 | |||||||
| No. 51, 61 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Position: | Guard | ||||||
| Personal information | |||||||
| Born: | (1975-02-08)February 8, 1975 (age 50) Aliquippa, Pennsylvania, U.S. | ||||||
| Height: | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) | ||||||
| Weight: | 305 lb (138 kg) | ||||||
| Career information | |||||||
| High school: | Baldwin (PA) | ||||||
| College: | Michigan | ||||||
| NFL draft: | 1997: 4th round, 97th pick | ||||||
| Career history | |||||||
| * Offseason and/or practice squad member only | |||||||
| Career highlights and awards | |||||||
| |||||||
| Career NFL statistics | |||||||
| |||||||
Damon Michael Denson (born February 8, 1975) is an American former professionalfootball player. He playedcollege football as adefensive tackle andoffensive guard for theUniversity of Michigan from1993 to1996. He played as an offensive guard in theNational Football League (NFL) for theNew England Patriots from1997 to1999.[2]
Denson was born inAliquippa, Pennsylvania, in 1975.[3] A few years after his birth, his parents moved from Aliquippa toBaldwin, Pennsylvania, a suburb ofPittsburgh. He attendedBaldwin High School where he played for the legendaryWPIAL Hall of Fame coach Don Yannessa.[3] Denson became only the second player in Baldwin High School history tostart on thevarsity football team as atrue freshman. While playing in the highly competitiveWPIAL, Denson had to face the likes of future Pro Football Hall of Fame playerJason Taylor and future Super Bowl ChampionMike Logan who would eventually become his 1997 Draft classmates. In his junior year, the Fighting Highlanders beatNorth Hills High School to win their first playoff game in over three decades. During his senior year, Denson was selected as aUSA Today High SchoolAll-American and chosen to play in the prestigiousBig 33 Pennsylvania Football High School All Star Game playing alongsideJon Ritchie andRon Powlus.[citation needed]
Denson enrolled at theUniversity of Michigan in 1993 and playedcollege football for theMichigan Wolverines football teams from 1993 to 1996.[4][5] He started his career as adefensive tackle, starting four games at that position as a true freshman in 1993 and one game in 1994 playing alongsideTy Law andTrevor Pryce.[6][7]
As a junior, Denson was converted to an offensive guard. He started one game at the position in 1995 and all 12 games in 1996.[8][9] Along withJon Runyan,Jon Jansen andRod Payne, Denson helpedTim Biakabutuka rush for 1,818 yards, still Michigan's single-season rushing record, in 1995. Denson was named a first-team guard on the1996 All-Big Ten Conference football team while blocking forBrian Griese and Heisman trophy winnerCharles Woodson.[9][10]
Denson was selected by theNew England Patriots in the fourth round (97th overall pick) of the1997 NFL draft.[11][3][12][13] He played for the Patriots under coachPete Carroll from1997 to1999. He appeared in 16 games for the Patriots in1998, four of them as a starter at offensive guard.[3]
For Thanksgiving 2015 Denson and his family were featured in an NFL Football Dads Football Is Family commercial where he discusses how the game of football has brought his family closer together and what it means to share the sport with his children.[14]
Denson was converted to Christianity during his freshman year at Michigan. He joined a local church where he wasordained as aminister and began teachingbible study on campus. After being drafted by theNew England Patriots, he continued to minister as anevangelist at a local Boston church. He has worked as a minister in churches and prisons as well as performing chaplain duties for professional sports teams and speaking at the prestigious NFL sanctioned Super Bowl Gospel Celebration.[15]
Denson started his own ministry.[16]
Denson and his wife, Camille, have two children.