.jpg) Whitworth in 2023 | |||||||||||||||
| No. 77 | |||||||||||||||
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| Position | Tackle | ||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||
| Born | (1981-12-12)December 12, 1981 (age 43) Monroe, Louisiana, U.S. | ||||||||||||||
| Height | 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) | ||||||||||||||
| Weight | 330 lb (150 kg) | ||||||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||||||
| High school | West Monroe(West Monroe, Louisiana) | ||||||||||||||
| College | LSU (2001–2005) | ||||||||||||||
| NFL draft | 2006: 2nd round, 55th overall pick | ||||||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||||||
| Awards and highlights | |||||||||||||||
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| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||||||||
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Andrew James Whitworth[1] (born December 12, 1981) is an American former professionalfootballtackle who played in theNational Football League (NFL) for 16 seasons. He spent 11 seasons with theCincinnati Bengals and five with theLos Angeles Rams. Noted for the longevity of his career, he retired as the oldest tackle in NFL history and was the oldest offensive lineman to win aSuper Bowl.[2]
Whitworth playedcollege football for theLSU Tigers, receiving second-teamAll-American honors in 2005, and was selected by the Bengals in the second round of the2006 NFL draft. During his Cincinnati tenure, he was named to threePro Bowls and one first-teamAll-Pro. With the Rams, Whitworth extended his Pro Bowl selections to four and his first-team All-Pro honors to two. He was also a member of the Rams team that wonSuper Bowl LVI, his final NFL game.
A native ofMonroe, Louisiana, Whitworth attendedWest Monroe High School inWest Monroe, Louisiana, where he playedhigh school football for the Rebels under coach Don Shows and graduated in 2001. He was a part of three Louisiana Class 5A State Championship teams in 1997, 1998, and 2000 when the school was listed by the National High School Football Tony Poll as national champions for the last two. He was also part of four straight district championship teams in one of the toughest districts in the state. Whitworth was rated by CNNSI.com as the sixth-best offensive line prospect in the nation. He was atennis champion in Louisiana, and was also an excellentgolfer. He participated in the first-everU.S. Army All-American Bowl game on December 30, 2000, along with other future LSU playersMarcus Spears,Marquise Hill, andBen Wilkerson.
Whitworth attendedLSU from 2001 to 2005. Whitworth did not play in the 2001 season as he wasredshirted. In 2002, he started as a redshirt freshman every game, and was recognized as a first-team Freshman All-American byThe Sporting News and Football Writers Association. As a sophomore in 2003, he started in all fourteen games. The team went 13–1 en route to aBCS national title with aSugar Bowl defeat ofOklahoma. He led the team with 1,008 snaps and credited with 105 key blocks, including 82 knockdowns. In 2004, Whitworth led the team with 799 snaps from scrimmage as the Tigers went 9–3 with aCitrus Bowl berth againstIowa. His play was key for an offense that scored 39TDs and averaged 395.6 yards per game. He was credited with 96 key blocks, including 66 knockdowns, and played every offensive snap during a four-game stretch againstGeorgia,Florida,Troy, andVanderbilt. Helping LSU to an 11–2 record, he playedleft tackle in 2005. That season was capped by a 40–3Peach Bowl win overMiami (Fla.). He played every offensive snap in nine of the thirteen contests, for an offense that averaged 374.1 yards per game. By not allowing asack all season, he finished his career with 22 straight games of no sacks allowed. He was credited with 104 key blocks/knockdowns. Whitworth played in theEast–West Shrine Game on January 21, 2006, inSan Antonio,Texas.
His 52 career starts from 2002 to 2005 rank second in NCAA Division I history behindDerrick Strait of Oklahoma (53 starts, 2000–2003). He earned All-Southeastern Conference first-team honors in each of his last two seasons, including a consensus nod as a senior.
| 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 7 in (2.01 m) | 334 lb (151 kg) | 35 in (0.89 m) | 10+1⁄8 in (0.26 m) | 5.17 s | 1.83 s | 2.98 s | 4.83 s | 8.23 s | 30.5 in (0.77 m) | 9 ft 4 in (2.84 m) | 28 reps | |
| All values fromNFL Combine[3][4] | ||||||||||||
Whitworth was selected by theCincinnati Bengals in the second round (55th overall) in the2006 NFL draft.[5] He made his NFL debut on special teams on September 10 against Kansas City. He started at left guard in the following week against theCleveland Browns, as part of a line shuffle where left guardEric Steinbach replaced injuredLevi Jones at left tackle. Whitworth helped the Bengals pile up 481 yards against Browns, including 145 rushing yards byRudi Johnson. He was in the starting lineup forCarson Palmer. He also had a key block on Rudi Johnson's seven-yard touchdown run in first quarter.
On July 25, 2008, Whitworth agreed in principle to a four-year extension worth a reported $30 million that would keep him inCincinnati through 2013.[6] He was ejected from a regular season game against the Jacksonville Jaguars after getting into a fight with Jaguars defensive endJohn Henderson.
In 2009, head coachMarvin Lewis decided to move Whitworth from guard to left tackle and saw immediate impact. He started all sixteen games of the season, allowing just five sacks and helping running backCedric Benson have a breakout year rushing for 1,251 yards. On December 12, 2010, Whitworth caught a one-yard touchdown pass fromCarson Palmer against thePittsburgh Steelers. It was the first of his career, and he was the first Bengals offensive lineman to catch a touchdown pass since 1995.[7]
He was ejected from a game against the Oakland Raiders after throwing a punch during a skirmish late in the game. He was subsequently fined $26,260 for the incident.[8]
In January 2013, for the first time in his career, Whitworth was named a left tackle on the AFC Pro Bowl team.[9]
During the 2014 season, Whitworth allowed zero sacks and only one hit on quarterbackAndy Dalton. Due to his success, many pundits and experts have claimed that Whitworth was snubbed out of a second Pro Bowl berth,[10] however, he was named second-team AP NFL All-Pro.[11] He was voted as the 67th best player by his peers in the2016 list.[12]
Whitworth signed a one-year contract extension with the Bengals on September 26, 2015.[13]
On March 9, 2017, Whitworth signed a three-year contract with theLos Angeles Rams.[14][15] In his first season with the Rams, Whitworth made it to his fourth Pro Bowl. He was ranked 87th by his peers on theNFL Top 100 Players of 2018.[16]
In 2018, Whitworth helped the Rams reachSuper Bowl LIII after they defeated theDallas Cowboys in the Divisional Round andNew Orleans Saints in theNFC Championship Game.[17] The Rams lost to theNew England Patriots 13–3 in the Super Bowl.[18]
In the eighth week of the 2019 season, the Rams defeated the Bengals 24–10, giving Whitworth a victory over his former team. With that victory, Whitworth became only the 12th starter in league history to earn victories against all 32 NFL teams.[19]
On April 1, 2020, Whitworth signed a three-year contract with the Rams.[20] On November 16, Whitworth was placed on injured reserve, as he was carted off the field after suffering a torn MCL and damaged PCL in a 23–16 home win over theSeattle Seahawks in Week 10.[21] He was placed on injured reserve the next day.[22] He was activated on January 7, 2021, before the team's playoff game.[23]
Whitworth was named the 2021Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year at the11th Annual NFL Honors.[24] Whitworth won his first Super Bowl in what would ultimately be his final game, after the Rams defeated his former team, theCincinnati Bengals, 23–20 inSuper Bowl LVI.[25]
On March 15, 2022, Whitworth announced his retirement after 16 seasons.[26]
All took place at age 40.
After retiring in 2022, Whitworth joined Amazon'sThursday Night Football crew as an analyst.[28]
Whitworth is aChristian. Whitworth said he grew up as a Christian from a young age, but he lived mostly for himself. He said, "I had lots of success as an athlete, but my personal life was a wreck. I was unfaithful to women, my family, and most importantly to God. I thought I was strong and had everything together, but I was only fooling myself. I allowed guilt to control my life and cause me to make huge mistakes." After his second season in the NFL, Whitworth recommitted to his faith after going to church. "I fell to my knees and told God I was tired of running. I was ready to live the way He called me to. … I now live life with a new clear mind, whole heart, and a burning passion to spread Christ's love."[29]
Whitworth and his wife, Melissa, have four children. Melissa was the 2003 Miss Louisiana, is a Louisiana reporter, and won Cincinnati's version ofDancing With the Stars.[citation needed]
Whitworth is active in the community through his BigWhit 77 Foundation. He hosts a fund-raisinggolf tournament in Louisiana and serves as a motivational speaker to youth groups in bothGreater Cincinnati and in Louisiana.[7][30]
In March 2020, Whitworth donated $250,000 to the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank during the 2020–21COVID-19 pandemic.[31]
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