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Dan Koppen

Daniel Koppen (born September 12, 1979 in Dubuque, Iowa) is an American football offensive lineman for the New England Patriots of the National Football League.

High school career

Koppen was born in Iowa, but attended Whitehall High School in Whitehall Township, Pennsylvania, in the Lehigh Valley region of the state. The school was one of 11 high schools in the highly-regarded East Penn Conference (now known as the 12 school Lehigh Valley Conference), a high school league that has produced a number of NCAA and NFL football stars.

As a senior, he earned All-Area, All-East Penn Conference, and All-State honors, and was named the defensive MVP in the 1997 Kaylee Rotary Bowl. As a junior, he was an All-Conference selection. He also lettered two times each in basketball and track and field.

College career

Koppen attended Boston College, where he was a three-year starter, and a three year "All-Big East Conference" second team selection. He majored in Management.

NFL career

After attending Boston College, Koppen entered the 2003 NFL Draft and was selected by the New England Patriots in the fifth round with the 164th overall choice. The Patriots' original intention was for Koppen to back up Patriots' starting center Damien Woody. Woody was lost to an injury, however, and Koppen was inserted in his place.

After the Patriots won Super Bowl XXXVIII that year, defeating the Carolina Panthers, Woody signed with the Detroit Lions, leaving Koppen as the Patriots' starting center. Koppen once again helped them win Super Bowl XXXIX the following year, defeating the Philadelphia Eagles.

Koppen's 2005 season was derailed by a devastating shoulder injury suffered in a game against the Miami Dolphins. In the 2006 season, he returned to his role as the Patriots' starting center, where he is considered one of the NFL's predominant offensive linemen.

On October 12, 2006, the Patriots announced that they had signed Koppen to a five-year, $20 million contract extension, keeping him in New England through the 2011 season.