From Super Bowl champion to professional poker player and NFL team minority owner
In short: Richard Seymour dominated the NFL as a versatile defensive lineman, securing three Super Bowl rings with the New England Patriots. After a storied career defined by Pro Bowl selections and physical resilience, he transitioned into the world of professional poker and eventually became a minority owner of the Las Vegas Raiders.
Born on October 6, 1979, Richard Seymour emerged as a premier defensive talent at the University of Georgia, where he played from 1997 to 2000. Drafted sixth overall by the New England Patriots in 2001, he quickly became a cornerstone of their defense. His versatility allowed him to excel as both a 3-4 defensive end and a 4-3 defensive tackle, earning him seven Pro Bowl selections and five All-Pro honors. Seymour was a key member of the Patriots teams that won Super Bowls XXXVI, XXXVIII, and XXXIX.
Seymour’s career was marked by both elite performance and physical challenges. He frequently battled injuries, including knee and elbow issues that hampered his conditioning during the mid-2000s. Despite these setbacks, he remained a formidable presence, even occasionally lining up at fullback for goal-line situations before a knee injury ended that experiment in 2005. In 2009, he was traded to the Oakland Raiders, where he continued to play at a high level, eventually signing a two-year, $30 million extension in 2011 that made him the highest-paid defensive player in the league at the time.
Following his retirement from football, Seymour pivoted to professional poker. He has competed in the World Series of Poker multiple times, placing 131st in the 2019 main event and 284th in 2023. His connection to the NFL remained strong, culminating in his election to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2022. In October 2024, he further solidified his legacy in the sport by purchasing a 0.5% ownership stake in the Las Vegas Raiders, marking a rare transition from player to minority owner.
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