Richard Seymour was the first player drafted by Bill Belichick with the New England Patriots. He went on to have a Hall of Fame career that included three Super Bowl championships in Foxboro. Let’s check in with what he’s doing these days:
Where are former Patriots now? Richard Seymour (2001-2008)
Seymour is back living in his home state of Georgia in the city of Suwanee, which is in the Atlanta metropolitan area.
After 12 seasons in the NFL, Seymour found a new arena of competition. He’s now a prolific poker player who’s amassed $793,789 in career winnings. He most recently competed in a World Series of Poker event at Graton Resort and Casino in Rohnert Park, California. Seymour came in 54th out of 248.
His biggest year as a poker player came in 2018, when he won $376,360 by coming third in the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure. Later that year, he won a tournament at the Talking Stick Resort in Scottsdale, Arizona.
As for the NFL, Seymour is teaming up with Tom Brady once again -- this time as an owner. Back in October, Seymour purchased a 0.5% stake in the Las Vegas Raiders. Brady, meanwhile, purchased a 5% stake in the team.
Seymour, who played for Georgia in college, recently popped up in headlines because of his son’s football career. His son, London Seymour, is set to play for the Bulldogs as well, according to 247Sports.
The elder Seymour’s successful career at Georgia led to him being drafted No. 6 overall in the 2001 NFL Draft. Because New England lacked a first-round pick in 2000, Seymour was the first player drafted in Round 1 under Belichick in New England.
Seymour quickly emerged as a difference-maker in the Patriots’ vaunted 3-4 defense. Midway through his rookie season, Seymour cemented his status as a starter and didn’t look back.
His role as a 3-4 defensive end prevented him from tallying staggering sack numbers. But there was no question about his ability to eat up blockers and terrorize opposing offenses. In eight seasons with the Patriots, Seymour was a five-time Pro Bowler and a three-time All-Pro selection.
By 2008, Seymour was heading into the final year of his contract. Instead of signing him to what would have certainly been a pricey extension, the Patriots traded him to the Raiders in exchange for a first-round pick. That pick was later used to draft cornerstone left tackle Nate Solder.
Seymour had a productive late-career run with the Raiders, who were still in Oakland at the time, making two Pro Bowls over four seasons.
Seymour’s contract with Oakland voided after the 2012 season. As a free agent in 2013, he was in talks with the Atlanta Falcons. However, he publicly stated that he was willing to “walk into retirement” unless the right situation presented itself.
It never did, as 2012 marked the last time Seymour stepped onto an NFL field as a player.
In 2020, Seymour was inducted into the Patriots Hall of Fame. Two years later, he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
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