Hambrick and his brother Troy attended Pasco High School, helping the football team win the 1992 Class 3A state championship.
As a senior he posted 140 tackles at linebacker, receiving prep All-American, All-state and area defensive MVP honors.
He played in 13 games (3 starts) as a "Nickel" linebacker, receiving SEC All-Freshman honors after collecting 46 tackles (5 for loss), 2 interceptions and one sack.
Head coach Steve Spurrier kicked him off the team just prior to the 1995 Sugar Bowl, after he got into an altercation in which he struck another player in the jaw with broken glass.
Prior to the final regular season game, the team convinced Quentin Coryatt to unretire and replace Hambrick in the starting lineup.
[6] He also engaged in a contract dispute with the Cowboys during the offseason, after feeling mistreated as a restricted free agent, when he was tendered an offer of $512,000.
Hambrick signed with the Cleveland Browns for the 2002 season to replace Jamir Miller at strongside linebacker, starting 15 games and helping the team reach the playoffs.
In 2007, he was signed to the practice squad of the Tampa Bay Storm of the Arena Football League, but was waived on June 6.
Among a number of criminal incidents, on November 20, 2008, Hambrick was sentenced to 12 months probation after pleading guilty to misdemeanor battery.