Ian Gold
No. 52
Position:Linebacker
Personal information
Born: (1978-08-23) August 23, 1978
Ann Arbor, Michigan, U.S.
Height:6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)
Weight:223 lb (101 kg)
Career information
College:Michigan
NFL Draft:2000 / Round: 2 / Pick: 40
Career history
Career highlights and awards
Career NFL statistics
Tackles:491
Sacks:17
Interceptions:4
Player stats at NFL.com · PFR

Ian Maurice Gold (born August 23, 1978) is an American former professional football player who played as a linebacker for eight seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played for the Denver Broncos from 2000 to 2003 and 2004 to 2007 and for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2004. He appeared in 115 NFL games, 80 as a starter, registered 422 tackles, and was selected to play in the 2002 Pro Bowl.

Gold played college football for the Michigan Wolverines from 1996 to 1999 and was a member of the undefeated 1997 Michigan Wolverines football team that was ranked #1 in the final AP Poll. He was selected as a first-team linebacker on both the 1998 and 1999 All-Big Ten teams.

Early years

In August 1978, Gold was born at University Hospital in Ann Arbor, Michigan, where his parents were both students at the University of Michigan.[1][2] He attended middle school in Ann Arbor, Michigan.[1] In middle school, he developed a passion for the arts, while enjoying time with his friends. As a high school senior in 1995, Gold rushed for 950 yards and 21 TDs on 98 carries, giving him an average of 9.6 yards per rush. Gold earned All-West Wayne Offensive MVP and was selected to the Detroit News All-State Dream Team after his senior campaign.[3][4]

University of Michigan

Gold enrolled at the University of Michigan in 1996 and played college football for head coach Lloyd Carr's Michigan Wolverines football teams from 1996 to 1999.[5]

As a sophomore, Gold started one game at inside linebacker for the undefeated 1997 Michigan Wolverines football team that outscored opponents 322–144, won the Big Ten Conference championship, defeated Washington State in the 1998 Rose Bowl, and was ranked #1 in the final AP Poll.[6] Gold had 34 tackles in 1997, including three solo tackles in the 1998 Rose Bowl.[7]

Gold started eight games at inside linebacker in 1998,[8] and then, as a senior, started all 12 games at the position for the 1999 Michigan team that compiled a 10-2 record and was ranked #5 in the final AP and ESPN/Coaches Polls.[9] Gold led the 1999 team with 95 tackles, including 71 solo tackles,[7] and was selected by the conference coaches as a first-team linebacker on the 1999 All-Big Ten Conference football team.[10] He won the 1999 Roger Zatkoff Award as the team's top linebacker.

Professional football

Gold was selected by the Denver Broncos in the second round (40th overall pick) of the 2000 NFL Draft.[11] He appeared in all 32 regular season games for the Broncos in 2000 and 2001, but was not a starter. In 2002, Gold started all 16 games at weakside linebacker and totaled 85 tackles and 6.5 quarterback sacks.[1] Gold began the 2003 season on a strong note with 10 tackles and his first career interception return for a touchdown in the opening game against the Cincinnati Bengals.[2] However, he sustained an anterior cruciate ligament injury in his right leg on a special teams play during the sixth game of the 2003 season against the Pittsburgh Steelers.[2] He missed the remainder of the season and underwent surgery to repair the injury.[12]

In April 2004, the Broncos stopped contract negotiations with Gold after drafting D. J. Williams in the first round of the 2004 NFL Draft.[2] Four days later, Gold signed as a free agent with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.[2][12] The contract was for seven years and $38 million with a $1.3 million signing bonus, though the contract only guaranteed the signing bonus and gave the team the option to release him after the 2004 season.[2] Gold appeared in all 16 games for the Buccaneers, including 13 as the team's starting strongside linebacker.[1] In early March 2005, the Buccaneers cut Gold to the free agent market rather than pay him a reported $9.6 million option bonus.[2][13]

After being cut by the Buccaneers, Gold re-joined the Broncos in March 2005.[14] He appeared in all 16 regular season games and registered 72 tackles and three sacks.[1] He helped lead the 2005 Broncos to a 13-3 record and a spot in the AFC Championship Game. He remained with the Broncos for two more seasons, starting 15 games in 2006 and 14 games in 2007.[1] On February 29, 2008 the Broncos released him after three seasons.

NFL career statistics

Legend
Bold Career high

Regular season

Year Team Games Tackles Interceptions Fumbles
GPGSCmbSoloAstSckTFLIntYdsTDLngPDFFFRYdsTD
2000DEN 160302552.01000011200
2001DEN 160423753.02000031200
2002DEN 161610085156.500000412180
2003DEN 66313010.0621411260000
2004TAM 16137154170.5413103130000
2005DEN 16169074163.012000044200
2006DEN 15159170210.04000041000
2007DEN 14147261112.04160651200
115805274369117.04345113130910180

Playoffs

Year Team Games Tackles Interceptions Fumbles
GPGSCmbSoloAstSckTFLIntYdsTDLngPDFFFRYdsTD
2000DEN 101100.01000000000
2005DEN 2210730.00000000100
3211830.01000000100

Later years

In 2012, Gold's autobiography, "Plant Water Grow" was published.[15][16]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Ian Gold NFL Football Statistics". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved April 12, 2015.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Jamal Thalji (July 6, 2004). "Gold ready to prove his worth: The 2004 season is something of an audition for new Bucs linebacker". St. Petersburg Times. p. C1.
  3. ↑ "Detroit Free Press from Detroit, Michigan on November 30, 1995 · Page 107". Newspapers.com. Retrieved 2020-08-17.
  4. ↑ "95 dream team". Detroit Free Press. 1995-11-26. p. 40. Retrieved 2020-08-17.
  5. ↑ "Michigan Football Roster Database". University of Michigan, Bentley Historical Library. Retrieved April 11, 2015.
  6. ↑ "1997 Football Team". University of Michigan, Bentley Historical Library. Retrieved April 12, 2015.
  7. 1 2 "Michigan Football Statistic Archive Query Page". University of Michigan. Archived from the original on November 12, 2007. Retrieved April 12, 2015.(to retrieve Gold's statistics, enter "gold" in the box for the player's last name and "russell" in the box for player's first name)
  8. ↑ "1998 Football Team". University of Michigan, Bentley Historical Library. Retrieved April 12, 2015.
  9. ↑ "1999 Football Team". University of Michigan, Bentley Historical Library. Retrieved April 12, 2015.
  10. ↑ "Renes, Hutchinson Earn All-Big Ten First Team "Double"". University of Michigan. November 30, 1999. Retrieved April 12, 2015.
  11. ↑ "2000 NFL Draft Listing". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved 2023-03-19.
  12. 1 2 Mike Cobb (April 29, 1994). "Bucs Sign Gold to Long-Term Deal: Former All-Pro will give Tampa Bay some much-needed depth at linebacker". Lakeland Ledger. p. C1.
  13. ↑ "Multitalented Brown cut loose". Spartanburg Herald-Journal. March 2, 2005. p. B4.
  14. ↑ "Giants sign Pierce while the Jets lose Jordan, Ferguson". The Day (AP story). March 4, 2005. p. D6.
  15. ↑ Ian Gold (2012). Plant Water Grow. ISBN 978-0983706700.
  16. ↑ Ian Gold. "Home page". iangold.com. Retrieved April 12, 2015.
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