LB / DE

Dwight Freeney

Class of 2024

All-Pro

3

Forced fumbles

47

Pro Bowls

7

Sacks

125.5

To help build a championship-level defense to complement their already high-powered offense of the early 2000s, the Indianapolis Colts used their first-round pick (11th overall) in 2002 to choose defensive end Dwight Freeney.

Results came immediately.

With Freeney appearing in all 16 games, eight as a starter, the Colts improved their defense from 29th overall in the NFL in 2001 to eighth in 2002. Freeney led the resurgent defensive line with a rookie-record 13 sacks to go with 20 tackles for loss on his way to NFL All-Rookie Team honors and a second-place finish in voting for the AP’s Defensive Rookie of the Year award.

Freeney followed with three more seasons of double-digit sack totals, including a league-best 16 in 2004. That year he also was named first-team All-Pro for the first of three times and earned his second of seven Pro Bowl invitations.

A foot injury limited Freeney to nine games and 3.5 sacks in 2007, but he bounced back in 2008 with 10.5 sacks, and he added 23.5 sacks over the following two seasons.

For his career, Freeney totaled 125.5 sacks, 148 quarterback hits and 128 tackles for loss. He was credited with 47 forced fumbles, a figure that is tied for fourth on the NFL’s all-time list, and twice forced three fumbles in a game.

Freeney played 218 regular-season games over 16 NFL seasons, the first 11 with the Colts.

He appeared in 22 postseason contests, including three AFC Championship Games and two NFC Championship Games. He won a Super Bowl ring with the Colts and played in two other Super Bowls. In the postseason, he totaled 11 sacks and 12 tackles for loss.

Freeney attended Syracuse University. As a senior, he led the nation with 17.5 sacks and earned All-American accolades.

 

  Tackles Sacks Fumbles
Year Team G Total Solo Ast. TFL   FF FR Yds TD
2002 Indianapolis Colts 16 46 45 1 20 13 9 1 0 0
2003 Indianapolis Colts 15 34 29 5 10 11 4 2 23 1
2004 Indianapolis Colts 16 36 33 3 17 16 4 0 0 0
2005 Indianapolis Colts 16 42 36 6 12 11 6 0 0 0
2006 Indianapolis Colts 16 29 26 3 4 5.5 4 0 0 0
2007 Indianapolis Colts 9 21 18 3 3 3.5 4 0 0 0
2008 Indianapolis Colts 15 28 24 4 12 10.5 4 0 0 0
2009 Indianapolis Colts 14 24 19 5 13 13.5 1 0 0 0
2010 Indianapolis Colts 16 25 21 4 8 10 5 0 0 0
2011 Indianapolis Colts 16 19 13 6 7 8.5 2 0 0 0
2012 Indianapolis Colts 14 12 10 2 7 5 1 0 0 0
2013 San Diego Chargers 4 2 1 1 0 0.5 0 0 0 0
2014 San Diego Chargers 16 10 6 4 3 3.5 0 1 0 0
2015 Arizona Cardinals 11 9 8 1 5 8 3 0 0 0
2016 Atlanta Falcons 15 10 7 3 4 3 0 0 0 0
2017 Detroit Lions/Seattle Seahawks 9 3 3 0 3 3 0 0 0 0
Career total 218 350 299 51 128 125.5 47 4 23 1
CHAMPIONSHIP GAMES

2003 AFC — New England Patriots 24, Indianapolis Colts 14
  • Freeney started the game at right defensive end. He had one solo tackle and one tackle for loss.
2006 AFC — Indianapolis Colts 38, New England Patriots 34
  • Freeney started the game at right defensive end. He had one solo tackle, one assisted tackle, one tackle for loss and one quarterback hit.
2009 AFC — Indianapolis Colts 30, New York Jets 17
  • Freeney started the game at right defensive end. He had two solo tackles, two assisted tackles and two quarterback hits.
2015 NFC — Carolina Panthers 49, Arizona Cardinals 15
  • Freeney did not start the game but did play 20 snaps. He did not register a stat.
2016 NFC — Atlanta Falcons 44, Green Bay Packers 21
  • Freeney started the game at defensive end. He had one assisted tackle.

SUPER BOWLS

Super Bowl XLI — Indianapolis Colts 29, Chicago Bears 17
  • Freeney started the game at right defensive end. He had one fumble recovery.
Super Bowl XLIV — New Orleans Saints 31, Indianapolis Colts 17
  • Freeney started the game at right defensive end. He had one sack, one solo tackle, two assisted tackles, one tackle for loss.
Super Bowl LI — New England 34, Atlanta Falcons 28 (OT)
  • Freeney started at defensive end. He had one sack, a solo tackle, a quarterback hit and a tackle for loss.

Full name: Dwight Jason Freeney 

Birthdate: Feb. 19, 1980

Birthplace: Hartford, Conn.

High school: Bloomfield (Bloomfield, Conn.) 

Elected to Pro Football Hall of Fame: Jan. 17, 2024

Other members of the Class of 2024: Randy Gradishar, Devin Hester, Andre Johnson, Steve McMichael, Julius Peppers, Patrick Willis.

Pro career: 16 seasons, 218 games.

Drafted: First round (11th overall) in 2002 by Indianapolis Colts

Uniform numbers: 93 (Indianapolis 2002-2012, San Diego 2013-14, Atlanta 2016, Detroit 2017, Seattle 2017); 54 (Arizona 2015)

The Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2024 Enshrinement is Aug. 3.