Andre Tippett Andre Bernard Tippett ( born December 27 , 1959 ) is a former American college and professional football player who was a linebacker in the National Football League ( NFL ) for twelve seasons during the 1980s and 1990s . He played college football for the University of Iowa , and was recognized as an All - American . A second - round pick in the 1982 NFL Draft , Tippett played professionally for the New England Patriots for his entire pro career . Currently , he is the Patriots ' Executive Director of Community Affairs . He was enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2008 . Personal life . Tippett was born in Birmingham , Alabama . He attended Barringer High School in Newark , New Jersey . He first attended college and played football at Ellsworth Community College in Iowa Falls in 1978 . He is married to Rhonda Tippett ( née Kenney ) with three daughters , Janea Tippett , Asia Barnes and Madison , and one son , Coby . Asia has been a Patriots Cheerleader since 2008 . Andre Tippett is a former Baptist , and a convert to Judaism . He currently lives in Sharon , Massachusetts , and is a Pop Warner football coach . College football . Tippett was an All - American defensive end and a three - year letterman at the University of Iowa . He was also a two - time All - Big Ten selection ( 1980 and 1981 ) . In 1981 he helped lead the Hawkeyes to their first winning season , their first Big Ten title , and first Rose Bowl in two decades . He was part of a defense that allowed only 129 points , the lowest total since 1965 and 9th best in school history and allowed only 86 . 9 rushing yards a game , which still stands as the school record . The 1981 Iowa defense allowed 253 total yards a game , the fewest since 1959 , making it the 4th best defense in school history in terms of total yards . Against Northwestern on October 3 , 1981 , the Hawkeye defense allowed 78 total yards which stands as 6th best in defensive performances in team history . Andre was a two - time first team all - Big Ten , and a team captain in 1981 . He holds the Iowa record for tackles for lost yardage in a season ( 20 tackles for 153 yards in 1980 ) . He played in the Hula Bowl and the Japan Bowl in 1982 , after his senior year at Iowa . He was voted a DE on Iowa ’ s all - time football team in 1989 as is a member of the University of Iowa ' s Varsity Hall of Fame . Upon induction to the Varsity Hall of Fame , Tippett remarked , " For me , this is a ' Wow ' . . . It is really , really special to be voted by your peers and the people who saw you play . I ' m going in with some of the greatest people to ever play sports at the University of Iowa . This is one of the greatest honors I have ever had . This is a special feeling because during the three years I was there , I developed a great bond with the players and coaches . " Professional football . Tippett was drafted by the New England Patriots in the 2nd round of the 1982 NFL Draft . Tippett is a member of the NFL ’ s 1980s all - decade team and was selected to five Pro Bowl s in his career , earning the nod in five straight seasons from 1984 – 88 . From 1984 – 85 , Tippett recorded the highest two - season sack total by a linebacker in NFL history , totaling 35 . 0 sacks during the two seasons . His 18 . 5 sacks in 1984 are the third most by any linebacker in a single season , while his 16 . 5 sacks in 1985 are tied for the sixth most by any linebacker in NFL history . Tippett holds the Patriots ’ franchise record with 100 . 0 career sacks . He also owns the top three single - season sack performances in Patriots history ( 18 . 5 in 1984 , 16 . 5 in 1985 and 12 . 5 in 1987 ) . He ranked seventh on the all - time sacks list , and third among linebackers , at the time of his retirement following the 1993 season . Over his career , Tippett recorded 100 sacks in 151 games , an average of 0 . 662 sacks per game . The mark currently ranks fourth in NFL history among linebackers . After not recording a sack as a rookie in 1982 , Tippett finished either first or second on the team in sacks in each of his final 10 seasons . He led the team in sacks six times and finished second on the team four times . Tippett recorded 30 multiple - sack games in his career and sacked a total of 41 different quarterbacks . Tippett recovered 18 opponents ’ fumbles during his career , tying him for first on the Patriots ’ all - time list ( Steve Nelson ) . He also forced 17 fumbles in his career . Tippett was named the AFC ’ s Linebacker of the Year by the NFL Players Association for three straight seasons from 1985 – 87 . He was voted to the Associated Press All - NFL First - team on two occasions ( 1985 and 1987 ) and Second - team on two other occasions ( 1986 and 1988 ) . He was also named to the NFL Films All - Pro team in 1984 . He was voted the Newspaper Enterprise Association ( NEA ) co - Defensive Player of the Year ( with Raider Howie Long ) in 1985 . Additionally , he was voted the 1985 UPI AFL - AFC Defensive Player of the Year . Tippett twice earned AFC Defensive Player of the Week awards . The first in the Patriots 20 – 13 win over the New York Jets as he stopped the Jets 3 times within the 10 yard line on 10 – 20 – 85 . Next , he was the AFC Defensive Player of the Week in the Patriots 21 – 7 win over the Houston Oilers on 10 – 18 – 87 . In this victory over Houston at the Astrodome , Andre had 3 sacks , defended on a pass play and blocked a field goal attempt that was returned for a touchdown by Raymond Clayborn . Tippett spent his entire 12 - year career with the Patriots and was a member of three playoff teams , including the 1985 AFC Champions . Honors . Tippett was selected to the Patriots ’ 35th Anniversary Team in 1994 and was selected to the Patriots Team of the Century in 2000 . He was inducted into the New England Patriots Hall of Fame in 1999 . Tippett was inducted into the University of Iowa Hall of Fame on September 7 , 2007 . In January , 2008 , he was voted by a panel of former NFL players and coaches to Pro Football Weekly ' s All - Time 3 – 4 defensive team along with Harry Carson , Lawrence Taylor , Randy Gradishar , Howie Long , Lee Roy Selmon , and Curley Culp . He was named as one of 17 finalists for the Pro Football Hall of Fame ’ s Class of 2007 and 2008 . As a finalist he joined other modern - era players and two players selected by the Hall of Fame ’ s Senior Committee in the pool from which the Hall of Fame class was selected . The Hall of Fame ’ s 40 - member Selection Committee met in Miami on February 3 , 2007 , to select the Class of 2007 . Tippett was not selected for enshrinement , but he was among the top 10 finalists . The now 44 - member Selection Committee met in Arizona , the day prior to Super bowl XLII , to vote on the Class of 2008 . Just prior , Hall of Fame running back Eric Dickerson said , " " I think it is about time Andre Tippett is in the Hall Of Fame . " He was selected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame for the class of 2008 . Tippett was inducted into the National Jewish Sports Hall of Fame in April 2009 .