Muhsin Muhammad
Encyclopedia
Muhsin Muhammad II is a retired American football
wide receiver
who played for the Carolina Panthers
and Chicago Bears
of the National Football League
. He was originally drafted by the Panthers in the second round of the 1996 NFL Draft
. Muhammad played college football
at Michigan State
.
Muhammad was a two-time Pro Bowl
selection for the Panthers in 1999
and 2004
, and also made the 2004 All-Pro Team
. He was known for his nickname
, “Moose
”, and for his signature touchdown dance, which was featured in one of the opening cameos of Madden NFL 2006.
. His birth name was Melvin Campbell, but it was changed after his father converted to Islam
when Muhsin was four years old. He was mainly a soccer player in elementary school, but eventually started to play football due to peer pressure
. He attended Waverly High School
in Lansing, Michigan
. While there, he excelled in athletics, earning three letters in football, and an additional two in basketball
and track
. Furthermore, he not only defined himself as a threat as receiver, but also as an all-state linebacker
and running back
.
After graduating from high school
, Muhammad enrolled into Michigan State University
.
in the second round of the 1996 NFL Draft
. After two mediocre seasons, Muhammad earned his fulltime starting spot in 1998 by leading the Panthers with 68 receptions, 6 TDs, and almost 1000 yards.
Muhammad exploded onto the NFL scene in 1999 under new coach George Seifert
, earning his first Pro Bowl bid with 96 receptions, 8 TD, and 1253 yards, and followed it by co-leading the NFL in receptions in 2000 with 102. Muhammad averaged nearly 1000 yards each season from the 1998
to 2000 NFL season
. During the 2001 NFL season
, Muhammad was plagued by injuries, but he managed to recover his form the following season. He would later play a leading role in the Carolina Panthers' run to Super Bowl XXXVIII
during 2003 NFL season
. The Panthers lost to the AFC
Champion New England Patriots
29-32, while Muhammad recorded the longest touchdown reception (85 yards) in Super Bowl history.
Muhammad would go on to have an excellent 2004
season, leading the NFL with a career high 1,405 receiving yards, and 16 receiving touchdowns. To complement this he would earn his 2nd Pro Bowl
invitation. By the end of the 2004 season, Muhammad held all of the Panthers' receiving records, including catches (578), receiving yards (7,751), 100-yard games (26), the top three single-game yardage totals (192, 189, 179) and was tied with Wesley Walls
at 44 touchdown receptions.
Following the 2004 season, Muhammad, who was due a $10 million roster bonus, could not come to contract terms with Panthers, and was released in February 2005. Hours after his release, Muhammad received a call from the Chicago Bears
, who offered the 32-year old veteran a six year contract. Muhammad agreed, and left Charlotte for Chicago
.
Muhammad's first stint with the Panthers was plagued with several negative experiences. During his time there, he was the target of a racial slur from his quarterback
, Kerry Collins
, testified at murder hearings for Rae Carruth
and Deidra Lane (wife of Fred Lane), and was arrested in 2003 on misdemeanor drug and weapon offenses.
, Mark Bradley
, and Rashied Davis
. Despite failing to catch several poorly thrown passes from the rookie
quarterback
, Kyle Orton
, Muhammad held himself accountable for the mistakes, and promised reporters he would work to improve his game. However, Muhammad would later be seen complaining to Orton during a Sunday night match up against the Atlanta Falcons
. Following Muhammad's criticism, coach Lovie Smith
benched Orton in favor of a fully recovered Rex Grossman
.
Muhammad’s statistics improved with Rex Grossman
at quarterback in the 2006 season. He had his first one hundred-yard day with the Bears in their season opener against the Green Bay Packers
, and later another against the Minnesota Vikings
during week three. However, he began to see less action as Grossman began to play inconsistently after the season’s midway point. Muhammad defended Grossman from criticism, and often publicly voiced his support for Grossman at press conferences. Muhammad’s finished the regular season as the team’s leading wide receiver for the second consecutive time. His lone post-season touchdown came at Super Bowl XLI
, en route to a 29-17 loss.
Muhammad had a down year in 2007
, as did the entire Bears offense. However, he has stated that he was not worried by this recent lack of productivity.
On February 18, 2008 the Bears released him.
Muhammad’s age has seemingly played an effect on his endurance. Although he played all sixteen games, Muhammad was often listed as probable or questionable days prior to many games. Before the start of the 2006 season, he revealed that he had played through the 2005 season with a broken hand.
Months after leaving the Bears, Muhammad told Sports Illustrated
that Chicago is "where wide receivers go to die." The remark caught the attention of Darryl Drake
, the team's wide receiver
coach. While Drake stated he was unfazed by Muhammad's remark, he argued that former Bears wide receivers Bernard Berrian
, Justin Gage
, and Bobby Wade
were able to develop in Chicago, and later lead successful careers after leaving.
, in the form of a two-year deal. On September 14, playing against the Bears, he became the 29th player in NFL history to reach 10,000 career receiving yards. He finished the year with 65 receptions for 923 yards and 5 touchdowns.
In 2009, Muhammad caught 53 passes for 581 yards and a touchdown. After 14 seasons in the NFL, he retired after the season ended.
for NFL Europe on behalf of Fox
television. Furthermore, he was a post-season correspondent for NFL Network
in 2004. He also has worked as a color commentator for the Big Ten Network
Muhammad won a Chicago Emmy Award
for Outstanding Achievement for Sports Programs for his segment, Hanging with the Moose, which aired on Comcast SportsNet 's "SportsNite" in 2005.
, Muhammad himself is a Christian. He is currently married to Christa Muhammad. They have four daughters and two sons: (oldest to youngest) Jordan, Chase, Journey, Muhsin, Maddon and Kennedy. Maddon and Journey were adopted from Ethiopia in 2007.
; the Muscular Dystrophy
Association in Charlotte, North Carolina
, where he worked with several of his teammates to raise funds and awareness for the group by organizing Christmas
toy drives and a special football camp; furthermore, Muhammad serves as a spokesperson for the Men For Change organization, a group which helps generate money for impoverished women’s shelters. On February 28, 2007, Muhammad’s high school alma mater
gave him a special award for donating $50,000 worth of equipment to school’s fitness center, which was also renamed in his honor.
The Carolina Panthers presented Muhammad with the organization's “Man of the Year” award in 1999 for his charity and volunteer work.
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...
wide receiver
Wide receiver
A wide receiver is an offensive position in American and Canadian football, and is the key player in most of the passing plays. Only players in the backfield or the ends on the line are eligible to catch a forward pass. The two players who begin play at the ends of the offensive line are eligible...
who played for 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...
and 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...
of the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
. He was originally drafted by the Panthers in the second round of the 1996 NFL Draft
1996 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...
. Muhammad 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 State
Michigan State Spartans football
The Michigan State Spartans football program represents Michigan State University in college football as members of the Big Ten Conference at the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision level...
.
Muhammad was a two-time Pro Bowl
Pro Bowl
In professional American football, the Pro Bowl is the all-star game of the National Football League . Since the merger with the rival American Football League in 1970, it has been officially called the AFC–NFC Pro Bowl, matching the top players in the American Football Conference against those...
selection for the Panthers in 1999
2000 Pro Bowl
The 2000 AFC-NFC Pro Bowl was played on February 6, 2000 at Aloha Stadium in Honolulu, Hawaii Attendance— 50,112. The game was broadcast by ABC with a running time of three hours and sixteen minutes. The final score was NFC 51, AFC 31. The AFC coach was Tom Coughlin of Jacksonville.The NFC coach...
and 2004
2005 Pro Bowl
The 2005 AFC-NFC Pro Bowl was played February 13, 2005 at Aloha Stadium in Honolulu, Hawaii. The final score was AFC 38 - NFC 27. The most valuable player was Peyton Manning of the Colts. The game holds the record as the latest Pro Bowl played during the calendar year.-Game summary:The game...
, and also made the 2004 All-Pro Team
2004 All-Pro Team
The 2004 All-Pro Team is composed of the National Football League players that were named to the Associated Press, Pro Football Writers Association, and The Sporting News All-Pro Teams in 2004. Both first and second teams are listed for the AP team. These are the three teams that are included in...
. He was known for his nickname
Nickname
A nickname is "a usually familiar or humorous but sometimes pointed or cruel name given to a person or place, as a supposedly appropriate replacement for or addition to the proper name.", or a name similar in origin and pronunciation from the original name....
, “Moose
Moose
The moose or Eurasian elk is the largest extant species in the deer family. Moose are distinguished by the palmate antlers of the males; other members of the family have antlers with a dendritic configuration...
”, and for his signature touchdown dance, which was featured in one of the opening cameos of Madden NFL 2006.
Early life
Muhammad was born in Lansing, MichiganLansing, Michigan
Lansing is the capital of the U.S. state of Michigan. It is located mostly in Ingham County, although small portions of the city extend into Eaton County. The 2010 Census places the city's population at 114,297, making it the fifth largest city in Michigan...
. His birth name was Melvin Campbell, but it was changed after his father converted to Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
when Muhsin was four years old. He was mainly a soccer player in elementary school, but eventually started to play football due to peer pressure
Peer pressure
Peer pressure refers to the influence exerted by a peer group in encouraging a person to change his or her attitudes, values, or behavior in order to conform to group norms. Social groups affected include membership groups, when the individual is "formally" a member , or a social clique...
. He attended Waverly High School
Waverly Senior High School
Waverly Senior High School or known just as Waverly High School is located in Waverly, Michigan, an unincorporated community in Delta Township. As of 2009 the school currently holds 1,100 students.-Notable alumni:...
in Lansing, Michigan
Lansing, Michigan
Lansing is the capital of the U.S. state of Michigan. It is located mostly in Ingham County, although small portions of the city extend into Eaton County. The 2010 Census places the city's population at 114,297, making it the fifth largest city in Michigan...
. While there, he excelled in athletics, earning three letters in football, and an additional two in 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...
and track
Track and field
Track and field is a sport comprising various competitive athletic contests based around the activities of running, jumping and throwing. The name of the sport derives from the venue for the competitions: a stadium which features an oval running track surrounding a grassy area...
. Furthermore, he not only defined himself as a threat as receiver, but also as an all-state 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...
and 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...
.
After graduating from high school
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
, Muhammad enrolled into Michigan State University
Michigan State University
Michigan State University is a public research university in East Lansing, Michigan, USA. Founded in 1855, it was the pioneer land-grant institution and served as a model for future land-grant colleges in the United States under the 1862 Morrill Act.MSU pioneered the studies of packaging,...
.
Carolina Panthers (1996–2004)
Muhammad was selected by the Carolina PanthersCarolina 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...
in the second round of the 1996 NFL Draft
1996 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...
. After two mediocre seasons, Muhammad earned his fulltime starting spot in 1998 by leading the Panthers with 68 receptions, 6 TDs, and almost 1000 yards.
Muhammad exploded onto the NFL scene in 1999 under new coach George Seifert
George Seifert
George Seifert is a former NFL head coach of the San Francisco 49ers and the Carolina Panthers. Seifert joined the 49ers' coaching staff under Bill Walsh in 1980 as defensive backs coach and served as the team's defensive coordinator from 1983–1988.As a 49er assistant, his defenses finished...
, earning his first Pro Bowl bid with 96 receptions, 8 TD, and 1253 yards, and followed it by co-leading the NFL in receptions in 2000 with 102. Muhammad averaged nearly 1000 yards each season from the 1998
1998 NFL season
The 1998 NFL season was the 79th regular season of the National Football League.The Tennessee Oilers moved their home games from Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium in Memphis to Vanderbilt Stadium in Nashville, still awaiting construction on a new stadium in Nashville.This was the first season that CBS...
to 2000 NFL season
2000 NFL season
The 2000 NFL season was the 81st regular season of the National Football League. The season ended with Super Bowl XXXV when the Baltimore Ravens defeated the New York Giants.Week 1 of the season reverted to Labor Day weekend in 2000...
. During the 2001 NFL season
2001 NFL season
The 2001 NFL season was the 82nd regular season of the National Football League.Following a pattern set in 1999, the first week of the season was permanently moved to the weekend following Labor Day...
, Muhammad was plagued by injuries, but he managed to recover his form the following season. He would later play a leading role in the Carolina Panthers' run to Super Bowl XXXVIII
Super Bowl XXXVIII
Super Bowl XXXVIII was an American football game played on February 1, 2004 at Reliant Stadium in Houston, Texas to decide the National Football League champion following the 2003 regular season....
during 2003 NFL season
2003 NFL season
-Milestones:The following teams and players set all-time NFL records during the season:-Team:-Individual:-Awards:-External Links:**-References:*NFL Record and Fact Book *...
. The Panthers lost to the AFC
American Football Conference
The American Football Conference is one of the two conferences of the National Football League . This conference and its counterpart, the National Football Conference , currently contain 16 teams each, making up the 32 teams of the NFL....
Champion New England Patriots
New England Patriots
The New England Patriots, commonly called the "Pats", are a professional football team based in the Greater Boston area, playing their home games in the town of Foxborough, Massachusetts at Gillette Stadium. The team is part of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National...
29-32, while Muhammad recorded the longest touchdown reception (85 yards) in Super Bowl history.
Muhammad would go on to have an excellent 2004
2004 NFL season
The 2004 NFL season was the 85th regular season of the National Football League.With the New England Patriots as the defending league champions, regular season play was held from September 9, 2004 to January 2, 2005...
season, leading the NFL with a career high 1,405 receiving yards, and 16 receiving touchdowns. To complement this he would earn his 2nd Pro Bowl
Pro Bowl
In professional American football, the Pro Bowl is the all-star game of the National Football League . Since the merger with the rival American Football League in 1970, it has been officially called the AFC–NFC Pro Bowl, matching the top players in the American Football Conference against those...
invitation. By the end of the 2004 season, Muhammad held all of the Panthers' receiving records, including catches (578), receiving yards (7,751), 100-yard games (26), the top three single-game yardage totals (192, 189, 179) and was tied with Wesley Walls
Wesley Walls
Charles Wesley Walls is a former American football tight end who played 14 seasons in the National Football League.-Early career:...
at 44 touchdown receptions.
Following the 2004 season, Muhammad, who was due a $10 million roster bonus, could not come to contract terms with Panthers, and was released in February 2005. Hours after his release, Muhammad received a call from 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...
, who offered the 32-year old veteran a six year contract. Muhammad agreed, and left Charlotte for Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
.
Muhammad's first stint with the Panthers was plagued with several negative experiences. During his time there, he was the target of a racial slur from his quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
, Kerry Collins
Kerry Collins
Kerry Michael Collins is an American football quarterback for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Carolina Panthers with the fifth overall pick of the 1995 NFL Draft, the first choice in the franchise's history...
, testified at murder hearings for Rae Carruth
Rae Carruth
Rae Carruth is a former American football wide receiver in the NFL for the Carolina Panthers...
and Deidra Lane (wife of Fred Lane), and was arrested in 2003 on misdemeanor drug and weapon offenses.
Chicago Bears (2005–2007)
Muhammad established himself as one of the main receiving threat for the Bears during his first year with the Bears. He has been credited for encouraging a stronger work ethic within the Bears receiving corps. Also, Muhammad shared his sagacious advice to young wide receivers Bernard BerrianBernard Berrian
Bernard Berrian is a free agent American football wide receiver who last played for the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League. He was originally drafted by the Chicago Bears in the third round of the 2004 NFL Draft...
, Mark Bradley
Mark Bradley
Mark Anthony Bradley is an American football wide receiver who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Chicago Bears in the second round of the 2005 NFL Draft...
, and Rashied Davis
Rashied Davis
Rashied Khalid Davis is an American football wide receiver for the Detroit Lions of the National Football League. He was originally signed by the San Jose SaberCats of the Arena Football League as an undrafted free agent in 2002. He played college football at San José State...
. Despite failing to catch several poorly thrown passes from the rookie
Rookie
Rookie is a term for a person who is in his or her first year of play of their sport or has little or no professional experience. The term also has the more general meaning of anyone new to a profession, training or activity Rookie is a term for a person who is in his or her first year of play of...
quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
, Kyle Orton
Kyle Orton
Kyle Orton is an American football quarterback for the Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League. He played college football at Purdue, where he started four straight bowl games. He was drafted by the Chicago Bears in the fourth round of the 2005 NFL Draft...
, Muhammad held himself accountable for the mistakes, and promised reporters he would work to improve his game. However, Muhammad would later be seen complaining to Orton during a Sunday night match up 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...
. Following Muhammad's criticism, coach Lovie Smith
Lovie Smith
Lovie Lee Smith is the head coach of the Chicago Bears professional football team of the NFL. Smith has been to the Super Bowl twice, as the defensive coordinator for the 2001 Saint Louis Rams and as the head coach for the Chicago Bears in 2006....
benched Orton in favor of a fully recovered Rex Grossman
Rex Grossman
Rex Daniel Grossman, III is an American football quarterback for the Washington Redskins of the National Football League . Grossman played college football for the University of Florida, and thereafter, he has played professionally for the Chicago Bears, Houston Texans and Washington Redskins of...
.
Muhammad’s statistics improved with Rex Grossman
Rex Grossman
Rex Daniel Grossman, III is an American football quarterback for the Washington Redskins of the National Football League . Grossman played college football for the University of Florida, and thereafter, he has played professionally for the Chicago Bears, Houston Texans and Washington Redskins of...
at quarterback in the 2006 season. He had his first one hundred-yard day with the Bears in their season opener against the Green Bay Packers
Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers are an American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Packers are the current NFL champions...
, and later another 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...
during week three. However, he began to see less action as Grossman began to play inconsistently after the season’s midway point. Muhammad defended Grossman from criticism, and often publicly voiced his support for Grossman at press conferences. Muhammad’s finished the regular season as the team’s leading wide receiver for the second consecutive time. His lone post-season touchdown came at Super Bowl XLI
Super Bowl XLI
Super Bowl XLI was an American football game that featured the American Football Conference champion Indianapolis Colts and the National Football Conference champion Chicago Bears to decide the National Football League champion for the 2006 season...
, en route to a 29-17 loss.
Muhammad had a down year in 2007
2007 Chicago Bears season
The 2007 Chicago Bears season was the team's 88th regular season in the National Football League. The season officially began on September 9, 2007 against the San Diego Chargers, and concluded on December 30 against the New Orleans Saints...
, as did the entire Bears offense. However, he has stated that he was not worried by this recent lack of productivity.
On February 18, 2008 the Bears released him.
Muhammad’s age has seemingly played an effect on his endurance. Although he played all sixteen games, Muhammad was often listed as probable or questionable days prior to many games. Before the start of the 2006 season, he revealed that he had played through the 2005 season with a broken hand.
Months after leaving the Bears, Muhammad told 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...
that Chicago is "where wide receivers go to die." The remark caught the attention of Darryl Drake
Darryl Drake
Darryl Drake is the current wide receivers coach of the Chicago Bears of the National Football League.-College career:Drake played wide receiver for Western Kentucky University from 1975 to 1978.-Professional career:...
, the team's wide receiver
Wide receiver
A wide receiver is an offensive position in American and Canadian football, and is the key player in most of the passing plays. Only players in the backfield or the ends on the line are eligible to catch a forward pass. The two players who begin play at the ends of the offensive line are eligible...
coach. While Drake stated he was unfazed by Muhammad's remark, he argued that former Bears wide receivers Bernard Berrian
Bernard Berrian
Bernard Berrian is a free agent American football wide receiver who last played for the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League. He was originally drafted by the Chicago Bears in the third round of the 2004 NFL Draft...
, Justin Gage
Justin Gage
Justin Gage is an American football wide receiver who is currently a free agent of the National Football League. He was originally drafted by the Chicago Bears in the fifth round of the 2003 NFL Draft...
, and Bobby Wade
Bobby Wade
Robert Louis Wade, Jr. is an American football wide receiver who is currently a free agent in the National Football League. He was drafted by the Chicago Bears in the fifth round of the 2003 NFL Draft...
were able to develop in Chicago, and later lead successful careers after leaving.
Return to Carolina (2008–2009)
Just nine days after being released by the Bears, Muhammad re-signed with his former team, the Carolina PanthersCarolina 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...
, in the form of a two-year deal. On September 14, playing against the Bears, he became the 29th player in NFL history to reach 10,000 career receiving yards. He finished the year with 65 receptions for 923 yards and 5 touchdowns.
In 2009, Muhammad caught 53 passes for 581 yards and a touchdown. After 14 seasons in the NFL, he retired after the season ended.
Broadcasting career
During the 2002 and 2003 off-season, Muhammad became a color commentatorColor commentator
A color commentator is a sports commentator who assists the play-by-play announcer, often by filling in any time when play is not in progress. The color analyst and main commentator will often exchange comments freely throughout the broadcast, when the play-by-play announcer is not describing the...
for NFL Europe on behalf of Fox
Fox Broadcasting Company
Fox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the...
television. Furthermore, he was a post-season correspondent for NFL Network
NFL Network
NFL Network is an American television specialty channel owned and operated by the National Football League . It was launched November 4, 2003, only eight months after the league's 32 team owners voted unanimously to approve its formation...
in 2004. He also has worked as a color commentator for the Big Ten Network
Muhammad won a Chicago Emmy Award
Emmy Award
An Emmy Award, often referred to simply as the Emmy, is a television production award, similar in nature to the Peabody Awards but more focused on entertainment, and is considered the television equivalent to the Academy Awards and the Grammy Awards .A majority of Emmys are presented in various...
for Outstanding Achievement for Sports Programs for his segment, Hanging with the Moose, which aired on Comcast SportsNet 's "SportsNite" in 2005.
Personal life
Despite his father's conversion to IslamIslam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
, Muhammad himself is a Christian. He is currently married to Christa Muhammad. They have four daughters and two sons: (oldest to youngest) Jordan, Chase, Journey, Muhsin, Maddon and Kennedy. Maddon and Journey were adopted from Ethiopia in 2007.
Philanthropy
Muhammad has created his own charity foundation called, “The M2 Foundation for Kids”, which is dedicated to enhancing the mental and physical development of children. He is also a supporter of the "Back to Nature" program, a special camping trip which encouraged children to spend more time with nature by taking them on various hikes throughout the Great Smokey Mountains and numerous nature preserves in TennesseeTennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
; the Muscular Dystrophy
Muscular dystrophy
Muscular dystrophy is a group of muscle diseases that weaken the musculoskeletal system and hamper locomotion. Muscular dystrophies are characterized by progressive skeletal muscle weakness, defects in muscle proteins, and the death of muscle cells and tissue.In the 1860s, descriptions of boys who...
Association in Charlotte, North Carolina
Charlotte, North Carolina
Charlotte is the largest city in the U.S. state of North Carolina and the seat of Mecklenburg County. In 2010, Charlotte's population according to the US Census Bureau was 731,424, making it the 17th largest city in the United States based on population. The Charlotte metropolitan area had a 2009...
, where he worked with several of his teammates to raise funds and awareness for the group by organizing Christmas
Christmas
Christmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday generally celebrated on December 25 by billions of people around the world. It is a Christian feast that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, liturgically closing the Advent season and initiating the season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days...
toy drives and a special football camp; furthermore, Muhammad serves as a spokesperson for the Men For Change organization, a group which helps generate money for impoverished women’s shelters. On February 28, 2007, Muhammad’s high school alma mater
Alma mater
Alma mater , pronounced ), was used in ancient Rome as a title for various mother goddesses, especially Ceres or Cybele, and in Christianity for the Virgin Mary.-General term:...
gave him a special award for donating $50,000 worth of equipment to school’s fitness center, which was also renamed in his honor.
The Carolina Panthers presented Muhammad with the organization's “Man of the Year” award in 1999 for his charity and volunteer work.