Ken Hamlin (born January 20, 1981) 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

safety Safety is the state of being protected from harm or other danger. Safety can also refer to the control of recognized hazards in order to achieve an acceptable level of risk. Meanings The word 'safety' entered the English language in the 1 ...

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

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for the

Arkansas Razorbacks The Arkansas Razorbacks, also known as the Hogs, are the College athletics in the United States, intercollegiate athletics teams representing the University of Arkansas, located in Fayetteville, Arkansas, Fayetteville. The University of Arkans ...

. Hamlin was selected by the

Seattle Seahawks The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle. The Seahawks compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC West, West division. The club entered the NFL a ...

in the second round of the

2003 NFL draft The 2003 NFL draft was the procedure by which National Football League (NFL) teams selected amateur college football players. The draft is known officially as the "NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting" and has been conducted annually since 1936 NF ...

and also played for 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 ...

Baltimore Ravens The Baltimore Ravens are a professional American football team based in Baltimore. The Ravens compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. The team plays its home g ...

and

Indianapolis Colts The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. The Colts compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division. Since the 2008 India ...

. He earned a

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 ...

selection with the Cowboys in

2007 2007 was designated as the International Heliophysical Year and the International Polar Year. Events January * January 1 **Bulgaria and Romania 2007 enlargement of the European Union, join the European Union, while Slovenia joins the Eur ...

. He was also the first freshman and only the second defensive back to lead the school in tackles, recording 104 (57 solo). On October 17, 2005, he was involved in an altercation that allegedly took place between himself and two unidentified men in a

Seattle Seattle ( ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Washington and in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. With a population of 780,995 in 2024, it is the 18th-most populous city in the United States. The city is the cou ...

nightclub A nightclub or dance club is a club that is open at night, usually for drinking, dancing and other entertainment. Nightclubs often have a Bar (establishment), bar and discotheque (usually simply known as disco) with a dance floor, laser lighti ...

. As a result of the incident, Hamlin suffered multiple injuries that ended his 2005 season after just five games. The injuries included a

fractured skull A skull fracture is a break in one or more of the eight bones that form the cranial portion of the skull, usually occurring as a result of blunt force trauma. If the force of the impact is excessive, the bone may fracture at or near the site of t ...

, a small

blood clot A thrombus ( thrombi) is a solid or semisolid aggregate from constituents of the blood (platelets, fibrin, red blood cells, white blood cells) within the circulatory system during life. A blood clot is the final product of the blood coagulatio ...

, and

bruising A bruise, also known as a contusion, is a type of hematoma of tissue, the most common cause being capillaries damaged by trauma, causing localized bleeding that extravasates into the surrounding interstitial tissues. Most bruises occur clo ...

of the

brain The brain is an organ (biology), organ that serves as the center of the nervous system in all vertebrate and most invertebrate animals. It consists of nervous tissue and is typically located in the head (cephalization), usually near organs for ...

tissue.

Early life

Hamlin attended Frayser High School in Frayser neighborhood of Memphis where he was the Class 3A Player of the Year as a

senior Senior (shortened as Sr.) means "the elder" in Latin and is often used as a suffix for the elder of two or more people in the same family with the same given name, usually a parent or grandparent. It may also refer to: * Senior (name), a surname ...

in 1999, when he gained 2,327 all-purpose yards and rushed for 1,276 yards and 16

touchdown A touchdown (abbreviated as TD) is a scoring play in gridiron football. Scoring a touchdown grants the team that scored it 6 points. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchd ...

s and recorded 380 receiving yards. He also recorded 136

tackles Tackle may refer to: * In football: ** Tackle (football move), a play in various forms of football ** Tackle (gridiron football position) A tackle is a playing position in American football. Historically, in the one-platoon system prevalent ...

(96 solo) and eight

interception In Ball game, ball-playing Competitive sport, competitive team sports, an interception or pick is a move by a player involving a pass of the ball—whether by foot or hand, depending on the rules of the sport—in which the ball is intended for ...

s as a safety. He also lettered in track and

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 ...

. He was also a member of the school's

National Honor Society The National Honor Society (NHS) is one of the oldest, largest, and most widely recognized cocurricular student organizations in American high schools, with 1.4 million members. The purpose of the NHS is to create enthusiasm for scholarship, to ...

and the senior class vice president.

College career

Hamlin then attended the

University of Arkansas The University of Arkansas (U of A, UArk, or UA) is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Fayetteville, Arkansas, United States. It is the Flagship campus, flagship campus of the University of Arkan ...

where he became the first freshman and only the second defensive back to lead the school in tackles, recording 104 (57 solo). As a freshman, he was named an

All-America The All-America designation is an annual honor bestowed on outstanding athletes in the United States who are considered to be among the best athletes in their respective sport. Individuals receiving this distinction are typically added to an Al ...

n by ''

The 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 ...

'' and ''Football News'' and also named to the SEC Coaches Freshman All-SEC team. As a sophomore, he was named a Second-team All-American by ''The NFL Draft Report'' and also named First-team All-SEC. As a junior, he forced eight

fumble A fumble in gridiron football occurs when a player who has possession and control of the ball loses it before being downed (tackled), scoring, or going out of bounds. By rule, it is any act other than passing, kicking, punting, or successful h ...

s, recovered five, deflected 28 passes and intercepted nine. For his performance, he was named a First-team All-American by ''The NFL Draft Report'' and ''The Sporting News'' and nominated for the

Jim Thorpe Award The Jim Thorpe Award, named in memory of multi-sport athlete Jim Thorpe, has been awarded to the top defensive back in college football College football is gridiron football that is played by teams of amateur Student athlete, student-athle ...

. He also became the first player in school history to record more than 100 tackles in a season three times. He was also nominated in 2002 for the

Bronko Nagurski Trophy The Bronko Nagurski Trophy has been awarded annually since 1993 to the collegiate American football defensive player adjudged by the membership of the Football Writers Association of America (FWAA) to be the best in the National Collegiate Athle ...

, given to the best defensive player in the nation. In his college career, Hamlin played in 36 games finishing with 381 tackles (221 solo), breaking the school record of 367 tackles by Cliff Powell (1967–69). Hamlin is a member of

Omega Psi Phi Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. () is a List of African-American fraternities, historically African-American Fraternities and sororities, fraternity. It was founded on November 17, 1911 at Howard University. Omega Psi Phi is a founding member of ...

fraternity. He along with former NFL Players George Wilson and Eddie Jackson were concurrent members of the same chapter of Omega Psi Phi fraternity. During his junior season, he helped Arkansas win a share of the 2002 SEC West Division Championship.

Professional career

Pre-draft

Hamlin entered the

after his junior season at Arkansas where he was considered the Razorbacks best defensive back since

Steve Atwater Stephen Dennis Atwater (born October 28, 1966) is an American former professional football player who was a safety for the Denver Broncos of the National Football League (NFL). He was an eight-time Pro Bowl selection and two-time Super Bowl cha ...

(1985–88).

Seattle Seahawks

Hamlin was selected in the second round (42nd overall) of the

by the

. As a

rookie A rookie is a person new to an occupation, profession, or hobby. In sports, a ''rookie'' is a professional athlete in their first season (or year). In contrast with a veteran who has experience, a rookie is typically considered needing more tra ...

, Hamlin started 14-of-16 games making ''Pro Football Weeklys All-Rookie Team. He finished second on team with 96 tackles and was third on the team with 10 passes defended. In his first career start against the

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 ...

on September 7, he recorded five tackles and gained national attention after knocking off Donte' Stallworth's helmet on a hit over the middle. SeahawksTC-EWU-111

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 started all of the team's 16 regular season games and finished third on the team with 79 tackles. He was fourth on the team with a career-high four interceptions, which ranked 10th in the

NFC NFC usually refers to: * Near-field communication, a set of communication protocols for electronic devices * National Football Conference, part of US National Football League NFC may also refer to: Psychology * Need for cognition, in psychol ...

. In

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 ...

, he started the first six games of the season, recording 26 tackles, before suffering off-field head injuries. He was placed on the Reserve/Non-Football Injury list on November 1 and missed the rest of the season. In

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 ...

, Hamlin started all 16 regular-season games and finished second on the team with 96 tackles while recording three interceptions (led the team), 11 pass deflections, and one forced fumble.

2005 altercation

Hamlin was involved in an altercation that allegedly took place between himself and two unidentified men in a Seattle nightclub on October 17, 2005. According to a police report, Hamlin and his girlfriend were leaving the club at about 2 a.m., several hours after the Seahawks defeated 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 ...

. Hamlin's girlfriend told officers that he placed a hand on another man's shoulder and said, "Excuse me." The man told Hamlin to stop pushing, and the two men began shoving one another. According to the report, Hamlin punched the man in the face. Another man knocked Hamlin down. Other

witnesses In law, a witness is someone who, either voluntarily or under compulsion, provides testimonial evidence, either oral or written, of what they know or claim to know. A witness might be compelled to provide testimony in court, before a grand jur ...

told police another man hit Hamlin twice with a

street sign Traffic signs or road signs are signs erected at the side of or above roads to give instructions or provide information to road users. The earliest signs were simple wooden or stone milestones. Later, signs with directional arms were introduce ...

. Hamlin sustained serious injuries to his head due to a blow from a street sign. He was rushed to a local hospital in critical condition with a

, a small

and

of the

tissue. He was released on October 20, 2005, in stable condition. He did not play football for the rest of the season.

Dallas Cowboys

In the free agency period of 2007, teams were reluctant to offer Hamlin a multi-year contract because of concerns stemming from his previous head injury. On March 23, he signed a one-year contract worth $2.5 million with the

In his first season with the Cowboys, he earned his first

selection, being named a starter for the NFC and was one-of-13 Cowboys selected - setting a team and NFL record. He started all 16 games at free safety recording career-bests with 102 tackles (third on the team) - his first career 100-tackle season - five interceptions (second on the team and tied for ninth in the league) and 14 pass breakups. He made his Cowboys debut 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 ...

on September 9, recording nine tackles and one pass breakup. After the season, on February 21, 2008, the Cowboys placed a franchise tag on him, insuring he would play at least one more year with the team. On July 15, he was rewarded with a six-year, $38 million contract. In 2008 Dallas Cowboys season, 2008, Hamlin was elected as one of the defensive team captains for the season and finished fourth on the team - first in the secondary - with 92 tackles, along with three pass breakups, one interception, a Quarterback sack, sack, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery. The next year, he registered 12 starts (missed 4 games with a high ankle injury), 74 tackles and 4 passes defensed. He was released on April 2, 2010.

Baltimore Ravens

Hamlin was signed by the

on June 17, 2010. Third on the depth chart behind Haruki Nakamura and Tom Zbikowski, he was released by the Ravens on Sept 22, 2010. Hamlin dressed for both regular season games before his release, but recorded no statistics. On September 29, 2010, the Ravens re-signed Hamlin; taking the roster spot of defensive end Trevor Pryce, who was released and subsequently signed with the New York Jets. He intercepted Tom Brady when the Ravens played against the New England Patriots. The Ravens again released Hamlin on November 30, 2010. He played mainly on special teams and had three defensive tackles during his time with the team.

Indianapolis Colts

On December 22, 2010, Hamlin was signed by the

, filling the roster spot made available when Austin Collie was placed on injured reserve. He played in two regular season games but did not record a statistic. In the playoffs against the New York Jets he posted 3 tackles in a reserve role. He wasn't re-signed at the end of the season.

NFL statistics

Key * GP: games played * COMB: combined tackles * TOTAL: total tackles * AST: assisted tackles * SACK: sacks * FF: forced fumbles * FR: fumble recoveries * FR YDS: fumble return yards * INT: interceptions * IR YDS: interception return yards * AVG IR: average interception return * LNG: longest interception return * TD: interceptions returned for touchdown * PD: passes defensed

References

External links

Official websiteIndianapolis Colts bio
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hamlin, Ken 1981 births Living people Players of American football from Memphis, Tennessee American football safeties National Conference Pro Bowl players Arkansas Razorbacks football players Seattle Seahawks players Dallas Cowboys players Baltimore Ravens players Indianapolis Colts players