John Abraham

No. 55     Atlanta Falcons
Defensive end
Personal information
Date of birth: May 6, 1978 (1978-05-06) (age 31)
Place of birth: Timmonsville, South Carolina
Height: 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)	Weight: 266 lb (121 kg)
Career information
College: South Carolina
NFL Draft: 2000 / Round: 1 / Pick: 13
Debuted in 2000 for the New York Jets
Career history
As player: New York Jets (2000-2005) Atlanta Falcons (2006-present)
Roster status: Active
Career highlights and awards
2× All-Pro (2001, 2008) Pro Bowl (2001, 2002, 2004) Broke the Falcons single season record for sacks in a season with 16.5
Stats at NFL.com

John Abraham (born May 6, 1978 in Timmonsville, South Carolina) is an American football defensive end in the National Football League currently playing for the Atlanta Falcons.

[edit] Early years

Abraham was born in Timmonsville, South Carolina. In his high school years at Lamar High School in Lamar, South Carolina, he was primarily an athlete in the track program, where he set the current South Carolina record for the 200-meter dash. He played just one season of high school football but was nonetheless recruited to play at the University of South Carolina. While there, he amassed 23.5 sacks, ranking second on South Carolina's career list, and was named an all-SEC first-team player.

[edit] Professional career

Drafted in the first round of the 2000 NFL Draft, he made an immediate impact for the New York Jets; in his rookie season, he recorded 12 tackles and 4.5 sacks in only six games before being injured. In 2001, he recorded 82 tackles and 13 sacks, and was named to the AFC Pro Bowl. In 2002, he again recorded 82 tackles, with 10 sacks, and was again named to the Pro Bowl. In 2003, he only recorded 37 tackles and six sacks, due to being injured mid-season.

Abraham tied a franchise record set by Joe Klecko and Mark Gastineau with four sacks in a game on November 4, 2001 against New Orleans Saints^[1].

Abraham was designated Franchise Player by the Jets in February 21, 2006^[2] He was traded to the Falcons in exchange for Atlanta's 2006 NFL Draft first round pick (No. 29), which was acquired from Denver Broncos^[3]

In 2008, he had a career high 16.5 sacks through the entire season and ranked 3rd in the league that year. Despite the great numbers he was not elected by voters to play in the 2009 Pro Bowl.

[edit] Personal

Abraham was raised by his mother, Maggie Abraham. Abraham has a daughter, Endraya^[4]. He enjoys watching basketball in his spare time and his favorite team is the Los Angeles Lakers. He cites running back Walter Payton and wide receiver Jerry Rice as his childhood idols. He attended the Jets' May 5, 2003 blood drive to benefit hospitals throughout Queens, Nassau and Suffolk counties.

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Atlanta Falcons bio