PRO CAREER: Has been a key component to offensive line since coming to Chicago in 2005, starting 101-of-110 games played while the Bears have rushed for 12,143 yards... Started all 16 games in five of the last six seasons for the Bears... Totaled 116 regular season starts over the last eight seasons with Chicago and Atlanta, helping his team to a 71-45 record (.612) in those contests and paving the way for a 1,000-yard rusher in five of those seasons
PRO CAREER: Has been a key component to offensive line since coming to Chicago in 2005, starting 101-of-110 games played while the Bears have rushed for 12,143 yards... Started all 16 games in five of the last six seasons for the Bears... Totaled 116 regular season starts over the last eight seasons with Chicago and Atlanta, helping his team to a 71-45 record (.612) in those contests and paving the way for a 1,000-yard rusher in five of those seasons... Has started 132-of-162 career games played during his 11 NFL seasons with the Bears and Falcons, making starts at each of the interior O-line spots... Played in 101 consecutive regular season games from 2003-10 and appeared in all 16 games eight times during his career (2001, 2004-2009, 2011)... Played in 8 postseason contests, starting every game.
CAREER TRANSACTIONS: Entered NFL as a fourth-round selection (99th overall) by Atlanta in the 2001 NFL Draft... Signed 3-year contract with Falcons (5/21/01)... Received qualifying offer from Atlanta (3/1/04) and accepted tender offer from Falcons (3/25/04)... Contract expired with Atlanta (3/1/05)... Signed 1-year contract as an unrestricted free agent with Chicago (3/21/05)... Signed 6-year contract extension with the Bears (1/2/06)... Signed 2-year contract extension with the Bears (11/8/11). SIGNED through 2013
2011 SEASON: Team-captain starting all 16 contests at C... Helped Bears offense eclipse 2,000-yard rushing mark (2,015) for second time in 21 years, while averaging 4.4 yards per carry, highest team total since 1990... Started all 16 contests for fifth time in last six seasons. GAMES PLAYED-STARTED: 16-16
PREVIOUS SEASONS: 2010 - Appeared in 14 games, starting 5 at LG and the other 9 at RG... Helped block for 1,000-yard rusher as RB Matt Forte finished with 1,069 yards on the ground... Inactive for two games because he had surgery on a torn meniscus... Started both postseason contests. 2009 - One of three Bears offensive lineman that started all 16 games, starting each game at RG... Part of offense that put up the second-most passing yards in franchise history. 2008 - Member of the Bears offensive line that had all five starters start 16 games, one of just six teams in the NFL to accomplish that feat... Started all 16 regular season games for third consecutive year... Paved the way for Bears RB Matt Forte to rush for a franchise rookie-record 1,238 yards... Also helped block for Forte's 8 rushing touchdowns, the most by a Bears RB since 2005... Part of O-Line that allowed 29 sacks which ranked 13th in the NFL and 7th in the NFC... Helped the Bears rush for 208 yards at STL (11/23), the most yards on the ground under Lovie Smith. 2007 - Helped anchor Bears offensive line by starting all 16 games for the second consecutive year... One of two offensive lineman (Olin Kreutz) to start every game. 2006 - Started all 16 games for the first time in his career, plus all three postseason contests at RG... Paved way for third-consecutive 1,000 yard rusher as Thomas Jones rushed for over 1,200 yards... Offensive line allowed just 25 sacks, tied for 6th fewest in NFL. 2005 - Started 7-of-16 games played, plus the postseason contest, during his first season in Chicago... Bears posted 6-1 record in games he started... Helped open holes for offense to gain 2,099 rushing yards (Bears most since 1990) including over 1,300 rushing yards by Thomas Jones... Started for first time as a Bear at LG vs. MIN (10/16). 2004 - Started 15 games and both postseason contests at LG for Atlanta helping lead Falcons to the No. 1 rushing offense in the NFL (2,672 yards)... Played all 16 regular season games as Falcons RB Warrick Dunn rushed for 1,106 yards paving way for first 1,000-yard rusher of career... Member of Falcons offense that set an NFL postseason record with 327 rushing yards in Divisional Playoff vs. STL (1/15/05). 2003 - Played 14 games while making 8 starts for Falcons before being lost for the season with a torn ACL... Competed for starting center position in training camp before injuring his elbow... Made first start of season at LG vs. NO (10/19)... Suffered torn ACL at IND (12/14) which ended his season when he was placed on injured reserve (12/16). 2002 - Began season as the Atlanta's starting RG but was hampered with a broken foot and sprained knee that limited him to 4 starts in 6 games played... Start at GB (9/8) was his first in a season-opener; contributed to 374 yards of total offense... Broke bone in his foot vs. CHI (9/15) on first series and played entire game... Missed next 7 games after undergoing foot surgery (9/17)... Started vs. SEA (12/15), but suffered season-ending knee sprain. 2001 - Played all 16 games during rookie campaign with Falcons, starting 3 at LG and 1 at center... Made his first NFL start at IND (12/16) at LG.
COLLEGE: Full-time starter for 3 seasons at Texas A&M-Kingsville (1997-2000) who earned 3 straight all-conference nods while starting 30 of the team's last 40 games... Named a little college All-America first-team selection and an all-Lone Star Conference performer at center as a senior... Averaged 66 knockdown blocks over his final 2 seasons while starting every contest... Started 14 games as a sophomore and registered a personal-best 102 knockdowns to help the team average 297.3 yards rushing per game... Garnered spot on conference all-freshman team despite moving into a starting spot late in the season... Finished third in the shot put at the 1999 NCAA Championships and won the NCAA title in 2000 with a toss of 57'0"... Also captured the conference crown in the discus in 1999.
PERSONAL: Lettered in football and track at Rio Hondo (TX) H.S. where he was a member of the National Honor Society... Every December 2 is the official 'Roberto Garza Day' in his hometown of Rio Hondo, TX where many of the 2,000 residents are of Hispanic descent... Speaks fluent Spanish and as one of 19 Hispanic players in the NFL... Held a football camp for Hispanic boys and girls in Atlanta while playing for the Falcons... He and wife, Ashley, provided monetary donations to the Empty Stocking Fund, the Falcons Feed the Homeless campaign... Also mentored boys from the Hall County Boys & Girls Club through the Falcons' Ball Boy Mentoring Program.
