Abram Elam facts for kids
| No. 26, 27, 37 | |||||||||||||
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| Position: | Safety | ||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||
| Born: | October 15, 1981 West Palm Beach, Florida, U.S. |
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| Height: | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) | ||||||||||||
| Weight: | 212 lb (96 kg) | ||||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||||
| High school: | Cardinal Newman (West Palm Beach, Florida) | ||||||||||||
| College: | Notre Dame (2001) Kent State (2004) |
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| Undrafted: | 2005 | ||||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||||
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| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||||||
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| Player stats at PFR | |||||||||||||
Abram Elam (born October 15, 1981) is a former professional football player. He played as a safety in the National Football League (NFL). His teams included the Dallas Cowboys, New York Jets, Cleveland Browns, and Kansas City Chiefs. Before joining the NFL, he played college football for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish and Kent State Golden Flashes.
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Early Life and High School Sports
Abram Elam chose to attend Cardinal Newman High School. He was a very versatile player, playing both quarterback and defensive back. In his senior year, he threw for over 1,000 yards and 12 touchdowns. He also ran for over 500 yards and scored 11 rushing touchdowns. Because of his great performance, he received many awards. These included All-state honors and Palm Beach County Player of the Year.
Elam was also a talented basketball player. He helped his team win two state championships. He was the first student in his school's history to earn a letter in two sports for all four years.
College Football Journey
Elam received a football scholarship to the University of Notre Dame. When he first started, he tried out as a quarterback. However, he quickly moved to the safety position. He did not play in any games during his first year.
In his second year, he played in 11 games. He made 29 tackles, had 2 interceptions, and 2 sacks. He also recovered one fumble and forced another. After his sophomore year, he left Notre Dame.
He later enrolled at Kent State University in 2004. The community helped him pay for his tuition. In his senior year at Kent State, he played in 11 games. He recorded 64 tackles, which was third-highest on the team. He also tied for the team lead with 3 interceptions.
Abram Elam's NFL Career
Abram Elam had a long career in the NFL. He played for several teams as a safety.
Starting with the Miami Dolphins
After the 2005 NFL draft, the Miami Dolphins signed Elam as an undrafted free agent. This means he wasn't chosen in the draft but was signed afterward. He joined the team on May 16, 2005, but was later released on July 28.
First Time with the Dallas Cowboys
In 2006, the Dallas Cowboys signed Elam. He played mostly on special teams, making 15 tackles. He also returned 4 kickoffs for 95 yards. In 2007, he was released by the Cowboys before the season started.
Playing for the New York Jets
On September 12, 2007, the New York Jets signed Elam. He started 8 games as a safety that year. In 2008, he started 9 games for the Jets. In April 2009, he was traded to the Cleveland Browns. This trade helped the Jets get a higher draft pick to select quarterback Mark Sanchez.
Time with the Cleveland Browns
In 2009, Elam joined the Cleveland Browns. He became the starting safety for the team. He led the team with 88 tackles. He also had one sack, one fumble recovery, and one forced fumble.
In 2010, he continued to play well for the Browns. He made 79 tackles, had 2 interceptions, and forced 2 fumbles. He also recovered 2 fumbles.
Second Stint with the Dallas Cowboys
On August 3, 2011, the Cowboys signed Elam again. He was named the starting safety. He started every game that season. He recorded 79 tackles, one forced fumble, and one fumble recovery. He was not re-signed by the team after the season ended.
Final Season with the Kansas City Chiefs
On June 5, 2012, Elam signed with the Kansas City Chiefs. He provided depth at the safety position. He was not re-signed by the Chiefs at the end of the year, which marked the end of his NFL playing career.
NFL Career Statistics
| Legend | |
|---|---|
| Bold | Career high |
| Year | Team | Games | Tackles | Interceptions | Fumbles | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Cmb | Solo | Ast | Sck | TFL | Int | Yds | TD | Lng | PD | FF | FR | Yds | TD | ||
| 2006 | DAL | 15 | 0 | 14 | 13 | 1 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 2007 | NYJ | 13 | 8 | 53 | 39 | 14 | 0.0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2008 | NYJ | 16 | 9 | 69 | 48 | 21 | 2.0 | 3 | 1 | 92 | 1 | 92 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2009 | CLE | 16 | 16 | 91 | 74 | 17 | 1.0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 2010 | CLE | 16 | 15 | 79 | 65 | 14 | 2.0 | 3 | 2 | 18 | 0 | 18 | 10 | 2 | 2 | 18 | 1 |
| 2011 | DAL | 16 | 16 | 68 | 54 | 14 | 0.0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 2012 | KC | 12 | 7 | 35 | 29 | 6 | 0.0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 104 | 71 | 409 | 322 | 87 | 5.0 | 16 | 3 | 110 | 1 | 92 | 19 | 8 | 5 | 20 | 1 | ||
Personal Life and Family
Abram Elam faced personal challenges, including the loss of family members. On December 1, 2011, his father passed away. The owner of the Dallas Cowboys, Jerry Jones, kindly let Abram use his private plane to be with his family in Florida.
Abram's younger brother, Matt Elam, also played in the NFL for the Baltimore Ravens. His son, Kaiir Elam, played defensive back for the University of Florida. Kaiir was then chosen by the Buffalo Bills in the first round of the 2022 NFL draft. This shows that football talent runs in the Elam family!
