Brian Winters (American football)

This article is about the football offensive guard. For the American basketball coach, see Brian Winters. For the American soccer player, see Brian Winters (soccer).

Brian Winters
refer to caption
Winters with the New York Jets in 2017
No. 67, 66, 65
Position:Offensive guard
Personal information
Born: (1991-07-10) July 10, 1991 (age 33)
Hudson, Ohio, U.S.
Height:6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)
Weight:320 lb (145 kg)
Career information
High school:Hudson
College:Kent State (2009–2012)
NFL draft:2013 / round: 3 / pick: 72
Career history
Career highlights and awards
Career NFL statistics
Games played:105
Games started:88
Stats at Pro Football Reference

Brian Edward Winters[1] (born July 10, 1991) is an American former professional football player who was an offensive guard in the National Football League (NFL). He was selected by the New York Jets in the third round of the 2013 NFL draft. He played college football for the Kent State Golden Flashes. He also played for the Buffalo Bills and Arizona Cardinals.

Early life

Winters attended Hudson High School in Hudson, Ohio, and played high school football for the Hudson Explorers. He received All-Ohio and All-Northeast Ohio Conference honors his senior season, after being named all-conference his junior year. In addition to lettering in football twice, Winters also lettered three times in wrestling, and was named all-conference in wrestling his freshman and sophomore years. Rated as only a two-star recruit by Rivals.com, he accepted a scholarship offer from Kent State over offers from Akron and Syracuse.[2]

College career

Winters enrolled in Kent State University, where he played for the Kent State Golden Flashes football team from 2009 to 2012. He started every game after joining the Golden Flashes in 2009, 50 in total. He was named to the All-Mid-American Conference (MAC) team three times during his career: third-team as a sophomore, second-team as a junior, and first-team as a senior.

Professional career

New York Jets

Winters was selected by the New York Jets in the third round, with the 72nd overall pick, of the 2013 NFL draft.[3][4]

On May 10, 2013, Winters signed a four-year deal with the Jets.[5] He started 12 games as a rookie.

On October 13, 2014, against the Denver Broncos, Winters left the game with a knee injury. The next day, an MRI revealed a torn ACL, prematurely ending his 2014 season.[6]

In his first year as the full-time starter at right guard, Winters started 13 games in 2016. On October 2, 2016, against the Seattle Seahawks, Winters hit defensive end Michael Bennett head-to-head after a play, which drew a personal foul (15 yard penalty) and caused him to leave the game with concussion symptoms. He was placed on injured reserve on December 20, 2016.[7]

On January 16, 2017, Winters signed a four-year contract extension with the Jets.[8][9]

Winters started 13 games at right guard in 2017. He suffered an abdomen injury in Week 2, and played through the injury for most of the year before being placed on injured reserve on December 27, 2017.[10]

On November 12, 2019, Winters was placed on injured reserve after a season-ending injury.[11]

Winters was released by the Jets on August 2, 2020, after seven seasons with the team.[12]

Buffalo Bills

On August 6, 2020, Winters signed with the Buffalo Bills after starting right guard Jon Feliciano suffered a torn pectoral muscle.[13]

Arizona Cardinals

On March 24, 2021, Winters signed with the Arizona Cardinals on a one-year contract.[14] He was released on September 25, 2021.[15]

References

  1. ^ "ESPN Profile". ESPN.com.
  2. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on April 21, 2014. Retrieved April 19, 2014.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  3. ^ B, John (April 26, 2013). "Jets Take Brian Winters With the 72nd Pick". Gang Green Nation.
  4. ^ "2013 NFL Draft Listing". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved May 14, 2023.
  5. ^ The Associated Press (May 10, 2013). "Jets Sign Third-Round Pick". The New York Times.
  6. ^ Lange, Randy (October 13, 2014). "Brian Winters Joins Dee Milliner on IR". New York Jets. Archived from the original on October 16, 2014. Retrieved October 13, 2014.
  7. ^ Greenberg, Ethan (December 20, 2016). "Jets Place Winters and Catapano on IR". NewYorkJets.com. Archived from the original on August 5, 2017.
  8. ^ Lange, Randy (January 16, 2017). "RG Brian Winters Signs Contract Extension". NewYorkJets.com. Archived from the original on February 26, 2017. Retrieved January 17, 2017.
  9. ^ Wesseling, Chris (January 16, 2017). "Jets sign Brian Winters to four-year contract extension". NFL.com.
  10. ^ Lange, Randy (December 27, 2017). "RG Brian Winters Placed on Injured Reserve". NewYorkJets.com.
  11. ^ Greenberg, Ethan (November 12, 2019). "Jets Place RG Brian Winters, TE Chris Herndon on Injured Reserve". NewYorkJets.com.
  12. ^ "New York Jets release guard Brian Winters, clear cap space". NFL.com. Retrieved August 3, 2020.
  13. ^ Glab, Maddy (August 6, 2020). "Bills sign G Brian Winters". BuffaloBills.com. Retrieved October 24, 2024.
  14. ^ Urban, Darren (March 24, 2021). "Cardinals Bolster Offensive Line With Brian Winters". AZCardinals.com. Retrieved March 24, 2021.
  15. ^ Urban, Darren (September 25, 2021). "Cardinals Release Brian Winters, Place Josh Miles On IR". AZCardinals.com.