Chris Long

Christopher Howard Long (born March 28, 1985) is an American former professional football defensive end who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 11 seasons. The son of Hall of Fame defensive end Howie Long and older brother of NFL guard Kyle Long, he played college football at the University of Virginia and won the Ted Hendricks Award as a senior. Long was selected by the St. Louis Rams second overall in the 2008 NFL draft, where he spent eight seasons. He later played one season for the New England Patriots and two for the Philadelphia Eagles, winning a Super Bowl title with each.

Long is one of six players to win consecutive Super Bowls for different teams, having won Super Bowl LI with the Patriots and Super Bowl LII with the Eagles. He also received the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award in 2018 for his charitable work, which included donating his entire 2017 salary to charity.

Chris Long was born in Santa Monica, California and is a son of Hall of Fame NFL defensive end Howie Long. He has two younger brothers, former NFL guard Kyle Long and Howie Long Jr., a scouting assistant and personnel assistant for the Las Vegas Raiders. He is a great-nephew of film director Irvin Kershner. He appeared in a 1980s anti-underage drinking public service announcement as an infant with his parents. Chris Long is the godson of the Hall of Fame Quarterback Terry Bradshaw.

Long attended St. Anne's-Belfield School in Charlottesville, Virginia. As a senior in 2003, he was in on 91 tackles, 23 tackles for a loss, and 15 sacks, helping his team to an undefeated record and the state UIL school championship. "He was a big gangly kid who had yet to grow into his body," said John Blake, the St. Anne's-Belfield coach. "But he jumped in with both feet. When he played tackle, he would drive kids 10 or 15 yards down the field, like he was steering a car." He was given a 4-star ranking for college recruiting from Rivals.com, a service that rated him the sixth-best defensive end in the prep ranks. He played in the 2004 U.S. Army All-American Bowl. Long also played basketball, lacrosse, and baseball in high school.

Long played college football at the University of Virginia under head coach Al Groh from 2004 to 2007, while pursuing a degree in sociology. As a freshman in 2004, he was a backup on the defensive line, but missed five games due to mononucleosis. Long ended the season with five tackles (two for a loss) and a sack.

As a sophomore in 2005, Long averaged 3.8 tackles per game, leading all Virginia defensive linemen. He totaled 46 tackles, with 10 tackles for a loss and 2 sacks. His 26 quarterback pressures led his team. He also shared the team lead in pass break-ups with seven.

In 2006, Long earned second-team All-ACC honors and was voted team captain. While starting all games, Long recorded 57 tackles, 12 for a loss, and 4 sacks. His 4.8 tackles per game was fourth among ACC defensive lineman. He was also a finalist for the Dudley Award, for the most outstanding player in the Commonwealth of Virginia and was an All-State selection.

Following his senior season in 2007, Long was recognized as a unanimous First-team All-American. Long was fourth nationally in tackling by a defensive lineman, averaging 5.3 tackles per game. In addition, North Carolina head coach Butch Davis, who coached against Long in North Carolina's ACC match-ups with Virginia, called Long one of the premier defensive linemen in the country.