Steve McLendon
refer to caption
McLendon with the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2012
Personal information
Born: (1986-01-03) January 3, 1986 (age 38)
Ozark, Alabama, U.S.
Height:6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
Weight:310 lb (141 kg)
Career information
High school:Carroll (Ozark, Alabama)
College:Troy
Position:Nose tackle
Undrafted:2009
Career history
Career highlights and awards
Career NFL statistics as of Week 16, 2021
Total tackles:248
Sacks:13.0
Forced fumbles:3
Fumble recoveries:2
Pass deflections:3
Interceptions:1
Player stats at NFL.com · PFR

Stephen Craine McLendon (born January 3, 1986) is an American football nose tackle who is a free agent. He was signed by the Pittsburgh Steelers as an undrafted free agent in 2009. He played college football at Troy.

Professional career

Pre-draft measurables
Height Weight 40-yard dash 10-yard split 20-yard split 20-yard shuttle Three-cone drill Vertical jump Broad jump Bench press
6 ft 1+3⁄8 in
(1.86 m) 		306 lb
(139 kg) 		5.15 s 1.75 s 2.99 s 4.45 s 7.35 s 29.5 in
(0.75 m)		 8 ft 6 in
(2.59 m)		 31 reps
All values from Pro Day[1]

Pittsburgh Steelers

McLendon was signed by the Steelers as an undrafted free agent on April 27, 2009. He was a final cut on September 5 but re-signed to the practice squad the next day. He was released on November 25 but re-signed on December 2. He was signed to a reserve/future contract on January 7, 2010.

McLendon was a final cut for the second straight season when he was waived on September 4, 2010.[2] He was re-signed to the practice squad the following day. The Steelers signed McLendon to their active roster on September 18 and he appeared in their game at Tennessee.[3] He recovered a fumble in that game and made one tackle. He was waived again on September 20 but re-signed to the practice squad on September 22. On October 2, quarterback Dennis Dixon was placed on injured reserve and McLendon was called up again. McLendon was waived on October 7 to make room for Ben Roethlisberger, who returned from his 4-game suspension. McLendon was re-signed to the Steelers' practice squad on October 11. McLendon was again signed to the active roster on October 30. He played in seven games for the entire season, recording one more tackle bringing his total tackles for the season to two. The Steelers finished the season with a 12–4 record to clinch the AFC North, and eventually reached Super Bowl XLV, only to lose to the Green Bay Packers 25–31.[4]

In the 2011 season, McLendon appeared in a career high fourteen games. He totaled 13 tackles with one sack.[5] For the 2012 season he played in all 16 games, registering seven tackles and two sacks.[6] After the season, McLendon became a restricted free agent. McLendon visited with the Green Bay Packers before resigning with the Steelers for a three-year deal worth $7.25 million, including $1.675 million guaranteed. In the 2013 season, he appeared in 14 games with 33 tackles and a forced fumble.[7] In 2014, he played in 12 games with 22 tackles and a sack.[8] In 2015, he appeared in all 16 games for the first time of his career, finishing the year with 14 tackles and a sack.[9]

New York Jets

McLendon in a game against the Washington Redskins

On March 16, 2016, the New York Jets signed McLendon to a three-year, $12 million contract with $4 million guaranteed.[10] Making his first start for the Jets on September 11, 2016, McLendon had tied a career high two sacks of the team's six sacks in the Week 1 loss against Cincinnati Bengals.[11]

On March 14, 2019, McLendon re-signed with the Jets.[12] He signed a one-year contract extension on October 12, 2019 through the 2020 season.[13]

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

On October 18, 2020, McLendon and a 2023 seventh-round pick were traded to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for a 2022 sixth-round pick.[14] He was placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list by the Buccaneers on January 1, 2021,[15] and activated on January 11.[16] McLendon appeared in Super Bowl LV, where the Buccaneers defeated the Kansas City Chiefs by a score of 31–9.[17][18]

McLendon re-signed with the Buccaneers on April 14, 2021.[19] In a Monday Night Football game on November 22, 2021, McLendon recorded his first career interception after twelve seasons in the NFL, intercepting a pass from Daniel Jones of the New York Giants in the game's third quarter.[20] He became the second-oldest player to record his first career NFL interception.[21]

References

  1. ^ "Steve McLendon, Troy, DT, 2009 NFL Draft Scout, NCAA College Football". draftscout.com. Retrieved September 16, 2021.
  2. ^ "Cutdown day: Teams release players to reach 53-man roster". NFL.com. August 31, 2010. Retrieved March 16, 2021.
  3. ^ "Leftwich cut by Steelers to make roster room, likely to return". NFL.com. September 18, 2010. Retrieved March 16, 2021.
  4. ^ "Super Bowl XLV – Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Green Bay Packers – February 6th, 2011". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved March 16, 2021.
  5. ^ "Steve McLendon 2011 Game Log". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved March 16, 2021.
  6. ^ "Steve McLendon 2012 Game Log". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved March 16, 2021.
  7. ^ "Steve McLendon 2013 Game Log". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved March 16, 2021.
  8. ^ "Steve McLendon 2014 Game Log". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved March 16, 2021.
  9. ^ "Steve McLendon 2015 Game Log". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved March 16, 2021.
  10. ^ Lange, Randy (March 21, 2016). "NT Steve McLendon Joins Jets' D-Line". www.newyorkjets.com. Retrieved March 16, 2021.
  11. ^ "Cincinnati Bengals at New York Jets – September 11th, 2016". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved March 16, 2021.
  12. ^ Allen, Eric (March 14, 2019). "Jets Re-Sign Veteran DT Steve McLendon". NewYorkJets.com. Retrieved March 16, 2021.
  13. ^ Allen, Eric (October 12, 2019). "Jets Extend Contract of NT Steve McLendon". NewYorkJets.com. Retrieved March 16, 2021.
  14. ^ Cimini, Rich (October 19, 2020). "Source: Bucs acquire starting Jets NT McLendon". ESPN.com. Retrieved October 19, 2020.
  15. ^ Smith, Scott (January 1, 2021). "Devin White, Shaq Barrett, Steve McLendon Placed on COVID List". Buccaneers.com. Retrieved February 11, 2021.
  16. ^ Smith, Scott (January 11, 2021). "Devin White, Steve McLendon Activated from Reserve/COVID-19 List". Buccaneers.com. Retrieved February 11, 2021.
  17. ^ "Super Bowl LV – Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. Kansas City Chiefs – February 7th, 2021". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved March 16, 2021.
  18. ^ "Josh Wells 2020 Game Log". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved March 16, 2021.
  19. ^ Smith, Scott (April 14, 2021). "Bucs Bring Veteran DL Steve McLendon Back". Buccaneers.com. Retrieved April 15, 2021.
  20. ^ "WATCH: Bucs' 35-year-old DL Steve McLendon gets 1st career INT". November 23, 2021.
  21. ^ Shook, Nick (November 23, 2021). "Andrew Thomas, Steve McLendon become first 300-pound players with TD catch, INT in same game". NFL.com. National Football League. Retrieved November 28, 2021.

External links

Tampa Bay Buccaneers Super Bowl LV champions
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