Aaron Lynch
Aaron Lynch (born March 8, 1993) is an American football outside linebacker for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League (NFL). He was drafted by the San Francisco 49ers in the fifth round of the 2014 NFL Draft. He played college football at South Florida and Notre Dame.
Lynch attended Island Coast High School in Cape Coral, Florida. He led team to 11-2 record and Florida 2B state semifinal playoff appearance as senior in 2010. He also recorded 31 solo stops and 10.5 sacks during senior campaign. He played in the U.S Army All-American Bowl in San Antonio, Texas in 2011.
Considered a four-star recruit by Rivals.com, Lynch was listed as the No. 3 defensive end in the nation. After de-committing from Florida State, he re-committed to Notre Dame over offers from Florida and Miami.
In 2011, Lynch enrolled a semester early at Notre Dame and was able to participate in spring practice. He worked his way onto the second team and dominated in the annual Blue-Gold game. In his freshman season, he played in 12 games, starting in 6 of them. He recorded 33 tackles including 7 tackles for loss, a team high 5.5 sacks, and a team high of 14 quarterback hurries. He was awarded a 1st team selection on The 11th annual Football Writers Association of America Freshman All-America Team. In April 2012, Lynch decided to transfer from Notre Dame, citing a desire to return closer to his home. After pondering his options, he announced his transfer to USF. He applied for a waiver to play immediately but the NCAA denied his request, forcing him to sit out the 2012 season. As a junior, Lynch led the Bulls with 6 sacks and 12.5 tackles for loss, playing in all 12 games. He finished with 30 total tackles and added a fumble recovery returned for a touchdown in a 13-10 win over the Connecticut Huskies. Lynch had a strong finish to the season despite the Bulls’ 3-9 record, totaling all 6 sacks in the last 7 games. Lynch announced in December 2013 that he would declare for the 2014 NFL Draft.
Lynch was drafted by the San Francisco 49ers in the fifth round (150th overall) of the 2014 NFL Draft. Lynch was given an opportunity and assisted on 4 tackles and made two solo tackles on November 9 against the New Orleans Saints. His six tackles in addition to his pass defended helped the San Francisco 49ers excel in an overtime battle to defeat the Saints and remain in the playoff picture. Lynch finished his rookie season with 23 tackles, 6 sacks, and 4 passes defensed. On March 15, 2018, Lynch signed a one-year contract with the Chicago Bears.