Chase Camden Winovich (/ˈwɪnvɪ/)[1] (born April 19, 1995) is an American former professional football player who was a defensive end for five seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Michigan Wolverines. He was a two-time All-Big Ten Conference selection, and received All-American honors in 2018. He was selected by the New England Patriots in the third round of the 2019 NFL draft. Winovich spent his first three seasons with the Patriots, also playing for the Cleveland Browns, Houston Texans and Miami Dolphins.

Chase Winovich
refer to caption
Winovich with the Patriots in 2019
No. 50, 69
Position:Defensive end
Personal information
Born: (1995-04-19) April 19, 1995 (age 29)
Jefferson Hills, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Height:6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
Weight:250 lb (113 kg)
Career information
High school:Thomas Jefferson (Jefferson Hills, Pennsylvania)
College:Michigan (2014–2018)
NFL draft:2019 / round: 3 / pick: 77
Career history
 * Offseason and/or practice squad member only
Career highlights and awards
Career NFL statistics
Total tackles:107
Sacks:12.0
Pass deflections:3
Interceptions:1
Forced fumbles:1
Stats at Pro Football Reference

Early years

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Winovich played linebacker and quarterback at Thomas Jefferson High School in Pennsylvania, where he committed to Michigan over offers from Arizona, Arkansas, Florida State, Michigan State, Missouri, Northwestern, Ohio State, Pitt, Tennessee, Virginia Tech, and West Virginia.[2] At times he also played safety and return specialist.[3] Despite being a lifelong Ohio State fan and having an offer from Ohio State, he committed to Michigan due to his connection to Michigan head coach Brady Hoke.[4] Winovich's brother-in-law was also a huge Michigan fan.[3] On National Signing Day, February 5, 2014, Winovich was the first to submit his National Letter of Intent paperwork, which was officially processed at 7:03 a.m., to Michigan.[5]

US college sports recruiting information for high school athletes
Name Hometown High school / college Height Weight 40 Commit date
Chase Winovich
LB
Jefferson Hills, Pennsylvania Thomas Jefferson H.S. 6 ft 3.5 in (1.92 m) 217 lb (98 kg) Jun 1, 2013 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout:    Rivals:    247Sports:     ESPN: 
Overall recruiting rankings:
  • ‡ Refers to 40 yard dash
  • Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height, weight and 40 time.
  • In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale.

Sources:

  • "Michigan Football Commitments". Rivals.com. Retrieved November 28, 2017.
  • "2014 Michigan Football Commits". Scout.com. Retrieved November 28, 2017.
  • "ESPN". ESPN.com. Retrieved November 28, 2017.
  • "Scout.com Team Recruiting Rankings". Scout.com. Retrieved November 28, 2017.
  • "2014 Team Ranking". Rivals.com. Retrieved November 28, 2017.

College career

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2014–2016 seasons

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Winovich began his Michigan career as a freshman linebacker, switched to tight end as a sophomore (for new coach Jim Harbaugh) before settling at defensive end in 2016.[3][6] He wore number 59 as a linebacker and 44 as a tight end (he also practiced at fullback).[7] He did not appear in any games for the 2014 Michigan Wolverines, appeared in 6 for the 2015 Wolverines and appeared in 13, starting 2 at defensive end for the 2016 Wolverines.[8]

2017 season

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Winovich in 2017

In the spring and summer of 2017, Winovich took ballet lessons in order to improve his ability to shift his weight and control his body.[9] He also studied Ju-jitsu in the summer to improve his agility.[10] On September 23, 2017, Winovich had 4 tackles for a loss, including 3 quarterback sacks against the 2017 Purdue Boilermakers football team, earning Co-Big Ten Conference Defensive Player of the Week.[11] The performance also earned him recognition as the Walter Camp Football Foundation (WCFF) National Defensive Player of the Week (Michigan's 7th such honoree since 2014 and 3rd on defense).[12] During the 2017 season, Winovich set a career high in tackles with 74. Winovich's 17.0 tackles for loss leads Michigan and the Big Ten and ranks tied for 11th in a single season in program history, while his 8.0 sacks are tied for most in the league. Following his redshirt junior season, Winovich earned 2017 All-Big Ten team recognition from the media (first-team) and coaches (second-team).[13][14] On January 3, 2018 it was announced that Winovich would return for a fifth year at Michigan.[15]

2018 season

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On October 1, 2018, Winovich earned his second Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week recognition after recording 8 solo tackles and a sack to help Michigan overcome a 17-point deficit against Northwestern.[16][17] Winovich referred to the Wolverines' 62-39 loss to Ohio State as "a mirage."[18] During the 2018 season, Winovich recorded 62 tackles to rank third among Wolverines and first among defensive linemen, and 14.5 tackles for loss to lead the team. Following the season, he was named to the 2018 All-Big Ten defensive first-team by both the coaches and media.[19] Winovich earned 2018 College Football All-America Team second-team recognition by the WCFF, American Football Coaches Association and College Football News.[20][21][22][23] He earned third-team recognition from the Associated Press.[24]

College statistics

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Season Team GP Tackles Interceptions Fumbles
Solo Ast Cmb TfL Sck Int Yds Avg TD PD FF FR Yds TD
2015 Michigan 2 2 0 2 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
2016 Michigan 13 15 17 32 8.5 5.0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0
2017 Michigan 13 36 37 73 19.0 8.5 0 0 0 0 0 2 2 0 0
2018 Michigan 13 33 26 59 15.5 5.0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 0
Career 41 86 80 166 43.0 18.5 0 0 0 0 1 3 3 0 0

Professional career

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Pre-draft measurables
Height Weight Arm length Hand span 40-yard dash 10-yard split 20-yard shuttle Three-cone drill Vertical jump Broad jump Bench press Wonderlic
6 ft 2+34 in
(1.90 m)
256 lb
(116 kg)
32+34 in
(0.83 m)
10 in
(0.25 m)
4.59 s 1.57 s 4.11 s 6.94 s 30.5 in
(0.77 m)
9 ft 8 in
(2.95 m)
18 reps 31
All values from NFL Combine[25]

New England Patriots

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2019

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Winovich was selected by the New England Patriots in the third round (77th overall) of the 2019 NFL draft.[26] On June 4, 2019, he signed a four-year deal worth $3.83 million, with a signing bonus of $997,312.[27][28]

 
Winovich in 2019

In Week 2 against the Miami Dolphins, Winovich recorded 1.5 sacks as the Patriots won 43–0.[29] For his efforts in that game, he was named Pepsi NFL Rookie of the Week.[30] In Week 5 against the Washington Redskins, Winovich sacked Colt McCoy once in the 33–7 win.[31] The following week, against the New York Giants, he recovered and returned a blocked punt for a touchdown, the first of his NFL career.[32]

2020

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In Week 3 against the Las Vegas Raiders, Winovich recorded his first full sack of the season, a strip sack on Derek Carr which was recovered by the Patriots, during the 36–20 win.[33] On October 5, 2020, against the Kansas City Chiefs, he recorded another sack resulting in a fumble from quarterback Patrick Mahomes, despite a controversial blown call from the referees that negated the turnover.[34] Winovich recorded his first career interception off a pass thrown by quarterback Justin Herbert in a Week 13 matchup against the Los Angeles Chargers in the Patriots’ 45–0 shutout.[35] In Week 17 against the New York Jets, he recorded a team-high two sacks on quarterback Sam Darnold in a 28–14 win for the Patriots.[36]

2021

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On October 19, 2021, Winovich was placed on injured reserve.[37] He was activated on November 17.[38]

Cleveland Browns

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Winovich in February 2023.

On March 16, 2022, Winovich was traded to the Cleveland Browns in exchange for Mack Wilson.[39] He was placed on injured reserve on September 20.[40] Winovich was activated on November 19.[41]

Houston Texans

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On March 17, 2023, Winovich signed a one-year contract with the Houston Texans.[42] He was released on August 29.[43]

Miami Dolphins

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On August 31, 2023, Winovich was signed to the Dolphins practice squad.[44] On October 7, Winovich was elevated to the active roster to play in a third game that season, filling in for injured teammates such as Jaelan Phillips.[45] He was released on October 17.[46]

On October 24, 2023, Winovich announced his retirement.[47]

NFL career statistics

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Year Team Games Tackles Interceptions Fumbles
GP GS Cmb Solo Ast Sck Int Yds Lng TD PD FF FR TD
2019 NE 16 0 26 17 9 5.5 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1
2020 NE 16 9 48 33 15 5.5 1 9 9 0 2 1 0 0
2021 NE 13 0 11 6 5 0.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
2022 CLE 8 2 20 14 6 1.0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0
2023 MIA 3 0 2 1 1 0.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Career 56 11 107 71 36 12.0 1 9 9 0 3 1 1 1

Personal life

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Winovich's grandparents moved from Serbia to the United States and changed their last name, Vujinovic ([Serbian Cyrillic: Вујиновић]) to Winovich.[48] Winovich spends his offseasons in Portsmouth, New Hampshire.

Philanthropic work

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Winovich works with Tammi Carr and The ChadTough Foundation to raise awareness of and money for research on diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG), an inoperable malignant tumor of the brainstem. (Carr's son, Chad, the grandson of former Michigan head football coach Lloyd Carr, died of DIPG in November 2015 at age 5.)

Since teaming up with The ChadTough Foundation prior to the 2017 Michigan football season, Winovich has worked to increase awareness about DIPG. In December 2017, Winovich and several of his teammates and coaches dyed their hair orange for the 2018 Outback Bowl in order to raise over $200,000 for the ChadTough Foundation.[49] He has also participated in Dancing with the Michigan Stars, which raised over $143,000.[50]

References

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  1. ^ "Pronunciation Guide - Patriots". patriots.1rmg.com. Retrieved July 7, 2020.
  2. ^ Reid, Andy (January 22, 2014). "Recruiting Recap: Chase Winovich". Rivals.com. Retrieved November 29, 2017.
  3. ^ a b c Wenzel, Matt (September 11, 2016). "Emotional Chase Winovich makes family, Michigan teammates proud in first start". MLive.com. Retrieved November 30, 2017.
  4. ^ Baumgardner, Nick (January 27, 2014). "Once a huge Ohio State fan, Chase Winovich swayed to Michigan by Brady Hoke's 'real' personality". MLive.com. Retrieved November 29, 2017.
  5. ^ Baumgardner, Nick (February 5, 2014). "Chase Winovich becomes Michigan's first signee of the day, personality reminds staff of Jake Ryan". MLive.com. Retrieved November 30, 2017.
  6. ^ Sipple, George (October 4, 2017). "Michigan football's Chase Winovich: 'Just that right amount of crazy'". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved November 30, 2017.
  7. ^ Baumgardner, Nick (March 23, 2015). "Chase Winovich now officially listed as a tight end on Michigan's roster". MLive.com. Retrieved November 30, 2017.
  8. ^ "15 Chase Winovich". MGoBlue.com. CBS Interactive. Retrieved November 29, 2017.
  9. ^ Santo, Kevin (November 21, 2017). "The madness that made Chase Winovich". Michigan Daily. Retrieved November 30, 2017.
  10. ^ McMann, Aaron (October 6, 2017). "Michigan's Chase Winovich: Ballet, Conor McGregor and scrapping for crumbs". MLive.com. Retrieved November 30, 2017.
  11. ^ "Big Ten Football Players of the Week: Indiana, Iowa, Michigan and Penn State students earn this week's honors". BigTen.org. CBS Interactive. September 25, 2017. Archived from the original on September 25, 2017. Retrieved November 29, 2017.
  12. ^ "TCU RB Darius Anderson and Michigan DE Chase Winovich Named Walter Camp FBS Players of the Week". WalterCamp.org. September 24, 2017. Retrieved November 29, 2017.
  13. ^ "Thirteen Wolverines Named All-Big Ten on Defense, Special Teams". BigTen.org. CBS Interactive. November 28, 2017. Retrieved November 28, 2017.
  14. ^ "Big Ten Announces Football All-Conference Teams for Defense and Special Teams". BigTen.org. CBS Interactive. November 28, 2017. Archived from the original on November 30, 2017. Retrieved November 28, 2017.
  15. ^ McMann, Aaron (January 3, 2018). "Chase Winovich says he's returning to Michigan for his final season". MLive.com. Retrieved January 4, 2018.
  16. ^ "Big Ten Football Players of the Week". BigTen.org. CBS Interactive. October 1, 2018. Archived from the original on October 1, 2018. Retrieved November 23, 2018.
  17. ^ "No. 14 Michigan rallies to beat Northwestern 20-17". ESPN. Associated Press. October 1, 2018. Retrieved November 23, 2018.
  18. ^ Crawford, Kirkland. "Chase Winovich called Ohio State loss a mirage. Buckeyes respond". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved February 13, 2020.
  19. ^ "Fourteen Wolverines Earn All-Big Ten Honors on Defense, Special Teams". MGoBlue.com. CBS Interactive. November 27, 2017. Retrieved November 27, 2018.
  20. ^ Carbone, Al (December 6, 2018). "Walter Camp Football Foundation Announces 2018 All-America First and Second Teams". Walter Camp Football Foundation. Retrieved December 7, 2018.
  21. ^ "2018 CollegeFootballNews.com All-America Team: Defense". College Football News. December 9, 2018. Retrieved December 11, 2018.
  22. ^ "All-America Announcements Kick Off with U-M Duo on Walter Camp Team". MGoBlue.com. CBS Interactive. December 6, 2018. Retrieved December 6, 2018.
  23. ^ "Alabama's Tua Tagovalioa & Clemson's Christian Wilkins Headline 2018 FBS Coaches' All-America Teams". American Football Coaches Association. December 12, 2018. Retrieved December 12, 2018.
  24. ^ Russo, Ralph D. (December 10, 2018). "AP All-America team: Tide leads with 4 of 10 CFP players". Associated Press. Retrieved December 11, 2018.
  25. ^ "NFL Draft Prospect Profile – Chase Winovich". nfl.com. March 1, 2019. Retrieved April 26, 2019.
  26. ^ Chengelis, Angelique S. (April 26, 2019). "Patriots select Michigan defensive end Chase Winovich in third round". The Detroit News. Retrieved April 26, 2019.
  27. ^ Cox, Zack (June 3, 2019). "NFL Rumors: Patriots Sign Draft Pick Chase Winovich To Four-Year Contract". NESN.com. Retrieved September 3, 2019.
  28. ^ "Patriots Sign Third-Round Pick DL Chase Winovich". www.patriots.com. Retrieved October 8, 2023.
  29. ^ "Newcomer Brown scores as Patriots beat Dolphins 43-0". ESPN. September 15, 2019. Retrieved September 15, 2019.
  30. ^ "NFL.com - Pepsi Rookie of the WEEK". NFL.com. NFL. Retrieved October 1, 2019.
  31. ^ "Brady carries unbeaten Patriots past winless Redskins 33-7". ESPN. October 6, 2019. Retrieved October 6, 2019.
  32. ^ Thomas, Chris (October 11, 2019). "Ex-Michigan star Chase Winovich scores his first NFL touchdown. Now he'll pay a fine". FreeP.com. Detroit Free Press. Retrieved October 11, 2019.
  33. ^ "Las Vegas Raiders at New England Patriots - September 27th, 2020". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved September 28, 2020.
  34. ^ "Officials butcher call in Chiefs-Patriots game, negating clear Kansas City turnover". www.sportingnews.com. October 6, 2020. Retrieved October 9, 2020.
  35. ^ "New England Patriots at Los Angeles Chargers - December 6th, 2020". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved December 8, 2020.
  36. ^ "New York Jets at New England Patriots - January 3rd, 2021". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved January 8, 2021.
  37. ^ "Patriots Sign DB Myles Bryant to the 53-Man Roster; Place DL Chase Winovich on Injured Reserve; Sign K Riley Patterson to the Practice Squad". Patriots.com. October 19, 2021.
  38. ^ "Patriots activate DL Chase Winovich to the 53-man roster; Place LB Josh Uche on Injured Reserve; Release WR Malcolm Perry from Injured Reserve". Patriots.com. November 17, 2021.
  39. ^ Polsal, Anthony (March 16, 2022). "Browns acquire DE Chase Winovich in trade with Patriots". ClevelandBrowns.com.
  40. ^ "Browns place TE Jesse James and DE Chase Winovich on injured reserve". ClevelandBrowns.com. September 20, 2022. Retrieved September 20, 2022.
  41. ^ "Browns activate DE Chase Winovich, place G Michael Dunn on IR and make other roster moves". ClevelandBrowns.com. November 19, 2022.
  42. ^ "Houston Texans Transactions (3-17-2023)". HoustonTexans.com. Houston Texans Public Relations. March 17, 2023. Retrieved March 17, 2023.
  43. ^ "Texans announce initial 53-man roster". HoustonTexans.com. August 29, 2023.
  44. ^ "Miami Dolphins Sign Eight to Practice Squad". MiamiDolphins.com. August 31, 2023.
  45. ^ "Miami Dolphins Elevate Winovich". www.miamidolphins.com. Retrieved October 8, 2023.
  46. ^ "Miami Dolphins Make Practice Squad Moves". MiamiDolphins.com. October 17, 2023.
  47. ^ Comeaux, Jonathan (October 24, 2023). "Veteran DE Chase Winovich Announces Retirement". NFLTradeRumors.co. Retrieved October 25, 2023.
  48. ^ "What a Michigan football writer learned about Chase Winovich and Tom Brady | Boston.com". www.boston.com. Retrieved September 22, 2020.
  49. ^ "Michigan DE Chase Winovich's philanthropy astounds, inspires Tammi Carr". Land of 10. March 12, 2018. Archived from the original on June 13, 2018. Retrieved May 21, 2018.
  50. ^ Slagter, Martin (March 9, 2018). "Dancing with the Michigan Stars raises $143K for ChadTough Foundation". MLive.com. Retrieved May 21, 2018.
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