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A six-time Pro Bowl selection, the keystone of the Bears offense for the past 10 seasons, enters his 12th year in the NFL... Heads into 2009 having started 102 consecutive regular season contests and 131 of the Bears last 132 games, including the playoffs... Named to ESPN.com’s all-decade team in 2009... His 102 straight starts is the third-longest streak among active NFL centers... Has started all 16 contests in a season eight times in his career, including six straight years entering the 2009 season... One of nine players in franchise history to be named to six Pro Bowls, tying him for 5th in club history in most Pro Bowl selections, trailing only Walter Payton (9), Jay Hilgenberg (7) and Stan Jones (7) among Bears offensive players... His six straight Pro Bowl selections (2001-06) trail only Hilgenberg and Jones (7) for most consecutive selections by a member of the Bears offense... Has helped pave way for six 1,000-yard running backs in his career, all in the last nine seasons... Chicago has had 100-yard rushers in 33 of his 159 games with 26 of them coming in the last six seasons... Tied with Pat Mannelly as the longest-tenured Bear, each having joined Chicago in 1998... Last missed a game 11/18/02 while recovering from an appendectomy: played the week following the bye in 2004 in which he had elbow surgery... Has started each of his last 156 games played, including all 5 career postseason contests... First-team All-Pro by the Associated Press and The Sporting News for the 2006 season, while also earning All-NFL and All-NFC honors by Pro Football Weekly/PFWA... Only three-time veteran winner of the Brian Piccolo Award, voted by his teammates as the recipient of the award in 2003, 2004 and 2006.
2008 SEASON: Offensive captain anchored line that had the same five starters for all 16 games... Blocked for RB Matt Forte who broke the Bears rookie rushing record and finish third in the NFL in scrimmage yards (1,715)... Protected Bears QB Kyle Orton who threw for 2,972 yards, the sixth-highest mark in franchise history. GAMES PLAYED-STARTED: 16-16
PREVIOUS SEASONS: 2007 - Continued his streak of consecutive games started, starting all 16 of the Bears contests for the fifth straight year... One of two Bears offensive lineman to start every game (Roberto Garza)... Part of O-line that helped produce over 100 net rushing yards in three of the final seven games.
2006 - Anchored Bears offensive line by starting all 16 games at center for the 4th straight season for a Bears O-Line that allowed just 25 sacks, tied for 6th fewest in the NFL and 2nd fewest in his 9-year career (17, 2001)... Under Kreutz’s leadership, Chicago gained 5,199 yards in total offense, the most since 1999 (5,523) including 1,918 rushing yards, the second-most in his career... Named a first-team All-Pro by the Associated Press and The Sporting News... Also named to Pro Football Weekly/PFWA’s All-NFL and All-NFC teams... Helped Thomas Jones rush for over 1,000 yards for second consecutive season, the first time Bears had an individual rush for 1,000 yards in back-to-back years since Neal Anderson in 1989-1990; also marked the first time Chicago had back-toback 1,000 yard backs since James Allen (2000) and Anthony Thomas (2001)... Started all 3 postseason contests as the Bears allowed just 4 sacks... Did not play in the Pro Bowl.
2005 - Centerpiece of Chicago O-line that averaged fewer than 2 sacks allowed per game while helping the Bears tie for 10th in the league with just 31 sacks allowed... Helped open holes for Bears ground attack that ranked 8th in rushing yards in the NFL... Started all 16 games at center for 3rd straight season... Member of O-line vs. CIN (9/25) that did not allow a sack for the first time in 46 games... Played in 100th career game as offense rushed for 2 TD and threw for 2 more vs. MIN (10/16)... Started 100th career game at PIT (12/11)... Started vs. CAR (1/15) in Divisional Playoff... Did not play in Pro Bowl.
2004 - Part of Bears O-line for all 16 games for the fourth time in 6 seasons and was named as NFC’s Pro Bowl starter for the fourth straight campaign... Contributed to season-high 182 rushing yards at GB (9/19)... Made 75th career start vs PHI (10/3).
2003 - Earned third consecutive Pro Bowl start after starting all 16 games... Caught deflected pass for a loss of 8 yards vs. OAK (10/5) for his first career reception... Did not play in Pro Bowl due to injury.
2002 - Remained a constant throughout the season for an injury-depleted O-line and earned recognition as the conference’s top center with his selection as the NFC’s Pro Bowl starter for the second consecutive year... Played all but 1 game despite having mid-season surgery to remove his appendix... Started Games 1-9, 11-16; Inactive Game 10... Streak of 25 consecutive starts ended at STL (11/18) when an appendectomy (11/11) caused him to be inactive at STL (11/18)... Returned to the starting lineup vs. DET (11/24) for the final 6 games of the season.
2001 - Earned first career Pro Bowl start after starting all 16 games at center, plus the playoff contest, as the anchor of an experienced O-line that allowed the fewest sacks in the league... Member of O-line that featured the same 5 starters for all 16 regular season games and the playoff contest... Helped Bears average 108.9 rushing yards per game, the team’s highest season-ending average since 1997 (109.1)... Made postseason debut in Divisional Playoff start vs. PHI (1/19/02).
2000 - Voted third alternate to NFC Pro Bowl team despite being available for only 7 games during the season due to a knee injury... Started Games 1-3 and 8-11; Inactive Games 4-7... Left start vs. NYG (9/17) with knee injury... Inactive for next 4 games due to injury... Returned to starting lineup at PHI (10/22)... Made fourth consecutive start at center vs. TB (11/19) before leaving game in 3rd quarter with knee injury... Placed on injured reserve (11/22) for final 5 games, 1 of 15 Bears to end season on injured reserve.
1999 - Named second alternate to NFC Pro Bowl squad after starting all 16 games at center for first time in his career.
1998 - Played 9 games as a rookie, starting 1 and seeing action at center and guard... Inactive Weeks 1-3 and 6... Made NFL debut subbing for injured Todd Perry at LG vs. DAL (10/18)... Played on special teams and at center on team’s final drive at DET (11/15)... Played center for half of game vs. TB (11/29) and played RG in 2nd quarter due an injury to Chris Villarrial... Made first career start vs. GB (12/27), playing the 1st and 3rd quarters.
