View source for John Randle

{{Short description|American football player (born 1967)}}
{{other uses}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2023}}
{{Use American English|date=April 2020}}
{{Infobox NFL biography
| name          = John Randle
| image         = Seattle mayor Greg Nickels at Seahawks training facility, 2002 (53173431923) (cropped).jpg
| image_size    =
| alt           = 
| caption       = Randle with the [[Seattle Seahawks]] in 2002
| number        = 93
| position      = [[Defensive tackle]]
| birth_date    = {{birth date and age|1967|12|12}}
| birth_place   = [[Mumford, Texas]], U.S.
| death_date    = 
| death_place   = 
| height_ft     = 6
| height_in     = 1
| weight_lb     = 290
| high_school   = [[Hearne High School|Hearne]] <br> ([[Hearne, Texas]])
| college       = [[Trinity Valley Cardinals football|Trinity Valley]] (1986–1987) <br> [[Texas A&M–Kingsville Javelinas football|Texas A&I]] (1988–1989)
| undraftedyear = 1990
| pastteams     =
* [[Minnesota Vikings]] ({{NFL Year|1990|2000}})
* [[Seattle Seahawks]] ({{NFL Year|2001|2003}})
| highlights    =
* 6× First-team [[All-Pro]] ([[1993 All-Pro Team|1993]]–[[1998 All-Pro Team|1998]])
* 7× [[Pro Bowl]] ([[1994 Pro Bowl|1993]]–[[1999 Pro Bowl|1998]], [[2002 Pro Bowl|2001]])
* [[List of National Football League annual sacks leaders|NFL sacks leader]] (1997)
* [[NFL 1990s All-Decade Team]]
* [[NFL 100th Anniversary All-Time Team]]
* [[Minnesota Vikings Ring of Honor]]
* 50 Greatest Vikings
* Minnesota Vikings 40th Anniversary Team
* First-team [[National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics|NAIA]] [[College Football All-America Team|All-American]] ([[1988 NAIA Division I football season|1988]])
| statlabel1    = Total [[Tackle (football move)#Gridiron football|tackles]]
| statvalue1    = 556
| statlabel2    = [[Quarterback sack|Sacks]]
| statvalue2    = 137.5
| statlabel3    = Forced [[fumble]]s
| statvalue3    = 29
| statlabel4    = Fumble recoveries
| statvalue4    = 11
| statlabel5    = [[Interception]]s
| statvalue5    = 1
| statlabel6    = Defensive [[touchdown]]s
| statvalue6    = 1
| pfr           = R/RandJo00
| HOF           = john-randle
| CollegeHOF    = 2211 
}}

'''John Anthony Randle''' (born December 12, 1967) is an American former professional [[American football|football]] player who was a [[defensive tackle]] for eleven seasons for the [[Minnesota Vikings]] and three seasons for the [[Seattle Seahawks]] of the [[National Football League]] (NFL). He was a six-time first-team [[All-Pro]] and seven-time [[Pro Bowl]]er. Since becoming an official stat in 1982, his 137.5 sacks rank tenth, tied with [[Richard Dent]], and first among defensive tackles. On February 6, 2010, he was voted into the [[Pro Football Hall of Fame]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2010 Announced |url=https://www.profootballhof.com/news/2010/02/news-pro-football-hall-of-fame-class-of-2010-announced/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221211142151/https://www.profootballhof.com/news/2010/02/news-pro-football-hall-of-fame-class-of-2010-announced/ |archive-date=December 11, 2022 |access-date=December 11, 2022 |website=Pro Football Hall of Fame Official Site}}</ref>
He played [[college football]] for the [[Trinity Valley Cardinals football|Trinity Valley Cardinals]] and the [[Texas A&M–Kingsville Javelinas football|Texas A&I Javelinas]], and was signed by the Vikings as an [[undrafted free agent]] after the [[1990 NFL draft]]. He is considered one of the greatest undrafted players of all time.<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Curtis |first=Jake |date=April 26, 2022 |title=Top 10 Undrafted NFL Players the Past 25 Years, and Top 10 Undrafted Players from Cal |url=https://www.si.com/college/cal/news/top-10-undrafted-nfl-players |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220521112837/https://www.si.com/college/cal/news/top-10-undrafted-nfl-players |archive-date=May 21, 2022 |access-date=August 18, 2022 |magazine=Sports Illustrated |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Tallent |first=Aaron |date=April 15, 2020 |title=25 Best Undrafted NFL Players of All Time |url=https://athlonsports.com/nfl/25-best-undrafted-nfl-players-all-time |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220701081638/https://athlonsports.com/nfl/25-best-undrafted-nfl-players-all-time |archive-date=July 1, 2022 |access-date=August 17, 2022 |website=Athlon Sports |language=en}}</ref>

==Early life and college==
Born in [[Mumford, Texas]], Randle was raised in poverty and worked odd jobs when he was young.<ref>{{Cite news |date=November 28, 1994 |title=John Randle |work=CNN |url=http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1006027/index.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121026030015/http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1006027/index.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=October 26, 2012}}</ref> His brother [[Ervin Randle|Ervin]] played as a [[linebacker]] in the NFL for eight years.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Ervin Randle |url=http://www.nfl.com/player/ervinrandle/2502580/profile |access-date=July 16, 2018 |website=NFL.com}}</ref> Randle played high school football in [[Hearne, Texas]]. He started his college playing career at [[Trinity Valley Community College]], before transferring to [[Texas A&M University–Kingsville]].

==Professional career==
===Minnesota Vikings===
Randle went [[Undrafted sportsperson|undrafted]]; he tried out for his brother's team, the [[Tampa Bay Buccaneers]], but at 6'1" and 244 pounds was thought to be too small, and was not signed to a contract. The Vikings picked up Randle after the draft on Head Scout Don Deisch's recommendation. They told Randle he would be picked up only if he came back with his weight over 250, so when he was weighed in he hid a chain under his sweats.<ref>{{Citation |title=NFL Films - After being cut from two teams, John Randle... |url=https://www.facebook.com/NFLFilms/videos/10155990072103615/ |access-date=December 2, 2021 |language=en}}</ref>

Randle played his first season in [[1990 Minnesota Vikings season|1990]]. He went to his first [[Pro Bowl]] in 1993 after recording 11.5 [[quarterback sack|sack]]s, and quickly became one of his era's dominant defensive tackles. Once [[Henry Thomas (American football)|Henry Thomas]] left the Vikings, Randle increased his training regimen. He recorded double-digit sacks during nine different seasons, including a career-high and league-leading 15.5 in 1997.<ref>{{Cite web |title=John Randle |url=http://www.nfl.com/player/johnrandle/2502581/profile |access-date=July 16, 2018 |website=NFL.com}}</ref> In a 1999 game against the 49ers, he recorded his only career interception.

Like fellow Minnesota Viking [[Chris Hovan]], Randle was known for eccentric [[face painting]] as well as trash-talking on the field, and disarming on-field heckling of opposing players.<ref>{{Cite news |date=April 16, 2000 |title=NFL Draft - Vikings first pick draws comparisons to Randle |publisher=CNNSI.com - 2000 |url=http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/football/nfl/2000/nfldraft/news/2000/04/15/vikings_draft_ap/index.html |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120721220756/http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/football/nfl/2000/nfldraft/news/2000/04/15/vikings_draft_ap/index.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=July 21, 2012 |access-date=February 20, 2010}}</ref> Among Randle's most famous on-field [[catchphrase]]s was "Six footers for LIFE!", an allusion to scouting criticism of being undersized for his position.

Randle had an ongoing rivalry with [[Green Bay Packers|Packers]] [[quarterback]] [[Brett Favre]], whom he sacked more than any other quarterback; Favre said that Randle was the toughest defensive player he faced and that "on artificial turf he's unblockable".<ref name="Randle Favre">{{Cite web |last=Popovich |first=Mike |date=August 4, 2010 |title=Randle, Favre at heart of Vikings-Packers rivalry |url=http://www.cantonrep.com/sports/hall_of_fame/x145186411/Randle-Favre-at-heart-of-Vikings-Packers-rivalry |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120723104709/http://www.cantonrep.com/sports/hall_of_fame/x145186411/Randle-Favre-at-heart-of-Vikings-Packers-rivalry |archive-date=July 23, 2012 |access-date=January 12, 2020 |website=[[The Repository]] |location=[[Canton, Ohio]]}}</ref> To play off the rivalry with Favre, Randle starred in a commercial featuring him sewing a miniature version of Favre's #4 jersey, which he put on a live chicken. The commercial then showed Randle chasing the chicken around what was supposed to be Randle's backyard and ended with him grilling chicken, leading to fierce protests by [[People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals]].<ref name="Randle Favre" />

Randle's pass-rushing techniques were motion-captured for [[989 Studios|989 Sports]]'s [[NFL Xtreme]] series. He was the cover athlete for the second game in the series.<ref>''A Football Life'', Season 2</ref>

===Seattle Seahawks===
At the end of the [[2000 NFL season|2000 season]],<ref>{{Cite news |title=John Randle |work=CNN |url=http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/multimedia/photo_gallery/1008/nfl.hall.of.famers.not.drafted/content.1.html|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120714120339/http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/multimedia/photo_gallery/1008/nfl.hall.of.famers.not.drafted/content.1.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=July 14, 2012}}</ref> Randle signed with the [[Seattle Seahawks]]. In his [[2001 Seattle Seahawks season|first season]] with the Seahawks, he earned an invite to the [[2002 Pro Bowl|Pro Bowl]], the last of his career. Randle retired in 2004.<ref>{{Cite news |date=March 2, 2004 |title=After 14 seasons, John Randle retires |work=The Seattle Times |url=https://archive.seattletimes.com/archive/20040302/hawk02/after-14-seasons-john-randle-retires}}</ref> He had planned to retire in 2003, but Seahawks coach [[Mike Holmgren]] convinced him to stay one more year. The Seahawks made the playoffs in [[2003-04 NFL playoffs|2003]] while he was on the roster, but did not reach the Super Bowl, losing in the Wild Card Round to the [[2003 Green Bay Packers season|Packers]]. Randle also acquired his final sack in 2003.

Randle left the NFL tied with [[Richard Dent]] for fifth in career sacks. His 137.5 sacks remain the second-highest total by a defensive tackle in NFL history, below fellow Vikings legend [[Alan Page]], who had 148.5.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Farnsworth |first=Clare |date=March 1, 2004 |title=Randle retires from Seahawks |work=Seattle Post-Intelligencer |url=https://www.seattlepi.com/sports/football/article/Randle-retires-from-Seahawks-1138335.php}}</ref> Over his career, he was named to seven Pro Bowl squads. He was named All Tackle Machine of 1999 by ''Tackle: The Magazine''.{{citation needed|date=June 2020}}

After retiring, Holmgren said of Randle, "He has more fun than any 10 players I've ever seen. There's the John Randle football player and there's the John Randle that might come up to my office and we'll talk about something. There really are two distinctly different guys, and sometimes in this business you get to see that. For a coach, he just makes things worth it."<ref>{{cite web | url=https://archive.seattletimes.com/archive/20040302/hawk02/after-14-seasons-john-randle-retires | title=After 14 seasons, John Randle retires &#124; the Seattle Times }}</ref>

==NFL career statistics==
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
|-
! rowspan="2"| Year
! rowspan="2"| Team
! colspan="2"| Games
! colspan="4"| Tackles
! colspan="2"| Fumbles
|-
! GP !! GS !! Cmb !! Solo !! Ast !! Sck !! FF !! FR
|-
! [[1990 NFL season|1990]] !! [[1990 Minnesota Vikings season|MIN]]
| 16 || 0 || 21 || — || — || 1.0 || 1 || 0
|-
! [[1991 NFL season|1991]] !! [[1991 Minnesota Vikings season|MIN]]
| 16 || 8 || 58 || — || — || 9.5 || 2 || 0
|-
! [[1992 NFL season|1992]] !! [[1992 Minnesota Vikings season|MIN]]
| 16 || 14 || 56 || — || — || 11.5 || 0 || 1
|-
! [[1993 NFL season|1993]] !! [[1993 Minnesota Vikings season|MIN]]
| 16 || 16 || 59 || — || — || 12.5 || 3 || 0
|-
! [[1994 NFL season|1994]] !! [[1994 Minnesota Vikings season|MIN]]
| 16 || 16 || 42 || 30 || 12 || 13.5 || 3 || 2
|-
! [[1995 NFL season|1995]] !! [[1995 Minnesota Vikings season|MIN]]
| 16 || 16 || 44 || 33 || 11 || 10.5 || 1 || 0
|-
! [[1996 NFL season|1996]] !! [[1996 Minnesota Vikings season|MIN]]
| 16 || 16 || 46 || 35 || 11 || 11.5 || 4 || 0
|-
! [[1997 NFL season|1997]] !! [[1997 Minnesota Vikings season|MIN]]
| 16 || 16 || 58 || 47 || 11 || 15.5 || 2 || 2
|-
! [[1998 NFL season|1998]] !! [[1998 Minnesota Vikings season|MIN]]
| 16 || 16 || 41 || 27 || 14 || 10.5 || 3 || 1
|-
! [[1999 NFL season|1999]] !! [[1999 Minnesota Vikings season|MIN]]
| 16 || 16 || 38 || 29 || 9 || 10.0 || 4 || 3
|-
! [[2000 NFL season|2000]] !! [[2000 Minnesota Vikings season|MIN]]
| 16 || 16 || 26 || 25 || 1 || 8.0 || 2 || 0
|-
! [[2001 NFL season|2001]] !! [[2001 Seattle Seahawks season|SEA]]
| 15 || 14 || 34 || 26 || 8 || 11.0 || 4 || 1
|-
! [[2002 NFL season|2002]] !! [[2002 Seattle Seahawks season|SEA]]
| 12 || 12 || 15 || 13 || 2 || 7.0 || 0 || 0
|-
! [[2003 NFL season|2003]] !! [[2003 Seattle Seahawks season|SEA]]
| 16 || 9 || 17 || 12 || 5 || 5.5 || 0 || 1
|-
! colspan="2"| [https://www.espn.com/nfl/player/stats/_/id/196/john-randle Career] !! 219 !! 185 !! 471 !! 277 !! 84 !! 137.5 !! 29 !! 11
|}

==Vikings records==
* Most seasons leading team in sacks: 9, 1991, 1993–2000
* Most consecutive seasons leading team in sacks: 8, 1993–2000

==After football and legacy==
Randle was elected to the [[College Football Hall of Fame]] and inducted into the Minnesota Vikings Ring of Honor in 2008.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Ring of Honor |url=http://www.vikings.com/team/history/ring-of-honor.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130918033255/http://www.vikings.com/team/history/ring-of-honor.html |archive-date=September 18, 2013 |access-date=September 14, 2013 |publisher=Minnesota Vikings}}</ref> He was eligible for the [[Pro Football Hall of Fame]] starting in 2009, and was elected in 2010.<ref>{{Cite web |title=John Randle - Pro Football Hall of Fame Official Site |url=http://www.profootballhof.com/hof/member.aspx?player_id=278 |access-date=July 16, 2018 |website=Profootballhof.com}}</ref> Randle was inducted in [[Canton, Ohio]], on August 7, 2010, alongside [[Jerry Rice]], [[Emmitt Smith]], [[Floyd Little]], [[Russ Grimm]], [[Rickey Jackson]], and [[Dick LeBeau]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=John Randle - Pro Football Hall of Fame Official Site |url=http://www.profootballhof.com/hof/member.aspx?PlayerId=278 |access-date=July 16, 2018 |website=Profootballhof.com}}</ref> He was also inducted into the [[Texas Sports Hall of Fame]] that year<ref>{{Cite web |last=Oliver |first=Richard |date=February 6, 2011 |title=Randle enters Texas Sports Hall of Fame |url=http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/hall_of_fame/article/Randle-enters-Texas-Sports-Hall-of-Fame-1000232.php |access-date=January 12, 2020 |website=[[San Antonio Express-News]]}}</ref> and had his number retired by his former high school team. In 2019, Randle was inducted into the Minnesota Sports Hall of Fame. He lives in [[Medina, Minnesota]], with his wife and children.<ref>{{Cite web |date=October 4, 2007 |title=John Randle's House in Medina, MN |url=http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/john-randles-house/ |access-date=July 16, 2018 |website=Virtualglobetrotting.com}}</ref>

Randle served as a Minnesota delegate to the [[2024 Democratic National Convention]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Bailey |first=Aditi Sangal, Elise Hammond, Antoinette Radford, Maureen Chowdhury, Tori B. Powell, Chelsea |date=2024-08-20 |title=Live updates: Democratic National Convention, Obamas headline day 2 of the DNC {{!}} CNN Politics |url=https://www.cnn.com/politics/live-news/dnc-democratic-national-convention-08-20-24#h_e54ac744b305d1d83a378d3aacd0bfb2 |access-date=2024-08-21 |website=CNN |language=en}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* {{College Football HoF|2211}}
* {{Footballstats |nfl=John-Randle
|espn= |cbs= |yahoo= |si= |pfr=R/RandJo00 |rotoworld= }}

{{NFL sack leaders}}
{{100 sacks club}}
{{NFL1990s}}
{{NFL100}}
{{Vikings Ring Of Honor}}
{{2010 Football HOF}}
{{Pro Football Hall of Fame members}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Randle, John}}
[[Category:1967 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:American football defensive ends]]
[[Category:American football defensive tackles]]
[[Category:Minnesota Vikings players]]
[[Category:Seattle Seahawks players]]
[[Category:Texas A&M–Kingsville Javelinas football players]]
[[Category:Trinity Valley Cardinals football players]]
[[Category:American Conference Pro Bowl players]]
[[Category:College Football Hall of Fame inductees]]
[[Category:National Conference Pro Bowl players]]
[[Category:Pro Football Hall of Fame inductees]]
[[Category:People from Hearne, Texas]]
[[Category:Players of American football from Robertson County, Texas]]