Adam Carriker
Encyclopedia
Adam Eugene Carriker, is a professional American football
defensive end
for the Washington Redskins
of the National Football League
. He was drafted by the St. Louis Rams
in the first round of the 2007 NFL Draft
. He played college football
at Nebraska
.
, where he played quarterback and defensive end. He was a three-year starter at quarterback and team captain for three years. In his only season at defensive end (his senior season), he recorded 25 tackles, 15 sacks, and four forced fumbles in a winless season. Regardless, he was named to Second-team All-Big 9 Honors. Carriker visited Oregon, Oregon State and Washington State before finally deciding to commit to Nebraska. Additionally, Carriker was a three-time All-Conference selection in baseball and ran track for one year.
ed in 2002. In his 2003 freshman season he played extensively in passing situations before injuring his ankle against Utah State. Against the University of Colorado
he had three quarterback hurries and ended a CU drive in the third quarter with a nine-yard sack of quarterback Joel Klatt. He finished the year with three tackles and three quarterback hurries. He played in his first bowl game, the 2003 Alamo Bowl after the regular season. In his 2004 sophomore year Carriker was hampered for the second straight season by an ankle injury. He played in 10 games with eight starts in the 2004 campaign, and finished with 36 tackles, including seven tackles for loss and three sacks for 18 yards. Carriker added seven quarterback hurries during his sophomore season.
As a junior in 2005 Carriker started all 12 games at the base end spot, and finished with 9.5 sacks for 84 yards and 17 tackles for loss for 96 yards. His 9½ sacks tied for the Big 12 Conference lead and ranked 19th nationally. He also led Nebraska with 21 quarterback hurries, 10 more than any other Husker defender. Carriker’s 43 total tackles ranked seventh on the team and tied for the most among defensive linemen. He began his junior season by notching two of the Huskers’ school-record tying 11 sacks in the team’s 25-7 win over Maine. Carriker capped 2005 with one tackle in the Alamo Bowl
victory over the University of Michigan
. Adam was voted 2005 Nebraska Defensive MVP.
As a senior in 2006 Adam Carriker completed a dominant career in the 2006 season Cotton Bowl Classic against Auburn University
. In 2006, Carriker earned Nebraska’s Defensive MVP honor for the second straight season, and was honored as the Big 12 Defensive Lineman of the Year by the league’s coaches. Carriker finished the season with a team-leading seven sacks and ranked second on the team with 16 tackles behind the line of scrimmage. His 52 total tackles led all Nebraska defensive linemen, and he also paced the Blackshirt defense with 12 quarterback hurries, while registering his first career interception. In addition to his selection as Big 12 Defensive Lineman of the Year, Carriker was a First-team All-Big 12 pick by the Big 12 Coaches and the Associated Press
. He was also a Third-team All-America selection by Rivals.com
.
The strong senior season put Carriker’s name in a prominent position in the NU record books. He finished with 41 career tackles for loss to rank fifth in the program’s history. Carriker has 20½ career sacks to rank sixth on the Cornhusker charts. Carriker graduated with a degree in business administration.
(* represents NFL Combine
; **represents Nebraska Pro Day- March 7, 2007)
, weighed in the 305-pound range during the 2007 season.
He was voted the Rams Rookie of the Year called the Carroll Rosenbloom
Memorial Award, finishing with 2 sacks, 30 tackles, and a safety. Carriker missed the entire 2009 NFL season due to injury.
on April 20, 2010. In exchange, the teams swapped fifth and seventh-round draft picks in 2010. After initial shock, Carriker was pleased about his trade and the chance to revitalize his career.
In Washington, Carriker earned the starting left defensive end position for the Redskins in a 3-4 defensive scheme. With the Rams he was a "3-technique" defensive tackle in a 4-3 defensive scheme which did not work out and led to his trade to the Redskins. "In St. Louis, we tried to make him a 3-technique and up-the-field rusher," said defensive coordinator Jim Haslett. "For a guy who ran the 40 in 4.7 and was 6-6, 315 pounds, you'd think he could do that. But that's not what he wants to do. He wants to play with strength and power, and he does a pretty good job of it. He feels so much more comfortable in this." Carriker's 315 pounds is ideal, and he reported at the beginning of the 2010 season that he bench pressed 500 pounds, which helps him in his new position.
Early in the 2010 season the change drew positive reviews, said Rich Campbell of Fredricksburg.com, "I’m buying Carriker as an impact 3-4 end right now. He’s strong enough to set the edge on running plays, and he’s even generating a pass rush on occasion. Carriker stopped Houston RB Arian Foster for a 2-yard loss in the second quarter after he made a quick step inside the pulling left guard. He also beat a double team on the first play of the second half to stop Foster for a gain of one. Carriker isn’t dominant—but he is flashing."
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
defensive end
Defensive end
Defensive end is the name of a defensive position in the sport of American and Canadian football.This position has designated the players at each end of the defensive line, but changes in formations have substantially changed how the position is played over the years...
for the Washington Redskins
Washington Redskins
The Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,...
of the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
. He was drafted by the St. Louis Rams
St. Louis Rams
The St. Louis Rams are a professional American football team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are currently members of the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Rams have won three NFL Championships .The Rams began playing in 1936 in Cleveland,...
in the first round of the 2007 NFL Draft
2007 NFL Draft
The 2007 National Football League Draft took place at Radio City Music Hall in New York City on April 28 and April 29, 2007. The draft was televised for the 28th consecutive year on ESPN and ESPN2. The NFL Network also broadcast coverage of the event, its second year doing so...
. He played college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
at Nebraska
Nebraska Cornhuskers
The Nebraska Cornhuskers is the name given to several sports teams of the University of Nebraska–Lincoln. The university is a member of the Big Ten Conference...
.
Early years
Carriker attended Kennewick High SchoolKennewick High School
Kennewick High School is a public high school located in eastern Kennewick, Washington. It was founded in 1904 to serve the educational needs of the new city of Kennewick. It is one of only a few schools to have its music department honored with the title of "Grammy Signature School".The current...
, where he played quarterback and defensive end. He was a three-year starter at quarterback and team captain for three years. In his only season at defensive end (his senior season), he recorded 25 tackles, 15 sacks, and four forced fumbles in a winless season. Regardless, he was named to Second-team All-Big 9 Honors. Carriker visited Oregon, Oregon State and Washington State before finally deciding to commit to Nebraska. Additionally, Carriker was a three-time All-Conference selection in baseball and ran track for one year.
College career
Carriker redshirtRedshirt (college sports)
Redshirt is a term used in American college athletics that refers to a delay or suspension of an athlete's participation in order to lengthen his or her period of eligibility...
ed in 2002. In his 2003 freshman season he played extensively in passing situations before injuring his ankle against Utah State. Against the University of Colorado
Colorado Buffaloes football
The Colorado Buffaloes football program represents the University of Colorado at Boulder in college football at the NCAA Division I FBS level. The team is currently a member of the Pacific-12 Conference, having previously been a charter member of the Big 12 Conference. Before joining the Big 12,...
he had three quarterback hurries and ended a CU drive in the third quarter with a nine-yard sack of quarterback Joel Klatt. He finished the year with three tackles and three quarterback hurries. He played in his first bowl game, the 2003 Alamo Bowl after the regular season. In his 2004 sophomore year Carriker was hampered for the second straight season by an ankle injury. He played in 10 games with eight starts in the 2004 campaign, and finished with 36 tackles, including seven tackles for loss and three sacks for 18 yards. Carriker added seven quarterback hurries during his sophomore season.
As a junior in 2005 Carriker started all 12 games at the base end spot, and finished with 9.5 sacks for 84 yards and 17 tackles for loss for 96 yards. His 9½ sacks tied for the Big 12 Conference lead and ranked 19th nationally. He also led Nebraska with 21 quarterback hurries, 10 more than any other Husker defender. Carriker’s 43 total tackles ranked seventh on the team and tied for the most among defensive linemen. He began his junior season by notching two of the Huskers’ school-record tying 11 sacks in the team’s 25-7 win over Maine. Carriker capped 2005 with one tackle in the Alamo Bowl
Alamo Bowl
The Alamo Bowl is a major American college football bowl game played annually since 1993 in the 65,000-seat Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas. It matches the second choice team from the Pacific-12 Conference and the third choice team from the Big 12 Conference.Traditionally, the Alamo Bowl has been...
victory over the University of Michigan
University of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
. Adam was voted 2005 Nebraska Defensive MVP.
As a senior in 2006 Adam Carriker completed a dominant career in the 2006 season Cotton Bowl Classic against Auburn University
Auburn University
Auburn University is a public university located in Auburn, Alabama, United States. With more than 25,000 students and 1,200 faculty members, it is one of the largest universities in the state. Auburn was chartered on February 7, 1856, as the East Alabama Male College, a private liberal arts...
. In 2006, Carriker earned Nebraska’s Defensive MVP honor for the second straight season, and was honored as the Big 12 Defensive Lineman of the Year by the league’s coaches. Carriker finished the season with a team-leading seven sacks and ranked second on the team with 16 tackles behind the line of scrimmage. His 52 total tackles led all Nebraska defensive linemen, and he also paced the Blackshirt defense with 12 quarterback hurries, while registering his first career interception. In addition to his selection as Big 12 Defensive Lineman of the Year, Carriker was a First-team All-Big 12 pick by the Big 12 Coaches and the Associated Press
Associated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
. He was also a Third-team All-America selection by Rivals.com
Rivals.com
Rivals.com is a network of websites that focus mainly on college football and basketball recruiting. The network was started in 1996 and currently employs more than 300 personnel.-Schools:The individual collegiate sites can be found...
.
The strong senior season put Carriker’s name in a prominent position in the NU record books. He finished with 41 career tackles for loss to rank fifth in the program’s history. Carriker has 20½ career sacks to rank sixth on the Cornhusker charts. Carriker graduated with a degree in business administration.
College statistics
| 2003 | Nebraska Nebraska Nebraska is a state on the Great Plains of the Midwestern United States. The state's capital is Lincoln and its largest city is Omaha, on the Missouri River.... |
9 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 2004 | Nebraska Nebraska Nebraska is a state on the Great Plains of the Midwestern United States. The state's capital is Lincoln and its largest city is Omaha, on the Missouri River.... |
10 | 8 | 36 | 19 | 17 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 |
| 2005 | Nebraska Nebraska Nebraska is a state on the Great Plains of the Midwestern United States. The state's capital is Lincoln and its largest city is Omaha, on the Missouri River.... |
12 | 12 | 43 | 26 | 17 | 17 | 9½ | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 21 | 0 | 0 |
| 2006 | Nebraska Nebraska Nebraska is a state on the Great Plains of the Midwestern United States. The state's capital is Lincoln and its largest city is Omaha, on the Missouri River.... |
14 | 14 | 52 | 24 | 28 | 16 | 7 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 12 | 0 | 0 |
| |Career | 45 | 34 | 134 | 71 | 63 | 41 | 19½ | 6 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 43 | 0 | 0 |
Pre-draft
| Pre-draft measureables | ||||||||||
| Ht | Wt | 40-yard dash 40 yard dash The 40-yard dash is a sprint covering . It is primarily run to evaluate the speed of American football players by scouts, particularly for the NFL Draft but also for collegiate recruiting. A player's recorded time in the 40 can have a heavy impact on his prospects in college or professional football... |
10-yd split | 20-yd split | 20 ss 20 yard shuttle The 20-yard shuttle, also simply called the short shuttle, is a test performed by American football athletes at the NFL combine. It is primarily run to evaluate the quickness and change-of-direction ability of players by scouts, particularly for the NFL Draft but also for collegiate recruiting... |
3-cone 3 cone drill The 3 cone drill, or three cone drill, is a test performed by American football athletes at the NFL combine. It is primarily run to evaluate the agility, quickness and fluidity of movement of players by scouts, particularly for the NFL Draft but also for collegiate recruiting... |
Vert Vertical jump A vertical jump or vertical leap is the act of raising one's center of gravity higher in the vertical plane solely with the use of one's own muscles; it is a measure of how high an individual or athlete can elevate off the ground from a standstill.-Types of vertical jump:The vertical jump is... |
Broad | BP Bench press The bench press is an exercise of the upper body. For bodybuilding purposes, it is used to stimulate the pectorals, deltoids, and triceps. While on his or her back, the person performing the bench press lowers a weight to the level of the chest, then pushes it back up until the arm is straight... |
Wonderlic |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6-6 * | 297 lb * | 4.72 ** | 1.58 ** | 2.70 ** | 4.18 * | 7.06 * | 33½ in. * | 9'02" * | 33 * | 28 * |
NFL Combine
The National Invitational Camp or NFL Scouting Combine, as it is more widely known, is a week-long showcase, occurring every February in Indianapolis, Indiana's Lucas Oil Stadium , where college football players perform physical and mental tests in front of National Football League coaches, general...
; **represents Nebraska Pro Day- March 7, 2007)
- Bench press: 440 lbs
- Squat: 600 lbs
- Power clean: 370 lbs
St. Louis Rams
On July 26, 2007, Carriker signed a five-year $14.5 million contract, with guarantees of $9.5 million. Carriker started all 16 games of his rookie season at defensive tackle instead of his college position, defensive end. Carriker, who bulked up from the 296 pounds he weighed at the NFL combineNFL Combine
The National Invitational Camp or NFL Scouting Combine, as it is more widely known, is a week-long showcase, occurring every February in Indianapolis, Indiana's Lucas Oil Stadium , where college football players perform physical and mental tests in front of National Football League coaches, general...
, weighed in the 305-pound range during the 2007 season.
He was voted the Rams Rookie of the Year called the Carroll Rosenbloom
Carroll Rosenbloom
Carroll Rosenbloom was an American entrepreneur and former owner of two professional football teams, the Baltimore Colts and the Los Angeles Rams....
Memorial Award, finishing with 2 sacks, 30 tackles, and a safety. Carriker missed the entire 2009 NFL season due to injury.
Washington Redskins
Carriker was traded to the Washington RedskinsWashington Redskins
The Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,...
on April 20, 2010. In exchange, the teams swapped fifth and seventh-round draft picks in 2010. After initial shock, Carriker was pleased about his trade and the chance to revitalize his career.
In Washington, Carriker earned the starting left defensive end position for the Redskins in a 3-4 defensive scheme. With the Rams he was a "3-technique" defensive tackle in a 4-3 defensive scheme which did not work out and led to his trade to the Redskins. "In St. Louis, we tried to make him a 3-technique and up-the-field rusher," said defensive coordinator Jim Haslett. "For a guy who ran the 40 in 4.7 and was 6-6, 315 pounds, you'd think he could do that. But that's not what he wants to do. He wants to play with strength and power, and he does a pretty good job of it. He feels so much more comfortable in this." Carriker's 315 pounds is ideal, and he reported at the beginning of the 2010 season that he bench pressed 500 pounds, which helps him in his new position.
Early in the 2010 season the change drew positive reviews, said Rich Campbell of Fredricksburg.com, "I’m buying Carriker as an impact 3-4 end right now. He’s strong enough to set the edge on running plays, and he’s even generating a pass rush on occasion. Carriker stopped Houston RB Arian Foster for a 2-yard loss in the second quarter after he made a quick step inside the pulling left guard. He also beat a double team on the first play of the second half to stop Foster for a gain of one. Carriker isn’t dominant—but he is flashing."