Dat Nguyen (Vietnamese: Nguyễn Tấn Đạt, born on September 25, 1975 in Fort Chaffee, Arkansas [1]) is the first Vietnamese American to play in the National Football League. He played for the Dallas Cowboys. September 25 is the 268th day of the year (269th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1975 (MCMLXXV) was a common year starting on Wednesday. ... Fort Chaffee is in the northwest Arkansas region adjacent to the city of Ft. ... Official language(s) English Capital Little Rock Largest city Little Rock Area  Ranked 29th  - Total 53,179 sq mi (137,732 km²)  - Width 239 miles (385 km)  - Length 261 miles (420 km)  - % water 2. ... In American football, each team has 11 players on the field at one time. ... A linebacker is a position in American and Canadian football. ... This is a list of athletic conferences of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA). ... Texas A&M University at College Station Texas A&M University, often Texas A&M, A&M or TAMU for short, is one of the flagship universities of Texas, and is the flagship institution of the Texas A&M University System. ... The NFL Draft (officially the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting) is an annual sports draft in which National Football League (NFL) teams take turns selecting amateur college American football players and other first-time eligible players. ... The 1999 NFL Draft Categories: | ... The Chuck Bednarik Award, named for the College and Pro Football Hall of Famer, Chuck Bednarik is given annually to the College Defensive Football Player of the Year. ... The Rotary Lombardi Award is awarded annual to the best college football lineman or linebacker. ... City Irving, Texas Other nicknames The Boys, Americas Team Team colors Royal Blue, Navy Blue, Metallic Silver Blue, and White Head Coach Vacant Owner Jerry Jones General manager Jerry Jones Mascot Rowdy [1] League/Conference affiliations National Football League (1960–present) Western Conference (1960) Eastern Conference (1961-1969) Capitol... September 25 is the 268th day of the year (269th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1975 (MCMLXXV) was a common year starting on Wednesday. ... Fort Chaffee is in the northwest Arkansas region adjacent to the city of Ft. ... Official language(s) English Capital Little Rock Largest city Little Rock Area  Ranked 29th  - Total 53,179 sq mi (137,732 km²)  - Width 239 miles (385 km)  - Length 261 miles (420 km)  - % water 2. ... A Vietnamese American is a resident of the United States who is of ethnic Vietnamese descent. ... For other uses of National Football League, see National Football League (disambiguation). ... City Irving, Texas Other nicknames The Boys, Americas Team Team colors Royal Blue, Navy Blue, Metallic Silver Blue, and White Head Coach Vacant Owner Jerry Jones General manager Jerry Jones Mascot Rowdy [1] League/Conference affiliations National Football League (1960–present) Western Conference (1960) Eastern Conference (1961-1969) Capitol...

Background

His family immigrated from Vietnam after the collapse of South Vietnam. He lived most of his childhood in the Gulf Coast town of Rockport, Texas. Rockport is a city located in Aransas County, Texas. ...

Biography

Dat Nguyen battled the perception that he was too small to play linebacker for as long as he was involved in the game, despite his muscular 5'11", 238 pound frame. As a college freshman, he was known as "Fat" Nguyen, but added muscle and became an NFL prospect. Proving critics wrong at an early stage, he proceeded to leave Texas A&M University as the Aggies' career record holder with 51 consecutive starts, 517 career tackles and a 10.7 tackles-per-game average. Texas A&M University, often called A&M or TAMU for short, is the flagship[3] institution of the Texas A&M University System. ...

In 1998, he was named an All-American and won the Bednarik Award as well as the Lombardi Award. 1998 (MCMXCVIII) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year of the Ocean. ... An All-America team is a sports team composed of star players. ... The Chuck Bednarik Award, named for the College and Pro Football Hall of Famer, Chuck Bednarik is given annually to the College Defensive Football Player of the Year. ... The Rotary Lombardi Award is awarded annual to the best college football lineman or linebacker. ...

Despite such an illustrious collegiate career, the "undersized" criticism was still heard from NFL personnel.

The Cowboys went ahead and drafted the most productive linebacker in Texas A&M history in the third round (85th overall) of the 1999 NFL draft. Nguyen made an impact with the Cowboys from the very beginning, leading the team in special-teams stops as a rookie and becoming Dallas' starting middle linebacker in his second professional season. The 1999 NFL Draft Categories: | ...

In 2001, he competed his first full season as a starting NFL middle linebacker and silenced the critics by recording 112 tackles. Nguyen was a fan favorite throughout his career, even among those who do not like Texas A&M or the Cowboys, because he has always been perceived as an overachieving underdog and a quintessential team-player. 2001 (MMI) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

In 2003, with Nguyen leading the team in tackles, his Dallas Cowboys were the most effective defense in the NFL by a very wide margin; several interviews questioned his being left off the Pro Bowl roster. The Pro Bowl is the National Football Leagues all-star game. ...

In May 2004, Nguyen was awarded a Golden Torch Award at the Vietnamese American National Gala in Washington, D.C. 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Logo of the Vietnamese American National Gala. ...

He officially retired from the NFL on March 3, 2006, after a neck injury that hindered his 2005 performance failed to improve. Among the greatest linebackers in Dallas Cowboys history, Nguyen led the team in tackles three times, in 2001, 2003, and 2004.[2] NFL logo For other uses of the abbreviation NFL, see NFL (disambiguation). ... March 3 is the 62nd day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (63rd in leap years). ... 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Nguyen and wife Becky have three daughters.

Awards - collegiate

• All-American, consensus (1998)
• All Big-12 Conference Football - 1st team (1996-98)
• Big 12 Conference - 10th Anniversary Team (2005)
• Big 12 Conference - Defensive Player of the Year (1998)
• Chuck Bednarik Award - College Defensive Player of the Year (1998)
• Cotton Bowl - Defensive Player of the Game (1998)
• Dallas Morning News Big 12 Male Athlete of the Year (1998)
• Lombardi Award - Outstanding College Lineman (1998)
• Southwest Conference Defensive Newcomer of the Year (1995)
• Texas A&M Football Team MVP (1997)

External links

• Dat Nguyen Official Site
• Dat Nguyen at NFL.com
• Dat Nguyen Awarded Vietnamese American National Gala Golden Torch Award