Richie Incognito
Encyclopedia
Richard Dominick Incognito, Jr. (born July 5, 1983 in Englewood, New Jersey
is an American football
guard
for the Miami Dolphins
of the National Football League
. He was drafted by the St. Louis Rams
in the third round of the 2005 NFL Draft
. He played college football
at Nebraska
.
Incognito has also played for the Buffalo Bills
.
in Glendale, Arizona
, and served as a deep snapper, helping the team to an 8-4 record and the first round of the state playoffs in 2000. An All-America offensive lineman, Incognito was named to PrepStar’s 120-man Dream Team. He was a second-team honoree on the Long Beach Press-Telegram
’s Best in the West list. Incognito was a finalist for the Arizona Player-of-the-Year Award, was named the Brian Murray Award winner, and earned the Frank Kush
Award, given to the best offensive lineman in Arizona. He also earned First-team All-State honors on offense from the Arizona Republic.
as well as First-Team Freshman All-Big 12 (The Sporting News). In 2003, he was First-team All-Big 12 selection by the Associated Press
and started 13 games at left tackle. Incognito was shifted to center during preseason camp in 2004; however, a series of off-field incidents culminated in his suspension before the 2004 season by the coaching staff. Soon after, he left the school and enrolled at the University of Oregon
in late September, though under NCAA transfer rules, he was ineligible to play. Incognito is the first Husker freshman offensive lineman to start in the season opener and just the third rookie lineman to earn any start in his first year of competition. He played in all 14 games, starting 13 at left tackle and posted the second-highest season pancake total in Husker history with 171.
, Incognito impressed scouts by being "the strongest and most explosive player in attendance". However, during a drill Incognito stumbled and was carted off the field with a knee injury.
(* represents NFL Combine
)
. As a rookie in 2005, he was on the reserved/unsigned list until Week 3, then placed on the non-football injury list for the remainder of the season.
In 2006, he started all 16 games at three different positions, due to injuries to the Rams' offensive line. That year he blocked for an offense which produced a 4,000-yard passer, a 1,500-yard rusher, and two 1,000-yard receivers, one of only four offenses in NFL history to accomplish the feat. In 2007, he played just four games before being put in the injured reserve list. In 2008, Incognito started 15 games at right guard for the Rams, also seeing some playing time at center. Following the 2008 season, Incognito became a restricted free agent
, although he continued to work out with the Rams during the offseason. On April 17, 2009, the Rams offered Incognito a one-year tender worth $1.01 million, which he signed on May 3.
Incognito started all nine games in which he played for the Rams in 2009. He was waived on December 15, two days after committing two 15-yard personal foul penalties and engaging in a verbal confrontation with Rams head coach Steve Spagnuolo
during a 47-7 loss to the Tennessee Titans
. The two personal fouls led to a fine from the NFL and a letter from the NFL league office. He was fined $50,000 and told “Future infractions of the types you have committed may lead to increased disciplinary action up to and including suspension.”
off waivers on December 16, 2009, with the Miami Dolphins
also submitting a claim.
polled 296 NFL players and found Incognito to be the seventh dirtiest player in the NFL behind players such as Hines Ward
, Albert Haynesworth
, and Joey Porter
, a distinction stemming from multiple on the field incidents over the years that have resulted in numerous personal fouls and fines. In one such game on Oct. 12, 2008, against the Washington Redskins
, Incognito was fined $35,000 for three separate in-game incidents that included a personal foul for “repeated verbal abuse of a game official”, a major facemask penalty, and an illegal chop block. In addition to the Sports Illustrated poll, Incognito was voted the NFL's dirtiest player in a Sporting News poll of 99 players.
The December 13, 2009, game was the fourth in three years in which Incognito drew two personal foul penalties in a game, and the second since Steve Spagnuolo became head coach; in the 2009 opener, Incognito was benched by his coach after his second 15-yard penalty, which negated gains by the Rams' offense. These continued transgressions led to his release by the Rams on December 15, 2009. After being released, Incognito was fined $50,000 for the headbutt to the two Tennessee Titans players. A total of five players were fined from that game.
Englewood, New Jersey
Englewood is a city located in Bergen County, New Jersey. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city had a total population of 27,147.Englewood was incorporated as a city by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature on March 17, 1899, from portions of Ridgefield Township and the remaining portions of...
is an American football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
guard
Guard (American football)
In American and Canadian football, a guard is a player that lines up between the center and the tackles on the offensive line of a football team....
for the Miami Dolphins
Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins are a Professional football team based in the Miami metropolitan area in Florida. The team is part of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
of the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
. He was drafted by the St. Louis Rams
St. Louis Rams
The St. Louis Rams are a professional American football team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are currently members of the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Rams have won three NFL Championships .The Rams began playing in 1936 in Cleveland,...
in the third round of the 2005 NFL Draft
2005 NFL Draft
The 2005 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 23–24, 2005. The league also held an supplemental draft that year, which was held after...
. He played college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
at Nebraska
Nebraska Cornhuskers football
The Nebraska Cornhuskers represent the University of Nebraska–Lincoln in college football. The program has established itself as a traditional powerhouse, and has the fourth-most all-time victories of any NCAA Division I-A team. Nebraska is one of only six football programs in NCAA Division I-A...
.
Incognito has also played for the Buffalo Bills
Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills are a professional football team based in Buffalo, New York. They are currently members of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
.
Early years
Incognito played offense and defense at Mountain Ridge High SchoolMountain Ridge High School (Glendale, Arizona)
Mountain Ridge High School is a public high school in the Deer Valley Unified School District .-Sports:Fall Sports* Swimming* Cross Country* Football* Spiritline* Golf* Badminton * Volleyball * Marching Band...
in Glendale, Arizona
Glendale, Arizona
Glendale is a city in Maricopa County, Arizona, USA, located about nine miles northwest from Downtown Phoenix. According to 2010 Census Bureau, the population of the city is 226,721....
, and served as a deep snapper, helping the team to an 8-4 record and the first round of the state playoffs in 2000. An All-America offensive lineman, Incognito was named to PrepStar’s 120-man Dream Team. He was a second-team honoree on the Long Beach Press-Telegram
Long Beach Press-Telegram
The Press-Telegram is a daily newspaper published in Long Beach, California. Tracing its history to 1897, it is currently published by the Los Angeles Newspaper Group, a division of newspaper conglomerate MediaNews Group, which purchased the newspaper from Knight Ridder in 1997; Ridder and Knight...
’s Best in the West list. Incognito was a finalist for the Arizona Player-of-the-Year Award, was named the Brian Murray Award winner, and earned the Frank Kush
Frank Kush
Frank Joseph Kush is a former American football player and coach. He served as the head coach at Arizona State University from 1958 to 1979, compiling a record of 176–54–1...
Award, given to the best offensive lineman in Arizona. He also earned First-team All-State honors on offense from the Arizona Republic.
College career
In 2001, he redshirted at Nebraska. In 2002, he was a redshirt freshman and played in all 14 games and was a First-team Freshman All-American by FWAA, The Sporting News, and Rivals.comRivals.com
Rivals.com is a network of websites that focus mainly on college football and basketball recruiting. The network was started in 1996 and currently employs more than 300 personnel.-Schools:The individual collegiate sites can be found...
as well as First-Team Freshman All-Big 12 (The Sporting News). In 2003, he was First-team All-Big 12 selection by the Associated Press
Associated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
and started 13 games at left tackle. Incognito was shifted to center during preseason camp in 2004; however, a series of off-field incidents culminated in his suspension before the 2004 season by the coaching staff. Soon after, he left the school and enrolled at the University of Oregon
University of Oregon
-Colleges and schools:The University of Oregon is organized into eight schools and colleges—six professional schools and colleges, an Arts and Sciences College and an Honors College.- School of Architecture and Allied Arts :...
in late September, though under NCAA transfer rules, he was ineligible to play. Incognito is the first Husker freshman offensive lineman to start in the season opener and just the third rookie lineman to earn any start in his first year of competition. He played in all 14 games, starting 13 at left tackle and posted the second-highest season pancake total in Husker history with 171.
Pre-draft
At the 2005 NFL CombineNFL Combine
The National Invitational Camp or NFL Scouting Combine, as it is more widely known, is a week-long showcase, occurring every February in Indianapolis, Indiana's Lucas Oil Stadium , where college football players perform physical and mental tests in front of National Football League coaches, general...
, Incognito impressed scouts by being "the strongest and most explosive player in attendance". However, during a drill Incognito stumbled and was carted off the field with a knee injury.
| Pre-draft measureables | ||||||||||
| Ht | Wt | 40-yard dash 40 yard dash The 40-yard dash is a sprint covering . It is primarily run to evaluate the speed of American football players by scouts, particularly for the NFL Draft but also for collegiate recruiting. A player's recorded time in the 40 can have a heavy impact on his prospects in college or professional football... |
10-yd split | 20-yd split | 20 ss 20 yard shuttle The 20-yard shuttle, also simply called the short shuttle, is a test performed by American football athletes at the NFL combine. It is primarily run to evaluate the quickness and change-of-direction ability of players by scouts, particularly for the NFL Draft but also for collegiate recruiting... |
3-cone 3 cone drill The 3 cone drill, or three cone drill, is a test performed by American football athletes at the NFL combine. It is primarily run to evaluate the agility, quickness and fluidity of movement of players by scouts, particularly for the NFL Draft but also for collegiate recruiting... |
Vert Vertical jump A vertical jump or vertical leap is the act of raising one's center of gravity higher in the vertical plane solely with the use of one's own muscles; it is a measure of how high an individual or athlete can elevate off the ground from a standstill.-Types of vertical jump:The vertical jump is... |
Broad | BP Bench press The bench press is an exercise of the upper body. For bodybuilding purposes, it is used to stimulate the pectorals, deltoids, and triceps. While on his or her back, the person performing the bench press lowers a weight to the level of the chest, then pushes it back up until the arm is straight... |
Wonderlic |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6-3¼ * | 305 lb * | 4.84 * | 1.72 * | 2.85 * | X | X | X | X | 29 * | 32 * |
NFL Combine
The National Invitational Camp or NFL Scouting Combine, as it is more widely known, is a week-long showcase, occurring every February in Indianapolis, Indiana's Lucas Oil Stadium , where college football players perform physical and mental tests in front of National Football League coaches, general...
)
St. Louis Rams
Incognito was drafted by the Rams in the third round as the 81st overall pick of the 2005 NFL Draft2005 NFL Draft
The 2005 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 23–24, 2005. The league also held an supplemental draft that year, which was held after...
. As a rookie in 2005, he was on the reserved/unsigned list until Week 3, then placed on the non-football injury list for the remainder of the season.
In 2006, he started all 16 games at three different positions, due to injuries to the Rams' offensive line. That year he blocked for an offense which produced a 4,000-yard passer, a 1,500-yard rusher, and two 1,000-yard receivers, one of only four offenses in NFL history to accomplish the feat. In 2007, he played just four games before being put in the injured reserve list. In 2008, Incognito started 15 games at right guard for the Rams, also seeing some playing time at center. Following the 2008 season, Incognito became a restricted free agent
Restricted free agent
A restricted free agent is a professional athlete who plays in the KHL, NFL, NHL, or NBA. Such players have special restrictions on the terms under which they can retain or change employment status with their athletic club teams.- NFL :...
, although he continued to work out with the Rams during the offseason. On April 17, 2009, the Rams offered Incognito a one-year tender worth $1.01 million, which he signed on May 3.
Incognito started all nine games in which he played for the Rams in 2009. He was waived on December 15, two days after committing two 15-yard personal foul penalties and engaging in a verbal confrontation with Rams head coach Steve Spagnuolo
Steve Spagnuolo
Steven Christopher Spagnuolo is the current head coach of the St. Louis Rams. He was previously the defensive coordinator of the New York Giants from January 2007 to January 2009, and also served for eight years under defensive coordinator Jim Johnson of the Philadelphia Eagles.-Early years:Born...
during a 47-7 loss to the Tennessee Titans
Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. They are members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Previously known as the Houston Oilers, the team began play in 1960 as a charter...
. The two personal fouls led to a fine from the NFL and a letter from the NFL league office. He was fined $50,000 and told “Future infractions of the types you have committed may lead to increased disciplinary action up to and including suspension.”
Buffalo Bills
Incognito was awarded to the Buffalo BillsBuffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills are a professional football team based in Buffalo, New York. They are currently members of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
off waivers on December 16, 2009, with the Miami Dolphins
Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins are a Professional football team based in the Miami metropolitan area in Florida. The team is part of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
also submitting a claim.
Controversy
On November 4, 2009, Sports IllustratedSports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated is an American sports media company owned by media conglomerate Time Warner. Its self titled magazine has over 3.5 million subscribers and is read by 23 million adults each week, including over 18 million men. It was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the...
polled 296 NFL players and found Incognito to be the seventh dirtiest player in the NFL behind players such as Hines Ward
Hines Ward
Hines E. Ward, Jr. is an American football player who currently plays the wide receiver position for the NFL's Pittsburgh Steelers, where he is the longest-tenured current player on the team. He was voted MVP of Super Bowl XL. He played college football at the University of Georgia...
, Albert Haynesworth
Albert Haynesworth
-Tennessee Titans:Haynesworth was elected to the Pro Bowl for the first time for the 2007 NFL season. During this season following the stomping incident, he ranked second on the team with six sacks in his 11 games played up to the selection, led or tied for the team-high in total tackles three...
, and Joey Porter
Joey Porter
Joseph "Joey" Eugene Porter is an American football linebacker for the Arizona Cardinals of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the third round of the 1999 NFL Draft. He played college football at Colorado State.A four-time Pro Bowl selection, Porter earned a...
, a distinction stemming from multiple on the field incidents over the years that have resulted in numerous personal fouls and fines. In one such game on Oct. 12, 2008, against the Washington Redskins
Washington Redskins
The Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,...
, Incognito was fined $35,000 for three separate in-game incidents that included a personal foul for “repeated verbal abuse of a game official”, a major facemask penalty, and an illegal chop block. In addition to the Sports Illustrated poll, Incognito was voted the NFL's dirtiest player in a Sporting News poll of 99 players.
The December 13, 2009, game was the fourth in three years in which Incognito drew two personal foul penalties in a game, and the second since Steve Spagnuolo became head coach; in the 2009 opener, Incognito was benched by his coach after his second 15-yard penalty, which negated gains by the Rams' offense. These continued transgressions led to his release by the Rams on December 15, 2009. After being released, Incognito was fined $50,000 for the headbutt to the two Tennessee Titans players. A total of five players were fined from that game.