Jason Odom
Encyclopedia
Jason Brian Odom is a former American college and professional football
player who was an offensive tackle in the National Football League
(NFL) for four seasons during the 1990s. Odom played college football
for the University of Florida
, and thereafter, he played professionally for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
of the NFL.
in 1974. He attended Bartow High School
in Bartow, Florida
, and played high school football
for the Bartow Yellow Jackets.
to attend the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida
, where he was an offensive lineman for coach Steve Spurrier
's Florida Gators football
team from 1992 to 1995. Odom was a four-year starter
, a senior team captain
in 1995, a first-team All-Southeastern Conference
(SEC) selection in 1994 and 1995, and a unanimous first-team All-American in 1995. In his four years as a Gator, the team won three consecutive SEC championships (1993
, 1994
, 1995
), and played for a Bowl Alliance
national championship (1995
). He was also the recipient of the SEC's Jacobs Blocking Trophy
, recognizing the best blocker in the SEC, in 1994 and 1995.
Odom graduated from Florida with a bachelor's degree
in exercise and sports science in 1996, and was inducted into the University of Florida Athletic Hall of Fame as a "Gator Great" in 2010.
by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and played offensive tackle for the Buccaneers for four seasons from to . He started forty-one of the forty-six Buccaneers games in which he played.
Sheriff's Deputy in Tampa, Florida
since 2008.
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...
player who was an offensive tackle in 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) for four seasons during the 1990s. Odom 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...
for the 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...
, and thereafter, he played professionally 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 NFL.
Early years
Odom was born in Winter Haven, FloridaWinter Haven, Florida
Winter Haven is a city in Polk County, Florida, United States. The population was 26,487 at the 2000 census. According to the U.S. Census Bureau's 2007 estimates, the city had a population of 32,577, making it the second most populated city in Polk County...
in 1974. He attended Bartow High School
Bartow High School
Bartow High School, formerly Summerlin Institute and Union Academy is the only high school located in Bartow, Florida. The school is also the location of the International Baccalaureate School at Bartow High, a school which annually finishes in the top five in composite SAT scores in the United...
in Bartow, Florida
Bartow, Florida
Bartow is the county seat of Polk County, Florida, United States. Founded in 1851 as Fort Blount, the city was renamed in honor of Francis S. Bartow the first brigade commander to die in combat during the American Civil War. According to the U.S. Census Bureau 2000 Census, the city had a...
, and played 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....
for the Bartow Yellow Jackets.
College career
Odom accepted 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...
to attend the University of Florida 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 was an offensive lineman for 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...
's 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...
team from 1992 to 1995. Odom was a four-year starter
Starting lineup
A starting lineup in sports is an official list of the set of players who will actively participate in the event when the game begins. The players in the starting lineup are commonly referred to as starters, whereas the others are substitutes or bench players.The starters are commonly the best...
, 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 1995, a first-team All-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...
(SEC) selection in 1994 and 1995, and a unanimous first-team All-American in 1995. In his four years as a Gator, the team won three consecutive SEC championships (1993
1993 SEC Championship Game
The 1993 SEC Championship Game was won by the Florida Gators 28-13 over the Alabama Crimson Tide. The game was played at Legion Field in Birmingham, Alabama on December 4, 1993 and was televised to a national audience on ABC....
, 1994
1994 SEC Championship Game
The 1994 SEC Championship Game was won by the Florida Gators 24-23 over the Alabama Crimson Tide. The game was played in the Georgia Dome in Atlanta, Georgia on December 3, 1994 and was televised to a national audience on ABC.-External links:*...
, 1995
1995 SEC Championship Game
The 1995 SEC Championship Game was won by the Florida Gators 34-3 over the Arkansas Razorbacks. The game was played in the Georgia Dome in Atlanta, Georgia on December 2, 1995 and was televised to a national audience on ABC.-External links:*...
), and played for a Bowl Alliance
Bowl Alliance
The Bowl Alliance was an agreement among college football bowl games for the purpose of trying to match the top two teams in a national championship bowl game and to provide quality bowl game matchups for the champions of its member conferences...
national championship (1995
1996 Fiesta Bowl
The 1996 Tostitos Fiesta Bowl game was a post-season college football bowl game in which the Nebraska Cornhuskers won the national championship for the 1995 college football season by defeating the Florida Gators, 62-24. Played on January 2, 1996, at Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe, Arizona, the game...
). He was also the recipient of the SEC's Jacobs Blocking Trophy
Jacobs Blocking Trophy
The Jacobs Blocking Trophy is the name of several similar annual college football awards bestowed by a conference upon their best blocker. The awards are named in honor of , the founder and president of Presbyterian College from 1935 to 1945. The trophies are awarded by his sons, Hugh and William...
, recognizing the best blocker in the SEC, in 1994 and 1995.
Odom graduated from Florida with a bachelor's degree
Bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
in exercise and sports science in 1996, and was inducted into the University of Florida Athletic Hall of Fame as a "Gator Great" in 2010.
Professional career
Odom was chosen in the fourth round (ninety-sixth pick overall) of the 1996 NFL Draft1996 NFL Draft
The 1996 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 20–21, 1996...
by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and played offensive tackle for the Buccaneers for four seasons from to . He started forty-one of the forty-six Buccaneers games in which he played.
Life after football
Jason Odom has served as a Hillsborough CountyHillsborough County, Florida
As of the census of 2000, there were 998,948 people, 391,357 households, and 255,164 families residing in the county. The population density was 951 people per square mile . There were 425,962 housing units at an average density of 405 per square mile...
Sheriff's Deputy in Tampa, Florida
Tampa, Florida
Tampa is a city in the U.S. state of Florida. It serves as the county seat for Hillsborough County. Tampa is located on the west coast of Florida. The population of Tampa in 2010 was 335,709....
since 2008.
See also
- 1995 College Football All-America Team1995 College Football All-America TeamThe 1995 College Football All-America Team is composed of the following All-American Teams: Associated Press, United Press International, Football Writers Association of America, American Football Coaches Association, Walter Camp Foundation, The Sporting News and Football News.The College Football...
- 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
- List of SEC Jacobs Blocking Trophy winners
- List of University of Florida alumni