With the 11th overall pick in the 2005 NFL draft, the Dallas Cowboys selected a pass rusher from Troy University that had made his name by getting after quarterbacks after being considered a “tweener” by most scouts. But he showed his speed by running a 4.56 40 yard dash and showed his strength with 27 reps at 225 pounds on the bench press. Then Cowboys coach Bill Parcells wanted to take LSU defensive end Marcus Spears with the pick, but Jerry Jones wanted Ware instead. The Cowboys would get Spears later in the first round anyway.

His rookie year he showed some of the potential that made him such a high pick. He recorded 58 tackles, 14 for loss, forced three fumbles and tied for the team lead with eight sacks. He won NFC Defensive Player of the Week in week 16 with three sacks and three forced fumbles against the Carolina Panthers.

In his second year in the league, he set a record for most sacks by a Cowboys linebacker in a season with 11.5. He racked up 73 tackles and scored on a fumble recovery and an interception return for a touchdown. He earned a spot on the Pro Bowl team and was a second team All-Pro.

In his third year in the league, Ware took his game to even another level as he recorded 14 quarterback sacks, good for third in the league. He assed 27 quarterback pressures, 80 tackles (including eight for loss) and four forced fumbles.

By the end of his fourth season, Ware was considered by some to be the best pass rusher in the NFL. He justified that belief with 20 sacks, which led the league. He tied an NFL record with 10 straight games of at least one sack during this season.

Ware was so good that his next two seasons of 11 and 15.5 sacks were considered pedestrian. He just missed being the first player to record multiple 20 sack seasons with 19.5 in 2011. Finally in 2012 he passed the 100 sack threshold in the season opener with two sacks against Eli Manning. Finally in 2013 he became the all-time sack leader for the Cowboys as he broke Harvey Martin's 30 year old mark of 114 sacks, finishing with 117 sacks as a Cowboy. But after nine seasons in Dallas, they parted ways with the best pass rusher in franchise history.

He signed a three year deal with the Denver Broncos prior to the 2014 season. He got 10 sacks his first year in Denver alongside rising pass rush extraordinaire Von Miller. Finally in 2015, his former Head Coach in Dallas, Wade Phillips, took over as the Defensive Coordinator in Denver. This season saw the Broncos switch to a 3-4 defense and become the best defense in the NFL.

This will be his first Super Bowl appearance. He has made the Pro Bowl nine times and been named a first team All-Pro four times, and made the second team twice. He had seven straight seasons of 10+ sacks, a mark only eclipsed by John Randle (8) and Reggie White (9). Currently he is 11th all-time in sacks with 134.5.