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Paris Lenon
Paris Lenon
Paris Lenon
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Paris Michael Lenon (born November 26, 1977) is an American former professional football player who was a linebacker in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Richmond Spiders football and was signed by the Carolina Panthers of the NFL as an undrafted free agent in the spring of 2000, then chosen by the Memphis Maniax in the XFL draft in the fall of 2000.

Key Information

Lenon was a member of the Panthers, the Maniax, then the NFL's Green Bay Packers, Seattle Seahawks, Detroit Lions, New England Patriots, St. Louis Rams, and Arizona Cardinals. Lenon was the last active NFL player to have played in the XFL(2001).

Early life

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Lenon attended Heritage High School in Lynchburg, Virginia and won two varsity letters each in football and basketball, and one in baseball. In football, he played free safety and quarterback, and was named the Western District Defensive Player of the Year. Lenon graduated from Heritage High School in 1995.

College career

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Lenon attended the University of Richmond and was a four-year letterman and a three-year starter in football. As a redshirt sophomore in 1997, Lenon recorded a career-high 104 tackles. He was selected to the First-team All-Atlantic 10 Conference in 1997. He was named to the second-team All-Atlantic 10 in his senior season in 1998. He finished his college career with 45 games played, 320 tackles, 12 sacks, and four forced fumbles.

Professional career

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Carolina Panthers

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Lenon was signed by the Carolina Panthers as an undrafted free agent following the 2000 NFL draft, but was released by the team on June 9, 2000.

Memphis Maniax

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After spending the 2000 season out of football, Lenon was a member of the Memphis Maniax in the XFL's only season, 2001.

Green Bay Packers

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Following the XFL's season, Lenon signed with the Green Bay Packers on April 26, 2001. He was waived by the team on July 24, 2001.

Seattle Seahawks

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Lenon was signed by the Seattle Seahawks on August 16, 2001, and was waived by the team on August 27, 2001.

Green Bay Packers (second stint)

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Lenon re-joined the Packers on December 27, joining their practice squad for the remainder of the regular season and the playoffs. After the season, he was allocated to the Amsterdam Admirals of NFL Europe for the spring 2002 season. In 2002, Lenon played in all 16 games for the Packers, mainly on special teams. He played in all 16 games in 2003 and 2004 for the Packers, starting four games in 2004 at linebacker. Lenon started 12 games in 2005, his final season with the Packers.

Detroit Lions

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Lenon signed a three-year deal with the Detroit Lions March 22, 2006. On December 23, 2007, Lenon intercepted a pass by Brodie Croyle and returned it 61 yards for a touchdown, in a 25–20 victory over the Kansas City Chiefs.[1] His 2007 season was his career best. He totaled 116 tackles (86 solo, 30 assisted), 2 forced fumbles and 1 interception. Lenon was also the team leader in tackles in the 2008 season, the third straight year he started all 16 games for the Lions (in spite of the fact the Lions did not win a single game that year).

New England Patriots

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Lenon with the Patriots in August 2009

Lenon signed with the New England Patriots on May 27, 2009.[2] He was released on September 5, 2009.

St. Louis Rams

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Lenon signed with the St. Louis Rams on September 16, 2009. Lenon became the starting weak side linebacker after Will Witherspoon was traded to the Eagles. Lenon tied for the team lead with three forced fumbles.

Arizona Cardinals

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Lenon signed with the Arizona Cardinals on March 15, 2010.

Denver Broncos

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On August 20, 2013, Lenon was signed by the Denver Broncos.[3] During the Broncos' 2013 season he played in 14 regular season and three postseason games, including Super Bowl XLVIII.[4]

NFL career statistics

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Legend
Bold Career high

Regular season

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Year Team Games Tackles Interceptions Fumbles
GP GS Cmb Solo Ast Sck TFL Int Yds TD Lng PD FF FR Yds TD
2002 GNB 16 0 22 17 5 0.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0
2003 GNB 16 0 21 15 6 0.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
2004 GNB 16 4 28 20 8 0.0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0
2005 GNB 16 12 65 37 28 1.5 2 0 0 0 0 6 1 0 0 0
2006 DET 16 16 71 51 20 0.0 2 1 0 0 0 3 0 2 10 0
2007 DET 16 16 118 88 30 2.0 7 1 61 1 61 3 2 0 0 0
2008 DET 16 16 122 81 41 1.5 7 0 0 0 0 3 2 2 0 0
2009 STL 15 10 42 35 7 0.0 3 0 0 0 0 1 3 0 0 0
2010 ARI 16 16 125 94 31 2.0 12 2 12 0 10 6 1 0 0 0
2011 ARI 16 16 93 64 29 3.0 5 0 0 0 0 3 0 1 0 0
2012 ARI 16 16 104 74 30 2.0 3 1 0 0 0 3 1 1 0 0
2013 DEN 14 6 22 16 6 0.0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0
189 128 833 592 241 12.0 41 5 73 1 61 31 10 7 10 0

Playoffs

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Year Team Games Tackles Interceptions Fumbles
GP GS Cmb Solo Ast Sck TFL Int Yds TD Lng PD FF FR Yds TD
2002 GNB 1 0 0 0 0 0.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
2003 GNB 2 0 2 2 0 0.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
2004 GNB 1 0 3 3 0 0.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
2013 DEN 3 3 4 4 0 0.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
7 3 9 9 0 0.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

References

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[edit]
Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia

Paris Lenon

View on Grokipedia
from Grokipedia
Paris Lenon is an American former professional football linebacker known for his 12-season career in the National Football League (NFL), where he established himself as a reliable and durable defender across multiple teams. Born on November 26, 1977, in Lynchburg, Virginia, Lenon played college football at the University of Richmond, emerging as a standout linebacker and special teams contributor. He helped lead the Spiders to the Atlantic 10 championship in 1998, earned first-team All-Conference honors that year, and served as team captain in 1999. His collegiate success led to his induction into the University of Richmond Athletics Hall of Fame in 2015. After college, Lenon gained professional experience in the XFL and NFL Europe before entering the NFL as a free agent with the Green Bay Packers in 2002. He went on to play for the Packers (2002–2005), Detroit Lions (2006–2008), St. Louis Rams (2009), Arizona Cardinals (2010–2012), and Denver Broncos (2013), appearing in 189 regular-season games with 128 starts. Lenon was recognized for his consistency as a middle linebacker and concluded his career with an appearance in Super Bowl XLVIII with the Broncos.

Early life

Birth and early years

Paris Michael Lenon was born on November 26, 1977, in Lynchburg, Virginia. He grew up in Lynchburg and attended Heritage High School in the city, where he played high school football. Lenon developed notable physical attributes during his early years, standing at 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) tall with a playing weight around 240 lb (109 kg). After completing high school, he transitioned to college football at the University of Richmond.

College football at Richmond

Lenon played college football at the University of Richmond as a linebacker for the Richmond Spiders. He was a four-year regular and three-year starter, appearing in 45 games while excelling both at linebacker and on special teams. Over his career with the Spiders, he recorded 320 tackles, 12.0 sacks, and 21.0 tackles for loss. Lenon earned first-team All-Atlantic 10 honors following his junior season and second-team All-Atlantic 10 recognition after his senior year, while also serving as team captain during his senior season. He contributed to the Spiders' Atlantic 10 Conference championship in 1998. Among his notable plays was returning a blocked punt 80 yards for a touchdown during his freshman season. For his contributions to Richmond athletics, Lenon was inducted into the Richmond Athletics Hall of Fame in 2015.

NFL career

Green Bay Packers (2002–2005)

Paris Lenon entered the NFL as a free agent with the Green Bay Packers in 2002, following stints in the XFL and NFL Europe. He appeared in all 16 regular-season games in each of his four seasons with the team, serving primarily on special teams early in his tenure before earning starting roles. Lenon did not start in 2002 or 2003 but started 4 games in 2004 and 12 in 2005, demonstrating increasing defensive responsibility. Across his Packers career, he played in 64 games with 16 starts.

Detroit Lions tenure

Paris Lenon signed with the Detroit Lions as a free agent prior to the 2006 season and immediately established himself as a starting middle linebacker. He started all 16 games in each of his three seasons with the team, appearing in and starting 48 consecutive games from 2006 to 2008. As a consistent defensive presence for Detroit, Lenon recorded 311 combined tackles, 3.5 sacks, two interceptions (one returned 61 yards for a touchdown), four forced fumbles, and four fumble recoveries during his Lions tenure. His production peaked in 2007 and 2008, when he amassed 118 and 122 combined tackles, respectively, while adding sacks, forced fumbles, and passes defended in both years. The 2007 season featured a standout 61-yard interception return for a touchdown, highlighting his ability to contribute in key moments. Lenon remained a full-time starter at middle linebacker throughout his time in Detroit, providing stability to the unit across the three seasons.

St. Louis Rams (2009)

Lenon signed with the St. Louis Rams during the 2009 season, appearing in 15 games with 10 starts as a linebacker contributor.

Arizona Cardinals years

Paris Lenon signed with the Arizona Cardinals as a veteran linebacker prior to the 2010 season and remained with the team through 2012. Listed as a middle linebacker, he provided experienced leadership to the Cardinals' defense during his tenure. Lenon quickly established himself as a dependable starter and defensive captain for the Cardinals. He started every game in which he appeared for the team, accumulating 33 starts by the early part of the 2012 season. In 2012, he was named defensive captain for the second consecutive year, underscoring his role as a respected voice on the unit. His contributions and journey to becoming a team captain were featured in Cardinals media content, emphasizing his perseverance and on-field presence. Lenon participated in key games during this period, including a notable road win in New England where he was mic'd up for team broadcast coverage. Lenon's time with the Arizona Cardinals concluded after the 2012 season, marking the end of his playing career with the franchise.

Denver Broncos (2013)

Lenon signed with the Denver Broncos in 2013, appearing in 14 games with 6 starts. He was part of the Broncos' roster that reached Super Bowl XLVIII.

Career statistics and achievements

Defensive statistics

Paris Lenon accumulated 592 solo tackles over the course of his NFL career. He also recorded 12.0 sacks, forced 10 fumbles, and intercepted 5 passes. These totals were compiled over his 12-season NFL career. Additional career defensive metrics include 241 assisted tackles for a combined total of 833 tackles and 31 passes defended. His career defensive statistics are as follows:
CategoryTotal
Solo Tackles592
Assisted Tackles241
Total Tackles833
Sacks12.0
Forced Fumbles10
Interceptions5
Passes Defended31

Honors and recognitions

Paris Lenon was inducted into the University of Richmond Athletics Hall of Fame in 2015, recognizing his standout career as a linebacker for the Spiders where he was a four-year regular, three-year starter, and excelled on defense and special teams. The induction ceremony took place on February 21, 2015. In college, Lenon earned first-team All-Atlantic 10 Conference honors following his junior season and second-team recognition as a senior in 1999, when he also served as team captain. These accolades highlighted his consistent performance and leadership at the University of Richmond before his professional career in the NFL.

Post-retirement life

Activities after football

After retiring from the NFL following the 2013 season with the Denver Broncos, during which he started in all three of the team's postseason games en route to Super Bowl XLVIII, Paris Lenon stepped away from professional playing. In 2015, he was inducted into the University of Richmond Athletics Hall of Fame, honoring his standout collegiate career as a linebacker and team captain, as well as his subsequent success in the NFL. Lenon has remained connected to the sport through alumni engagements, including appearing as a featured alumnus for the Green Bay Packers in December 2023, where he visited with fans and signed autographs at Lambeau Field on game day.

Personal life

Family and other details

Paris Lenon was born and raised in Lynchburg, Virginia. He is married to Heather Lenon, with their marriage dating to 2006. They have three children: Paris, Amirah, and Jalen. During his tenure with the Arizona Cardinals (2010–2012), the family resided in the Phoenix area, where they remained based even after his move to the Denver Broncos in 2013. Following his retirement from the NFL after the 2013 season, Lenon has maintained a relatively private personal life, with limited additional verified details widely reported in recent years.
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