Career Highlights

Pro Career
 
Check out video highlights for Takeo Spikes on NFL.com.
 
2005:
  • Tallied six tackles, including four solo vs. Hou (9/11)
  • Recorded one sack for a loss of eight yards and a forced fumble, which was recovered by Buffalo and resulted in a field goal
  • Also posted four quarterback rushes
  • Registered 10 tackles, including seven solo at TB (9/18)
  • Also recorded five quarterback rushes and one pressure
  • Posted two tackles vs. ATL (9/25)
  • Was injured during the first half, with a torn right Achilles tendon and was out for the season
 
2004:
  • Earned his second straight Pro Bowl selection after a strong all-around 2004 campaign featuring 111 total tackles, three sacks, five interceptions for 126 yards (two returned for touchdowns), 14 passes defensed and four forced fumbles
  • Ran an interception return for a touchdown back to start the game vs. Mia (10/17)
  • Tied for a team-high 12 tackles, including three for a loss and added one sack at Bal. (10/24)
  • Posted 11 tackles at NE (11/14)
  • Had one of his best all-around games of the season vs. StL (11/21), compiling seven tackles, an interception and three pass defenses
  • Played an excellent all-around game with four tackles, three passes defenses and one sack versus the Seahawks at Sea. (11/28)
  • Helped shut down the Dolphins with an interception, a forced fumble, seven tackles, and two passes defensed at Mia. (12/5)
  • Caused two fumbles, registered seven tackles, broke up a pass and tallied one sack vs. Cle. (12/12)
  • Against his former team, Spikes recorded five tackles, returned an INT for a touchdown (62 yards) and recovered a fumble at Cin. (12/19)
  • Intercepted his fifth pass of the season vs. Pit. (1/2/05) and added six tackles

 

2003:
  • In his first season with Buffalo, started all 16 games for the fifth time in his career
  • Earned his first trip to the Pro Bowl after leading the Bills second ranked defense
  • Finished second on the team with 144 tackles, and finished tied for second on the team with Terrence McGee with two interceptions
  • Registered six games with double-digit tackles and recorded two sacks on the year
  • In week one, Spikes recorded the first two-interception game of his career by picking off Tom Brady twice in the 31-0 victory
  • Posted his first sack as a Bill at Jax. (9/14) and also led the team with 9 tackles (seven solo)
  • Recorded seven tackles and recovered a fumble, which he returned 29 yards at Mia. (9/21)
  • Tied for first on the team with London Fletcher by posting nine tackles (six solo) and also posted a pass defensed at Dal. (11/9)
  • Registered a season-high 13 tackles (eight solo) vs. Hou. (11/16)
  • Finished the season at NE (12/27) with eight tackles (four solo) and one fumble recovery

 

2002:
  • Led Cincinnati by a wide margin in solo tackles (113) as well as total tackles (171)
  • Led the Bengals in total tackles in 10 of the 16 games
  • In winning his fourth Cincinnati team tackling title, Spikes joined LB Jim LeClair (4 titles) and moved within one of former nose tackle Tim Krumrie (5 titles), the leader in the category
  • Scored his second career TD at Car. (12/8), recovering a fumble from a muffed Panthers handoff and going 45 yards for a score
  • Had 18 tackles (13 solo) in season opener vs. SD (9/8), highest tackle total of any Bengals player during 2001-02 period, topping the 17 he recorded twice in 2001
  • Again led the defense with 8 tackles (5 solo) vs. NO (12/22) and recovered two fumbles in the first quarter
  • Led the team with 16 tackles (9 solo) and a forced fumble at Buf (12/29)

 

2001:
  • Led the team in solo tackles (114) as well as total tackles (173)
  • His 6 sacks topped his previous career best of 3 in 1999
  • Posted the three top tackle totals in a game by a Bengals player in 2001, including top mark of 17 at Cle (11/25) and again at Bal (12/23)
  • Only Bengal to log as many as 10 solo tackles in a game, getting 14 at Bal. (12/23) and 10 each vs. NE (9/9) and vs. TB (12/2)
  • Named AFC Defensive Player of the Week for his 11-tackle, 1-INT performance vs. Bal (9/23)
  • Highlight vs. Ravens was his fourth-quarter INT and 66-yard return for TD
  • Led the team vs. Ten. (11/18) with 15 tackles (8 solo)
  • Posted 17 tackles (8 solo) at Cle (11/25), tied for his highest total tackles figure of the season
  • Had 17 tackles (14 solo) at Bal (12/23)
  • Spikes' solo tackles vs. Ravens were most in a game by a Bengal all season, and his total tackles tied the team high he had set earlier in the year at Cleveland
  • Had 2 sacks in victory at Ten. (1/6) and led team in tackles (11) and solos (8)

 

2000: 
  • Started every game at RLB and posted a then-career-high 128 tackles, third-highest total by a Cincinnati player since 1976
  • Topped the 100-tackle mark for third straight season, first Bengal to do so since Jim LeClair in 1977-79
  • Set team mark with 109 solo tackles
  • Also led team for season with 3 fumble recoveries, and tied for the interceptions lead with 2
  • Posted 14 tackles at Bal. (9/24), tied for the most in a game by any Bengals player all season, and his 12 solos at Ravens was team high for the season
  • Helped lead the Bengals to their first victory of season vs. Den (10/22) with team-high 10 tackles (9 solo) and a pass defensed
  • Posted his third double-digit game in tackles with 10 (7 solo) vs. Bal. (11/5)
  • Passed the 100-tackle mark for third straight year vs. Pit (11/26), tying for team lead with 6 total stops
  • Closed season at Phi. (12/24) with two fumble recoveries in the third quarter and also notched 7 solo tackles

 

1999:
  • Team captain who started every game for the second consecutive season, playing RILB in 3-4 defensive front for Games 1-10 and RLB in 4-3 front for Games 11-16
  • Had 4 forced fumbles and 4 fumble recoveries, leading the team in each category, and his total of eight for the dual category set a club record
  • His 105 total tackles (82 solo) ranked second to ILB Brian Simmons' 111 (90 solo)
  • Had his first of three sacks in the season opener at Ten (9/12), forcing a fumble which he also recovered
  • Made his first NFL interception at Sea (11/7)
  • Posted personal season-high with team-leading 12 tackles (10 solo) and a forced fumble vs. Ten. (11/14)
  • He led front seven with 7 tackles (6 solo), sacked Baltimore Tony Banks for 5-yard loss in first quarter, intercepted a Banks pass later in first quarter, recovered a Banks fumble in third quarter and had 1 additional pass defensed
  • Tied for team lead with 5 tackles (all solo) in victory vs. Cle (12/12), as defense set a team record with 11 net rushing yards allowed
  • Led team with 10 tackles (9 solo) in finale at Jax (1/2)

 

1998:
  • As a rookie, started all four preseason games and all 16 regular-season games
  • Became first rookie to lead the Bengals in tackles since James Francis in 1990
  • Led the team by 30 in solo tackles, with a 95-65 edge over CB Artrell Hawkins
  • Also led Bengals in total snaps played on offense or defense (997)
  • In NFL debut vs. Ten. (9/6), led the team with 8 solo tackles
  • Got first NFL sack vs. GB (9/20)
  • Led team at Bal (9/27) with 11 solo tackles, which tied for most solos in any game by a Bengal all season
  • Tied for team lead with 10 tackles (8 solo) at Ten. (10/18)
  • Closed the season with a team-high 11 tackles (9 solo) vs. TB (12/27), tying his high total tackle figure for the season

 

College Career:
  • Chose to enter the draft after his 1997 junior season at Auburn, a year in which he was named national Defensive Player of the Year by Football News and first-team All-American by The Sporting News
  • Led the 1997 Auburn club with 136 tackles as Tigers advanced to SEC Championship game
  • Tied for team lead in '97 with 9 tackles for loss
  • As a sophomore, had 119 tackles and was the only sophomore named a semifinalist in competition for Dick Butkus Award (top college linebacker)