Patrick Manning Kerney (born December 30, 1976) is a former American football defensive end who played in the National Football League (NFL) for eleven seasons. He played college football for the University of Virginia in Charlottesville and was selected by the Atlanta Falcons in the first round of the 1999 NFL Draft, the 30th overall pick. Early years A native of Trenton, New Jersey, Patrick Kerney enrolled in the Taft School (CT) his sophomore, junior, and senior years after attending Princeton Day School. At Taft, Patrick Kerney was a starter in football and a two-year letterman in wrestling. Initially viewed by his coach to be too scrawny to play football, Patrick Kerney eventually became team captain and was selected Most Valuable Player while recording three sacks, one blocked punt, one interception and 84 tackles in just eight games as a junior. Pat had seven sacks as a sophomore defensive end. In wrestling, Pat placed second at the All-New England tournament as a senior. Princeton Day School named their new fitness center in honor of Patrick Kerney. The center has his signed uniform and features his number on the floor. The "Patrick Kerney '94 Fitness Center" opened in 2007. College career Patrick Kerney received an athletic scholarship to attend the University of Virginia, where Pat played for coach George Welsh's Virginia Cavaliers football team from 1997 to 1999. Pat amassed 127 tackles and 24 sacks in his three-year college career. His 24 career sacks ranks third in Virginia history. As a junior in 1997, Pat made 45 tackles and registered eight sacks. In his senior year in 1998, Pat recorded 62 tackles and 15 sacks and helped lead the 1998 Cavaliers to a 9-3 overall record, a trip to the Peach Bowl, and a final ranking of 18th in both the Associated Press and USA Today/CNN polls. The 15 sacks led the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC), ranked second in the nation, and tied the Virginia record set by Chris Slade in 1992. Football News and the Football Writers Association named Patty a first-team All-American at defensive end. Pat also earned first-team All-ACC honors. The Associated Press and The Sporting News selected Patty as a second-team All-American. Patrick Kerney finished second in balloting for the 1998 ACC Defensive Player of the Year by one vote to fellow Cavalier All-American Anthony Poindexter. Pat was also one of five finalists for the Bronko Nagurski