Brandon Patrick Noble (born April 10, 1974) is a former

American football American football, referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada and also known as gridiron football, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular American football field, field with goalposts at e ...

defensive tackle A defensive tackle (DT) is a position in American football that typically lines up on the line of scrimmage, opposite one of the Guard (American football), offensive guards; however, he may also line up opposite one of the offensive Tackle (gridir ...

in the

National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a Professional gridiron football, professional American football league in the United States. Composed of 32 teams, it is divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National ...

for the

San Francisco 49ers The San Francisco 49ers (also written as the San Francisco Forty-Niners and nicknamed the Niners) are a professional American football team based in the San Francisco Bay Area. The 49ers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member ...

Dallas Cowboys The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football team based in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The Cowboys compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. T ...

and

Washington Redskins The Washington Commanders are a professional American football team based in the Washington metropolitan area. The Commanders compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East ...

. He played

college football College football is gridiron football that is played by teams of amateur Student athlete, student-athletes at universities and colleges. It was through collegiate competition that gridiron football American football in the United States, firs ...

Penn State University The Pennsylvania State University (Penn State or PSU) is a Public university, public Commonwealth System of Higher Education, state-related Land-grant university, land-grant research university with campuses and facilities throughout Pennsyl ...

Early years

Noble attended First Colonial High School, where he played as an offensive and

defensive lineman In gridiron football, a lineman is a player who specializes in play at the line of scrimmage. The linemen of the team currently in possession of the ball are the offensive line (OL), while linemen on the opposing team are the defensive line (D ...

. As a senior, he was named the Class AAA State Player of the Year.

College career

Noble accepted a football scholarship from

. He had to endure adversity early in his career, breaking his leg and missing the 1993 season. In the spring of 1994, he lost 40 pounds because of a bout with

mononucleosis Infectious mononucleosis (IM, mono), also known as glandular fever, is an infection usually caused by the Epstein–Barr virus (EBV). Most people are infected by the virus as children, when the disease produces few or no symptoms. In young adu ...

. As a sophomore, he collected 22 tackles and 2

sack A sack usually refers to a rectangular-shaped bag. Sack may also refer to: Bags * Flour sack * Gunny sack * Hacky sack, sport * Money sack * Paper sack * Sleeping bag * Stuff sack * Knapsack Other uses * Bed, a slang term * Sack (band), ...

s during Penn State's undefeated 1994 season, and subsequent Rose Bowl victory over the

University of Oregon The University of Oregon (UO, U of O or Oregon) is a Public university, public research university in Eugene, Oregon, United States. Founded in 1876, the university is organized into nine colleges and schools and offers 420 undergraduate and gra ...

. In his first full season starting as a junior, he posted 53 tackles and 4

s. As a senior in 1996, he led the team with 8

s and had a career-high 72 tackles. He was named second-team All-Big Ten, and was awarded the Hall Foundation Athletic Award, given to the team's most outstanding senior player. He was also named the Nittany Lions' most outstanding senior player and the defensive Most Valuable Player of the

Fiesta Bowl The Fiesta Bowl is an annual American college football bowl game played annually in the Phoenix metropolitan area since 1971. From its beginning until 2006, the game was hosted at Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe, Arizona. Since 2007, the game has be ...

. He earned a degree in Criminal Justice in 1998.

Professional career

San Francisco 49ers

Noble was signed as an

undrafted free agent In professional sports, a free agent is a player or manager who is eligible to sign with other clubs or franchises; i.e., not under contract to any specific team. The term is also used in reference to a player who is under a contract at present ...

by the

after the 1997 NFL draft. He was waived on August 19. On November 12, he was signed to the

practice squad In gridiron football, the practice squad, also called the taxi squad or practice roster, is a group of players signed by a team but not part of their main roster. They serve as extra players during the team's practices, often as part of the scou ...

for a week and then cut again on November 18. On January 13,

1998 1998 was designated as the ''International Year of the Ocean''. Events January * January 6 – The ''Lunar Prospector'' spacecraft is launched into orbit around the Moon, and later finds evidence for Lunar water, frozen water, in soil i ...

, he signed with the 49ers, who then allocated him to the

Barcelona Dragons Two American football franchises have been referred to as the Barcelona Dragons: * Barcelona Dragons (NFL Europe) The Barcelona Dragons were an American football team that was a part of the World League of American Football and later in the res ...

NFL Europe NFL Europe League (simply called NFL Europe and known in its final season as NFL Europa) was a professional American football league that functioned as the List of developmental and minor sports leagues, developmental minor league of the Nati ...

. Noble returned to training camp and was released on August 25. On December 3, he was signed to the

, this time for the final four weeks of the season before being waived.

Dallas Cowboys

In February

1999 1999 was designated as the International Year of Older Persons. Events January * January 1 – The euro currency is established and the European Central Bank assumes its full powers. * January 3 – The Mars Polar Lander is launc ...

, Noble signed as a

free agent In professional sports, a free agent is a player or manager who is eligible to sign with other clubs or franchises; i.e., not under contract to any specific team. The term is also used in reference to a player who is under a contract at present ...

with the

, and was again assigned to the

. He had a strong showing, tallying 27 tackles (fourth on the tem), 5 sacks (fifth in the league) and one blocked

extra point Extra, Xtra, or The Extra may refer to: Arts, entertainment and media Film * The Extra (1962 film), ''The Extra'' (1962 film), a Mexican film * The Extra (2005 film), ''The Extra'' (2005 film), an Australian film Literature * Extra (newspaper), ...

. He received All-NFL Europe honors and helping lead Barcelona to victory in

World Bowl '97 World Bowl '97 (also referred to as World Bowl V) was the final game of the 1997 WLAF season in American football. It was the fifth championship game of the World League of American Football (WLAF), and the third since the WLAF adopted a six-team ...

. The experience and the salary cap problems the team was having during that period of time, helped him make the team as backup

, where he was second on the squad in tackles by non-starters (36), while making 3 sacks (tied for fourth on the team), 2 tackles for loss, 5 quarterback pressures, one pass defensed and one fumble recovery. In

2000 2000 was designated as the International Year for the Culture of Peace and the World Mathematics, Mathematical Year. Popular culture holds the year 2000 as the first year of the 21st century and the 3rd millennium, because of a tende ...

, Noble took over the starting role at left defensive tackle for the last 8 games, after a neck nerve irritation forced

Chad Hennings Chad William Hennings (born October 20, 1965) is an American former professional football defensive tackle who played for the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Air Force Falcons, earning u ...

to miss the rest of the season and eventually retire. He registered 69 tackles, 10 quarterback pressures, He had his best season in

2001 The year's most prominent event was the September 11 attacks against the United States by al-Qaeda, which Casualties of the September 11 attacks, killed 2,977 people and instigated the global war on terror. The United States led a Participan ...

after starting all 16 games and playing a key role in the Cowboy's significant improvement on defense, helping a mostly blue-collar cast finish fourth overall by allowing only 287.4 yards per game. Noble contributed with 56 tackles (ninth on the team), 4 tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks (tied for second on the team), 6 quarterback pressures (fourth on the tem) and 3 passes defensed. In

2002 The effects of the September 11 attacks of the previous year had a significant impact on the affairs of 2002. The war on terror was a major political focus. Without settled international law, several nations engaged in anti-terror operation ...

, he delivered another solid season playing next to Laroi Glover, finishing his Cowboy career with 57 tackles (tenth on the team), 4 tackles for loss, 11 quarterback pressures (fifth on the team) and 32 consecutive starts.

Washington Redskins

On March 1,

2003 2003 was designated by the United Nations as the International Year of Fresh water, Freshwater. In 2003, a Multi-National Force – Iraq, United States-led coalition 2003 invasion of Iraq, invaded Iraq, starting the Iraq War. Demographic ...

, he signed with the

as a

. He suffered a season-ending left knee injury in the preseason and was placed on the

injured reserve The injured reserve list ( IR list) is a designation used in North American professional sports leagues for athletes who suffer injuries and become unable to play. The exact name of the list varies by league; it is known as "injured reserve" in ...

on August 18. In

2004 2004 was designated as an International Year of Rice by the United Nations, and the International Year to Commemorate the Struggle Against Slavery and Its Abolition (by UNESCO). Events January * January 3 – Flash Airlines Flight 60 ...

, he returned from his injury to play in all 16 games, starting seven. He recorded 38 tackles (19 solo) with one sack. He was also awarded the team's

Ed Block Courage Award The Ed Block Courage Award is an annual award presented to a player from each team in the National Football League (NFL) who are voted for by their teammates as role models of inspiration, sportsmanship, and courage. Named in memory of Ed Block, a ...

, given to the player who best persevered through injury. However, Noble injured his right knee in the

2005 2005 was designated as the International Year for Sport and Physical Education and the International Year of Microcredit. The beginning of 2005 also marked the end of the International Decade of the World's Indigenous Peoples, Internationa ...

preseason and was again placed on

on September 22. During his rehabilitation, Noble developed a serious type of

staph infection A staphylococcal infection or staph infection is an infection caused by members of the ''Staphylococcus'' genus of bacteria. These bacteria commonly inhabit the skin and nose where they are innocuous, but may enter the body through cuts or abrasi ...

MRSA Methicillin-resistant ''Staphylococcus aureus'' (MRSA) is a group of gram-positive bacteria that are genetically distinct from other strains of ''Staphylococcus aureus''. MRSA is responsible for several difficult-to-treat infections in humans. ...

, which nearly required

amputation Amputation is the removal of a Limb (anatomy), limb or other body part by Physical trauma, trauma, medical illness, or surgery. As a surgical measure, it is used to control pain or a disease process in the affected limb, such as cancer, malign ...

of his leg. After a long series of setbacks to his recovery, he was released by the Redskins on March 10,

2006 2006 was designated as the International Year of Deserts and Desertification. Events January * January 1– 4 – Russia temporarily cuts shipment of natural gas to Ukraine during a price dispute. * January 12 – A stampede during t ...

, in a salary cap saving move and retired prior to the start of the season.

NFL career statistics

Coaching career

In 2006, Noble was hired as the

linebacker Linebacker (LB) is a playing position in gridiron football. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and typically line up three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage and so back up the defensive linemen. They play closer to the line ...

s coach at

West Chester University West Chester University (also known as West Chester, WCU, or WCUPA, and officially as West Chester University of Pennsylvania) is a public research university located in and around West Chester, Pennsylvania. The university is accredited by the ...

. After a one-year hiatus from coaching, he returned as the Golden Rams' defensive line coach in 2010. On February 17, 2011, Noble was introduced as the

defensive line In gridiron football, a lineman is a player who specializes in play at the line of scrimmage. The linemen of the team currently in possession of the ball are the offensive line (OL), while linemen on the opposing team are the defensive line (D ...

coach for the UFL's

Omaha Nighthawks The Omaha Nighthawks were a professional American football team based in Omaha, Nebraska, which played in the United Football League (2009–2012), United Football League, joining the league as an expansion team in 2010 UFL season, 2010. During ...

. On January 5, 2012, Noble was brought in as an assistant coach for the

Coastal Carolina Chanticleers The Coastal Carolina Chanticleers (, ) are the athletic teams that represent Coastal Carolina University. They participate in NCAA Division I, Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association, NCAA as a member of the Sun Belt Conferen ...

when the Nighthawks' head coach

Joe Moglia Joseph Hugh Moglia (born April 1, 1949) is an American businessman and former football coach. He was head football coach at Coastal Carolina University from 2012 to 2016 and again in 2018 after spending the 2017 season on medical leave. During hi ...

took the head coaching position at CCU. Noble joined fellow Penn Stater,

Matt Rhule Matthew Kenneth Rhule (born January 31, 1975) is an American college football coach and former linebacker. He is the head football coach for the University of Nebraska–Lincoln, a position he has held since 2023. He was also the head football c ...

's staff at

Temple A temple (from the Latin ) is a place of worship, a building used for spiritual rituals and activities such as prayer and sacrifice. By convention, the specially built places of worship of some religions are commonly called "temples" in Engli ...

as an assistant coach in December 2012. Temple head coach Matt Rhule announced on December 2, 2013, that Noble is leaving the Owl's coaching staff for personal reasons.

Broadcasting career

Noble is a regular guest on the

ESPN Radio ESPN Radio, which is alternatively branded platform-agnostically as ESPN Audio, is an American sports radio network and extension of the ESPN television network. It was launched on January 1, 1992, under the banner "SportsRadio ESPN". The netw ...

show '' AllNight with Jason Smith'' during the NFL season in which Smith would dial up Noble's phone number only to get the "caller ID" message and that Smith would get through by identifying himself as an NFL player or coach making news that week. Noble appears via the

OnStar OnStar Corporation is a subsidiary of General Motors that provides subscription-based telecommunication, communications, in-vehicle security, emergency services, turn-by-turn navigation, and remote diagnostics systems throughout the United States, ...

hotline when either

Amy Lawrence Mark Twain's series of books featuring the fictional characters Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn include: #''The Adventures of Tom Sawyer'' (1876) #''Adventures of Huckleberry Finn'' (1884) #'' Tom Sawyer Abroad'' (1894) #'' Tom Sawyer, Detective' ...

Bob Valvano Bob Valvano (born January 29, 1957) is a former college basketball coach and an American sportscaster based in Louisville, Kentucky. Broadcasting and coaching During the college-basketball season, he is the lead game analyst for ESPNRadio, and ...

is filling in for Smith on AllNight. He is a frequent guest on

DC101 WWDC (101.1 MHz) is a commercial FM radio station in Rockville, Maryland, near Washington, D.C. The station is owned by iHeartMedia through licensee iHM Licenses, LLC, and broadcasts an alternative rock radio format. WWDC serves as the flagshi ...

's "

Elliot in the Morning ''Elliot in the Morning'' is a syndicated morning radio talk show hosted by DJ Elliot Segal and airing weekdays from "5:48 until 10 something." It is based at WWDC-FM Washington, D.C., and is heard on affiliate WRXL in Richmond. The format ...

" in

Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with ...

, providing NFL news and analysis. He is also now the co-host of 215 Live, a two-hour podcast that airs every Monday night 7–9pm on Wildfireradio.com, and is a part of the Wildfire Sports network of shows.

Personal life

Noble and his wife Mary Kate were married

Thanksgiving Thanksgiving is a national holiday celebrated on various dates in October and November in the United States, Canada, Saint Lucia, Liberia, and unofficially in countries like Brazil and Germany. It is also observed in the Australian territory ...

weekend during the 2000 season. They have three children: Conner, Grace, and Jackson. In June 2017, Noble was named spokesperson for the MRSA Survivors Network, an organization formed to raise awareness and educate the public about

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus Methicillin-resistant ''Staphylococcus aureus'' (MRSA) is a group of gram-positive bacteria that are genetically distinct from other strains of ''Staphylococcus aureus''. MRSA is responsible for several difficult-to-treat infections in humans. ...

References

External links

"Redskins' Noble Battles Infection That Is a Growing Concern for the NFL"
''The Washington Post'', January 27, 2006
"Athletes Vulnerable to Dangerous Staph Infection"
''ABC World News Tonight,'' February 4, 2006

''The Washington Post,'' August 10, 2014 {{DEFAULTSORT:Noble, Brandon 1974 births Living people Players of American football from Virginia Beach, Virginia American football defensive tackles Penn State Nittany Lions football players San Francisco 49ers players Barcelona Dragons (NFL Europe) players Dallas Cowboys players Washington Redskins players West Chester Golden Rams football coaches Omaha Nighthawks coaches Coastal Carolina Chanticleers football coaches Temple Owls football coaches category:Nordic Storm American sports radio personalities NFL announcers