DeMarcus Omar Ware (born July 31, 1982) is an American former professional
football
Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...
player who was a
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 ...
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 ...
(NFL). 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 ...
for the
Troy State Trojans and was selected by the
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 ...
with the 11th overall pick in the first round of the
2005 NFL draft
The 2005 NFL draft, the 70th in league history, took place on April 23 and 24, 2005 NFL season, 2005. The draft was held at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in New York City and was televised for the 26th consecutive year, with coverage on E ...
. After spending nine seasons with the Cowboys, Ware departed in 2013 as the franchise's all-time leader in quarterback sacks with 117. Ware then played three seasons for the
Denver Broncos
The Denver Broncos are a professional American football team based in Denver. The Broncos compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC West, West division. The team is headquartered in E ...
, with whom he won
Super Bowl 50 over the
Carolina Panthers
The Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Panthers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South division. The t ...
. After the 2016 season with the Broncos, he announced his retirement from the NFL. In 2017, he signed a one-day contract with Dallas to retire as a Cowboy. In 2018, the Broncos hired Ware as a pass-rush consultant. In 2023, Ware was elected to the
Pro Football Hall of Fame
The Pro Football Hall of Fame is the hall of fame for professional football (gridiron), professional American football, located in Canton, Ohio. Opened on September 7, 1963, the Hall of Fame enshrines exceptional figures in the sport of profes ...
.
Early life
Ware was born on July 31, 1982, in
Auburn, Alabama
Auburn is a city in Lee County, Alabama, United States. It is the largest city in eastern Alabama. The population was 76,143 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. It is a principal city of the Auburn metropolitan area, Alabama, Aubu ...
. Ware played
football
Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...
,
basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appro ...
,
baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball games, bat-and-ball sport played between two team sport, teams of nine players each, taking turns batting (baseball), batting and Fielding (baseball), fielding. The game occurs over the course of several Pitch ...
, and ran
track in high school; he attended
Auburn High School (with defensive end
Osi Umenyiora
Ositadimma "Osi" Umenyiora (born November 16, 1981) is a British-Nigerian former professional American football player who was a defensive end in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Troy Trojans and was select ...
and linebacker
Marcus Washington). In football, Ware played both linebacker and wide receiver, and as a senior, he won every game, and was named the team's Most Valuable Wide Receiver and Most Valuable Linebacker, and won Top Leadership honors. He finished his senior season with seven sacks and 55 total tackles (40 solo tackles, 15 assisted tackles).
In
track & field
Track and field (or athletics in British English) is a sport that includes athletic contests based on running, jumping, and throwing skills. The name used in North America is derived from where the sport takes place, a running track and ...
, Ware was one of the state's top performers in the
long jump
The long jump is a track and field event in which athletes combine speed, strength and agility in an attempt to leap as far as possible from a takeoff point. Along with the triple jump, the two events that measure jumping for distance as a gr ...
(PB of 7.14 meters). He ran the
55 metres
55 metres is a sprint event in track and field. It is a relatively uncommon non-championship event for indoor track and field. The history of the event lies in the 60-yard dash, which is about 5 inches shorter than 55 metres. Since the 1960s alm ...
in 6.74 seconds and had a personal-best jump of 1.94 meters in the
high jump
The high jump is a track and field event in which competitors must jump unaided over a horizontal bar placed at measured heights without dislodging it. In its modern, most-practiced format, a bar is placed between two standards with a crash mat f ...
.
College career
Ware accepted a scholarship from
Troy University, where he was a two-time
All-Sun Belt Conference selection for the
Troy Trojans football
The Troy Trojans football program represents Troy University at the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) level, where it has competed since 2001. The football program joined the Sun Belt Conference in 2004. The current head football co ...
team.
Ware became a starter at
defensive end
Defensive end (DE) is a defensive position in the sport of gridiron football.
This position has designated the players at each end of the defensive line, but changes in formation (American football), formations over the years have substantially ...
as a sophomore, and was a part of a
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 ...
that included future
NFL player and former high school teammate
Osi Umenyiora
Ositadimma "Osi" Umenyiora (born November 16, 1981) is a British-Nigerian former professional American football player who was a defensive end in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Troy Trojans and was select ...
. He posted 72 tackles (fifth on the team) and 19.5 tackles for loss. The next year, he registered 62 tackles, 16 tackles for a loss, six sacks, 32 quarterback hurries (led the team), five forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries.
As a senior, Ware was a dominant player, receiving the Sun Belt Defensive Player of the Year, and was a finalist for the
Hendricks Award, which is given annually to the top defensive end in college football. In 2004, he helped lead his team to the school's first-ever bowl appearance, the
Silicon Valley Football Classic. He posted 53 tackles, 10.5 sacks (led the Sun Belt Conference), 19 tackles for loss and four forced fumbles.
Ware finished his college career with 27.5 sacks, 201 tackles, 74 quarterback hurries, ten forced fumbles, four fumble recoveries, and one interception. His 27.5 sacks rank second in school history for sacks in a career, and his 55.5 tackles for losses rank first in school history.
Ware was named to the Sun Belt Conference All-Decade Team. In 2012, he was inducted into the Troy University Sports Hall of Fame. In 2014, he was inducted into the
Senior Bowl
The Senior Bowl is a post-season college football all-star game played annually in late January or early February in Mobile, Alabama, which showcases the best NFL Draft prospects of those players who have completed their college eligibility. Pr ...
Hall of Fame.
Professional career
2005 NFL draft
A defensive end at Troy, Ware was considered a "tweener DE/OLB prospect" by most scouts. He was supposed to be a perfect fit as a rush linebacker in a
3–4 defense
In American football, the 3–4 defense is a common defensive alignment consisting of three down Defensive lineman, linemen and four linebackers. It is called a "base defense" because it will readily switch to other defensive alignments (such as ...
prior to the
2005 NFL draft
The 2005 NFL draft, the 70th in league history, took place on April 23 and 24, 2005 NFL season, 2005. The draft was held at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in New York City and was televised for the 26th consecutive year, with coverage on E ...
and was projected to go early in the second round by ''
Sports Illustrated
''Sports Illustrated'' (''SI'') is an American sports magazine first published in August 1954. Founded by Stuart Scheftel, it was the first magazine with a circulation of over one million to win the National Magazine Award for General Excellen ...
''. Prospect
Marcus Spears was considered by head coach
Bill Parcells
Duane Charles "Bill" Parcells ( ; born August 22, 1941) is an American former football coach who served as a head coach in the National Football League (NFL) for 19 seasons. He came to prominence as the head coach of the New York Giants from 19 ...
to be the key to the team's eventual move to a 3–4 defense and wanted to take him with the first selection (11th overall pick). Owner/general manager
Jerry Jones
Jerral Wayne Jones Sr. (born October 13, 1942) is an American billionaire businessman who is the owner, president, and General manager (American football), general manager of the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League (NFL). He bought t ...
overruled Parcells and selected Ware instead with the 11th overall pick in the first round. The Cowboys thought he would not be available later in the draft. Spears was selected by the Cowboys with the 20th overall pick.
Ware also was credited with a 430-pound bench press, a 570-pound squat, and a 360-pound power clean.
Dallas Cowboys
2005
In his NFL debut against the
San Diego Chargers
The San Diego Chargers were a professional American football team in the National Football League (NFL). The Chargers played in San Diego, California from 1961 until 2016, before relocating back to the Greater Los Angeles area, where the franch ...
, Ware posted three tackles, one for a loss, and one quarterback pressure. The Cowboys won the game 28–24. In a game against
San Francisco
San Francisco, officially the City and County of San Francisco, is a commercial, Financial District, San Francisco, financial, and Culture of San Francisco, cultural center of Northern California. With a population of 827,526 residents as of ...
in Week 3, he recorded his first
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), ...
bringing down
Tim Rattay
Timothy F. Rattay (; born March 15, 1977) is an American American football, football coach and former player who is an offensive analyst for the LSU Tigers football, LSU Tigers. Prior to becoming a coach, Rattay played as a quarterback in the Na ...
. Ware earned the NFL Defensive Rookie of the Month award for October after recording 16 tackles, three sacks, and seven quarterback pressures to help Dallas start the season with a 3–2 record. In Week 16, Ware recorded three sacks and three forced fumbles in a match against the
Carolina Panthers
The Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Panthers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South division. The t ...
. For that performance, Ware was named NFC Defensive Player of the Week and the Diet Pepsi Rookie of the Week. He tied the Cowboys record for most sacks in a single game, held by
Randy White. He finished with 58 total tackles, 14 tackles for losses and three forced fumbles. He tied
Greg Ellis for a team-best eight sacks and joined
Jimmie Jones as the only rookies to ever lead or tie for the Dallas Cowboys' team lead in sacks.
2006
In 2006, Ware ended the regular season with a team-high 11.5 sacks, the most ever by a Cowboys linebacker. This total broke
Anthony Dickerson's record of 10.5 from
1983
1983 saw both the official beginning of the Internet and the first mobile cellular telephone call.
Events January
* January 1 – The migration of the ARPANET to TCP/IP is officially completed (this is considered to be the beginning of the ...
. He added 73 tackles, a fumble recovery, and an interception, both returned for a touchdown. Ware was named a starter on the NFC
Pro Bowl
The National Football League All-Star Game (1939–1942), Pro Bowl (1951–2022), or Pro Bowl Games (since 2023) is an annual event held by the National Football League (NFL) featuring the league's All-star, star players.
The format has changed ...
team. In Week 6 against division rival
Eagles
Eagle is the common name for the golden eagle, bald eagle, and other birds of prey in the family of the Accipitridae. Eagles belong to several groups of Genus, genera, some of which are closely related. True eagles comprise the genus ''Aquila ( ...
, Ware had a memorable moment with his 69-yard fumble return for his first career NFL touchdown. He recorded his first career interception against
Michael Vick
Michael Dwayne Vick (born June 26, 1980) is an American college football coach and former player who is the Head coach, head football coach at Norfolk State Spartans football, Norfolk State University. He played quarterback in the National F ...
in a game against the
Atlanta Falcons
The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta. The Falcons compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South division. The Falcons were founded o ...
and returned it for a 41-yard touchdown. Ware finished tied for ninth in the league in total sacks and
Shawne Merriman led the league with 17 sacks.
2007
Ware broke out with his 2007 season, leading new Cowboys' head coach
Wade Phillips to call him the best outside linebacker in the league. Ware became the second Cowboy ever to record at least 14 sacks in a season, since
Jim Jeffcoat in
1986. Ware led the team with 27 quarterback pressures, eight tackles for losses, and four forced fumbles while finishing with 80 tackles. Ware made his second straight
Pro Bowl
The National Football League All-Star Game (1939–1942), Pro Bowl (1951–2022), or Pro Bowl Games (since 2023) is an annual event held by the National Football League (NFL) featuring the league's All-star, star players.
The format has changed ...
along with 12 other teammates. He was selected to the
All-Pro
All-Pro is an honor bestowed upon professional American football players that designates the best player at each position during a given season. All-Pro players are typically selected by press organizations, who select an "All-Pro team," a list t ...
team for the second straight year along with teammates,
Terrell Owens and
Jason Witten. Ware finished tied for third in the league behind
Patrick Kerney (14.5 sacks) and
Jared Allen (15.5 sacks).
2008
In the 2008 matchup against the
St. Louis Rams
The St. Louis Rams were a professional American football team of the National Football League (NFL). They played in St. Louis, Missouri, from 1995 through the 2015 season, before moving back to Los Angeles, California, where the team had played ...
, Ware tied the NFL record of former
Denver Broncos
The Denver Broncos are a professional American football team based in Denver. The Broncos compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC West, West division. The team is headquartered in E ...
linebacker
Simon Fletcher for recording a sack in ten straight games. He was named NFC Defensive Player of the Week for his Week 15 game against the
New York Giants
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Giants compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. The ...
, where he had three sacks. Ware was selected to his third consecutive
Pro Bowl
The National Football League All-Star Game (1939–1942), Pro Bowl (1951–2022), or Pro Bowl Games (since 2023) is an annual event held by the National Football League (NFL) featuring the league's All-star, star players.
The format has changed ...
after pacing the league, establishing an official club record and tying
Derrick Thomas for sixth in league history with 20 sacks. Ware ended the 2008 season with 84 tackles, nine tackles for a loss, six forced fumbles, and two passes defended. Ware was named
NFC Defensive Player of the Year by Kansas City Committee as well as
NFL Alumni Pass Rusher of the Year. Ware finished the 2008 season as the league leader in sacks for the first time in his career. He finished second in AP Defensive Player of the Year voting. Ware became the first recipient of the professional
Butkus Award
The Butkus Award, instituted in 1985 by the Downtown Athletic Club of Orlando, is given annually to the top linebackers at the high school, collegiate and professional levels of football. The award, named in honor of College Football Hall of Fame ...
.
2009
In 2009, Ware was listed as the best 3-4 outside linebacker by ''
Sporting News
''The Sporting News'' is a website and former magazine publication owned by Sporting News Holdings, which is a U.S.-based sports media company formed in December 2020 by a private investor consortium. It was originally established in 1886 as a ...
'' In October, Ware signed a six-year, $78 million contract, putting him among the top-five highest paid defenders in the NFL. Two months later, Ware suffered a neck injury and was taken off the field by a cart while playing against the
San Diego Chargers
The San Diego Chargers were a professional American football team in the National Football League (NFL). The Chargers played in San Diego, California from 1961 until 2016, before relocating back to the Greater Los Angeles area, where the franch ...
. The injury was diagnosed later as a sprained neck. He was taken to the hospital for further tests, but was released the next day. He returned to play the next week, against the then-undefeated
New Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans. The Saints compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South division. Since 1975, the team ...
, and recorded two sack-fumbles, including the one that ended the Saints' chances at a comeback and an undefeated season. For this performance, he was named NFC Defensive Player of the Week. He made his fourth consecutive appearance in the
Pro Bowl
The National Football League All-Star Game (1939–1942), Pro Bowl (1951–2022), or Pro Bowl Games (since 2023) is an annual event held by the National Football League (NFL) featuring the league's All-star, star players.
The format has changed ...
as a starter in 2009, after leading the Cowboys with 11.0 sacks, a career-high 45 pressures, and five forced fumbles. He was named to the First
All-Pro
All-Pro is an honor bestowed upon professional American football players that designates the best player at each position during a given season. All-Pro players are typically selected by press organizations, who select an "All-Pro team," a list t ...
team in recognition of his 2009 season.
2010
Ware earned NFC Defensive Player of the Week for his Week 3 game against the
Houston Texans
The Houston Texans are a professional American football team based in Houston. The Texans compete in the National Football League as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division. The team plays its home games at N ...
, where he had three sacks in the 27–13 victory. Ware recorded 15.5 sacks and led the NFL in that category for the second time in three seasons. He made a fifth straight
Pro Bowl
The National Football League All-Star Game (1939–1942), Pro Bowl (1951–2022), or Pro Bowl Games (since 2023) is an annual event held by the National Football League (NFL) featuring the league's All-star, star players.
The format has changed ...
. By leading the NFL in sacks for the second time in his career, Ware tied the record for most seasons leading the league in sacks with two. He tied
Mark Gastineau, 1983–84;
Reggie White, 1987–88;
Kevin Greene, 1994, 1996;
Michael Strahan
Michael Anthony Strahan ( ; born November 21, 1971) is an American television host, journalist, and former professional American football, football player. He played his entire 15-year professional career as a defensive end for the New York Gian ...
, 2001, 2003; and
Jared Allen, 2007, 2011. He was ranked 12th by his fellow players on the
NFL Top 100 Players of 2011.
2011
In 2011, Ware had 19.5 sacks, 47 tackles, two pass deflections, and two forced fumbles. On October 30, Ware recorded a career-high four sacks against the
Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia. The Eagles compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. The team plays its ...
in a 34–7 loss. Ware finished second in the NFL in total sacks for the 2011 season behind
Jared Allen who posted 22.0 sacks. Ware was selected to the
2012 Pro Bowl as a starter and voted to the All-Pro team again. He was ranked sixth by his fellow players on the
NFL Top 100 Players of 2012.
2012
In the season opener against the defending
Super Bowl
The Super Bowl is the annual History of the NFL championship, league championship game of the National Football League (NFL) of the United States. It has served as the final game of every NFL season since 1966 NFL season, 1966 (with the excep ...
champion
New York Giants
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Giants compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. The ...
at
MetLife Stadium
MetLife Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium at the Meadowlands Sports Complex in East Rutherford, New Jersey, United States, 5 mi (8 km) west of New York City. It opened in 2010, replacing Giants Stadium, and serves as the home for the ...
, Ware recorded two sacks against
Eli Manning
Elisha Nelson Manning (born January 3, 1981) is an American former professional football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 16 seasons with the New York Giants. A member of the Manning family, he is the youngest ...
to reach 101.5 sacks for his career. With these two sacks Ware became the second fastest player (113 games) to reach 100 sacks behind
Reggie White (96 games). At the end of the 2012 season, Ware finished with 11.5 sacks, five forced fumbles and was selected to his seventh
Pro Bowl
The National Football League All-Star Game (1939–1942), Pro Bowl (1951–2022), or Pro Bowl Games (since 2023) is an annual event held by the National Football League (NFL) featuring the league's All-star, star players.
The format has changed ...
and was named to the Second
All-Pro
All-Pro is an honor bestowed upon professional American football players that designates the best player at each position during a given season. All-Pro players are typically selected by press organizations, who select an "All-Pro team," a list t ...
team. Ware was unable to play in the
Pro Bowl
The National Football League All-Star Game (1939–1942), Pro Bowl (1951–2022), or Pro Bowl Games (since 2023) is an annual event held by the National Football League (NFL) featuring the league's All-star, star players.
The format has changed ...
after his off-season shoulder surgery. He endured a difficult season having to deal with a hamstring he tore in
training camp
A training camp is an organized period in which military personnel or athletes participate in a rigorous and focused schedule of training in order to learn or improve skills. Athletes typically utilise training camps to prepare for upcoming events ...
, a fractured right wrist and losing mobility on his right arm in the last three games, because of a hyperextended elbow and a torn labrum that forced him to use an elbow and shoulder harness. He was ranked 12th by his fellow players on the
NFL Top 100 Players of 2013
The NFL Top 100 Players of 2013 was the third season of the series. It ended with reigning National Football League Most Valuable Player Award, NFL MVP Adrian Peterson being ranked #1, while Super Bowl Most Valuable Player Award, Super Bowl MVP J ...
.
2013
Due to the Cowboys switch to the 4-3 from the 3–4, under new defensive coordinator
Monte Kiffin
Monte George Kiffin (February 29, 1940 – July 11, 2024) was an American football coach. He is widely considered to have been one of the preeminent defensive coordinators in modern football, as well as one of the greatest defensive coordinators ...
, DeMarcus moved to defensive end, along with
Anthony Spencer, who started his NFL career opposite Ware at left side linebacker, but was a defensive end at college. On the Cowboys's first play of the 2013 regular season, Ware recorded an interception off of
Eli Manning
Elisha Nelson Manning (born January 3, 1981) is an American former professional football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 16 seasons with the New York Giants. A member of the Manning family, he is the youngest ...
in the 36–31 victory over the
New York Giants
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Giants compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. The ...
. In Week 3 against the
St. Louis Rams
The St. Louis Rams were a professional American football team of the National Football League (NFL). They played in St. Louis, Missouri, from 1995 through the 2015 season, before moving back to Los Angeles, California, where the team had played ...
, he became the Cowboys' all-time sack leader, surpassing
Harvey Martin's 30-year-old record of 114. He was ranked 56th by his fellow players on the
NFL Top 100 Players of 2014.
After nine seasons with the Cowboys, Ware was released on March 11, 2014, making him a free agent for the first time in his career.
Denver Broncos
2014
On March 12, 2014, one day following his release from the Cowboys, Ware signed a three-year, $30 million contract with the
Denver Broncos
The Denver Broncos are a professional American football team based in Denver. The Broncos compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC West, West division. The team is headquartered in E ...
. The deal included $20 million in guaranteed money. Ware started at right outside linebacker for the team. He played 16 games, of which he started 15, finishing the season with 41 tackles, 10 sacks, one interception, one pass defensed, and two forced fumbles. He received
Pro Bowl
The National Football League All-Star Game (1939–1942), Pro Bowl (1951–2022), or Pro Bowl Games (since 2023) is an annual event held by the National Football League (NFL) featuring the league's All-star, star players.
The format has changed ...
honors in his first season with the Broncos. He was ranked 87th by his fellow players on the
NFL Top 100 Players of 2015.
2015
For the 2015 season, Ware was reunited with former head coach
Wade Phillips as his defensive coordinator. The Broncos finished the season with the #1 defense and a 12–4 record. Ware posted 25 tackles and 7.5 sacks while playing in 11 of the regular season games, missing five games due to injury. In September, he earned AFC Defensive Player of the Month honors.
In the
Divisional Round against the
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional American football team based in Pittsburgh. The Steelers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. Founded in 1933 P ...
, Ware had three tackles, recovered a crucial fumble near the end of the game, and recorded the game winning sack to help the Broncos win 23–16. Ware advanced to the Conference Championship for the first time in his career. In the
AFC Championship
The AFC Championship Game is the annual championship game of the American Football Conference (AFC) and one of the two semifinal playoff games of the National Football League (NFL), the largest professional American football league in the wo ...
game against the
New England Patriots
The New England Patriots are a professional American football team based in the Greater Boston area. The Patriots compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East division. The Pa ...
, Ware and the defense hit quarterback
Tom Brady
Thomas Edward Patrick Brady Jr. (born August 3, 1977) is an American former professional American football, football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 23 seasons. He spent his first 20 seasons with the New Engla ...
27 times and placed pressure on him the entire game. The Broncos held on to win the game by a score of 20–18. On February 7, 2016, Ware was part of the Broncos team that won
Super Bowl 50. In the game, the Broncos defeated the
Carolina Panthers
The Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Panthers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South division. The t ...
by a score of 24–10. Ware recorded five tackles and two sacks in the Super Bowl. He was ranked 36th by his fellow players on the
NFL Top 100 Players of 2016.
2016
In a Week 1 Super Bowl 50 rematch against the
Carolina Panthers
The Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Panthers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South division. The t ...
, Ware recorded 1.5 sacks and helped the Broncos beat the Panthers by a score of 21–20. In Week 2 against the
Colts, Ware left the game with an apparent arm injury as he was trying to bring down quarterback
Andrew Luck. It was eventually revealed that there was an ulna fracture near the elbow. The injury required surgery with 4–5 weeks to recover. Ware went on to play 10 games recording four sacks before having season-ending back surgery on December 28, 2016.
Retirement
On March 13, 2017, Ware announced his retirement from the NFL after 12 seasons and 138.5 sacks, through his
Twitter
Twitter, officially known as X since 2023, is an American microblogging and social networking service. It is one of the world's largest social media platforms and one of the most-visited websites. Users can share short text messages, image ...
account.
On April 24, 2017, about a month after announcing his retirement from the NFL, Ware signed a one-day contract to retire as a member of the Dallas Cowboys, the team that drafted him.
Awards, recognitions and other statistics
Ware was tied for the record of most seasons leading the league in sacks with two (2008 and 2010). Ware is tied with
Mark Gastineau, 1983–84;
Reggie White, 1987–88;
Kevin Greene, 1994, 1996;
Michael Strahan
Michael Anthony Strahan ( ; born November 21, 1971) is an American television host, journalist, and former professional American football, football player. He played his entire 15-year professional career as a defensive end for the New York Gian ...
, 2001, 2003;
Jared Allen, 2007, 2011; and
J. J. Watt, 2012, 2015. However, the record was surpassed by
T. J. Watt, 2020, 2021, 2023.
As of the end of the 2012 season, Ware recorded 10+ sacks in seven straight seasons. Only two other players in NFL history have more consecutive seasons with 10+ sacks:
Reggie White (9),
John Randle (8)
Pete Prisco, CBS Sports Senior NFL Columnist, ranked Ware as the 3rd best player in the NFL (behind
Aaron Rodgers
Aaron Charles Rodgers (born December 2, 1983) is an American professional American football, football quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the California Golden Bears foo ...
and
Tom Brady
Thomas Edward Patrick Brady Jr. (born August 3, 1977) is an American former professional American football, football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 23 seasons. He spent his first 20 seasons with the New Engla ...
) going into the 2012 season and as the best defensive player in the NFL. In 2012, NFL.com analyst
Daniel Jeremiah ranked Ware as the best edge pass rusher in the league and a "top-five player in the NFL, regardless of position". The
NFL Top 100 for
2012
2012 was designated as:
*International Year of Cooperatives
*International Year of Sustainable Energy for All
Events January
*January 4 – The Cicada 3301 internet hunt begins.
* January 12 – Peaceful protests begin in the R ...
ranked Ware as the best rusher, best linebacker, 2nd overall defensive player behind defensive back
Darrelle Revis (number 5 overall) and the 6th overall player in the NFL.
Ware is the second fastest player ever to reach 100 sacks.
Ware recorded 28 multiple-sack games and 32 forced fumbles as a member of the Dallas Cowboys, both most in club history.
Ware has ranked in the top three in total sacks league-wide in 4 out of 5 seasons (3rd place in 2007, 1st place in 2008, 7th place in 2009, 1st place in 2010, and 2nd place in 2011).
On April 19, 2016, the governor of Alabama declared April 19 "DeMarcus Ware Day" in his honor.
Pro Football Hall of Fame
On February 9, 2023, the Pro Football Hall of Fame announced that Ware would be inducted in its 2023 class.
NFL career statistics
Regular season
Cowboys franchise records
*All-time leader in sacks: 117
*All-time leader in forced fumbles: 32
*All-time leader in tackles for loss: 145
*All-time leader in quarterback hits: 185
Television appearance
On September 12, 2018, Ware was announced as one of the celebrities who would compete on
season 27 of ''
Dancing with the Stars
''Strictly Come Dancing (widely known as Dancing with the Stars)'' is an international television franchise based on the format of the British TV series '' Strictly Come Dancing,'' itself a successor to the show ''Come Dancing'' (1950–1998) ...
''. His professional partner was
Lindsay Arnold. Ware and Arnold were eliminated on the seventh week of competition, finishing in joint-seventh place alongside
John Schneider and his professional partner
Emma Slater
Emma Slater (born 25 December 1988) is a British-American professional dancer and choreographer. She is known for her appearances on ''Dancing with the Stars (U.S. TV series), Dancing with the Stars''.
Early life
Slater was raised in Tamworth ...
.
In 2024, Ware competed in
season eleven of ''
The Masked Singer'' as "Koala". He was eliminated on "
Transformers
''Transformers'' is a media franchise produced by American toy company Hasbro and Japanese toy company Tomy, Takara Tomy. It primarily follows the heroic Autobots and the villainous Decepticons, two Extraterrestrials in fiction, alien robot fac ...
Night" alongside
Colton Underwood
Colton Scott Brown-Underwood (né Underwood; born January 26, 1992) is an American reality television personality and former professional American football, football player. He played defensive end at Illinois State Redbirds football, Illinois St ...
as "Lovebird".
Personal life
Ware is a
Christian
A Christian () is a person who follows or adheres to Christianity, a Monotheism, monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus in Christianity, Jesus Christ. Christians form the largest religious community in the wo ...
. He has said, “Jesus Christ has always been the center of who I am. If you’re not a part of something, how do you know your purpose? God is my purpose and I place all my hope and trust in who He is.”
In March 2005, Ware married his high school sweetheart, Taniqua Smith, a former
Air Force
An air force in the broadest sense is the national military branch that primarily conducts aerial warfare. More specifically, it is the branch of a nation's armed services that is responsible for aerial warfare as distinct from an army aviati ...
member and the daughter of a police officer. After three difficult pregnancies, including the birth and death of a son, Omar, in 2006, they adopted their daughter, Marley. In 2010, they had a son, DeMarcus Ware II. Ware and Smith divorced in 2012. In 2021, he married Angela Ware. They had a son named Michael John Ware in 2021.
References
External links
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ware, Demarcus
1982 births
Living people
Players of American football from Auburn, Alabama
Auburn High School (Alabama) alumni
American football defensive ends
American football linebackers
Troy Trojans football players
Dallas Cowboys players
Denver Broncos players
National Conference Pro Bowl players
Unconferenced Pro Bowl players
Sportspeople from Colleyville, Texas
Players of American football from Texas
Pro Football Hall of Fame inductees
African American adoptees
21st-century African-American sportsmen
American adoptees