John Abraham no. 10 on 107.5 The Game's top 30 list
John Abraham was named as one of the top 30 Gamecock football players of the last 30 years, according to a poll conducted by 107.5 The Game.
Born in Timmonsville, South Carolina, Abraham played his high school football at Lamar. Once a state record holder in the 200-meter dash, Abraham did not begin playing football until his senior season. Although he was short on experience at that level, the elite athlete found himself with a scholarship offer to play for South Carolina. Longtime assistant coach Brad Lawing spotted Abraham’s talent.
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“I was shocked when I was recruited to play football. When you don’t play a sport for a long time, you don’t have a lot of knowledge of how to play and what colleges are looking at you. I started getting recruited late, like during basketball season. It was definitely a moment that changed my life,” Abraham told Brad Muller of GamecocksOnline during an in-depth profile.
“I remember sitting in the lunchroom, and everyone was saying (then South Carolina coach) Brad Scott is here, and I was saying, who the heck is Brad Scott? I was still preparing myself for basketball when he came in and surprised me to recruit me to South Carolina.”
Playing for Gamecock football from 1996 until 1999, Abraham was a standout edge rusher. He tallied a total of 23.5 sacks, which currently places him fourth on the program’s all-time list.
“It’s the definition of an under-the-radar recruit that develops into a huge, huge success,” said 107.5 The Game’s Bill Gunter.
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After four seasons in Columbia, Abraham went on to become a first-round NFL Draft selection, as the New York Jets picked him 13th overall in 2000. He made an immediate impact for the AFC team, becoming a Pro Bowler in just his second season after racking up 13 sacks.
He followed up that performance with another Pro Bowl campaign in 2002, accumulating 48 tackles and 10 sacks. Abraham went on to continue to star for the Atlanta Falcons and the Arizona Cardinals after his stint in New York.
[Win a Jaheim Bell-autographed football]
Abraham finished his career with five Pro Bowl selections and a trio of All-Pro honors. According to ESPN.com, the Palmetto State native had 545 total tackles, 133.5 sacks, 48 forced fumbles, 6 fumble recoveries, and an interception during his illustrious career.
His efforts for Gamecock football at the collegiate level earned Abraham a spot on the 2017 SEC Legends team, plus the honor of being named to the University of South Carolina Athletics Hall of Fame.
