre Dame (1998–2001) | ||||||||||||||
| NFL draft | 2002: 4th round, 133rd overall pick | ||||||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||||||
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* Offseason and/or practice squad member only | |||||||||||||||
| Awards and highlights | |||||||||||||||
| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||||||||
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Rocky Michael Boiman (born January 24, 1980) is an American former professionalfootball player who was alinebacker in theNational Football League (NFL) for theTennessee Titans,Indianapolis Colts,Kansas City Chiefs andPittsburgh Steelers. He playedcollege football for theNotre Dame Fighting Irish. He was selected by theTennessee Titans in the fourth round of the2002 NFL draft. He currently works as a footballcolor commentator forESPN College Football.
Boiman attendedSt. Xavier High School in his hometown ofCincinnati,Ohio.[1] He was named All-league as a sophomore and juniordefensive back.
As a seniorfree safety in 1997, he tallied 164 tackles and 6 interceptions. He received All-League, All-State, Southwest Ohio Player of the Year, Greater Cincinnati League Player of the Year and All-City Player of the Year honors.
Boiman finished his high school career with 330 tackles, 11 interceptions and 15 passes defensed. He set school records for longest kickoff (95 yards) and most kickoff return yards.
He also participated intrack andbaseball, where he was named All-city twice.
Boiman accepted a football scholarship from theUniversity of Notre Dame to playdefensive back under head coachBob Davie. As a sophomore, he was converted into anoutside linebacker and had 39 tackles playing a backup role.
As a junior, he was named a starter atoutside linebacker after Joe Ferrer left the school. He collected 58 tackles (8 for loss), 3.5 sacks and was also used as a pass rushingdefensive end in some situations.[2] He was a fan favorite for his intensity and tackling ability.
As a senior, he was a team co-captain and started 7 games, posting 42 tackles (11 for loss), 4 sacks and 2 fumble recoveries. He had 12 tackles againstOregon State University and 11 againstTexas A&M University. He finished his college career with 21 starts out of 43 games, 144 tackles, 8.5 sacks, one pass defensed, 5 fumble recoveries and 2 forced fumbles.
Boiman was selected by theTennessee Titans in the fourth round (133rd overall) of the2002 NFL draft.[3] As a rookie, he played mainly onspecial teams, setting a franchise record with 28 tackles.
In2003, he had his most productive season, when he played in all 16 games (starting 2), making 55 tackles (4 for loss), 18 assists, 2 interceptions (one returned for atouchdown), 16special teams tackles, 1.5 sacks and one safety. He replaced an injuredPeter Sirmon in the first quarter atoutside linebacker against thePittsburgh Steelers, collecting 8 tackles, asafety and a 60-yard interception return for a touchdown, while earning AFC Defensive Player of the Week honors.[4]
In2004, he entered the season as the starter atleft outside linebacker after Sirmon suffered a season ending knee injury. He played in 7 games with 6 starts, but was limited with a left knee and a right quad injury, before being declared out of the season with a hamstring injury on December 5. He made 24 tackles (one for loss) and one pass defensed.
In2005, he appeared in 16 games with 2 starts atleft outside linebacker. He registered 28 defensive tackles and 15special teams tackles (tied for third on the team).
On March 20,2006, he was signed as afree agent by theDallas Cowboys, to improve the depth atlinebacker and onspecial teams.[5] During training camp he suffered a compound fracture of his right thumb, but only missed 10 days. On September 2, he was a surprise cut after receiving a $1,000,000 signing bonus.[6]
On September 4,2006, he signed with theIndianapolis Colts to play onspecial teams.[7] He played in every game, totaling 21 tackles (16 solo) and one interception. In the postseason, he earned aSuper Bowl ring as the Colts defeated theChicago Bears 29–17 inSuper Bowl XLI held on February 4,2007.
On April 17,2007, Boiman signed a one-year contract with the Colts. He appeared in 16 games (7 starts), totaling 55 tackles (34 solo), 2 interceptions and one fumble recovery.
On March 24,2008, he was signed by thePhiladelphia Eagles as afree agent. On August 31, he was cut after being passed on the depth chart byTank Daniels.
On October 15,2008, Boiman was signed by theKansas City Chiefs.[8] He played in 11 games (9 starts), making 68 tackles (51 solo).
On August 11,2009, he was signed by theTennessee Titans as afree agent. He was cut on September 5.[9]
On November 24,2009, Boiman was signed by thePittsburgh Steelers to help improve the kickoff coverage unit. He played in six games and totaled four assists and no tackles.
On August 30,2010, he was signed as afree agent by theDetroit Lions, reuniting withJim Schwartz who was his defensive coordinator with the Titans. On September 5, he was released to make room forlinebackerSpencer Havner.[10]
| Year | Team | Games | Combined Tackles | Tackles | Assisted Tackles | Sacks | Force Fumbles | Fumble Recoveries | Fumble Return Yards | Interceptions | Interception Return Yards | Yards per Interception Return | Longest Interception Return | Interceptions Returned for Touchdown | Passes Defended |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | TEN | 16 | 13 | 11 | 2 | 0.0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2003 | TEN | 16 | 45 | 28 | 17 | 1.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 70 | 35 | 60 | 1 | 2 |
| 2004 | TEN | 7 | 19 | 8 | 11 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 2005 | TEN | 15 | 28 | 17 | 11 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2006 | IND | 16 | 21 | 16 | 5 | 0.0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 2007 | IND | 16 | 55 | 34 | 21 | 0.0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 28 | 14 | 26 | 0 | 4 |
| 2008 | KC | 11 | 73 | 56 | 17 | 0.0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| 2009 | PIT | 6 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Career | 103 | 257 | 170 | 87 | 1.5 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 98 | 20 | 60 | 1 | 12 |
Boiman works forWestwood One as a color analyst for college football games, as a sideline reporter for NFL games, and co-hosting the 3:00 P.M. to 6:00 P.M. show with Eddie Fingers onWLW-AM inCincinnati, Ohio. He also works as a color analyst for ESPN andBBC television and radio.[12][13]
In the summer of 2011 it was announced that he would be an analyst for theSky Sports network in theUnited Kingdom. He was joined byNick Ferguson and two other English analysts.[14]
In the fall of 2011, he was appointed a trustee ofGreen Township, located on the west side ofCincinnati inHamilton County, replacing a member who had stepped down to take another position in Hamilton County.[15]