2012 SD Chargers Media Guide_PROOF.P - Seahawks Online ...

41 COREY LYNCHStrong Safety UFA (Tampa Bay) – ’126-0, 210 Appalachian State5th NFL SeasonEvangelical Christian HS1st with ChargersFt. Myers, Fla.VETERANS &RETURNING PLAYERSIn late May, the Chargers signed Corey Lynch to providedepth and experience in the defensive secondary and onspecial teams.Lynch came over as an unrestricted free agent fromTampa Bay, where he spent the 2009-11 seasons. In hislast season with the Buccaneers, Lynch tallied 20 tackles,an interception and four passes defensed. He also tied forsecond on the team with seven special teams tackles.Lynch came to the NFL from Division I-AA AppalachianState where he helped lead the Mountaineers to threestraight national titles. A three-time All-American, Lynchwas perhaps best known as a collegian for blocking apotential game-winning field goal in a 2007 34-32 win atnational Division I-A powerhouse Michigan. It was one ofsix kicks he blocked during his college career.Lynch’s NFL career began in 2008 when the CincinnatiBengals drafted him in the sixth round. He spent the 2008and early part of the 2009 seasons in Cincinnati. In June2009, Lynch was driving on an interstate in neighboringKentucky when he witnessed a van drive off the road andplummet nearly 300 feet down an embankment. Lynchquickly pulled over and raced down the embankment wherehe found four people injured in the van. The most seriouslyinjured was a woman named Cynthia Brennan, whose neckwas smashed and pinned against a seat from the force ofthe accident. Lynch helped free Brennan until emergencypersonnel responded and his actions were largely creditedfor helping save her life. Later that year, a healthy andrecovered Brennan visited Lynch at a Bengals practice.Lynch’s wife, Cissie Graham Lynch, is the granddaughterof evangelist Billy Graham. His brother, Colton, is a juniordefensive back at Harvard.TRANSACTION HISTORY: Sixth-round pick (177) by Cincinnati,April 27, 2008...signed with Bengals, July 26...waivedSept. 5, 2009...re-signed to Bengals’ practice squad, Sept.7...signed to Tampa Bay’s active roster, Sept. 23...contractexpired March 13, 2012...signed with Chargers, May 29.2011: Fourth-quarter interception off Chicago’s Jay Cutlerled to touchdown in Oct. 23 game at London’s Wembley Stadium.2010: Career-high 24 tackles on defense and 18 onspecial teams...season-high three special teams stops Oct. 10at Cincinnati...interception off Matt Ryan after making firstcareerstart Dec. 5 vs. Atlanta. 2009: Signed to Tampa Bay’sactive roster from Cincinnati’s practice squad on Sept.23...Blocked first-career punt Nov. 29 at Atlanta...blockedfield goal Jan. 3 vs. Falcons. 2008: First-career interceptionOct. 12 off New York Jets’ Brett Favre.COLLEGE: Three-time All-America (2005-07) helped leadAppalachian State to three consecutive Division I-AA nationalchampionships from 2005-07...as senior in 2007, finishedsecond in voting for Buck Buchanan Award as top defensiveplayer in FCS...was closest 1-2 vote in award’s history...setSouth Conference record with 24 career interceptions andset FCS record with 52 career passes defensed...schoolrecord 395 interception return yards...six blocked kicks weresecond in school history...started 55 of 56 career games andtallied 358 tackles...granted medical redshirt after two games(elbow) in 2004...played at Appalachian State from 2003-07...applied physics major.PERSONAL: Born in Cape Coral, Fla....two-time Class A allstatedefensive back and running back at Evangelical ChristianSchool in Ft. Myers, Fla....National Honor Society student.Regular Season Pass Fumbles Special TeamsYear Team G-S Tack.-Asst. Total Sacks-Yds. Int.-Yds. Long TD Def. For.-Rec. TFL Tackles2008 Cincinnati 7-0 3-0 3 0-0 1-6 6 0 1 0-0 0 52009 Tampa Bay 13-0 1-0 1 0-0 0-0 0 0 1 0-0 0 72010 Tampa Bay 16-5 17-7 24 0-0 1-0 0 0 2 0-0 0 182011 Tampa Bay 16-3 16-4 20 0-0 1-14 14 0 4 0-0 0 7Totals 52-8 37-11 48 0-0 3-20 14 0 8 0-0 0 37Single-game HighsTackles — 9 (2 times) Last: vs. Detroit Dec. 19, 2010Interceptions — 1 (3 times) Last vs. Chicago Oct. 23, 2011Interception Return Yards — 14 vs. Chicago Oct. 23, 2011Interception Return Long — 14 vs. Chicago Oct. 23, 2011MEDIA GUIDE | 80