Jason Witten
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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| Dallas Cowboys — No. 82 | |
| Tight end | |
| Date of birth: May 6, 1982 | |
| Place of birth: Elizabethton, Tennessee | |
| Height: 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) | Weight: 266 lb (121 kg) |
| National Football League debut | |
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| 2003 for the Dallas Cowboys | |
| Career history | |
| College: Tennessee | |
| NFL Draft: 2003 / Round: 3 / Pick: 69 | |
Teams:
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| Career highlights and awards | |
| Stats at NFL.com | |
Christopher Jason Witten[1] (born May 6, 1982 in Elizabethton, Tennessee) is an American football player who currently plays as a tight end for the Dallas Cowboys of the NFL. He played college football at the University of Tennessee. In his first of three years at the University of Tennessee, Witten went from being a defensive end prospect, to a record breaking tight end, due to a shortage at the position. He went on to post school records for receptions (39) and receiving yards (493).
[edit] NFL career
In 2004 Witten was selected to the Pro Bowl, thanks to his 87 catches, which were eleventh most in history by a tight end and a Cowboys team record for the position. Witten was also named to his second and third Pro Bowls for his performance in the 2005 and 2006 regular seasons. He was named as an injury replacement for New York Giants tight end Jeremy Shockey for the 2007 Pro Bowl. Witten was named a starter for the 2008 Pro Bowl thanks to a high production year in 2007.
At the end of the 2006 NFL season Jason Witten became just the tenth tight end in NFL history to post three consecutive seasons with at least 60 receptions.
Witten had a career-year during the 2007 NFL season. He set the Cowboys-single season tight end record for receptions in a season with 96, while also becoming only the third tight end in NFL history with 96 or more catches. On December 9, 2007 versus the Detroit Lions, Jason Witten's 15 receptions tied an NFL record held by Hall of Famer, Kellen Winslow Sr., for most receptions in a game by a tight end in NFL history. In the 14th game of the year, Witten became the first Dallas tight end ever to gain over 1,000 receiving yards in a season. Witten was also one of the NFL-record 13 Cowboys players selected to the Pro Bowl.[2] Finally, he made the All-Pro team along with teammates Terrell Owens and DeMarcus Ware.
Witten, along with Hines Ward, Jason Taylor, and Warrick Dunn was nominated for the 2007 Walter Payton Man of the Year Award.
He recently launched the Jason Witten SCORE Foundation, established in part to provide support and assistance for families and individuals affected by domestic violence. Witten appeared in an NFL/United Way public-service announcement, stressing the importance of volunteering. The spot was filmed at Witten's annual free football camp in his hometown of Elizabethton, Tenn., where more than 1,000 children attended in 2007.
Witten starred in another PSA with Antonio Gates and Saints running back Reggie Bush for the NFL's Play 60 program, which emphasizes the importance of getting kids up and active for at least 60 minutes a day.
He resides in Southlake, Texas, located in the Dallas-Ft. Worth Metroplex, with his wife, Michelle, an Emergency Room Nurse at Dallas' Parkland Hospital, and their sons, C.J and Cooper.
[edit] References
- ^ Witten on Pro-Football-Reference. rbref.com. Retrieved on 2007-12-19.
- ^ Ellis Helps Cowboys Stretch Pro Bowlers To 13. Retrieved on 2008-4-15.
[edit] External links
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