Peter Boulware
A relentless pass-rushing linebacker whose defensive fury was central to the Baltimore Ravens' historic, suffocating 2000 Super Bowl run.
Born 1974 (age 52)·American football player·Birthday: December 18·Generation X
Biography
Peter Boulware arrived in Baltimore with a singular, explosive talent: getting to the quarterback. Drafted fourth overall in 1997 out of Florida State, he immediately lived up to the billing, setting a rookie sack record. His game was built on pure, unadulterated speed off the edge, a blur that left offensive tackles grasping at air. Boulware's peak perfectly coincided with the rise of the Ravens' legendary defense, a unit that redefined defensive football in the early 2000s. While Ray Lewis provided the emotional and tactical core, Boulware was the consistent, game-wrecking pressure from the outside. His efforts were instrumental in the Ravens' dominant 2000 season, which culminated in a Super Bowl XXXV victory where the defense famously pitched a shutout. Injuries eventually slowed his frenetic pace, but his legacy is etched as one of the most feared pass rushers of his generation and a foundational piece of a football dynasty.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Peter was born in 1974, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Peter Was Born
The biggest hits of 1974
#1 Movie
The Towering Inferno
Best Picture
The Godfather Part II
#1 TV Show
All in the Family
Peter's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1974Born
Nixon resigns the presidency
Gas: $0.53/galHome: $22,600Min wage: $2.00/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"The Way We Were" — Barbra StreisandBest Picture: The Godfather Part II
1979Started school
Iran hostage crisis begins; Three Mile Island accident
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $37,900Min wage: $2.90/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"My Sharona" — The KnackBest Picture: Kramer vs. Kramer
1987Became a teenager
Black Monday stock market crash
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $72,400Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Walk Like an Egyptian" — The BanglesBest Picture: The Last Emperor
1990Could drive
Hubble Space Telescope launched; Germany reunifies
Gas: $1.15/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.80/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Hold On" — Wilson PhillipsBest Picture: Dances with Wolves
1992Could vote
LA riots after Rodney King verdict
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $84,300Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"End of the Road" — Boyz II MenBest Picture: Unforgiven
1995Turned 21
Oklahoma City bombing; Windows 95 released
Gas: $1.15/galHome: $96,500Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Gangsta's Paradise" — CoolioBest Picture: Braveheart
2004Turned 30
Indian Ocean tsunami kills over 230,000
Gas: $1.88/galHome: $157,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Yeah!" — UsherBest Picture: Million Dollar Baby
2014Turned 40
Russia annexes Crimea; Ebola outbreak in West Africa
Gas: $3.37/galHome: $160,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Happy" — Pharrell WilliamsBest Picture: Birdman
2024Turned 50
AI reshapes industries; Paris Olympics
Gas: $3.31/galHome: $372,000Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"Espresso" — Sabrina CarpenterBest Picture: Anora
2026Age 52 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Won Super Bowl XXXV as a key member of the historically dominant 2000 Baltimore Ravens defense.
- Named the NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year in 1997 after recording 11.5 sacks.
- Selected to four consecutive Pro Bowls from 1998 to 2001.
- Recorded 70.0 career sacks over nine seasons, all with the Baltimore Ravens.
Did You Know?
He was a standout defensive end at Florida State but transitioned to outside linebacker in the NFL.
His brother, Michael Boulware, also played in the NFL as a safety.
After football, he served as a Republican member of the Florida House of Representatives from 2016 to 2018.
He was a first-team All-American and a finalist for the Lombardi Award in his final college season.
“My job was simple: find the quarterback and bring him down.”
