Greg Spires
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| Greg Spires | |
|---|---|
| Date of birth | October 12, 1974 (age 32) |
| Place of birth |  Cape Coral, FL |
| Position(s) | Defensive end |
| College | Florida State |
| NFL Draft | 1999 / Round 3/ 83rd Overall |
| Statistics | |
| Team(s) | |
| 1999-2001 2001-2002 2002-present |
New England Patriots Cleveland Browns Tampa Bay Buccaneers |
Gregory Tyrone Spires (born August 12, 1974) is an American football player for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Contents |
[edit] College
Greg Spires played college football at Florida State University as a Seminole. He was a four-year letterman from 1994-1998. His NFL Draft status dropped to the third round as a result of a cracked fibula entering the end of his junior year. It carried through to three games of his senior season. Also, Spires did not start in his junior season. Throughout his college career, he played the positions of linebacker, nose guard, and defensive end. Greg Spires was redshirted in 1993.
[edit] New England Patriots Career
After being drafted by the New England Patriots (3rd round, 83rd selection overall), Spires played in 15 games including the playoff appearance that the Patriots had. He recorded two sacks against the Jacksonville Jaguars in the postseason. During the 1999 season, he played 11 games until he suffered a hip injury against the Buffalo Bills on November 28, 1999 and eventually was placed on injured reserve for the remainder of the 1999 season. In 2000, Greg Spires had a great year. He played in all 16 games, and started two of them. Spires recorded a career high 6 sacks and tied Willie McGinest for the team lead. Spires also forced three fumbles. He was resigned by the Patriots on April 30, 2001. Because of team issues, Greg Spires was released by the Patriots towards the start of the 2001 season, on September 3, 2001. He was claimed and signed by the Cleveland Browns the very next day.
[edit] Cleveland Browns Career
Greg Spires' career with the Cleveland Browns was short-lived. Despite being there for just one season, Spires played in all 16 games and started 4. He recorded four sacks that season.
[edit] Tampa Bay Buccaneers Career
Greg Spires became an unrestricted free agent (a.k.a. UFA) after the 2001 season and was claimed by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Spires found a place with the Bucs and he has been the starter at left defensive end since the 2002 preseason. He came at just the right time, as the Bucs sailed through the playoffs and won Super Bowl XXXVII against the Oakland Raiders. He totaled 47 tackles, 3.5 sacks, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery, and one pass defended lining up opposite right defensive end Simeon Rice. Because of the chemistry of this defense, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers became the best pass defense and best overall defense in the NFL. Greg Spires, since then, has played through being one of the top-tier defenses in 2003, 2004, and 2005 (where they finished first again). He helped the Buccaneers to the playoffs, but they lost in the wild card round to the Washington Redskins.
[edit] Personal
Greg Spires has one daughter, Leila. His nickname is "The Crane", which was inspired by his "unsung-hero" performance on the defensive side of the ball. He continues to help out in his community and be a great team player. Spires is expected to end his career in Tampa Bay.
