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, drafted fourth overall in 1997 out of Florida State, set a rookie sack record with his explosive speed off the edge. His game relied on pure acceleration, leaving offensive tackles unable to react. Boulware's peak aligned with the rise of Baltimore's 2000 defense, which pitched a shutout in Super Bowl XXXV. While Ray Lewis anchored the unit's emotional core, Boulware provided consistent pressure from the outside, a factor in the Ravens' dominant season. Injuries later curbed his pace, but he remains a foundational piece of that dynasty and one of the era's most feared pass rushers.
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.”
