Danny Trevathan

Danny Trevathan made a career out of defying expectations. Passed over by Florida’s “Big 3” college football programs after his standout years at Leesburg High School, he took his talents to the University of Kentucky. There, he honed his game and paved the way for a highly successful 10-year run in the National Football League.

Trevathan made history at the University of Kentucky as the first linebacker in school history to earn First Team All-American honors—an achievement he secured in each of his final two seasons. Leading the SEC in tackles both years, he was named National Linebacker of the Year by the College Football Performance Awards as a senior in 2011. His exceptional speed and instinct for finding the ball were the hallmarks of his game.

Despite his standout play at Kentucky against elite SEC competition, some scouts viewed Trevathan as “too small” to succeed as an NFL linebacker at 6 feet tall and 237 pounds. Due to these misguided perceptions, he fell to the sixth round of the 2012 NFL Draft, where the Denver Broncos selected him with the 188th overall pick.

In his rookie season with the Denver Broncos, Trevathan served in a backup role and delivered a steady, if understated, performance. But in his second year, he left no doubt that he belonged in the NFL. Starting all 16 games, he racked up a career-high 153 tackles—106 of them solo—along with 8 tackles for loss and 3 forced fumbles. Once again, Danny Trevathan proved his doubters wrong.

Trevathan entered his third NFL season with high expectations, but a preseason injury limited him to just three games, putting his progress on hold. However, 2015 brought a fresh start—a full recovery, a new head coach, a revamped defensive scheme, and a move to right inside linebacker. The result was a magical year for him and the Denver Broncos. Trevathan recorded 131 total tackles, including 89 solo stops, and notched his first career interception in the 2015 campaign. He capped off the season with a standout performance in Denver’s 24-10 Super Bowl 50 victory over the Carolina Panthers, tallying 8 tackles and recovering two crucial fumbles that helped secure the championship.

Following his Super Bowl-winning season, Trevathan entered free agency and signed with the Chicago Bears, reuniting with former Broncos head coach John Fox. Over the next five seasons, he became a cornerstone of the Bears’ defense, embodying the toughness and leadership long associated with the “Monsters of the Midway.” Despite battling some injury setbacks, he started all but one of the 64 games he played in during that span.

His strongest seasons came in 2018 and 2020, both of which helped propel the Bears into the playoffs. A highlight of 2018 was a dominant Monday Night Football performance against the Seattle Seahawks, where he tallied six solo tackles, two assists, two sacks, and a forced fumble—earning him NFC Defensive Player of the Week honors. He capped off that season as a Pro Bowl alternate.

In 2020, Trevathan delivered his second-best statistical season in the NFL, racking up 123 total tackles, including 76 solo stops. However, injuries returned in 2021, sidelining him for most of the season. After appearing in only five games and starting the year on injured reserve, he was released by the Bears ahead of the 2022 season, marking the end of his remarkable NFL journey and leading to his retirement.

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