Professional Career
Hampton was selected in the first round with the 19th overall choice of the 2001 NFL Draft by the Steelers. He quickly emerged as a solid player in the middle of the defensive line while logging considerable time as a rookie. He played in all 48 games through his first three seasons, becoming a highly disruptive force, and winning a trip to the Pro Bowl in 2003. Six games into the 2004 season, he suffered a tear of the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee and missed the remainder of that year's games.
For his career, he has played in 157 regular season games, recording 350 tackles, 9.0 sacks, three pass deflected, four forced fumbles, and two recovered fumbles. He also recorded a sack against the Seattle Seahawks' Matt Hasselbeck in Super Bowl XL, which sealed the game for the Steelers, and that was his first sack since the 2003 season.
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