Brandon Graham (American football)
Encyclopedia
Brandon Lee Graham is an American football
defensive end
for the Philadelphia Eagles
of the National Football League
(NFL). He was drafted by the Eagles in the first round of the 2010 NFL Draft
with the thirteenth selection in the draft and the first from the Big Ten Conference
. He played college football
at Michigan
.
Graham was the 2009 Big Ten Conference
Co-MVP as recognized by the Chicago Tribune Silver Football
award. He was the 2009 FBS tackles
(TFLs) for a loss (per game) champion after finishing second in 2008 by .01 TFL per game. He was the 2008 & 2009 Big Ten Conference TFL (total) champion.
After completing his career as defensive end for the 2009 Michigan Wolverines football team
, he had a total of 29.5 career sacks
and 56 career TFLs for the Michigan Wolverines football
team. In 2008, he led the Big Ten Conference
in TFLs (20 in 11 games). In 2009, he posted 26 TFLs and 10.5 sacks in 12 games. As a member of the 2008 Michigan Wolverines football team
he earned Second-team 2008 Big Ten
All-conference recognition from both the coaches and the media. He was a finalist for the 2009 NCAA Division I FBS football
Hendricks Award
. He was a First-team 2009 All-Big Ten selection by the coaches and media. He was named to several First-team and Second-team 2009 All-America
lists by various publications. Graham was also named MVP of the 2010 Senior Bowl
.
In high school, he was a highly decorated and highly rated linebacker
who served as captain
for the 2006 U.S. Army All-American Bowl
. He was listed on numerous All-American lists and was a finalists for some of the highest individual honors a high school football player can earn.
Detroit Giants for seven years until joining the eighth grade team. Born and raised in Detroit, Graham attended Crockett Vocational Tech, a school that began participating in Michigan High School Athletic Association
(MHSAA) football competitions in 1996 and that did not have a proper locker room for its football team before moving in his senior season. Since the football field had no lights, parents had to shine their car lights on the field for late practices. At Crockett, Graham. who had been playing competitive football since age seven, was expected to make an immediate impact upon joining the football team's starting lineup as a sophomore, and at the end of the season he was recognized as an honorable mention lineman 2003 All-Detroit selection by The Detroit News
.
As a junior, Graham served as linebacker
, offensive guard, placekicker
and punter for his team, and he led his team to the MHSAA state championships, while becoming one of three juniors named to the 2004 First-team All-Detroit team with one source listing him as a placekicker and the other as a linebacker on the team. Crockett won Detroit Public School League Division 1 championship game at Ford Field
and entered the Division 5 MHSAA semifinals with a 12–0 record, but Crockett lost 9–0 to defending state champion Lumen Christi Catholic High School
. In addition to recording 91 tackles
(20 for a loss), he maintained a 3.8 grade point average. In one game, he posted twelve tackles, four sacks
, four forced fumble
s, two blocked punt
s and scored on a 78-yard fake punt. He was selected for the Associated Press
first-team Class B all-state team as a linebacker.
In high school, Rivals.com
ranked Graham as the top class of 2006 high school football
prospect in the state of Michigan, the number two inside linebacker prospect and the overall fifteenth best prospect in the nation. Scout.com
listed him as the number three linebacker in the nation and described him as the number one overall prospect in the midwest. Scout also described him as "arguably the best inside linebacker in the nation". ESPNU
ranked him as the number two inside linebacker and number thirty-one prospect in the nation. Recruiting analyst Tom Lemming, listed Graham as the best linebacker in the country for USA Today
. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
listed him at 15th among their national top 25 prospects.
Entering his senior season, he was the overwhelming selection as the best high school football player in the state of Michigan according The Detroit News. He had run a 4.43-second 40-yard dash at the Nike Summer football camp. As a senior, he intended to also play tight end
and fullback
. One Detroit News preseason analysts listed him at linebacker, tight end and offensive guard. During the season, after missing four weeks to a knee injury, Graham was chosen as one of 78 players to participate in the January 7, 2006 U.S. Army All-American Bowl
at the Alamodome
. He was also named as a finalist for both the Parade
All-America
High School player of the year (The high school equivalent of the Heisman Trophy
) and the Walter Payton Trophy
. He was elected captain of the East team at the U.S. Army All-American Bowl and recorded four tackles as well as a blocked field goal in the game that also featured two of his Michigan teammates: (Justin Boren
and Stevie Brown
). There were only 16 finalists for the Parade award, including future Michigan teammate Stephen Schilling
and future Heisman-winner Tim Tebow
. Graham led his team to a rematch against Lumen Christi, which they lost 35–21 in the MHSAA Division 5 district championship game. In Graham's three years at Crockett, they went undefeated in the regular season and as a senior he was again selected to the All-Detroit first-team as a linebacker. Graham was also selected as to the Associated Press Class B All-State football team as its player of the year. The Detroit News selected him to the All-Class state Dream Team. He was also selected as the All-class statewide best linebacker as part of the inaugural class of The Michigan Prep Football Great 8 awarded by the Mid-Michigan Touchdown Club for being best at his position in the state. By his senior year, he had a 3.2 grade point average.
Since Graham was the first Michigan athlete to play in the U.S. Army All-American Bowl, he was not aware that he was violating Michigan state rules by participating in an out-of-state all-star game. He had to surrender his high school athletic eligibility for the winter and spring seasons. During his time away from athletics, he overate and added 40 lbs. Although he had been recruited as a linebacker, with the additional weight he was moved to defensive end. As he lost the excess weight he began to realize that he could excel at a lighter weight.
For his athletic excellence, Graham received many honors. Among the recognition he received are Parade Magazine All-American, EA Sports
All-American, USA Today
All-USA High School All-America first team
(No. 14 player in the nation by USA Today), Michigan Gatorade
Player of the Year, first player from the state of Michigan to play in the U.S. Army All-American Bowl, 2005 Detroit News No. 1 Blue Chip prospect, and No. 2 on the Detroit Free Press Best of the Midwest rankings. Additionally, he was recognized as one of ten top prep athletes in Michigan in 2005-2006, including men and women from all sports, as a 2006 McDonald's
-Powerade
Tomorrow's Winners honoree at the Michigan Sports Hall of Fame
dinner.
he switched to defensive end
. Graham was (along with Greg Matthews
, Carlos Brown
, Brandon Minor
and Stevie Brown
) one of five true freshmen to play in the season opening game. Graham was the backup for 2006 Lombardi Award
and 2006 Ted Hendricks Award
winner LaMarr Woodley. Graham also performed as a reserve defensive tackle during the season. Graham made his first tackle for Michigan on October 28 against Northwestern
and recorded his first sack and forced fumble on November 11 against Indiana
.
As the 2007 Michigan Wolverines football team
prepared for the 2007 NCAA Division I FBS football season
, Graham got some unusual news off the field when he found out that he had been given a perfect 99 rating in the NCAA 2008 EA Sports
even though his star teammates Chad Henne
, Jake Long
and Mike Hart had not. Also, off the field, Graham was issued a ticket playing loud music in a vehicle on July 24 and missed the September 18 court date after pleading not guilty. This caused a judge to issue an arrest warrant
for failing to appear in court on a disorderly conduct
charge. The charges were dropped under the belief that he had been misidentified. At the start of training camp, he weighed 262 lbs and was the projected starter at defensive end. Although projected to as the starter, Graham played sparingly in the opening game
loss to two-time defending FCS champions Appalachian State Mountaineers
on September 1. Head coach
Lloyd Carr
noted his disfavor with Graham at the start of the season: "Brandon, he needs to get focused," Carr said, "and do the things that he's capable of doing." He was disappointed in Graham's efforts in practice. In the third game, on September 15 against Notre Dame
Graham recorded 3.5 sacks in the rivalry game to help lead Michigan to its first win of the season. The following week he had 1.5 sacks, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery in a victory against Penn State
. Over the course of the season, he started six games at defensive end. He led the team in sacks with 8.5 and was second in forced fumbles with 3. He ranked seventh in the Big Ten for both statistics. He was a mid-season Ted Hendricks Award watch list candidate.
, who was welcomed by a defensive line composed entirely of returning starters, including Graham. Graham began the 2008 NCAA Division I FBS football season
as a Hendricks award watch list candidate for the 2008 Michigan Wolverines football team
. However, the team began the season unranked in the Associated Press
poll for the first time in 23 years. On September 27 Graham had 3 sacks and 2 forced fumbles against the Wisconsin Badgers
, and he was named Big Ten Conference Defensive Player of the Week. Prior to the October 25 Paul Bunyan Trophy
game against Michigan State
, Graham guaranteed a victory. Although the team lost 35–21, Graham again recorded three sacks. Graham finished the season with 10 sacks. He led the Big Ten with 20 tackles for a loss (TFL) and 1.82 TFLs per game and was second with 0.91 sacks/game. He ranked second nationally in tackles for loss and tied for eleventh in sacks. After the season, he was recognized as a 2008 Second-team All-Big Ten Conference selection by both the coaches and the media. Graham was selected as the team Most Valuable Player
.
Graham began the 2009 NCAA Division I FBS football season
as a watch lists candidate for the Bednarik Award
, Hendricks Award, Lombardi Award
, Lott Trophy
, and Nagurski Trophy
for the 2009 Michigan Wolverines football team
. He was also selected by ESPN
as the 10th best player in the Big Ten Conference before the season started. He concluded the season as the Chicago Tribune Silver Football
recipient as the Big Ten co-MVP (with Daryll Clark
). He was the seventh defensive player to earn the award and second in the last 25 years as well as the first co-recipient. Graham was the first player from a losing team in eight years and only the second player to win who was not either Big Ten offensive or defensive player of the year
. He posted 26 TFLs in 12 games, which led the nation with 2.17 average tackles for a loss per game (ahead of conference rival O'Brien Schofield
who was second with 1.884). His total of 10.5 sacks ranked fourth in the Big Ten Conference. Four times during the season, he recorded multiple sack games and he had three solo TFLs in four games. He ended his career at Michigan with 9 TFLs (8 solo and 2 assists) in his final two games, including a career-high 5 solo TFLs against Ohio State
in the 2009 rivalry game, which was the final game of his career. Graham was one of seven finalists for the Hendricks Award. At the conclusion of the season he was a 2009 First-team All-Big Ten selection by the coaches and media. He was a First-team 2009 College Football All-America Team
selection by ESPN
, Rivals.com
and Scout.com
, and he was a Second-team All-American defensive line selection by the Walter Camp Football Foundation
, Associated Press
, Sports Illustrated
, College Football News
and The Sporting News
. He was an honorable mention All-American by Pro Football Weekly
(which had no second team). Graham was again selected as the team MVP, which made him the school's first defensive player to be two-time MVP. As of December 2009, Graham was the only Big Ten player on Mel Kiper's "Big Board" Top 25. Brandon Graham earned MVP honors at the January 30, 2010 Senior Bowl
with five tackles, two sacks, one forced fumble.
, Graham ranked 8th among defensive linemen with a 4.72 40-yard dash and 10th in the bench press
with 31.
13th overall after trading up in the 2010 NFL Draft
. Graham decided to wear number 94 for the Eagles immediately after the draft, but changed his mind and chose number 54. Graham shares the same sports agent
(Joel Segal
) as teammate Michael Vick
. He was the first Big Ten Conference
player selected in the 2010 NFL Draft
. He agreed to terms on a five-year contract on July 29, 2010. Graham recorded his first NFL sack against the Detroit Lions
in a week 2 win on September 19, 2010. After suffering a torn anterior cruciate ligament
(ACL) in a week 14 game against the Dallas Cowboys
, Graham was placed on the injured reserve list on December 14. He underwent microfracture surgery
on his right knee on December 21. Graham was placed on the active/physically unable to perform
list on July 28, 2011, before the start of training camp. He was removed him from the physically unable to perform list so he could return to practice on October 24 and activated on November 5, 2011.
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 Philadelphia Eagles
Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
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...
(NFL). He was drafted by the Eagles in the first round of the 2010 NFL Draft
2010 NFL Draft
The 2010 NFL Draft was the 75th annual meeting of National Football League franchises to select newly eligible football players. Unlike previous years, the 2010 draft took place over three days, at Radio City Music Hall in New York City, with the first round on Thursday, April 22, 2010, at 7:30 pm...
with the thirteenth selection in the draft and the first from the Big Ten Conference
Big Ten Conference
The Big Ten Conference is the United States' oldest Division I college athletic conference. Its twelve member institutions are located primarily in the Midwestern United States, stretching from Nebraska in the west to Pennsylvania in the east...
. 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 Michigan
Michigan Wolverines football
The Michigan Wolverines football program represents the University of Michigan in college football at the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision level. Michigan has the most all-time wins and the highest winning percentage in college football history...
.
Graham was the 2009 Big Ten Conference
2009 Big Ten Conference football season
The 2009 Big Ten Conference football season was the 114th for the conference, and saw Ohio State conclude the regular season as Big Ten Conference champion for the 5th consecutive time, their 34th Big Ten title. This earned them the conference's automatic selection to a Bowl Championship Series...
Co-MVP as recognized by the Chicago Tribune Silver Football
Chicago Tribune Silver Football
The Chicago Tribune Silver Football is awarded by the Chicago Tribune to the college football player determined to be the best player from the Big Ten Conference. The award has been presented annually since 1924, when Red Grange of Illinois was the award's first recipient.The winner of the Silver...
award. He was the 2009 FBS tackles
Tackle (football move)
Most forms of football have a move known as a tackle. The primary purposes of tackling is to disposses an opponent of the ball, to stop the player from gaining ground towards goal or to stop them from carrying out what they intend....
(TFLs) for a loss (per game) champion after finishing second in 2008 by .01 TFL per game. He was the 2008 & 2009 Big Ten Conference TFL (total) champion.
After completing his career as defensive end for the 2009 Michigan Wolverines football team
2009 Michigan Wolverines football team
The 2009 Michigan Wolverines football team represented the University of Michigan in the 2009 college football season. They played their home games at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor, Michigan and competed in the Big Ten Conference...
, he had a total of 29.5 career sacks
Quarterback sack
In American football and Canadian football, a sack occurs when the quarterback is tackled behind the line of scrimmage before he can throw a forward pass, or when the quarterback is tackled behind the line of scrimmage in the "pocket" and the intent of what he was going to do is unclear...
and 56 career TFLs for the Michigan Wolverines football
Michigan Wolverines football
The Michigan Wolverines football program represents the University of Michigan in college football at the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision level. Michigan has the most all-time wins and the highest winning percentage in college football history...
team. In 2008, he led the Big Ten Conference
Big Ten Conference
The Big Ten Conference is the United States' oldest Division I college athletic conference. Its twelve member institutions are located primarily in the Midwestern United States, stretching from Nebraska in the west to Pennsylvania in the east...
in TFLs (20 in 11 games). In 2009, he posted 26 TFLs and 10.5 sacks in 12 games. As a member of the 2008 Michigan Wolverines football team
2008 Michigan Wolverines football team
The 2008 Michigan Wolverines football team represented the University of Michigan in the 2008 college football season. The team's head football coach was Rich Rodriguez. The Wolverines played their home games at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor, Michigan...
he earned Second-team 2008 Big Ten
2008 Big Ten Conference football season
The 2008 Big Ten Conference football season is the 113th season for the Big Ten.-Preseason:Ohio State was selected as the preseason favorite to win the conference with Wisconsin and Illinois second and third, respectively by the Media...
All-conference recognition from both the coaches and the media. He was a finalist for the 2009 NCAA Division I FBS football
2009 NCAA Division I FBS football season
The 2009 NCAA Division I FBS football season, or the college football season, began on September 2, 2009, progressed through the regular season and bowl season, and concluded with the Bowl Championship Series National Championship Game in Pasadena, California on January 7, 2010, featuring the...
Hendricks Award
Ted Hendricks Award
The Ted Hendricks Award is given annually to college football's top defensive end. The award is named after Ted Hendricks, who is a member of both the College Football Hall of Fame as well as the Pro Football Hall of Fame and is presented by his own 501 foundation, called the Ted Hendricks...
. He was a First-team 2009 All-Big Ten selection by the coaches and media. He was named to several First-team and Second-team 2009 All-America
2009 College Football All-America Team
An All-American team is an honorary sports team for a specific season composed of the best amateur players at each position—who in turn are given the honorific "All-America" and typically referred to as "All-American athletes", or simply "All-Americans". Although the honorees generally do not...
lists by various publications. Graham was also named MVP of the 2010 Senior Bowl
2010 Senior Bowl
The 2010 Under Armour Senior Bowl was an all-star college football exhibition game featuring players from the 2009 college football season, and prospects for the 2010 Draft of the professional National Football League , as well as for the United Football League's inaugural draft.The game was played...
.
In high school, he was a highly decorated and highly rated linebacker
Linebacker
A linebacker is a position in American football that was invented by football coach Fielding H. Yost of the University of Michigan. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up approximately three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage, behind the defensive linemen...
who served as captain
Captain (sports)
In team sports, a captain is a title given to a member of the team. The title is frequently honorary, but in some cases the captain may have significant responsibility for strategy and teamwork while the game is in progress on the field...
for the 2006 U.S. Army All-American Bowl
U.S. Army All-American Bowl
The U.S. Army All-American Bowl is a high school football all-star game held in early January in San Antonio, Texas. Currently played in the Alamodome, the game brings 90 of the nation's top high school football players in an East versus West matchup. In addition to the Bowl game, there is the U.S...
. He was listed on numerous All-American lists and was a finalists for some of the highest individual honors a high school football player can earn.
Early years
As a youth, Graham played football for the Police Athletic LeaguePolice Athletic League
The Police Athletic League is an organization in many American police departments in which members of the police force coach young people, both boys and girls, in sports, and help with homework and other school-related activities. The purpose is to build character, help strengthen police-community...
Detroit Giants for seven years until joining the eighth grade team. Born and raised in Detroit, Graham attended Crockett Vocational Tech, a school that began participating in Michigan High School Athletic Association
Michigan High School Athletic Association
-About:The Michigan High School Athletic Association is a service organization for high school sports in Michigan and is headquartered in East Lansing...
(MHSAA) football competitions in 1996 and that did not have a proper locker room for its football team before moving in his senior season. Since the football field had no lights, parents had to shine their car lights on the field for late practices. At Crockett, Graham. who had been playing competitive football since age seven, was expected to make an immediate impact upon joining the football team's starting lineup as a sophomore, and at the end of the season he was recognized as an honorable mention lineman 2003 All-Detroit selection by The Detroit News
The Detroit News
The Detroit News is one of the two major newspapers in the U.S. city of Detroit, Michigan. The paper began in 1873, when it rented space in the rival Free Press's building. The News absorbed the Detroit Tribune on February 1, 1919, the Detroit Journal on July 21, 1922, and on November 7, 1960,...
.
As a junior, Graham served as linebacker
Linebacker
A linebacker is a position in American football that was invented by football coach Fielding H. Yost of the University of Michigan. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up approximately three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage, behind the defensive linemen...
, offensive guard, placekicker
Placekicker
Placekicker, or simply kicker , is the title of the player in American and Canadian football who is responsible for the kicking duties of field goals, extra points...
and punter for his team, and he led his team to the MHSAA state championships, while becoming one of three juniors named to the 2004 First-team All-Detroit team with one source listing him as a placekicker and the other as a linebacker on the team. Crockett won Detroit Public School League Division 1 championship game at Ford Field
Ford Field
Ford Field is an indoor American football stadium located in Detroit, Michigan, USA, that is the current home field of the NFL's Detroit Lions. It is owned by the Detroit/Wayne County Stadium Authority. It regularly seats 65,000, though it is expandable up to 70,000 for football and 80,000 for...
and entered the Division 5 MHSAA semifinals with a 12–0 record, but Crockett lost 9–0 to defending state champion Lumen Christi Catholic High School
Lumen Christi Catholic High School
Lumen Christi Catholic High School is a private Roman Catholic high school located in Summit Township, just outside of Jackson, Michigan, in the United States. Located in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Lansing, it was established in 1968 from the merger of St. Mary's and St. John's Catholic High...
. In addition to recording 91 tackles
Tackle (football move)
Most forms of football have a move known as a tackle. The primary purposes of tackling is to disposses an opponent of the ball, to stop the player from gaining ground towards goal or to stop them from carrying out what they intend....
(20 for a loss), he maintained a 3.8 grade point average. In one game, he posted twelve tackles, four sacks
Quarterback sack
In American football and Canadian football, a sack occurs when the quarterback is tackled behind the line of scrimmage before he can throw a forward pass, or when the quarterback is tackled behind the line of scrimmage in the "pocket" and the intent of what he was going to do is unclear...
, four forced fumble
Fumble
A fumble in American and Canadian football occurs when a player, who has possession and control of the ball loses it before being downed or scoring. By rule, it is any act other than passing, kicking or successful handing that results in loss of player possession...
s, two blocked punt
Punt (football)
In some codes of football, a punt is a play in which a player drops the ball and kicks it before it touches the ground. A punt is in contrast to a drop kick, in which the ball touches the ground before being kicked....
s and scored on a 78-yard fake punt. He was selected for 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...
first-team Class B all-state team as a linebacker.
In high school, 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...
ranked Graham as the top class of 2006 high school football
High school football
High school football, in North America, refers to the game of football as it is played in the United States and Canada. It ranks among the most popular interscholastic sports in both of these nations....
prospect in the state of Michigan, the number two inside linebacker prospect and the overall fifteenth best prospect in the nation. Scout.com
Scout.com
Scout.com is an integrated sports publishing company that produces both an Internet and print product. Scout has more than 2.1 million visitors...
listed him as the number three linebacker in the nation and described him as the number one overall prospect in the midwest. Scout also described him as "arguably the best inside linebacker in the nation". ESPNU
ESPNU
ESPNU is a television channel that specializes in college sports, and is produced by, affiliated with and owned by parent network ESPN. ESPNU originates out of ESPN Regional Television's ESPNU (often referred to as The U) is a television channel that specializes in college sports, and is produced...
ranked him as the number two inside linebacker and number thirty-one prospect in the nation. Recruiting analyst Tom Lemming, listed Graham as the best linebacker in the country for USA Today
USA Today
USA Today is a national American daily newspaper published by the Gannett Company. It was founded by Al Neuharth. The newspaper vies with The Wall Street Journal for the position of having the widest circulation of any newspaper in the United States, something it previously held since 2003...
. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution is the only major daily newspaper in Atlanta, Georgia, United States, and its suburbs. The AJC, as it is called, is the flagship publication of Cox Enterprises. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution is the result of the merger between The Atlanta Journal and The Atlanta...
listed him at 15th among their national top 25 prospects.
Entering his senior season, he was the overwhelming selection as the best high school football player in the state of Michigan according The Detroit News. He had run a 4.43-second 40-yard dash at the Nike Summer football camp. As a senior, he intended to also play tight end
Tight end
The tight end is a position in American football on the offense. The tight end is often seen as a hybrid position with the characteristics and roles of both an offensive lineman and a wide receiver. Like offensive linemen, they are usually lined up on the offensive line and are large enough to be...
and fullback
Fullback (American football)
A fullback is a position in the offensive backfield in American and Canadian football, and is one of the two running back positions along with the halfback...
. One Detroit News preseason analysts listed him at linebacker, tight end and offensive guard. During the season, after missing four weeks to a knee injury, Graham was chosen as one of 78 players to participate in the January 7, 2006 U.S. Army All-American Bowl
U.S. Army All-American Bowl
The U.S. Army All-American Bowl is a high school football all-star game held in early January in San Antonio, Texas. Currently played in the Alamodome, the game brings 90 of the nation's top high school football players in an East versus West matchup. In addition to the Bowl game, there is the U.S...
at the Alamodome
Alamodome
The Alamodome is a domed 65,000 seat, multi-purpose facility that is primarily used as a football/basketball stadium and convention center in San Antonio, Texas, U.S...
. He was also named as a finalist for both the Parade
Parade (magazine)
Parade is an American nationwide Sunday newspaper magazine, distributed in more than 500 newspapers in the United States. It was founded in 1941 and is owned by Advance Publications. The most widely read magazine in the U.S., Parade has a circulation of 32.2 million and a readership of nearly 70...
All-America
All-America
An All-America team is an honorary sports team composed of outstanding amateur players—those considered the best players of a specific season for each team position—who in turn are given the honorific "All-America" and typically referred to as "All-American athletes", or simply...
High School player of the year (The high school equivalent of the Heisman Trophy
Heisman Trophy
The Heisman Memorial Trophy Award , is awarded annually to the player deemed the most outstanding player in collegiate football. It was created in 1935 as the Downtown Athletic Club trophy and renamed in 1936 following the death of the Club's athletic director, John Heisman The Heisman Memorial...
) and the Walter Payton Trophy
Walter Payton Trophy
The Walter Payton Trophy has been awarded annually since 2005 to the most athletic high school football player in the United States...
. He was elected captain of the East team at the U.S. Army All-American Bowl and recorded four tackles as well as a blocked field goal in the game that also featured two of his Michigan teammates: (Justin Boren
Justin Boren
Justin Matthew Boren is an American football offensive guard for the Baltimore Ravens of the National Football League. He was signed by the Ravens as an undrafted free agent in 2011. He has played guard and center during his high school and college football career...
and Stevie Brown
Stevie Brown
-College:At Michigan, he was elected captain as a senior. Over the course of his career he had 31 special teams tackles, including 11 as a sophomore when he led the 2007 team. As a senior, he led the 2009 Wolverines in tackles with 80...
). There were only 16 finalists for the Parade award, including future Michigan teammate Stephen Schilling
Stephen Schilling
Stephen Dana Schilling is an American football offensive guard for the San Diego Chargers of the National Football League. He was included on the 2009 preseason watchlist for the Lombardi Award...
and future Heisman-winner Tim Tebow
Tim Tebow
Timothy Richard "Tim" Tebow is an American football player who is currently the starting quarterback for the Denver Broncos of the National Football League . He was drafted by the Broncos as the 25th overall pick in the 2010 NFL Draft...
. Graham led his team to a rematch against Lumen Christi, which they lost 35–21 in the MHSAA Division 5 district championship game. In Graham's three years at Crockett, they went undefeated in the regular season and as a senior he was again selected to the All-Detroit first-team as a linebacker. Graham was also selected as to the Associated Press Class B All-State football team as its player of the year. The Detroit News selected him to the All-Class state Dream Team. He was also selected as the All-class statewide best linebacker as part of the inaugural class of The Michigan Prep Football Great 8 awarded by the Mid-Michigan Touchdown Club for being best at his position in the state. By his senior year, he had a 3.2 grade point average.
Since Graham was the first Michigan athlete to play in the U.S. Army All-American Bowl, he was not aware that he was violating Michigan state rules by participating in an out-of-state all-star game. He had to surrender his high school athletic eligibility for the winter and spring seasons. During his time away from athletics, he overate and added 40 lbs. Although he had been recruited as a linebacker, with the additional weight he was moved to defensive end. As he lost the excess weight he began to realize that he could excel at a lighter weight.
For his athletic excellence, Graham received many honors. Among the recognition he received are Parade Magazine All-American, EA Sports
EA Sports
EA Sports is a brand of Electronic Arts that creates and develops sports video games. Formerly a marketing gimmick of Electronic Arts, in which they tried to mimic real-life sports networks by calling themselves "EA Sports Network" with pictures or endorsements of real commentators such as John...
All-American, USA Today
USA Today
USA Today is a national American daily newspaper published by the Gannett Company. It was founded by Al Neuharth. The newspaper vies with The Wall Street Journal for the position of having the widest circulation of any newspaper in the United States, something it previously held since 2003...
All-USA High School All-America first team
USA Today All-USA high school football team
Each year, USA Today, an American newspaper, awards outstanding high-school American football players with a place on its All-USA High School Football Team. The newspaper names athletes whom it believes to be the best football players from high schools around the United States...
(No. 14 player in the nation by USA Today), Michigan Gatorade
Gatorade
Gatorade is a brand of sports-themed food and beverage products, built around its signature product: a line of sports drinks. Gatorade is currently manufactured by PepsiCo, distributed in over 80 countries...
Player of the Year, first player from the state of Michigan to play in the U.S. Army All-American Bowl, 2005 Detroit News No. 1 Blue Chip prospect, and No. 2 on the Detroit Free Press Best of the Midwest rankings. Additionally, he was recognized as one of ten top prep athletes in Michigan in 2005-2006, including men and women from all sports, as a 2006 McDonald's
McDonald's
McDonald's Corporation is the world's largest chain of hamburger fast food restaurants, serving around 64 million customers daily in 119 countries. Headquartered in the United States, the company began in 1940 as a barbecue restaurant operated by the eponymous Richard and Maurice McDonald; in 1948...
-Powerade
Powerade
Powerade is a sports drink manufactured and marketed by The Coca-Cola Company. First introduced in 1988, its primary competitor is PepsiCo's Gatorade...
Tomorrow's Winners honoree at the Michigan Sports Hall of Fame
Michigan Sports Hall of Fame
The Michigan Sports Hall of Fame is a Hall of Fame to honor Michigan sports people. It was organized in 1954 by Michigan Lieutenant Governor Philip Hart, Michigan State University athletic director Biggie Munn, president of the Greater Michigan Foundation Donald Weeks, general manager of the...
dinner.
Lloyd Carr era
Graham arrived at Michigan measuring 295 lbs and 6 in 2 in (1.88 m). Graham was initially listed as a linebacker at Michigan, but before the 2006 NCAA Division I FBS football season started for the 2006 Michigan Wolverines football team2006 Michigan Wolverines football team
The 2006 Michigan Wolverines football team represented the University of Michigan in the 2006 college football season. The team's head football coach was Lloyd Carr. The Wolverines came into the season with lower expectations than many Michigan teams of the previous few seasons, ranked #14...
he switched to 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...
. Graham was (along with Greg Matthews
Greg Matthews
Gregory Richard John "Mo" Matthews is a former New South Wales and Australian cricketer who is now a television cricket commentator....
, Carlos Brown
Carlos Brown (American football)
-Freshman year:Brown played in 7 games as a freshman in 2006 and earned his first varsity letter. In limited action, Brown carried 16 times for 41 yards.-Sophomore year:...
, Brandon Minor
Brandon Minor
Brandon Ricardo Minor is an American football running back who is currently a member of the Denver Broncos of the National Football League . He was signed by the Bears as an undrafted free agent in 2010, but after being released during the final cuts, he has been on the New Orleans Saints and...
and Stevie Brown
Stevie Brown
-College:At Michigan, he was elected captain as a senior. Over the course of his career he had 31 special teams tackles, including 11 as a sophomore when he led the 2007 team. As a senior, he led the 2009 Wolverines in tackles with 80...
) one of five true freshmen to play in the season opening game. Graham was the backup for 2006 Lombardi Award
Lombardi Award
The Rotary Lombardi Award is awarded annually to the best college football lineman or linebacker. The Lombardi Award program was approved by the Rotary Club in Houston in 1970 shortly after the death of Vince Lombardi. The committee outlined the criteria for eligibility for the award, which...
and 2006 Ted Hendricks Award
Ted Hendricks Award
The Ted Hendricks Award is given annually to college football's top defensive end. The award is named after Ted Hendricks, who is a member of both the College Football Hall of Fame as well as the Pro Football Hall of Fame and is presented by his own 501 foundation, called the Ted Hendricks...
winner LaMarr Woodley. Graham also performed as a reserve defensive tackle during the season. Graham made his first tackle for Michigan on October 28 against Northwestern
2006 Northwestern Wildcats football team
The 2006 Northwestern Wildcats football team represented Northwestern University in the Big Ten Conference during the 2006 NCAA Division I FBS football season. Head coach Randy Walker died unexpectedly on June 29, 2006 of an apparent heart attack at the age of 52...
and recorded his first sack and forced fumble on November 11 against Indiana
2006 Indiana Hoosiers football team
The 2006 Indiana Hoosiers football team represented Indiana University during the 2006 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Hoosiers were coached by Terry Hoeppner, who was in his final season as head coach before he died of brain cancer in mid-2007. The Hoosiers played their home games in...
.
As the 2007 Michigan Wolverines football team
2007 Michigan Wolverines football team
The 2007 Michigan Wolverines football team represented the University of Michigan in the 2007 college football season. This was Lloyd Carr's final season as Michigan head coach. The 2007 season began with a stunning loss to Appalachian State, but the Wolverines won eight straight games after...
prepared for the 2007 NCAA Division I FBS football season
2007 NCAA Division I FBS football season
The 2007 NCAA Division I FBS football season, or the college football season, began on August 30, 2007, progressed through the regular season and bowl season, and concluded with the Bowl Championship Series National Championship Game in New Orleans, Louisiana on January 7, 2008, where the top...
, Graham got some unusual news off the field when he found out that he had been given a perfect 99 rating in the NCAA 2008 EA Sports
EA Sports
EA Sports is a brand of Electronic Arts that creates and develops sports video games. Formerly a marketing gimmick of Electronic Arts, in which they tried to mimic real-life sports networks by calling themselves "EA Sports Network" with pictures or endorsements of real commentators such as John...
even though his star teammates Chad Henne
Chad Henne
Chad Steven Henne is an American football quarterback for the Miami Dolphins of the National Football League.He graduated from Wilson Senior High School and attended the University of Michigan...
, Jake Long
Jake Long
Jake Edward Long is an American football offensive tackle for the Miami Dolphins of the National Football League . He was drafted by the Dolphins first overall in the 2008 NFL Draft. He played college football at Michigan...
and Mike Hart had not. Also, off the field, Graham was issued a ticket playing loud music in a vehicle on July 24 and missed the September 18 court date after pleading not guilty. This caused a judge to issue an arrest warrant
Arrest warrant
An arrest warrant is a warrant issued by and on behalf of the state, which authorizes the arrest and detention of an individual.-Canada:Arrest warrants are issued by a judge or justice of the peace under the Criminal Code of Canada....
for failing to appear in court on a disorderly conduct
Disorderly conduct
Disorderly conduct is a criminal charge in most jurisdictions in the United States. Typically, disorderly conduct makes it a crime to be drunk in public, to "disturb the peace", or to loiter in certain areas. Many types of unruly conduct may fit the definition of disorderly conduct, as such...
charge. The charges were dropped under the belief that he had been misidentified. At the start of training camp, he weighed 262 lbs and was the projected starter at defensive end. Although projected to as the starter, Graham played sparingly in the opening game
2007 Appalachian State vs. Michigan football game
The 2007 Appalachian State-Michigan game was a college football game held on September 1 at Michigan Stadium on the campus of the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Michigan. It pitted the #5 ranked Michigan Wolverines against the two-time defending champions of the Division I FCS, the...
loss to two-time defending FCS champions Appalachian State Mountaineers
2007 Appalachian State Mountaineers football team
The 2007 Appalachian State Mountaineers football team represented Appalachian State University in the college football season of 2007–2008. The team was coached by Jerry Moore and the Mountaineers played their home games at Kidd Brewer Stadium in Boone, North Carolina.The football team competes in...
on September 1. Head coach
Head coach
A head coach, senior coach or manager is a professional at training and developing athletes. They typically hold a more public profile and are paid more than other coaches...
Lloyd Carr
Lloyd Carr
Lloyd H. Carr is a former American football player and coach. He served as the head coach at the University of Michigan from 1995 through the 2007 season. Under Carr, the Wolverines compiled a record of 122–40 and won or shared five Big Ten Conference titles...
noted his disfavor with Graham at the start of the season: "Brandon, he needs to get focused," Carr said, "and do the things that he's capable of doing." He was disappointed in Graham's efforts in practice. In the third game, on September 15 against Notre Dame
2007 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team
The 2007 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team was the college football team that represented the University of Notre Dame in the 2007 NCAA Division I-A football season. The team was coached by Charlie Weis in his third year as head coach, and played its home games at Notre Dame Stadium in Notre...
Graham recorded 3.5 sacks in the rivalry game to help lead Michigan to its first win of the season. The following week he had 1.5 sacks, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery in a victory against Penn State
2007 Penn State Nittany Lions football team
The 2007 Penn State Nittany Lions football team represented the Pennsylvania State University in the 2007 college football season. The team was coached by Joe Paterno and played its home games in Beaver Stadium in University Park, Pennsylvania....
. Over the course of the season, he started six games at defensive end. He led the team in sacks with 8.5 and was second in forced fumbles with 3. He ranked seventh in the Big Ten for both statistics. He was a mid-season Ted Hendricks Award watch list candidate.
Rich Rodriguez era
Graham, who had been troubled by conditioning issues the prior season arrived at spring practice in very good shape, which pleased newly arrived head coach Rich RodriguezRich Rodriguez
Richard A. "Rich" Rodriguez is an American football coach and former player. He is currently the head football coach at the University of Arizona. Rodriguez previously served as the head football coach at Salem University , Glenville State College , West Virginia University , and the University...
, who was welcomed by a defensive line composed entirely of returning starters, including Graham. Graham began the 2008 NCAA Division I FBS football season
2008 NCAA Division I FBS football season
The 2008 NCAA Division I FBS football season, or the college football season, began on August 28, 2008, progressing through the regular season and bowl season, and concluded with the Bowl Championship Series National Championship Game in Miami Gardens, Florida on January 8, 2009, where the #2...
as a Hendricks award watch list candidate for the 2008 Michigan Wolverines football team
2008 Michigan Wolverines football team
The 2008 Michigan Wolverines football team represented the University of Michigan in the 2008 college football season. The team's head football coach was Rich Rodriguez. The Wolverines played their home games at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor, Michigan...
. However, the team began the season unranked in 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...
poll for the first time in 23 years. On September 27 Graham had 3 sacks and 2 forced fumbles against the Wisconsin Badgers
2008 Wisconsin Badgers football team
The 2008 Wisconsin Badgers football team represented the University of Wisconsin–Madison during the 2008 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Badgers were coached by Bret Bielema and played their home games at Camp Randall Stadium in Madison, Wisconsin....
, and he was named Big Ten Conference Defensive Player of the Week. Prior to the October 25 Paul Bunyan Trophy
Paul Bunyan Trophy
The Paul Bunyan–Governor of Michigan Trophy is a college rivalry trophy awarded to the winner of the annual American football game between the Michigan State Spartans and the Michigan Wolverines. The winner retains possession of the trophy until the next year's game...
game against Michigan State
2008 Michigan State Spartans football team
The 2008 Michigan State Spartans football team represented Michigan State University in the 2008–2009 college football season. The team's head coach was Mark Dantonio. The Spartans played their home games at Spartan Stadium in East Lansing, Michigan...
, Graham guaranteed a victory. Although the team lost 35–21, Graham again recorded three sacks. Graham finished the season with 10 sacks. He led the Big Ten with 20 tackles for a loss (TFL) and 1.82 TFLs per game and was second with 0.91 sacks/game. He ranked second nationally in tackles for loss and tied for eleventh in sacks. After the season, he was recognized as a 2008 Second-team All-Big Ten Conference selection by both the coaches and the media. Graham was selected as the team Most Valuable Player
Most Valuable Player
In sports, a Most Valuable Player award is an honor typically bestowed upon the best performing player or players on a specific team, in an entire league, or for a particular contest or series of contests...
.
Graham began the 2009 NCAA Division I FBS football season
2009 NCAA Division I FBS football season
The 2009 NCAA Division I FBS football season, or the college football season, began on September 2, 2009, progressed through the regular season and bowl season, and concluded with the Bowl Championship Series National Championship Game in Pasadena, California on January 7, 2010, featuring the...
as a watch lists candidate for the Bednarik Award
Chuck Bednarik Award
The Chuck Bednarik Award is presented annually to the defensive collegiate football player adjudged by the Maxwell Football Club to be the best in the United States...
, Hendricks Award, Lombardi Award
Lombardi Award
The Rotary Lombardi Award is awarded annually to the best college football lineman or linebacker. The Lombardi Award program was approved by the Rotary Club in Houston in 1970 shortly after the death of Vince Lombardi. The committee outlined the criteria for eligibility for the award, which...
, Lott Trophy
Lott Trophy
The Lott IMPACT Trophy is presented annually to the college football Defensive IMPACT Player of the Year. IMPACT is an acronym for: integrity, maturity, performance, academics, community, and tenacity. The award purports to equally recognize the personal character of the winning player as well as...
, and Nagurski Trophy
Bronko Nagurski Trophy
The Bronko Nagurski Trophy has been awarded annually since 1993 to the collegiate American football player adjudged by the membership of the Football Writers Association of America to be the best defensively in the National Collegiate Athletic Association; the award is presented by the Charlotte...
for the 2009 Michigan Wolverines football team
2009 Michigan Wolverines football team
The 2009 Michigan Wolverines football team represented the University of Michigan in the 2009 college football season. They played their home games at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor, Michigan and competed in the Big Ten Conference...
. He was also selected by ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
as the 10th best player in the Big Ten Conference before the season started. He concluded the season as the Chicago Tribune Silver Football
Chicago Tribune Silver Football
The Chicago Tribune Silver Football is awarded by the Chicago Tribune to the college football player determined to be the best player from the Big Ten Conference. The award has been presented annually since 1924, when Red Grange of Illinois was the award's first recipient.The winner of the Silver...
recipient as the Big Ten co-MVP (with Daryll Clark
Daryll Clark
Daryll Lawrence Clark is a football quarterback who is currently a member of the Chicago Rush. He was signed by the Calgary Stampeders of the Canadian Football League as an free agent in 2010. He played collegiately for the Penn State Nittany Lions. He is the Nittany Lions' all-time leader in...
). He was the seventh defensive player to earn the award and second in the last 25 years as well as the first co-recipient. Graham was the first player from a losing team in eight years and only the second player to win who was not either Big Ten offensive or defensive player of the year
Big Ten Conference football individual honors
Coaches and media of the Big Ten Conference award the following individual honors at the end of each football season. In addition, the Chicago Tribune awards the Chicago Tribune Silver Football to the most valuable football player of the conference.-Player of the Year:Sanctioned by AP and UPI;...
. He posted 26 TFLs in 12 games, which led the nation with 2.17 average tackles for a loss per game (ahead of conference rival O'Brien Schofield
O'Brien Schofield
O'Brien Schofield is an American football linebacker for the Arizona Cardinals of the National Football League. As a fifth-year redshirt senior for the 2009 Wisconsin Badgers he ranked second in the nation in tackles for a loss and second in the Big Ten Conference in quarterback sacks...
who was second with 1.884). His total of 10.5 sacks ranked fourth in the Big Ten Conference. Four times during the season, he recorded multiple sack games and he had three solo TFLs in four games. He ended his career at Michigan with 9 TFLs (8 solo and 2 assists) in his final two games, including a career-high 5 solo TFLs against Ohio State
2009 Ohio State Buckeyes football team
The 2009 Ohio State Buckeyes football team competed in football on behalf of The Ohio State University for the 2009 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Buckeyes were coached by Jim Tressel and played their home games in Ohio Stadium in Columbus, Ohio. They finished with a record of 11–2 and...
in the 2009 rivalry game, which was the final game of his career. Graham was one of seven finalists for the Hendricks Award. At the conclusion of the season he was a 2009 First-team All-Big Ten selection by the coaches and media. He was a First-team 2009 College Football All-America Team
2009 College Football All-America Team
An All-American team is an honorary sports team for a specific season composed of the best amateur players at each position—who in turn are given the honorific "All-America" and typically referred to as "All-American athletes", or simply "All-Americans". Although the honorees generally do not...
selection by ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
, 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...
and Scout.com
Scout.com
Scout.com is an integrated sports publishing company that produces both an Internet and print product. Scout has more than 2.1 million visitors...
, and he was a Second-team All-American defensive line selection by the Walter Camp Football Foundation
Walter Camp Football Foundation
The Walter Camp Football Foundation is one of the organizations whose College Football All-America Team is recognized by the NCAA. The organization also presents various awards.-Awards:*Walter Camp Player of the Year*CT Player of the Year...
, 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...
, Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated is an American sports media company owned by media conglomerate Time Warner. Its self titled magazine has over 3.5 million subscribers and is read by 23 million adults each week, including over 18 million men. It was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the...
, College Football News
College Football News
College Football News is a magazine and website published by College Football News, Inc., headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. News coverage includes scores, statistics, rankings, and reports on college football games. Analysis includes comparisons between teams, predictions of game outcomes and...
and The Sporting News
The Sporting News
Sporting News is an American-based sports magazine. It was established in 1886, and it became the dominant American publication covering baseball — so much so that it acquired the nickname "The Bible of Baseball"...
. He was an honorable mention All-American by Pro Football Weekly
Pro Football Weekly
Pro Football Weekly is an American sports magazine, founded in 1967, that covers the National Football League...
(which had no second team). Graham was again selected as the team MVP, which made him the school's first defensive player to be two-time MVP. As of December 2009, Graham was the only Big Ten player on Mel Kiper's "Big Board" Top 25. Brandon Graham earned MVP honors at the January 30, 2010 Senior Bowl
2010 Senior Bowl
The 2010 Under Armour Senior Bowl was an all-star college football exhibition game featuring players from the 2009 college football season, and prospects for the 2010 Draft of the professional National Football League , as well as for the United Football League's inaugural draft.The game was played...
with five tackles, two sacks, one forced fumble.
Pre-draft
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...
, Graham ranked 8th among defensive linemen with a 4.72 40-yard dash and 10th in the bench press
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...
with 31.
Philadelphia Eagles
Graham was drafted by the Philadelphia EaglesPhiladelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
13th overall after trading up in the 2010 NFL Draft
2010 NFL Draft
The 2010 NFL Draft was the 75th annual meeting of National Football League franchises to select newly eligible football players. Unlike previous years, the 2010 draft took place over three days, at Radio City Music Hall in New York City, with the first round on Thursday, April 22, 2010, at 7:30 pm...
. Graham decided to wear number 94 for the Eagles immediately after the draft, but changed his mind and chose number 54. Graham shares the same sports agent
Sports agent
A sports agent procures and negotiates employment and endorsement contracts for an athlete.In return, the sports agent generally receives between 4 and 10% of the athlete's playing contract, and 10 to 20% of the athlete's endorsement contract, though these figures vary...
(Joel Segal
Joel Segal (sports agent)
Joel Segal is an American sports agent and the president of . Segal has used his law degree and background to become one of the most powerful sports agents in the world. In 2010 Segal was recognized as the 9th Most Powerful Sports Agent in America by Business Insider Law Review. In 2008 Segal was...
) as teammate Michael Vick
Michael Vick
Michael Dwayne Vick is an American football quarterback for the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League...
. He was the first Big Ten Conference
Big Ten Conference
The Big Ten Conference is the United States' oldest Division I college athletic conference. Its twelve member institutions are located primarily in the Midwestern United States, stretching from Nebraska in the west to Pennsylvania in the east...
player selected in the 2010 NFL Draft
2010 NFL Draft
The 2010 NFL Draft was the 75th annual meeting of National Football League franchises to select newly eligible football players. Unlike previous years, the 2010 draft took place over three days, at Radio City Music Hall in New York City, with the first round on Thursday, April 22, 2010, at 7:30 pm...
. He agreed to terms on a five-year contract on July 29, 2010. Graham recorded his first NFL sack against the Detroit Lions
2010 Detroit Lions season
The 2010 Detroit Lions season was the franchise's 81st season in the NFL. It was Jim Schwartz's second season as head coach. The Lions spent most of the season at the bottom of their division, but with more division wins than the Vikings , the Lions ended up at 3rd place on the final day of the...
in a week 2 win on September 19, 2010. After suffering a torn anterior cruciate ligament
Anterior cruciate ligament
The anterior cruciate ligament is a cruciate ligament which is one of the four major ligaments of the human knee. In the quadruped stifle , based on its anatomical position, it is referred to as the cranial cruciate ligament.The ACL originates from deep within the notch of the distal femur...
(ACL) in a week 14 game against the Dallas Cowboys
2010 Dallas Cowboys season
The 2010 Dallas Cowboys season is the 51st season for the team in the National Football League, and the second season playing their home games at Cowboys Stadium...
, Graham was placed on the injured reserve list on December 14. He underwent microfracture surgery
Microfracture surgery
Microfracture surgery is one of the articular cartilage repair surgical techniques that works by creating tiny fractures in the underlying bone. This causes new cartilage to develop from a so-called super-clot...
on his right knee on December 21. Graham was placed on the active/physically unable to perform
Physically Unable to Perform
Players can be labeled Physically Unable to Perform in the National Football League if they suffer from football-related injuries during the preseason...
list on July 28, 2011, before the start of training camp. He was removed him from the physically unable to perform list so he could return to practice on October 24 and activated on November 5, 2011.
External links
- Graham (NFL) at ESPN.comESPN.comESPN.com is the official website of ESPN and a division of ESPN Inc. Since launching in 1995 as ESPNet.SportsZone.com, the website has developed numerous sections including: Page 2, SportsNation, ESPN 3.com, ESPN Motion, My ESPN, ESPN Sports Travel, ESPN Video Games, ESPN Insider, ESPN.com's...
- Philadelphia Eagles bio
- Michigan Wolverines bio
- Graham's statistics at NCAA.org
- Graham at CBS SportsCBS SportsCBS Sports is a division of CBS Broadcasting which airs sporting events on the American television network. Its headquarters are in the CBS Building on West 52nd Street in midtown Manhattan, New York City, with programs produced out of Studio 43 at the CBS Broadcast Center on West 57th Street.CBS...
- Graham (college) at ESPN.comESPN.comESPN.com is the official website of ESPN and a division of ESPN Inc. Since launching in 1995 as ESPNet.SportsZone.com, the website has developed numerous sections including: Page 2, SportsNation, ESPN 3.com, ESPN Motion, My ESPN, ESPN Sports Travel, ESPN Video Games, ESPN Insider, ESPN.com's...
- Graham archive at AnnArbor.comAnnArbor.comAnnArbor.com is an online newspaper that covers local news of Ann Arbor, Michigan and the surrounding Washtenaw County, Michigan.- Overview :...