Earnest Graham
Encyclopedia
Earnest Graham, Jr. is an American football
running back
for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
of the National Football League
(NFL). He was signed by the Buccaneers as an undrafted free agent in 2003. He played college football
at Florida
.
in 1980. He attended Mariner High School
in Cape Coral, Florida
, He was a versatile athlete and lettered in high school football
, baseball
and basketball
. Graham especially excelled as a football running back
, and set county and state records for career rushing yards and touchdown
s. He finished his high school career with 5,710 rushing yards and eighty-six touchdown
s, including 2,159 yards and thirty touchdowns as a junior
, and 1,858 yards and twenty-nine touchdowns as a senior
—despite missing two games. Graham was named the state of Florida's "Mr. Football" in 1997, and was named a Parade
magazine high school All-American.
In 2007, nine years after he graduated from high school, the Florida High School Athletic Association
(FHSAA) recognized Graham as one of the "100 Greatest Players of the First 100 Years" of Florida high school football.
from the home-state University of Florida
in Gainesville, Florida
, where he played for the Florida Gators football
under coach Steve Spurrier
and coach Ron Zook
from 1998 to 2002
. Early in his first college season in 1998, Graham suffered a foot injury that required surgery and was granted a medical redshirt
.
Graham started seven games for the Gators as a redshirt freshman in 1999 and ran for 654 yards and five touchdowns, earning him a spot on the Southeastern Conference
All-Freshman team. Graham split time with fellow running back Robert Gillespie during the 2000
season, in which he rushed for 676 yards and eight touchdowns. Graham was slowed by injuries in 2001
(including a controversial knee injury suffered in the Florida State game
), but still earned second-team All-SEC honors on the strength of 650 yards and nine touchdowns while again splitting time with Gillespie.
As a senior team captain
in 2002
, Graham started every game for the Gators and took advantage of his opportunity as the Gators' featured running back, rushing for 1,085 yards and eleven touchdowns, including a career-high 182 yards in the season opener versus the UAB Blazers
.
At the conclusion of his career at Florida, Graham ranked among the best running backs in Gator history. Graham finished third in school history in rushing touchdowns (33), fifth in rushing yardage and attempts (3,065 yards on 603 carries), fifth in career 100-yard games (9), and ninth in all-purpose yards (3,468). Graham also averaged 135 yards in his three bowl game
s.
on April 28, 2003, and he has played for the Buccaneers for seven regular seasons starting in . For several seasons, Graham performed well in preseason games but did not get many opportunities to play at running back once the regular season began. Graham played extensively on special teams and led the team in special teams tackles in 2006.
Graham started the 2007 season playing predominantly on special teams once again. However, injuries to Bucs' running backs Carnell Williams
, Mike Alstott
, Michael Pittman
allowed Graham to get significant playing at running back for the first time in his pro career. He scored the first two touchdowns of his career on September 23, 2007 in a 24–3 win against the St. Louis Rams
. When starter Cadillac Williams seriously injured his knee in the following week's game against the Carolina Panthers
, Graham became the Bucs' starting running back for the remainder of the season.
Graham took advantage of his opportunity, rushing for 898 yards and ten touchdowns in the thirteen games he played. In that span, he rushed for over 100 yards in a game three times and scored a touchdown in six consecutive contests. Graham became only the second running back in Buccaneers history to register back-to-back 100-yard rushing games, which he did against the Atlanta Falcons
and the Arizona Cardinals
. In nine of his ten starts, Graham either ran for 100 yards, scored a touchdown, averaged four yards a carry, or caught six or more passes. He is nicknamed "Dodge Ram" by Buccaneers fans for his physical running style.
After skipping voluntary offseason workouts in 2008 due to displeasure with his contract, Graham agreed to a three-year, $10.5 million extension on June 30, 2008. Although the deal contained no guaranteed money, Graham received a $1 million roster bonus for making the regular season roster.
During the 2008 season, Graham split carries with Warrick Dunn
and broke off several long touchdown runs early in the season. Due to injuries to several of the Bucs' fullbacks
, Graham volunteered to shift to that position and helped Dunn become an effective feature back for several weeks. During Week 11 of the 2008 season, Graham sustained an ankle injury on the first play against the Minnesota Vikings
and was placed on injured reserve
on November 19, ending his season.
For the 2009 season, Cadillac Williams finally returned from a series of serious injuries, putting Graham back in the role of a fullback and special teams player. His rushing attempts were limited, as he served primarily as a blocker rather than a ball carrier. He tore a ligament in his toe during the Bucs' week 16 game against the New Orleans Saints
on December 27, and was placed on season-ending injured reserve the next day
Graham continued in his support role in 2010 as LeGarrette Blount
became the Bucs' featured tailback, resulting in few carries for Graham and the team not resigning Williams after the season. Graham's season highlight came on December 5, when he threw a touchdown pass to tight end John Gilmore.
At the beginning of the 2011 season, Graham was again called on to be a fullback and special teams player. However, when Blount was injured during week 5, Graham was thrust back into the featured tailback role for an October 16 home game against the New Orleans Saints. He responded by rushing for 109 yards on 17 carries as the Bucs beat their division rivals 26-20. His one-game yardage total was more than he had gained in either of the previous two seasons in his role as a blocker Graham again started at running back the following week when the Bucs played the Chicago Bears
in London. He injured his Achilles tendon
during the first quarter and was placed on the injured reserve list two days later.
He has become a favorite among Buccaneers fans, coaches, and fellow players for his hard work and team-first attitude
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...
running back
Running back
A running back is a gridiron football position, who is typically lined up in the offensive backfield. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback for a rushing play, to catch passes from out of the backfield, and to block.There are usually one or two running...
for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football franchise based in Tampa, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the Southern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League – they are the only team in the division not to come from the old NFC West...
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 signed by the Buccaneers as an undrafted free agent in 2003. 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 Florida
Florida Gators football
The Florida Gators football team represents the University of Florida in the sport of American football. The Florida Gators compete in the Football Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletics Association and the Eastern Division of the Southeastern Conference...
.
Early years
Graham was born in Naples, FloridaNaples, Florida
Naples is a city in Collier County, Florida, United States. As of July 1, 2007, the U.S. Census Bureau estimated the city's population at 21,653. Naples is a principal city of the Naples–Marco Island Metropolitan Statistical Area, which had an estimated total population of 315,839 on July 1, 2007...
in 1980. He attended Mariner High School
Mariner High School (Cape Coral, Florida)
Mariner High School is located in Cape Coral, Florida in the Lee County School District and is home to the Mariner Fightin' Tritons. The school is located at 701 Chiquita Blvd. N. in Northern Cape Coral, Florida. The school's students come mainly from Cape Coral, the neighboring villages on Pine...
in Cape Coral, Florida
Cape Coral, Florida
Cape Coral is a municipality located in Lee County, Florida, United States, on the Gulf of Mexico. Founded in 1957 and developed as a master-planned, pre-platted community, the city grew to a population of 154,305 by the year 2010. With an area of , Cape Coral is the largest city between Tampa and...
, He was a versatile athlete and lettered in 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....
, baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
and basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
. Graham especially excelled as a football running back
Running back
A running back is a gridiron football position, who is typically lined up in the offensive backfield. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback for a rushing play, to catch passes from out of the backfield, and to block.There are usually one or two running...
, and set county and state records for career rushing yards and touchdown
Touchdown
A touchdown is a means of scoring in American and Canadian football. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchdown by advancing the ball into the opponent's end zone.-Description:...
s. He finished his high school career with 5,710 rushing yards and eighty-six touchdown
Touchdown
A touchdown is a means of scoring in American and Canadian football. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchdown by advancing the ball into the opponent's end zone.-Description:...
s, including 2,159 yards and thirty touchdowns as a junior
Junior (education)
"Junior" is a term used in the United States to describe a student in their 3rd year of study . A Junior is considered an upperclassman...
, and 1,858 yards and twenty-nine touchdowns as a senior
Senior (education)
Senior is a term used in the United States to describe a student in the 4th year of study .-High school:...
—despite missing two games. Graham was named the state of Florida's "Mr. Football" in 1997, and was named a 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...
magazine high school All-American.
In 2007, nine years after he graduated from high school, the Florida High School Athletic Association
Florida High School Athletic Association
The Florida High School Athletic Association is an organization whose purpose is to organize sports competition for high school It is a member of the National Federation of State High School Associations ....
(FHSAA) recognized Graham as one of the "100 Greatest Players of the First 100 Years" of Florida high school football.
College career
Graham was a sought-after college recruit and chose to accept an athletic scholarshipAthletic scholarship
An athletic scholarship is a form of scholarship to attend a college or university awarded to an individual based predominantly on his or her ability to play in a sport...
from the home-state University of Florida
University of Florida
The University of Florida is an American public land-grant, sea-grant, and space-grant research university located on a campus in Gainesville, Florida. The university traces its historical origins to 1853, and has operated continuously on its present Gainesville campus since September 1906...
in Gainesville, Florida
Gainesville, Florida
Gainesville is the largest city in, and the county seat of, Alachua County, Florida, United States as well as the principal city of the Gainesville, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area . The preliminary 2010 Census population count for Gainesville is 124,354. Gainesville is home to the sixth...
, where he played for the Florida Gators football
Florida Gators football
The Florida Gators football team represents the University of Florida in the sport of American football. The Florida Gators compete in the Football Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletics Association and the Eastern Division of the Southeastern Conference...
under coach Steve Spurrier
Steve Spurrier
Stephen Orr Spurrier is an American college football coach and player. Spurrier is the current head coach of the University of South Carolina's Gamecocks football team. He is also a former professional player and coach...
and coach Ron Zook
Ron Zook
Ron Zook is a former American football coach and former player. He served as the head football coach at the University of Florida from 2002 to 2004 and at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign from 2005 to 2011. Zook is a native of Ohio and an alumnus of Miami University, where he...
from 1998 to 2002
2002 Florida Gators football team
The 2002 Florida Gators football team represented the University of Florida in the sport of American football during the 2002 college football season...
. Early in his first college season in 1998, Graham suffered a foot injury that required surgery and was granted a medical redshirt
Redshirt (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...
.
Graham started seven games for the Gators as a redshirt freshman in 1999 and ran for 654 yards and five touchdowns, earning him a spot on the Southeastern Conference
Southeastern Conference
The Southeastern Conference is an American college athletic conference that operates in the southeastern part of the United States. It is headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama...
All-Freshman team. Graham split time with fellow running back Robert Gillespie during the 2000
2000 Florida Gators football team
September 30, 2000The Florida Gators came into Davis Wade Stadium in Starkville, Mississippi ranked third in the nation. The unranked Mississippi State Bulldogs ran for 351 yards, 172 yards and a touchdown for Dicenzo Miller, and 156 yards and a touchdown for Dontae Walker. Bulldogs quarterback...
season, in which he rushed for 676 yards and eight touchdowns. Graham was slowed by injuries in 2001
2001 Florida Gators football team
The 2001 Florida Gators football team represented the University of Florida in the sport of American football during the 2001 college football season...
(including a controversial knee injury suffered in the Florida State game
Florida-Florida State rivalry
The Florida–Florida State football rivalry is an American college football rivalry between the teams of the two oldest public universities of the U.S. state of Florida: the University of Florida Gators and the Florida State University Seminoles...
), but still earned second-team All-SEC honors on the strength of 650 yards and nine touchdowns while again splitting time with Gillespie.
As a senior team 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...
in 2002
2002 Florida Gators football team
The 2002 Florida Gators football team represented the University of Florida in the sport of American football during the 2002 college football season...
, Graham started every game for the Gators and took advantage of his opportunity as the Gators' featured running back, rushing for 1,085 yards and eleven touchdowns, including a career-high 182 yards in the season opener versus the UAB Blazers
UAB Blazers football
The University of Alabama at Birmingham Blazers college football team competes as part of the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision , as a member of the East Division of Conference USA . UAB plays its home games at Legion Field, which is located off-campus in Birmingham, Alabama...
.
At the conclusion of his career at Florida, Graham ranked among the best running backs in Gator history. Graham finished third in school history in rushing touchdowns (33), fifth in rushing yardage and attempts (3,065 yards on 603 carries), fifth in career 100-yard games (9), and ninth in all-purpose yards (3,468). Graham also averaged 135 yards in his three bowl game
Bowl game
In North America, a bowl game is commonly considered to refer to one of a number of post-season college football games. Prior to 2002, bowl game statistics were not included in players' career totals and the games were mostly considered to be exhibition games involving a payout to participating...
s.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Graham entered the NFL by signing as an undrafted free agent with the Tampa Bay BuccaneersTampa Bay Buccaneers
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football franchise based in Tampa, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the Southern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League – they are the only team in the division not to come from the old NFC West...
on April 28, 2003, and he has played for the Buccaneers for seven regular seasons starting in . For several seasons, Graham performed well in preseason games but did not get many opportunities to play at running back once the regular season began. Graham played extensively on special teams and led the team in special teams tackles in 2006.
Graham started the 2007 season playing predominantly on special teams once again. However, injuries to Bucs' running backs Carnell Williams
Carnell Williams
Carnell Lamar "Cadillac" Williams is an American football running back for the St. Louis Rams of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the first round of the 2005 NFL Draft...
, Mike Alstott
Mike Alstott
Michael Joseph Alstott , nicknamed "A-Train", is a former American football fullback in the National Football League. He spent his entire 12-year career with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He played college football at Purdue...
, Michael Pittman
Michael Pittman
Michael Pittman is an American football running back who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Arizona Cardinals in the fourth round of the 1998 NFL Draft. He played college football at Fresno State....
allowed Graham to get significant playing at running back for the first time in his pro career. He scored the first two touchdowns of his career on September 23, 2007 in a 24–3 win against 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,...
. When starter Cadillac Williams seriously injured his knee in the following week's game against the Carolina Panthers
Carolina Panthers
The Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. They are currently members of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Panthers, along with the Jacksonville Jaguars, joined the NFL as expansion...
, Graham became the Bucs' starting running back for the remainder of the season.
Graham took advantage of his opportunity, rushing for 898 yards and ten touchdowns in the thirteen games he played. In that span, he rushed for over 100 yards in a game three times and scored a touchdown in six consecutive contests. Graham became only the second running back in Buccaneers history to register back-to-back 100-yard rushing games, which he did against the Atlanta Falcons
Atlanta Falcons
The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta, Georgia. They are a member of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
and the Arizona Cardinals
Arizona Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in Glendale, Arizona, a suburb of Phoenix. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
. In nine of his ten starts, Graham either ran for 100 yards, scored a touchdown, averaged four yards a carry, or caught six or more passes. He is nicknamed "Dodge Ram" by Buccaneers fans for his physical running style.
After skipping voluntary offseason workouts in 2008 due to displeasure with his contract, Graham agreed to a three-year, $10.5 million extension on June 30, 2008. Although the deal contained no guaranteed money, Graham received a $1 million roster bonus for making the regular season roster.
During the 2008 season, Graham split carries with Warrick Dunn
Warrick Dunn
Warrick De'Mon Dunn is a former American football running back, and current minority owner of the Atlanta Falcons. He was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 12th overall in the 1997 NFL Draft, after playing college football at Florida State...
and broke off several long touchdown runs early in the season. Due to injuries to several of the Bucs' fullbacks
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...
, Graham volunteered to shift to that position and helped Dunn become an effective feature back for several weeks. During Week 11 of the 2008 season, Graham sustained an ankle injury on the first play against the Minnesota Vikings
Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Vikings joined the National Football League as an expansion team in 1960...
and was placed on injured reserve
Injured reserve
The injured reserve list is a list of reserved players who are injured and unable to play for a period of time, used most prominently in the National Hockey League and National Football League . It is used because these leagues have a maximum number of players on the team roster, so placing a...
on November 19, ending his season.
For the 2009 season, Cadillac Williams finally returned from a series of serious injuries, putting Graham back in the role of a fullback and special teams player. His rushing attempts were limited, as he served primarily as a blocker rather than a ball carrier. He tore a ligament in his toe during the Bucs' week 16 game against the New Orleans Saints
New Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans, Louisiana. They are members of the South Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League ....
on December 27, and was placed on season-ending injured reserve the next day
Graham continued in his support role in 2010 as LeGarrette Blount
LeGarrette Blount
LeGarrette Montez Blount is an American football running back for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League. He was signed by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as an undrafted free agent in 2010....
became the Bucs' featured tailback, resulting in few carries for Graham and the team not resigning Williams after the season. Graham's season highlight came on December 5, when he threw a touchdown pass to tight end John Gilmore.
At the beginning of the 2011 season, Graham was again called on to be a fullback and special teams player. However, when Blount was injured during week 5, Graham was thrust back into the featured tailback role for an October 16 home game against the New Orleans Saints. He responded by rushing for 109 yards on 17 carries as the Bucs beat their division rivals 26-20. His one-game yardage total was more than he had gained in either of the previous two seasons in his role as a blocker Graham again started at running back the following week when the Bucs played the Chicago Bears
Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
in London. He injured his Achilles tendon
Achilles tendon
The Achilles tendon , also known as the calcaneal tendon or the tendo calcaneus, is a tendon of the posterior leg. It serves to attach the plantaris, gastrocnemius and soleus muscles to the calcaneus bone.- Anatomy :The Achilles is the tendonous extension of 3 muscles in the lower leg:...
during the first quarter and was placed on the injured reserve list two days later.
He has become a favorite among Buccaneers fans, coaches, and fellow players for his hard work and team-first attitude
See also
- Florida GatorsFlorida GatorsThe Florida Gators are the intercollegiate sports teams that represent the University of Florida located in Gainesville, Florida. The "Lady Gators" is an alternative nickname sometimes used by the Gators women's teams...
- Florida Gators football, 1990–1999
- History of the Tampa Bay BuccaneersHistory of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers-John McKay and early frustration :The Buccaneers joined the NFL as members of the AFC West in 1976. The following year, they were moved to the NFC Central, while the other 1976 expansion team, the Seattle Seahawks, switched conferences with Tampa Bay and joined the AFC West...
- List of Florida Gators football players