• Name: Lorenzo Levon Kirkland

  • Position: Inside Linebacker

  • Number: 99

  • Born: 2-17-69

  • Birth Place: Lamar, SC

  • Height: 6'1"

  • Weight: 274

  • Year: 6th

  • College: Clemson

  • Aquired: 38th overal in '92

  • Contract: Through '98

    • '97 was a big year for Levon Kirkland. He was selected to his 2nd Pro Bowl where he helped lead the AFC to victory. He also help lead the Steelers to yet another AFC Central Championship. He recorded a career high 5 sacks and 2 interceptions. The Steelers front office recognizes the importance of keeping Levon a Steeler and is already working on a way to keep him in Pittsburgh.

    Contents

    AchievementsStatisticsLevon Links
    PicturesPersonalQuotes

    Achievements

    Pro Career

    Levon has played in 80 games with 60 starts during his five years in the NFL...He has produced 100 or more tackles in three of the last four seasons...His career totals are 409 tackles, nine sacks, six forced fumbles and four recovered fumbles...He has added six interceptions as well.

    		1996

    Earned All-Pro honors from Associated Press and the first Pro Bowl appearance of his career...Led the team with 113 tackles, including 17 at or behind the line of scrimmage...Also had a career-high four interceptions.

    1995

    Voted defensive co-captain along with Greg Lloyd...Started every game for the first time in his career...Finished second on the team with 88 tackles as well as one sack, one pass defensed and two fumble recoveries.

    1994

    Played in every game (15 starts) and finished second on the team to fellow linebacker Chad Brown with 100 tackles (70 solo)...Added three sacks, two interceptions and six passes defensed.

    		 1993

    Finished second to Greg Lloyd with 103 tackles...Also forced four fumbles, recovered two including one which he returned for a touchdown.

    1992

    Played in all 16 games on special teams and tied for third with 10 tackles.

    		College Highlights

    Ended his career with 19 sacks to rank 4th in school history...Was a finalist for the Lombardi Award as a senior after making 5.5 sacks and 67 tackles, which earned him first-team All-America and All-ACC honors.

    Career Statistics
    YearGStartsSacksFumble For.Fumble Rec.TDInt.YardsAvg.TD
    19971616501021470
    19961616400041230
    19951616102000--0
    1994161530002000
    19931613102100--0
    1992160000000--0
    Totals9676140518263.30

    Levon Links

  • The Sporting News
  • CBS Sportsline
  • NFL.com
  • ESPN.SportsZone
  • The Steeler Sector
  • The Steeler Station
  • The Official Steeler Homepage

    Levon Pictures

  • Kirkland after a sack.
  • Kirkland making an interception.
  • Kirkland making a hit.
  • Kirkland making another hit.
  • Kirkland about to make a hit.
  • Kirkland celebrates.
  • Kirkland talks with Cowher.
  • Kirkland celebrates.

    a special thanks to Trace Pupke for providing these images and other info.

    Personal

  • Levon attended Clemson University majoring in Sociology. He is single and lives in Lamar South Carolina where he grew up. He lettered in football and basketball. He was baptized by his father Levon Kirkland Sr. three years ago. He is now the spiritual leader for the Steelers.

    Levon Quotes

  • Levon Kirkland on the hit he took after his interception..."I took one step and the next thing I know he was pile-popping me on the ground, he (Thomas) can (pursue wrestling), but that is over for me. I don't think I take falls very well."

  • Levon Kirkland on starting slow every year..."You can learn from your past experiences, but you don't want to keep doing it all the time, you'd like to start off well (sometime). Traditionally, we're slow starters."

  • Kirkland on Lake playing corner..."If I am a superstitious man, yeah, I would leave him there, but it also doesn't stop me from being smart. Right now, we are in groove so I wouldn't change."

  • "If anybody has any questions about this team, our heart, our determination, I think we answered everybody's questions today, I think we answered all the critics today. The only thing we can do is get better."

    a special thanks to Mike Buckley for providing these quotes.

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