For Immediate Release
DEFENSIVE END MARK WORD INKS
ONE-YEAR EXTENSION
Defensive end Mark Word has signed a one-year extension which keeps him under
contract through the 2004 season, the Cleveland Browns announced today. Word
had one year left on his current contract.
Word (6-6, 275, Jacksonville State) had a breakout season for the Browns in
2002. He played in all 16 regular season games with two starts and led the club
with 8.0 sacks, four forced fumbles and 10 quarterback hits. He also added a
quarterback pressure in the Browns AFC Wild Card Playoff loss at Pittsburgh.
Word earned his first career start in place on injured DE Courtney Brown (neck)
vs. Cincinnati on Sept. 15, 2002 and had a career-high 3.0 sacks and four solo
tackles.
“Mark was exceptional last season pressuring the quarterback,” Head Coach
Butch Davis said. “He is continuing to progress towards becoming a complete
football player and is certainly an asset on our defensive line.”
Word’s career totals include 21 games played (two starts) with 23 tackles (19
solo), 8.0 sacks for 55 yards, four forced fumbles, two tackles for loss and 29
quarterback pressures.
He spent one season with the Kansas City Chiefs (1999) before signing with
the St. Louis Rams in 2001. He was allocated to NFL Europe by the Rams, where
he played for the Rhein Fire during the spring of 2001. He returned to the Rams
and was waived during training camp and later signed with the Browns as a free
agent. Word suffered a shoulder injury during training camp and spent the
entire 2001 season on injured reserve.
WORD’S CAREER DEFENSIVE
STATISTICS
| Year |
Tackles |
Sacks
No/Yds |
Ints
No/Yds |
PBU |
Fumbles
Recov/Forced |
TFL |
QB
Pressures |
| Total |
Solo |
Asst |
| 1999 (K.C.) |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0/0 |
0/0 |
0 |
0/0 |
0 |
1 |
| 2000 |
Did Not Play |
| 2001 (Cle) |
Reserve-Injured |
| 2002 (Cle) |
23 |
19 |
4 |
8/55 |
0/0 |
0 |
0/4 |
2 |
29 |
| Career |
23 |
19 |
4 |
8/55 |
0/0 |
0 |
0/4 |
2 |
30 |