Max Unger
{{Short description|American football player (born 1986)}}
{{other uses}}
{{Use American English|date=March 2023}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2019}}
{{Infobox NFL biography
| name = Max Unger
| image = Max Unger 2015.jpg
| image_size =
| alt =
| caption = Unger with the New Orleans Saints in 2015
| number = 60
| position = Center
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1986|4|14|mf=y}}
| birth_place = Kailua-Kona, Hawaii, U.S.
| death_date =
| death_place =
| height_ft = 6
| height_in = 5
| weight_lbs = 305
| high_school = Hawaii Preparatory Academy
(Waimea, Hawaii)
| college = Oregon (2004–2008)
| draftyear = 2009
| draftround = 2
| draftpick = 49
| pastteams =
- Seattle Seahawks ({{NFL Year|2009}}–{{NFL Year|2014}})
- New Orleans Saints ({{NFL Year|2015}}–{{NFL Year|2018}})
| highlights =
- Super Bowl champion (XLVIII)
- First-team All-Pro (2012)
- 3× Pro Bowl (2012, 2013, 2018)
- First-team All-American (2008)
- 2× First-team All-Pac-10 (2007, 2008)
- Second-team All-Pac-10 (2006)
| statlabel1 = Games played
| statvalue1 = 130
| statlabel2 = Games started
| statvalue2 = 130
| statlabel3 = Fumble recoveries
| statvalue3 = 5
| pfr = U/UngeMa20
}}
Maxwell McCandless Unger (born April 14, 1986) is an American former professional football player who was a center in the National Football League (NFL) for 10 seasons. He played college football for the Oregon Ducks and was selected by the Seattle Seahawks in the second round of the 2009 NFL draft. Unger was the starting center for the Seahawks in Super Bowl XLVIII.
Early life
Unger was born in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii. He attended Hawaii Preparatory Academy in Kamuela, Hawaii, where he was a 2002 second-team all-state offensive honoree.
Regarded as a three-star recruit by Rivals.com, Unger was listed as the No. 45 offensive guard.{{Cite web |title=Max Unger, 2004 Offensive guard |url=https://n.rivals.com/content/prospects/2004/max-unger-44100 |access-date=September 28, 2018 |website=Rivals.com}} He chose to attend Oregon over Oregon State.
Unger's grandfather, Tom E. Unger, wrote a book about his grandfather, Maximillian Joseph August Schlemmer, titled Max Schlemmer, Hawaii's King of Laysan Island.
College career
Unger enrolled in the University of Oregon, where he played for the Oregon Ducks football team from 2005 to 2008. While playing for the Ducks, Unger was twice named as a first-team All-Pac-10 selection, and also receiving honorable mention and second-team All-Pac-10 honors. He was a first-team All-American in 2008 in recognition of his successful season. Unger started on the offensive line in all of his four years with the Ducks.
Professional career
=Pre-draft=
{{NFL predraft
| height ft = 6
| height in = 4 5/8
| weight = 309
| dash = 5.35
| ten split = 1.87
| twenty split = 3.12
| shuttle = 4.50
| cone drill = 7.39
| vertical = 24.5
| broad ft = 7
| broad in = 9
| bench = 22
| arm span = 32 1/2
| hand span = 9 1/4
| wonderlic =
| note = All values from NFL Combine{{Cite web |url=https://www.nfl.com/prospects/max-unger/3200554e-4740-8916-7317-952d2a498a9b |title=Max Unger Draft and Combine Prospect Profile |website=NFL.com |access-date=October 10, 2021}}{{Cite web |url=http://draftscout.com/dsprofile.php?PlayerId=33518&DraftYear=2009 |title=Max Unger, Oregon, C, 2009 NFL Draft Scout, NCAA College Football |website=draftscout.com |access-date=October 10, 2021}}
}}
Projected to be second round selection,{{Cite web |title=Max Unger - 2009 Draft Tracker |url=http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/football/2009/draft/players/11938.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090426124828/http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/football/2009/draft/players/11938.html |archive-date=April 26, 2009 |website=SI.com}} Unger was listed as the No. 1 offensive guard available in the 2009 NFL draft.{{Cite web |title=View Draft by Positions - 2009 Draft Tracker |url=http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com:80/football/2009/draft/breakdowns/by_position/G.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090805182516/http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/football/2009/draft/breakdowns/by_position/G.html |archive-date=August 5, 2009 |access-date=January 29, 2013 |website=SI.com}} He was described as "not a great prospect," yet having "starting potential on the NFL level for years to come."
=Seattle Seahawks=
Unger was drafted by the Seahawks in the second round with the 49th overall pick.{{Cite web |title=2009 NFL Draft Listing |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/years/2009/draft.htm |access-date=2023-05-13 |website=Pro Football Reference |language=en}} He was the highest selected Oregon Ducks offensive lineman since Tom Drougas went 22nd overall in 1972. Unger signed a 4-year contract with the Seahawks worth over $3 million on July 29, 2009. After a pre-season effort in which head coach Jim Mora said "We believe he is ready to start and be a productive player in this league immediately," Unger was named starting right guard over Mansfield Wrotto.{{Cite web |last=Bell |first=Gregg |date=September 4, 2009 |title=Seahawks still undecided on kicker |url=http://seattletimes.com/html/localnews/2009808886_apfbnseahawksfinaldecisions.html |publisher=SeattleTimes.com}} In 2012, Unger signed a four-year extension worth a maximum of $24 million making him one of the top 5 paid centers in the NFL. He was one of only three members to remain on the Seahawks from before John Schneider's arrival in Seattle in January 2010, along with Brandon Mebane and Jon Ryan. Unger won his first Super Bowl title with the Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl XLVIII, beating the Denver Broncos by a score of 43–8.{{Cite web |title=Super Bowl XLVIII - Seattle Seahawks vs. Denver Broncos - February 2nd, 2014 |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/201402020den.htm |access-date=November 3, 2017 |website=Pro Football Reference |language=en}} In 2013, he also made his second Pro Bowl team. In 2014, the Seahawks finished the season with a 12–4 record and made it back to the Super Bowl. The Seahawks failed to repeat as Super Bowl champions after they lost 28–24 to the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XLIX.{{Cite web |title=Super Bowl XLIX - New England Patriots vs. Seattle Seahawks - February 1st, 2015 |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/201502010sea.htm |access-date=2024-11-28 |website=Pro Football Reference |language=en}}
=New Orleans Saints=
On March 10, 2015, Unger, along with the Seahawks' first round selection in the 2015 NFL draft, were traded to the New Orleans Saints in exchange for tight end Jimmy Graham.{{Cite web |date=March 10, 2015 |title=New Orleans Saints agree to trade to acquire center Max Unger, 1st-round draft pick for Graham |url=http://www.neworleanssaints.com/news-and-events/article-1/New-Orleans-Saints-agree-to-trade-to-acquire-center-Max-Unger-1st-round-draft-pick-for-Graham/db7da55b-dfc4-432e-a4e5-1b60cca0abaa |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160120095639/http://www.neworleanssaints.com/news-and-events/article-1/New-Orleans-Saints-agree-to-trade-to-acquire-center-Max-Unger-1st-round-draft-pick-for-Graham/db7da55b-dfc4-432e-a4e5-1b60cca0abaa |archive-date=January 20, 2016 |access-date=March 10, 2015 |publisher=NewOrleansSaints.com}}
On May 8, 2017, it was reported that Unger suffered a foot injury and was expected to be out for five months and start the 2017 season on the PUP list.{{Cite web |last=Orr, Conor |date=May 8, 2017 |title=Saints' Max Unger (foot) likely to start season on PUP |url=https://www.nfl.com/news/saints-center-max-unger-dealing-with-foot-injury-0ap3000000806907 |website=NFL.com}} However the foot healed quicker than expected and was the Saints starting center for the entire 2017 season, starting all 16 games.{{Cite web |title=Max Unger 2017 Game Log |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/U/UngeMa20/gamelog/2017/ |access-date=2024-11-28 |website=Pro Football Reference |language=en}}
Unger was named to his first Pro Bowl with the Saints and his third overall in 2018.{{cite web | agency=Associated Press| title=Kona's Max Unger of the Saints named to third career Pro Bowl, Buckner an alternate | website=KHON2 | date=2018-12-19 | url=https://www.khon2.com/sports/local-sports/konas-max-unger-of-the-saints-named-to-third-career-pro-bowl-buckner-an-alternate/ | access-date=2024-11-28}}
=Retirement=
On March 16, 2019, Unger announced his retirement from the NFL after ten seasons.{{Cite web |last=Bergman, Jeremy |date=March 16, 2019 |title=Saints center Max Unger retires after 10 seasons |url=https://www.nfl.com/news/saints-center-max-unger-retires-after-10-seasons-0ap3000001022939 |website=NFL.com}}
References
{{Reflist|30em}}
External links
{{commons category|Max Unger (American football)|Max Unger}}
- [http://www.goducks.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=3378&SPID=233&DB_OEM_ID=500&ATCLID=70438&Q_SEASON=2008 Oregon Ducks bio]
{{Seahawks2009DraftPicks}}
{{Super Bowl XLVIII}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Unger, Max}}
Category:Sportspeople from Hawaii County, Hawaii
Category:Players of American football from Hawaii
Category:American football offensive tackles
Category:American football centers
Category:Oregon Ducks football players
Category:Seattle Seahawks players
Category:New Orleans Saints players
Category:National Conference Pro Bowl players