John Antonio Abraham (born May 6, 1978) is a former American football defensive end and outside linebacker who played 15 seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at South Carolina, and was drafted by the New York Jets in the first round of the 2000 NFL Draft. Abraham also played for the Atlanta Falcons and Arizona Cardinals. 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, at 22.6 seconds, and ran the 100 meters in 11.26 seconds. He also competed in the throwing events, recording top-throws of 13.61 meters in the shot put and 43.05 meters in the discus. He played organized football for the first time as a senior in high school. College career While Abraham played just one season of high school football, he was nonetheless recruited to play for coach Brad Scott's South Carolina Gamecocks football team at the University of South Carolina. While he was a Gamecock, he amassed 23.5 quarterback sacks, ranking second on South Carolina's career list, and was a first-team All-Southeastern Conference (SEC) selection. Professional career New York Jets Drafted in the first round (13th overall, via pick acquired from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in exchange for Keyshawn Johnson) 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 58 tackles and 13 sacks, and was named to the AFC Pro Bowl. In 2002, he recorded 48 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 the New Orleans Saints. Abraham was designated Franchise Player by the Jets on February 21, 2006. Atlanta Falcons Abraham was traded to the Atlanta Falcons in exchange for Atlanta's 2006 NFL Draft first round pick (No. 29), which was acquired from Denver Broncos. In 2008, he had a career high 16.5 sacks through the entire season and ranked 3rd in the