Christopher Clark Spencer (born March 28, 1982) is an American former professional football player who was a center in the National Football League (NFL). He was selected with the 26th overall pick in the first round of the 2005 NFL draft out of the University of Mississippi by the Seattle Seahawks. He also played for the Chicago Bears and Tennessee Titans.
 Spencer on the sidelines during the November 2, 2008, game against the Eagles | |||||||||
| No. 65, 67, 60 | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Position: | Center | ||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||
| Born: | March 28, 1982 Madison, Mississippi, U.S. | ||||||||
| Height: | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) | ||||||||
| Weight: | 309 lb (140 kg) | ||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||
| High school: | Madison Central (Madison, Mississippi) | ||||||||
| College: | Mississippi (2001–2004) | ||||||||
| NFL draft: | 2005 / round: 1 / pick: 26 | ||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||
| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||
| |||||||||
Early life
editSpencer was born in Madison, Mississippi. He was part of the nationally ranked and undefeated Madison Central High School in the Madison football team in 2000, which contained 5 current NFL players. After his prep career, he was one of the most highly touted offensive line recruits in the Southeast. His home ties led him to choose the University of Mississippi, where he played alongside Madison Central teammates Doug Buckles and Mike Espy (of the Washington Redskins). During the 2003 season, the Ole Miss Rebels had an impressive campaign, winning 10 games concluded with a Cotton Bowl Classic victory over Oklahoma State.
Professional career
edit2005 NFL draft
editSpencer was considered one of the best centers available in the 2005 NFL draft, along with Jason Brown. He was projected a late second round pick,[1] and was eventually selected 26th overall in the first round.[2]
| Height | Weight | Arm length | Hand span | 40-yard dash | 10-yard split | 20-yard split | 20-yard shuttle | Three-cone drill | Vertical jump | Broad jump | Bench press | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 ft 2+7⁄8 in (1.90 m) |
309 lb (140 kg) |
33+1⁄2 in (0.85 m) |
10+7⁄8 in (0.28 m) |
5.21 s | 1.81 s | 3.04 s | 4.61 s | 8.07 s | 32 in (0.81 m) |
8 ft 9 in (2.67 m) |
26 reps | |
| All values from NFL Combine[3] | ||||||||||||
Seattle Seahawks
editIn his first season with the Seattle Seahawks, he played 7 games. In the 2006 season, he played in all 16 games for Seattle, starting 13 of them, most at the guard position, next to longtime Seattle center Robbie Tobeck. Spencer succeeded Tobeck as starting center for the 2007 season, as Tobeck had retired at the end of 2006.
Chicago Bears
editOn July 31, 2011, he was signed by the Chicago Bears to replace the outgoing Olin Kreutz.[4] During the 2011 season, Spencer alternated between center and guard with Roberto Garza.[5] In Week 4 against the Carolina Panthers, Spencer subbed for Lance Louis, but would himself go out of the game with a hand injury.[6]
On November 22, 2012, Spencer was named as the Bears starting guard after Chilo Rachal was placed on the reserve/non-football injury list.[7]
Tennessee Titans
editOn April 1, 2013, Spencer signed with the Tennessee Titans.[8] On April 2, 2014, Spencer re-signed with the Titans on a new one-year deal.[9]
Personal life
editIn 2006, he married Coastal Carolina Elite volleyball player Katherine Jensen.[10]
References
edit- ^ "Jason Brown Draft Profile", Sports Illustrated, April 2005, archived from the original on April 25, 2005
- ^ "2005 NFL Draft Listing". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved May 7, 2023.
- ^ "Chris Spencer College Football Profile". DraftScout.com. Retrieved December 21, 2009.
- ^ Pompei, Dan (July 31, 2011). "Bears agree to terms with C Spencer; Kreutz gone". Chicago Tribune.
- ^ "Chris Spencer Starting at Left Guard for the Bears". May 23, 2012.
- ^ "Bears G Spencer suffered fracture in hand". October 2, 2011.
- ^ Rosenthal, Gregg (November 22, 2012). "Gabe Carimi latest to be benched by Chicago Bears". National Football League. Retrieved November 22, 2012.
- ^ "Titans Agree to Terms with WR Kevin Walter, C/G Chris Spencer". Archived from the original on May 5, 2016. Retrieved April 2, 2013.
- ^ David Smith, Michael (April 2, 2014). "Titans re-sign Chris Spencer to one-year contract". Pro Football Talk. Retrieved April 3, 2014.
- ^ "Player Bio: Katherine Jensen-Spencer - Coastal Carolina Official Athletic Site". www.goccusports.com. Archived from the original on December 31, 2010.