Dan Koppen
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Dan Koppen (born September 12, 1979 in Dubuque, Iowa) is an American football offensive lineman for the New England Patriots of the National Football League.
Contents |
[edit] High school career
Koppen was born in Iowa, but attended Whitehall High School in Whitehall Township, Pennsylvania, in the Lehigh Valley region of the state. The school was one of 11 high schools in the highly-regarded East Penn Conference (now known as the 12 school Lehigh Valley Conference), a high school league that has produced a number of NCAA and NFL football stars.
As a senior, he earned All-Area, All-East Penn Conference, and All-State honors, and was named the defensive MVP in the 1997 Kaylee Rotary Bowl. As a junior, he was an All-Conference selection. He also lettered two times each in basketball and track and field.
[edit] College career
Koppen attended Boston College, where he was a three-year starter, and a three year "All-Big East Conference" second team selection.
[edit] NFL career
After attending Boston College, Koppen entered the 2003 NFL Draft and was selected by the New England Patriots in the fifth round with the 164th overall choice. The Patriots' original intention was for Koppen to back up Patriots' starting center Damien Woody. Woody was lost to an injury, however, and Koppen was inserted in his place.
After the Patriots won Super Bowl XXXVIII that year, defeating the Carolina Panthers, Woody signed with the Detroit Lions, leaving Koppen as the Patriots' starting center. Koppen once again helped them win a Super Bowl the following year, defeating the Philadelphia Eagles.
Koppen's 2005-06 season was derailed by a devastating shoulder injury suffered in a game against the Miami Dolphins. In the 2006-2007 season, he has returned to his role as the Patriots' starting center, where he is considered one of the NFL's predominant offensive linemen.
On October 12, 2006, the Patriots announced that they had signed Koppen to a five-year extension, through the 2011 season, worth about $20 million.
