Amani Toomer facts for kids
Toomer in February 2005
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| No. 89, 81 | |||||||||||
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| Position: | Wide receiver | ||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||
| Born: | September 8, 1974 Berkeley, California, U.S. |
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| Height: | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) | ||||||||||
| Weight: | 203 lb (92 kg) | ||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||
| High school: | De La Salle (Concord, California) | ||||||||||
| College: | Michigan (1992–1995) | ||||||||||
| NFL Draft: | 1996 / Round: 2 / Pick: 34 | ||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||
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| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||||
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| Player stats at PFR | |||||||||||
Amani Askari Toomer (born September 8, 1974) is a former American football player. He was a talented wide receiver and punt returner for the New York Giants in the National Football League (NFL).
Amani Toomer played his entire NFL career with the Giants. From 1999 to 2003, he gained over 1,000 receiving yards each season. He was a key player on the 2007 Giants team that won Super Bowl XLII. Toomer holds several Giants' team records, including 9,497 receiving yards, 668 receptions, and 54 receiving touchdowns. He also returned 109 punts for 1,060 yards and three touchdowns. In his first year, 1996, he led the NFL in punt return average.
Before joining the NFL, Toomer played college football for the Michigan Wolverines from 1992 to 1995. In 1994, he set a school record with 1,096 receiving yards. He was also named a first-team All-Big Ten player. By the end of his college career, Toomer was ranked second in Michigan history for receiving yards.
Contents
Early Life and High School Football
Amani Toomer was born in Berkeley, California, in 1974. His first name, "Amani," means "peace" in Swahili. His middle name, "Askari," means "soldier." Amani's father, Donald Toomer, also played college football for Ohio State. His uncle is the famous comedian George Wallace.
Toomer started playing football at a young age. He played as a lineman for the Berkeley Cougars. Later, he played many positions for the Richmond Steelers, including receiver, kicker, punter, linebacker, and running back.
He went to De La Salle High School in Concord, California. As a high school football player, Toomer was recognized as a top talent. He was chosen as a Parade All-American and a USA Today All-USA player.
College Football at Michigan
Toomer attended the University of Michigan from 1992 to 1995. He played college football for the Michigan Wolverines football team. In his first two years (1992 and 1993), he was mostly a backup player. He caught 16 passes in 1992 and 29 passes in 1993.
Breaking Records in 1994
In 1994, Amani Toomer had an amazing junior year. Even though he wasn't officially a starter, he broke a Michigan school record. He gained 1,096 receiving yards, which was the most in a single season at the time. With Todd Collins as quarterback, Toomer was the top receiver for the 1994 Wolverines. He caught 54 passes for an average of 20.3 yards per catch.
He had a career-best game against Boston College, catching passes for 179 yards and two touchdowns. He also returned a punt 72 yards for a touchdown against Illinois. Toomer was recognized as one of the best receivers in college football that year. He was named a first-team wide receiver for the Big Ten Conference.
Senior Season in 1995
In 1995, Toomer finally became a full-time starter for the Michigan team. However, opposing teams often used two defenders to cover him. This allowed his teammate, Mercury Hayes, to lead the team in receiving. Toomer still had a strong season with 44 catches for 758 yards and seven touchdowns. His best game was against Minnesota, where he caught five passes for 174 yards and two touchdowns. One of these was a 75-yard touchdown catch from Brian Griese.
College Career Highlights
During his four years at Michigan, Toomer caught 124 passes for 2,144 yards. He also scored 12 receiving touchdowns. He finished his college career ranked second (now fourth) in Michigan history for total receiving yards. Besides being a receiver, Toomer also returned punts and kickoffs. He returned 46 punts for 384 yards and two touchdowns. He also returned 14 kickoffs for 306 yards.
Professional Football Career
Amani Toomer was chosen by the New York Giants in the second round of the 1996 NFL draft. He was the 34th player picked overall. In July 1996, he signed a three-year contract with the Giants.
Starting as a Return Specialist (1996–1998)
In his first three seasons with the Giants, Toomer was mainly used to return punts and kickoffs. In his very first NFL game in 1996, he set a Giants' record. He returned a punt 87 yards for a touchdown against the Buffalo Bills. He scored another punt return touchdown that season against the Philadelphia Eagles. However, he then suffered a knee injury (a torn anterior cruciate ligament) and missed the rest of the season. Despite the injury, Toomer led the NFL in 1996 with an average of 16.1 yards per punt return.
In 1997, Toomer played in all 16 games. He returned 47 punts for 455 yards. He also scored his third punt return touchdown. That year, he caught his first touchdown pass as a receiver. It was a 56-yard catch from Danny Kanell against the Arizona Cardinals.
In 1998, Toomer played in all 16 games again. He started to get more playing time as a receiver, catching 27 passes for 360 yards and five touchdowns. In one exciting game, he caught a 37-yard touchdown pass with only 48 seconds left. This helped the Giants beat the undefeated Denver Broncos 20–16. Toomer later shared that he had been hiding a breathing condition called asthma for years. After getting treatment, his receiving skills really improved.
Prime Years as a Wide Receiver (1999–2003)
From 1999, Toomer became a starting wide receiver for the Giants. In 1999, he broke the team record for catches in a season with 79. His 1,183 receiving yards were the second-highest in team history.
In 2000, Toomer played in all 16 regular season games. He had 78 catches for 1,094 yards and seven touchdowns. With Kerry Collins as quarterback, the 2000 Giants team reached Super Bowl XXXV. They lost to the Baltimore Ravens. Toomer played well in the playoffs, catching 10 passes for 135 yards and a touchdown.
In 2001, Toomer continued his strong performance. He caught over 70 passes and gained over 1,000 receiving yards for the third year in a row.
The year 2002 was Toomer's best in the NFL. He set new Giants' single-season records with 82 catches and 1,343 receiving yards. His eight receiving touchdowns were also a career high. He gained 204 receiving yards in one game against the Indianapolis Colts, which was a record for a Giants wide receiver in a regular 60-minute game.
In 2003, Toomer started all 16 games and had his fifth straight season with at least 1,000 receiving yards. He caught 63 passes for 1,057 yards and five touchdowns. In a game against the Dallas Cowboys, Toomer broke Frank Gifford's team record for career receiving yardage.
Later Seasons and Injuries (2004–2006)
The 2004 season was the first time since his rookie year that Toomer didn't score a touchdown. He still had 51 catches for 747 yards.
In the 2005 season, Eli Manning became the Giants' new starting quarterback. Plaxico Burress became the team's top receiver. Still, Toomer started all 16 games and had 60 catches for 684 yards and seven touchdowns. He made some important catches, including a last-second touchdown against the Denver Broncos.
Toomer started the 2006 season very well. In a game against the Philadelphia Eagles, he caught a career-high 12 passes and scored two touchdowns. He helped the Giants come back from a 17-point deficit. However, his season ended after eight games due to another knee injury (a partially torn ACL). In those eight games, Toomer had 32 catches for 360 yards and three touchdowns. The Giants had a much better record when Toomer was playing. Coach Tom Coughlin said, "There's no question Amani has a very positive effect on Eli."
Super Bowl Champion (2007)
In the 2007 season, Toomer came back strong from his injury. He played in all 16 regular season games. He had 59 catches for 760 yards and three touchdowns. In October 2007, he broke Kyle Rote's team record for career touchdown catches. In the same game, he also broke Tiki Barber's team record for career receptions.
The 2007 Giants had an amazing playoff run. They won Super Bowl XLII against the previously undefeated New England Patriots. Toomer started all four playoff games. He caught 21 passes for 280 yards and three touchdowns. In a playoff game on January 13, 2008, Toomer caught a 52-yard touchdown pass. This catch broke the club record for most postseason receptions. He had two touchdown catches in the Giants' 21–17 upset win over the Dallas Cowboys. Toomer also led the Giants with six catches for 84 yards in the Super Bowl. After their Super Bowl win, Toomer and the Giants were invited to the White House by U.S. President George W. Bush.
Final Season and Career Overview (2008)
The 2008 season was Amani Toomer's last in the NFL. He played in all 16 regular season games and caught 48 passes for 580 yards and four touchdowns.
Toomer finished his NFL career having played in 190 games. He had 668 catches for 9,497 yards and 54 touchdown receptions. He holds several Giants' records, including most career receiving yards, most receptions, most receiving touchdowns, and most consecutive games with at least one catch (94). In 2010, Toomer was honored by being included in the New York Giants Ring of Honor.
Giants Team Records
As of 2017, Amani Toomer held at least 16 Giants team records, including:
- Most Receptions (career): 668
- Most Receptions (game): 12 (tied with others)
- Most Receptions (playoff career): 44
- Most Receiving Yards (career): 9,497
- Most Receiving Yards (playoff career): 608
- Most Receiving Touchdowns (career): 54
- Most Receiving Touchdowns (playoff career): 7
- Most Receiving Touchdowns (playoff game): 3
- Most Total Touchdowns (playoff career): 7
- Most Total Touchdowns (playoff game): 3
- Most Punt Returns (season): 47 (tied with Chad Morton)
- Most 100+ yard receiving games (career): 23
- Most Games with 1+ Touchdown scored (playoffs): 4 (tied with Brandon Jacobs)
- Most Games with 2+ Touchdowns scored (playoffs): 2 (tied with Hakeem Nicks)
- Most Games with 3+ Touchdowns scored (playoffs): 1
- Most 1000+ receiving yards seasons (career): 5
Brief Time with Kansas City Chiefs
Toomer signed a one-year contract with the Kansas City Chiefs on August 4, 2009. However, he was released by the team on September 1 before the season started.
Life After Football
After retiring from football, Amani Toomer has worked in media. In 2011, he joined MSG Varsity to cover "Friday Night Football." In 2012, he became a co-host for "Going Deep with Amani & Dan" on NBC Sports Radio. Toomer lives in Weehawken, New Jersey.
In the summer of 2020, Toomer, his Danish wife Maj, and their three children moved to Ebeltoft, Denmark. This move was due to the COVID-19 pandemic. During the 2020 NFL season, he worked as a football expert for TV3 Sport in Denmark.
NFL Career Statistics
| Legend | |
|---|---|
| Won the Super Bowl | |
| Led the league | |
| Bold | Career high |
Regular season
| Year | Team | Games | Receiving | Rushing | Returning | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Rec | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | Att | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | Ret | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | ||
| 1996 | NYG | 7 | 1 | 1 | 12 | 12.0 | 12 | 0 | – | – | – | – | – | 29 | 489 | 16.9 | 87 | 2 |
| 1997 | NYG | 16 | 0 | 16 | 263 | 16.4 | 56 | 1 | – | – | – | – | – | 47 | 455 | 9.7 | 53 | 1 |
| 1998 | NYG | 16 | 0 | 27 | 360 | 13.3 | 37 | 5 | – | – | – | – | – | 39 | 318 | 8.1 | 39 | 0 |
| 1999 | NYG | 16 | 16 | 79 | 1,183 | 15.0 | 80 | 6 | 1 | 4 | 4.0 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 14 | 14.0 | 14 | 0 |
| 2000 | NYG | 16 | 14 | 78 | 1,094 | 14.0 | 54 | 7 | 5 | 91 | 18.2 | 28 | 1 | – | – | – | – | – |
| 2001 | NYG | 16 | 14 | 72 | 1,054 | 14.6 | 60 | 5 | 3 | 8 | 2.7 | 9 | 0 | 8 | 41 | 5.1 | 15 | 0 |
| 2002 | NYG | 16 | 16 | 82 | 1,343 | 16.4 | 82 | 8 | 1 | 2 | 2.0 | 2 | 0 | – | – | – | – | – |
| 2003 | NYG | 16 | 16 | 63 | 1,057 | 16.8 | 77 | 5 | 1 | 5 | 5.0 | 5 | 0 | – | – | – | – | – |
| 2004 | NYG | 15 | 14 | 51 | 747 | 14.6 | 48 | 0 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 2005 | NYG | 16 | 15 | 60 | 684 | 11.4 | 37 | 7 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 2006 | NYG | 8 | 8 | 32 | 360 | 11.3 | 44 | 3 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 2007 | NYG | 16 | 15 | 59 | 760 | 12.9 | 40 | 3 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 2008 | NYG | 16 | 12 | 48 | 580 | 12.1 | 40 | 4 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Career | 190 | 141 | 668 | 9,497 | 14.2 | 82 | 12 | 110 | 9.2 | 28 | 1 | 124 | 1,317 | 10.6 | 87 | 3 | ||
Postseason
| Year | Team | Games | Receiving | Rushing | Returning | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Rec | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | Att | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | Ret | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | ||
| 1997 | NYG | 1 | 0 | Did not record any stats | 3 | 11 | 3.7 | 8 | 0 | |||||||||
| 2000 | NYG | 3 | 3 | 10 | 135 | 13.5 | 24 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 6.0 | 6 | 0 | 5 | 34 | 6.8 | 17 | 0 |
| 2002 | NYG | 1 | 1 | 8 | 136 | 17.0 | 46 | 3 | – | – | – | – | – | – | − | − | – | – |
| 2005 | NYG | 1 | 1 | 3 | 31 | 10.3 | 13 | 0 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 2007 | NYG | 4 | 4 | 21 | 280 | 13.3 | 52 | 3 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 2008 | NYG | 1 | 0 | 2 | 26 | 13.0 | 20 | 0 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Career | 11 | 9 | 44 | 608 | 13.8 | 52 | 7 | 1 | 6 | 6.0 | 6 | 0 | 8 | 45 | 5.6 | 17 | 0 | |
See Also
- List of New York Giants first-round draft picks
