Tony Degrate
| No. 95 | |
|---|---|
| Position | Defensive end |
| Personal information | |
| Born | April 25, 1962 Snyder, Texas, U.S. |
| Listed height | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) |
| Listed weight | 280 lb (127 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | Snyder |
| College | Texas |
| NFL draft | 1985: 5th round, 127th overall pick |
| Career history | |
| |
* Offseason and/or practice squad member only | |
| Awards and highlights | |
| |
| Stats at Pro Football Reference | |
Anthony Degrate (born April 25, 1962) is an American former professional football player who won the 1984 Lombardi Award as a defensive end. He played college football for the Texas Longhorns, where he still holds the record for most solo tackles in a season, and earned consensus All-American honors in 1984. He was selected by the Cincinnati Bengals of the National Football League (NFL) in the 1985 NFL draft, and played professionally for the NFL's Green Bay Packers.
Early life
Degrate was born in Snyder, Texas and [1] played high school football at Snyder High School.[2]
College career
He played college football at the University of Texas at Austin from 1981 to 1984.[3]
In 1981, he only played in one game - against TCU - recording one tackle and one sack. That season the Longhorns spent a week ranked #1 and came in 2nd in the Southwest Conference, but because SMU was banned from post-season play, they played in the 1982 Cotton Bowl Classic where they upset Alabama and finished the season ranked #2.
In 1982 he played in every game. The Longhorns again finished in 2nd place in the Conference behind SMU and were ranked #8 when they were upset by the North Carolina Tarheels in the Sun Bowl.
He was a first-team All-Southwest Conference (SWC) selection in 1983, led the team in tackles for a loss (22), the third most in a season in school history at the time and was a key member of the 1983 Longhorns team that won the SWC championship and finished ranked #5. That season the Longhorns lost the Cotton Bowl by 1 point, where a win would've secured them the National Championship.[3]
In 1984, his senior year, he was a team captain. He led the team in forced fumbles (4), tackles for a loss (18), quarterback sacks (13), 7th most in a season in school history at the time, and tackles (147), the third most in a season in school history at the time; and set the school record for solo tackles in a season (123). Against Texas Tech, he had 5 tackles for a loss, which tied for the 3rd most ever in a single game in school history. He also had the 6th most quarterback pressures in a season in school history at the time. The Longhorns spent two weeks that season ranked #1, but a late season slide put them in the 1984 Freedom Bowl which they lost to Iowa. Degrate was again 1st team all-conference and was also a consensus first-team All-American and the Houston Post's Southwest Conference Defensive MVP. Most notably, he was the second Longhorn to win the Lombardi Award honoring the best lineman in college football.[4][5]
He finished his career with the 3rd most quarterback sacks (31) and 5th most tackles for a loss (47) in a career in school history.[5]
After his senior year, he played in the East-West Shrine Bowl.[6]
In 2005 he was enshrined in the Longhorns Hall of Honor.[6]
Professional career
The Cincinnati Bengals drafted Degrate 127th overall in the fifth round of the 1985 NFL draft.[7] He played in a single professional game for the Green Bay Packers during the 1985 season.[8]
See also
References
- ^ National Football League, Historical Players, Tony Degrate. Retrieved September 4, 2012.
- ^ databaseFootball.com, Players, Tony Degrate. Retrieved September 4, 2012.
- ^ a b TexasSports.com, Football, All-Time Lettermen, Tony Degrate Profile. Retrieved September 4, 2012.
- ^ 2011 NCAA Football Records Book, Award Winners, National Collegiate Athletic Association, Indianapolis, Indiana, pp. 9, 16, 20 (2011). Retrieved September 4, 2012.
- ^ a b "Texas Football Record Book" (PDF). Retrieved March 24, 2026.
- ^ a b "Texas Football History and Honors" (PDF). Retrieved March 23, 2026.
- ^ "1985 NFL Draft Listing". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved October 10, 2023.
- ^ "Tony Degrate Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Draft, College". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved November 10, 2023.