Marshawn Lynch

Marshawn Lynch has several relatives, including his uncle and cousins, who also played professional football.

He refers to himself as being in "beast mode" during games. Hence, his fans nicknamed his style as ‘Beast Quark’.

In June 2008, he was charged in a hit and run case and had his driver's license revoked. In 2009, he was arrested on firearm-possession charges and was suspended for three games. In 2012, he was arrested for driving erratically.

Marshawn Terrell Lynch was born on April 22, 1986, in Oakland, California, USA. He has three siblings. His mother Denise, who held a 200-meter track record at Oakland Technical High School, raised him alone. His father, Maurice Sapp, is serving a 24-year sentence for burglary, and had been convicted six times earlier, twice on serious charges.

He started playing football as a young boy. Lynch studied in Oakland Technical High School where he also participated in basketball, track, and wrestling matches in addition to football. In school, he was voted a PrepStar, SuperPrep All-American, and San Francisco East Bay Player of the Year. He led his school team to the state semi-finals in basketball. He was also good in track and field, and competed as a sprinter, and in jumping events.

He later attended the University of California, Berkeley. He majored in social welfare, and was nicknamed ‘Money’ in the university.

Marshawn Lynch started playing football in his Oakland high school, and played defensive back, linebacker, quarterback, and wide receiver. At his university, he played for the California Golden Bears football team. In 2004, he was the primary backup to his senior J. J. Arrington, but in 2005, when Arrington graduated, he became the running back. At the 2005 Las Vegas Bowl, Lynch ran for 194 yards and three touchdowns on 24 carries.

In 2006, he was named to the 2006 All-Pac-10 team First Team, where he won various awards. He was also named the Pac-10 Offensive Player of the Year. He still holds the California school record for most 100-yard rushing games.

In April 2007, the Buffalo Bills selected him in the first round of the 2007 NFL Draft. He signed a six-year contract worth $18.935 million. In his first season game in September, he gained 90 yards on 19 carries. In November, he helped the team win against the Cincinnati Bengals.

Then on 9 December 2007, he played against the Dolphins, rushing for 107 yards. He went over the 1,000-yard rushing mark on 23 December against the New York Giants. This game helped him to become the fourth rookie in Bills to break the 1,000-yard mark.

In November 2008, he once again broke 100 yards rushing in a game against the Cleveland Browns, when he rushed for 119. He also marked his first receiving touchdown. The same month, he achieved a season-high 134 rushing yards against the San Francisco 49ers. He went over the 1,000-yard mark in December in a rematch against the Jets when he rushed for 127 yards.

In 2006, Marshawn Lynch was placed on the watch-list for the Maxwell Award, and was named 8th best player in the nation by ‘Sports Illustrated.

When he was with the Seattle Seahawks, he helped his team win the Super Bowl XLVIII against the Denver Broncos in 2014.

In 2015, he was nominated for BET Award in the category Sportsman of the Year.