 Powerful defensive anchor who possesses tremendous work ethic and a non-stop motor… Excels at plugging gaps and disrupting opponents’ running games… Well-conditioned athlete who has started 72-of-73 games for the Buccaneers since joining the team in 2005… Led all Buccaneers defensive linemen in tackles in 2005, 2006 and 2008, and ranked second on the line in 2007 with a career-high 95 tackles… Named to Sports Illustrated All-Pro Team by Dr. Z and an Associated Press Second-Team All-Pro honoree in 2002… Named to Howie Long’s Tough Guys team in 2002… A consensus All-Rookie pick in 2000… Has played in 149 regular season games with 142 starts… Started 69 consecutive games for the Minnesota Vikings, a streak that was snapped vs. Detroit (11/21/04)… Has also made four playoff appearances with four starts, and has totaled 17 postseason tackles… Has totaled 579 career tackles, 22 sacks, 14 passes defensed, seven fumble recoveries and three forced fumbles… Signed as a free agent with the Buccaneers on April 1, 2005… Originally entered the league as a first-round draft choice (25th overall) of the Vikings in the 2000 NFL Draft. |
 2009: Started all nine games this season… Had three tackles and one QBP in season opener against Dallas (9/13)… Notched three tackles and one QBP at Buffalo (9/20)… Finished game vs. N.Y. Giants (9/27) with eight tackles and one QBP… Tallied one tackle and one QBP at Washington (10/4)… Recorded two tackles at Philadelphia (10/11)… Posted three tackles vs. Carolina (10/18)… Registered one tackle and four QBPs vs. New England (10/25)… Tallied five tackles, 0.5 sack of QB Aaron Rodgers and a team-leading four QBPs vs. Green Bay (11/8)… Posted four tackles and one QBP at Miami (11/15). |
 2008: Started 15 contests and inactive for one other (at Atlanta) on the year… Led defensive linemen and ranked tied for seventh on the team with 69 tackles… Four TFLs ranked tied for third on the team… Named a defensive team captain… Totaled 69 tackles, including four TFLs and one sack, and one pass defensed on the year… Led defensive linemen with seven tackles, including one TFL, in season opener at New Orleans (9/7)… Finished contest against Atlanta (9/14) with six tackles to lead the defensive line… Posted seven stops at Chicago (9/21)… Notched six tackles, including two TFLs, vs. Green Bay (9/28)… Had two tackles at Denver (10/5)… Finished game vs. Carolina (10/12) with two tackles… Posted three tackles vs. Seattle (10/19)… Tallied three tackles, including one TFL, and one pass defensed at Dallas (10/26)… Had six tackles at Kansas City (11/2)… Finished contest vs. Minnesota (11/16) with three tackles, including one sack of QB Gus Frerotte… Led defensive line with six tackles at Detroit (11/23)… Had three stops vs. New Orleans (11/30)… Finished game at Carolina (12/8) with five tackles… Inactive at Atlanta (12/14) because of injury… Returned from injury to post five tackles vs. San Diego (12/21)… Had five tackles in season finale vs. Oakland (12/28). 2007: Started all 16 contests and one playoff game for Tampa Bay… Set a career-high with 95 tackles (second on the defensive line), and added 1.5 sacks, one fumble recovery and two passes defensed… Had four tackles at Seattle (9/9)… Notched five tackles vs. New Orleans (9/16)… Totaled eight tackles vs. St. Louis (9/23)… Led defensive linemen with a then career-high tying nine tackles at Indianapolis (10/7)… Finished with six tackles vs. Tennessee (10/14)… Had 0.5 sack of QB Jon Kitna and five tackles at Detroit (10/21)… Led defensive linemen with a career-high 10 tackles vs. Jacksonville (10/28)… Totaled six tackles vs. Arizona (11/4)… Finished contest at Atlanta (11/18) with eight tackles, one fumble recovery and one sack… Tallied six tackles vs. Washington (11/25)… Finished with nine tackles at Houston (12/9) to lead the defensive line… Posted three tackles and one pass defensed vs. Atlanta (12/16)… Notched four tackles and one pass defensed at San Francisco (12/23)… Had five tackles in regular season finale vs. Carolina (12/30)… Tallied eight tackles in NFC Wild Card game vs. N.Y. Giants (1/6/08). 2006: Started in all 16 contests on the season for Tampa Bay… Led the defensive line in tackles for the second consecutive season with a then career-high 78 tackles… Also added two sacks and one forced fumble… Notched four tackles in season opener vs. Baltimore (9/10)… Had six tackles, including two TFLs, at Atlanta (9/17)… Posted three tackles vs. Carolina (9/24)… Registered four tackles at New Orleans (10/8)… Finished with four tackles vs. Cincinnati (10/15)… Had one stop and one forced fumble vs. Philadelphia (10/22)… Posted eight tackles, including two TFLs, at N.Y. Giants (10/29)… Totaled six tackles vs. New Orleans (11/5)… Also had six stops at Carolina (11/13)… Recorded five tackles vs. Washington (11/19)… Had eight tackles, including one sack of QB Tony Romo, at Dallas (11/23)… Had five tackles vs. Atlanta (12/10)… Made his 100th career start and totaled two tackles at Chicago (12/17)… Led the team with eight tackles, including one TFL, at Cleveland (12/24)… Added one sack of QB Derek Anderson in the fourth quarter against the Browns… Tallied seven tackles in season finale vs. Seattle (12/31). 2005: Started all 16 regular season games and one playoff contest at nose tackle with Tampa Bay… Key component in improvement of Buccaneers’ run defense from 19th (123.3 ypg) in 2004 to being ranked sixth (94.7 ypg) in 2005… Led the defensive line with 64 tackles, and added two fumble recoveries and one pass defensed on the season… Helped the Buccaneers finish first in overall defense (277.8 ypg), sixth in run defense (94.7 ypg), sixth in pass defense (183.1 ypg) and eighth in points allowed (15.4 ppg)… Started in season opener at Minnesota (9/11)… Totaled three tackles, including one TFL, and one fumble recovery against the Vikings… Helped hold the Vikings without an offensive touchdown while also limiting Minnesota to just 33 rushing yards… Registered three stops vs. Buffalo (9/18)… Part of a defensive effort that limited the Bills offense to 147 total yards, eight first downs and one field goal… Totaled two tackles at Green Bay (9/25)… Recorded five tackles vs. Detroit (10/2)… Posted three tackles at N.Y. Jets (10/9)… Notched four tackles vs. Miami (10/16)… Finished contest at San Francisco (10/30) with three tackles… Part of a defense that limited the 49ers to 50 passing yards… Recorded four tackles and one pass defensed vs. Carolina (11/6)… Notched three tackles vs. Washington (11/13)… Had five tackles at Atlanta (11/20)… Registered a season-high six tackles vs. Chicago (11/27)… Posted four tackles at New Orleans (12/4)… Matched his season high with six tackles at Carolina (12/11)… Matched his season high for the second week in a row with six tackles at New England (12/17)… Had four tackles and one fumble recovery vs. Atlanta (12/24)… Totaled three tackles in season finale vs. New Orleans (1/1)… Notched two tackles in NFC Wild Card game vs. Washington (1/7/06). 2004: Played 13 games with nine starts with Minnesota… Inactive for both playoff games… Notched 23 tackles, 1.5 sacks, one pass defensed and one fumble recovery… Notched two tackles against Dallas (9/12) and Chicago (9/26)… Had one tackle and one sack at Houston (10/10)… Tallied four tackles and 0.5 sacks against Tennessee (10/24)… Had three tackles at N.Y. Giants (10/31)… Had a season-high five tackles at Green Bay (11/14). 2003: Started all 16 games at under tackle for Minnesota… Finished the season with 38 tackles, two sacks, and four passes defensed… Tied career-best with four passes defensed on the season… Keyed defensive effort against AFC West champions Kansas City (12/20) and held Pro Bowl and 1,400-yard RB Priest Holmes to 55 yards on 18 carries… Notched a season-high five tackles at Oakland (11/16)… Had solo sack on Cardinals QB Josh McCown at Arizona (12/28)… Shared sacks of 49ers QB Jeff Garcia vs. San Francisco (9/28) and QB Doug Flutie at San Diego (11/9). 2002: Was named All-Pro by Sports Illustrated’s Dr. Z… Named to the Associated Press All-Pro Second Team… Started all 16 games on the season for the Vikings… Ranked second on the team with 5.5 sacks and was sixth with a then career-high 73 tackles… Also added four passes defensed and two fumble recoveries… Notched a pair of sacks at New England (11/24) on QB Tom Brady… Collected a then career-high nine tackles came at New England (11/24)… Recovered fumbles in consecutive games, vs. Atlanta (12/1) and at Green Bay (12/8)… Posted six tackles, one sack and two QB hurries at New Orleans (12/15) while holding NFC leading rusher Deuce McAllister to 69 yards on 18 carries… Notched career-high five QB hurries vs. Buffalo (9/15). 2001: Started all 16 games of the season, 15 at under tackle and one at nose tackle for Minnesota … Led team with six sacks and added 55 tackles, one fumble recovery and two forced fumbles… Set career-high with 2.5 sacks vs. Detroit (10/14)… Recovered first career fumble vs. Detroit (10/14)… Had five solo tackles at New Orleans (10/7) and at Detroit (12/16)… Had first career forced fumbles in back-to-back games vs. Chicago (11/25) and at Pittsburgh (12/2)… Had season-high seven tackles at New Orleans (10/7) and at Detroit (12/16). 2000: Saw action in all 16 games with 13 starts and started both playoff games for Minnestoa… Named to the Pro Football Weekly and Football News All-Rookie teams… Named on Football Digest Top 16 Rookies list… Led the Vikings defensive line with 54 tackles, and added two sacks and one pass defensed… Had a season-high eight tackles and first career sack at New England (9/10)… Had four tackles vs. Buffalo (10/22)… Notched three tackles vs. Detroit (11/30)… Notched six tackles at Green Bay (11/6)… Was second among Vikings defensive linemen with six tackles and had two passes defensed in NFC Championship Game at N.Y. Giants (1/14/01). |
 Named All-American by the American Football Coaches Association following senior season… Semi-finalist for the Lombardi Award honoring the nation’s top lineman… First player in Boston College history to be named All-Big East three times… Started 43 of the 45 games he played in college, including the final 33 over his last three seasons… Finished college career with 20.5 sacks and 43 tackles for loss. |
 Married to Jaimi, and the couple has one son, Christopher James, and twin daughters, Caylynn Sylvia and Ceclia Rose… Visited Jesuit High School in Tampa to speak to students on the significance of education in his personal and professional development in April 2009…Served as the honorary chairman for the annual Davis Fergeson Memorial Golf Tournament in April 2008 and 2009 to benefit the American Brain Tumor Association…Joined local fifth graders in celebrating diversity through art, music and physical fitness at the NFL’s One World Super Huddle at Brooks-DeBartolo Collegiate High School during 2009 Super Bowl week…Participated in the Pediatric Cancer Foundation’s Fashion for the Cure Fashion Show in 2008 and 2009… Ran football drills and promoted health and fitness at the NFLPA’s Gatorade Junior Training Camp at Tampa Bay Boulevard Elementary during 2009 Super Bowl week… Along with the defensive line, helped host a holiday party for kids and families at the Children’s Cancer Center in December 2008… Presented awards and signed autographs for students participating in the Buccaneers’ “What Moves U” Fitness Challenge in March 2008… During the 2007 offseason, participated in the NFL Business Management and Entrepreneurial Program at the Kellogg School of Business at Northwestern… In remembrance of the victims in the September 11th attacks and in appreciation of the efforts of the firefighters and staff officers from Tampa Fire Rescue, helped prepare and serve food to the officers in September 2007… Participated in the 2007 Buccaneers Celebrity Golf Classic, which benefited All Children’s Hospital Foundation… Spoke to children and parents at Christ Community Church to give his testimony to his Christian Faith in December 2007… During 2006 training camp, fulfilled the dream of a six-year-old boy, Navaree Wheeler, by having Wheeler as his special guest for the day and proving Wheeler and his mother tickets to a Buccaneers game through the help of Dreams Come True. Wheeler underwent a liver transplant when he was 11 months old… Sponsors a ticket program at all home games named, Hovan’s Heroes, in support of the Florida Hemophilia Association… Honorable Mention All-American by USA Today at St. Ignatius (Cleveland, Ohio) High School… Named All-City and All-State by Cleveland Plain Dealer… Posted school-record 28 sacks during his career… Led team to fifth straight Ohio state title as a senior and a No. 2 ranking in the 1995 USA Today High School Poll… Played in both the Ohio North-South All-Star Game and the Pennsylvania-Ohio Big 33 All-Star Game… Earned All-State recognition in lacrosse… Born Chris Hovan on May 12, 1978 in Cleveland, Ohio. |
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