Trai Essex
Encyclopedia
Trai J. Essex is an offensive lineman for the Pittsburgh Steelers
in the National Football League
who has won two Super Bowl
rings with the Steelers in Super Bowl XL
and Super Bowl XLIII
.
in Fort Wayne, Indiana, and was a student and a letterman in football
and basketball
. Essex played in the first ever U.S. Army All-American Bowl
on December 30, 2000. In football, he was a four-year letterman. In basketball, he was a member of the 2001 class 2A Indiana boys high school championship team. His 14 rebounds ties for 3rd best ever in the class 2A championship game. Essex was an All-Conference honoree as a junior.
and was a letterman in football
. In football, he was a three-year starter as an offensive lineman. He majored in African-American studies.
and Minnesota Vikings
. Essex started his first-ever playoff game on January 5, 2008 versus the Jacksonville Jaguars
. Following the Steelers' victory in Super Bowl XLIII
, Essex re-signed a two-year contract with the team.
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team currently belongs to the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Founded in , the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC...
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...
who has won two Super Bowl
Super Bowl
The Super Bowl is the championship game of the National Football League , the highest level of professional American football in the United States, culminating a season that begins in the late summer of the previous calendar year. The Super Bowl uses Roman numerals to identify each game, rather...
rings with the Steelers in Super Bowl XL
Super Bowl XL
Super Bowl XL was an American football game pitting the American Football Conference champion Pittsburgh Steelers against the National Football Conference champion Seattle Seahawks to decide the National Football League champion for the 2005 season...
and Super Bowl XLIII
Super Bowl XLIII
Super Bowl XLIII was an American football game pitting the American Football Conference champion Pittsburgh Steelers against the National Football Conference champion Arizona Cardinals to decide the National Football League champion for the 2008 season. The game was played on February 1, 2009,...
.
High school years
Essex attended Paul Harding High SchoolEast Allen County Schools
The East Allen County School corporation, known as EACS for short, is an Allen County area public school district, one of the largest in area in Indiana, encompassing southeast Fort Wayne, all of Grabill, Harlan, Hoagland, Leo-Cedarville, Monroeville, New Haven, Poe, and Woodburn. It operates seven...
in Fort Wayne, Indiana, and was a student and a letterman in 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....
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...
. Essex played in the first ever 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...
on December 30, 2000. In football, he was a four-year letterman. In basketball, he was a member of the 2001 class 2A Indiana boys high school championship team. His 14 rebounds ties for 3rd best ever in the class 2A championship game. Essex was an All-Conference honoree as a junior.
College years
Essex attended Northwestern UniversityNorthwestern University
Northwestern University is a private research university in Evanston and Chicago, Illinois, USA. Northwestern has eleven undergraduate, graduate, and professional schools offering 124 undergraduate degrees and 145 graduate and professional degrees....
and was a letterman in 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...
. In football, he was a three-year starter as an offensive lineman. He majored in African-American studies.
Professional career
Essex showed promise after a slow start to his career, finishing the 2008 season with two strong performances against the Chicago BearsChicago 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...
and 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...
. Essex started his first-ever playoff game on January 5, 2008 versus the Jacksonville Jaguars
Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jacksonville Jaguars are a professional American football team based in Jacksonville, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
. Following the Steelers' victory in Super Bowl XLIII
Super Bowl XLIII
Super Bowl XLIII was an American football game pitting the American Football Conference champion Pittsburgh Steelers against the National Football Conference champion Arizona Cardinals to decide the National Football League champion for the 2008 season. The game was played on February 1, 2009,...
, Essex re-signed a two-year contract with the team.
External links
- Additional Career statistics/player information: Pro Football Reference.com
- Steelers Player Bio