Robert Reynolds (American football)
Encyclopedia
Robert Reynolds is a former American football
linebacker
of the National Football League
. He was drafted by the Tennessee Titans
in the fifth round of the 2004 NFL Draft
. He played college football
at Ohio State
.
, where Reynolds intentionally choked Wisconsin Badgers
quarterback Jim Sorgi
, injuring Sorgi's trachea
, after the play had been whistled dead.
On October 28, 2011, Reynolds made a public apology for the incident, citing his wife & 4 children as the reason he wanted to clear his reputation and be accountable for his actions. Reynolds also stated that he and Sorgi had made amends years prior to the interview.
in the fifth round (165th overall) of the 2004 NFL Draft
. He appeared in 14 games his rookie season including one start, recording 13 tackles.
In 2005, Reynolds Appeared in all but one game for the Titans including one start and recorded a career-high 23 tackles (14 solo). In a Week 2 game against the Baltimore Ravens
, Reynolds blocked a Dave Zastudil
punt in the fourth quarter. The ball was recovered by Ravens safety Will Demps
, who was tackled by Reynolds in the end zone for a safety.
Reynolds appeared in just four games in 2006, recording five tackles. He was placed on season-ending injured reserve
on November 10 with a quadriceps injury.
A restricted free agent
in the 2007 offseason, Reynolds was tendered a contract by the Titans on March 1. He signed the one-year tender offer on April 6, but was placed on injured reserve by the team on July 18.
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...
linebacker
Linebacker
A linebacker is a position in American football that was invented by football coach Fielding H. Yost of the University of Michigan. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up approximately three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage, behind the defensive linemen...
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 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...
in the fifth round of the 2004 NFL Draft
2004 NFL Draft
The 2004 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 24-25, 2004 at the theater at Madison Square Garden...
. 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 Ohio State
Ohio State Buckeyes football
The Ohio State Buckeyes football team is an intercollegiate varsity sports team of The Ohio State University. The team is a member of the Big Ten Conference of the NCAA, playing at the Division I Football Bowl Subdivision, formerly Division I-A, level. The team nickname is derived from the state...
.
College football
Reynolds is known for an incident in college referred to as the Reynolds-Sorgi incidentReynolds-Sorgi incident
The Reynolds–Sorgi Incident refers to an American college football in-game incident in which Ohio State Buckeyes linebacker Robert Reynolds choked Wisconsin Badgers quarterback Jim Sorgi, injuring Sorgi's trachea, after the play had been whistled dead...
, where Reynolds intentionally choked Wisconsin Badgers
Wisconsin Badgers
The Wisconsin Badgers are the collegiate athletic teams from the University of Wisconsin–Madison. This NCAA Division I athletic program has teams in football, basketball, ice hockey, volleyball, soccer, cross country, tennis, swimming, wrestling, track and field, rowing, golf, and softball...
quarterback Jim Sorgi
Jim Sorgi
James Joseph "Jim" Sorgi, Jr. is an American football quarterback who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Indianapolis Colts in the sixth round of the 2004 NFL Draft...
, injuring Sorgi's trachea
Vertebrate trachea
In tetrapod anatomy the trachea, or windpipe, is a tube that connects the pharynx or larynx to the lungs, allowing the passage of air. It is lined with pseudostratified ciliated columnar epithelium cells with goblet cells that produce mucus...
, after the play had been whistled dead.
On October 28, 2011, Reynolds made a public apology for the incident, citing his wife & 4 children as the reason he wanted to clear his reputation and be accountable for his actions. Reynolds also stated that he and Sorgi had made amends years prior to the interview.
Tennessee Titans
Reynolds was drafted by the Tennessee TitansTennessee 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...
in the fifth round (165th overall) of the 2004 NFL Draft
2004 NFL Draft
The 2004 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 24-25, 2004 at the theater at Madison Square Garden...
. He appeared in 14 games his rookie season including one start, recording 13 tackles.
In 2005, Reynolds Appeared in all but one game for the Titans including one start and recorded a career-high 23 tackles (14 solo). In a Week 2 game against the Baltimore Ravens
Baltimore Ravens
The Baltimore Ravens are a professional football franchise based in Baltimore, Maryland.The Baltimore Ravens are officially a quasi-expansion franchise, having originated in 1995 with the Cleveland Browns relocation controversy after Art Modell, then owner of the Cleveland Browns, announced his...
, Reynolds blocked a Dave Zastudil
Dave Zastudil
David Michael Zastudil is an American football punter for the Arizona Cardinals of the National Football League...
punt in the fourth quarter. The ball was recovered by Ravens safety Will Demps
Will Demps
William Henry Demps, Jr. is an American football safety who is currently a free agent. He was signed by the Baltimore Ravens as an undrafted free agent in 2002. He played college football at San Diego State....
, who was tackled by Reynolds in the end zone for a safety.
Reynolds appeared in just four games in 2006, recording five tackles. He was placed on season-ending injured reserve
Injured reserve
The injured reserve list is a list of reserved players who are injured and unable to play for a period of time, used most prominently in the National Hockey League and National Football League . It is used because these leagues have a maximum number of players on the team roster, so placing a...
on November 10 with a quadriceps injury.
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 :...
in the 2007 offseason, Reynolds was tendered a contract by the Titans on March 1. He signed the one-year tender offer on April 6, but was placed on injured reserve by the team on July 18.
Personal
Reynolds and his older brother, Patrick, are also believed to be the only siblings to win national championships at the BCS level (Robert) and at the I-AA level (Patrick, senior lineman for Western Kentucky's National Championship team). Both won in the 2002 Season.See also
- Reynolds-Sorgi incidentReynolds-Sorgi incidentThe Reynolds–Sorgi Incident refers to an American college football in-game incident in which Ohio State Buckeyes linebacker Robert Reynolds choked Wisconsin Badgers quarterback Jim Sorgi, injuring Sorgi's trachea, after the play had been whistled dead...