Brandon Graham facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Brandon Graham

Graham with the Philadelphia Eagles in 2017
No. 55 – Philadelphia Eagles
Position:	Defensive end
Personal information
Born:	(1988-04-03) April 3, 1988 (age 37) Detroit, Michigan, U.S.
Height:	6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
Weight:	265 lb (120 kg)
Career information
High school:	Crockett (Detroit, Michigan)
College:	Michigan (2006–2009)
NFL Draft:	2010 / Round: 1 / Pick: 13
Career history
Philadelphia Eagles (2010–present)
Roster status:	Injured reserve
Career highlights and awards
Super Bowl champion (LII) Second-team All-Pro (2016) Pro Bowl (2020) Big Ten Most Valuable Player (2009) First-team All-American (2009) First-team All-Big Ten (2009) Second-team All-Big Ten (2008)
Career NFL statistics as of Week 12, 2024
Total tackles: 487 Sacks: 76.5 Forced fumbles: 22 Fumble recoveries: 7 Pass deflections: 11 Defensive touchdowns: 1
Player stats at PFR

Brandon Lee Graham (born April 3, 1988) is an American professional football player. He plays as a defensive end for the Philadelphia Eagles in the National Football League (NFL). The Eagles chose him in the first round of the 2010 NFL draft. He was the thirteenth player picked overall. Before joining the NFL, he was an All-American college football player at the University of Michigan.

In high school, Brandon was a highly praised linebacker. He was even a captain for the 2006 U.S. Army All-American Bowl. Many lists named him an All-American. He was also a finalist for some of the biggest awards a high school football player can get.

Brandon was named co-MVP of the Big Ten Conference in 2009. This award is called the Chicago Tribune Silver Football. He led the nation in tackles for a loss per game in 2009. He also led the Big Ten in tackles for loss in both 2008 and 2009. By the end of his college career, he had 29.5 sacks and 56 tackles for loss.

In the NFL, Brandon was a second-team All-Pro in 2016. He was also chosen for the Pro Bowl in 2020. He led the Philadelphia Eagles in sacks with 9.5 during their 2017 NFL season. That year, the Eagles won Super Bowl LII. Brandon made one of the most important plays in that game. He forced a fumble from Tom Brady in the final minutes. This helped the Eagles win their first Super Bowl. Brandon has played more games for the Eagles than any other player in their history.

Brandon Graham's Early Life and High School Football

Brandon Graham grew up in Detroit, Michigan. He started playing football at age seven for the Police Athletic League Detroit Giants. He played there for seven years. Later, he went to Crockett Vocational Tech high school.

Playing Multiple Positions

At Crockett, Brandon played many roles on the football team. He was a linebacker, offensive guard, placekicker, and punter. As a junior, he helped his team reach the state championships. He was named to the All-Detroit team. Crockett won the Detroit Public School League Division 1 championship.

In one game, he had twelve tackles and four sacks. He also forced four fumbles and blocked two punts. He even scored on a fake punt play. He was chosen for the Associated Press first-team Class B all-state team as a linebacker.

Top High School Player

Recruiting experts thought Brandon was one of the best high school players in the country. Rivals.com ranked him as the top prospect in Michigan. Scout.com called him the number one linebacker in the Midwest. ESPNU also ranked him highly.

Before his senior year, The Detroit News named him the best high school player in Michigan. He was very fast, running a 40-yard dash in 4.43 seconds. As a senior, he was chosen to play in the U.S. Army All-American Bowl. He was also a finalist for the Parade All-America High School Player of the Year award. This award is like the Heisman Trophy for high school players. Brandon was elected captain of the East team in the All-American Bowl.

Brandon received many awards for his great high school performance. These included Parade Magazine All-American and Michigan Gatorade Player of the Year. He was the first player from Michigan to play in the U.S. Army All-American Bowl.

US college sports recruiting information for high school athletes

Name	Hometown	High school / college	Height	Weight	40‡	Commit date
Brandon Graham LB	Detroit, Michigan	Crockett Vocational Tech (MI)	6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)	250.5 lb (113.6 kg)	4.65	Feb 20, 2005
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout:   Rivals:   247Sports: N/A    ESPN grade: 86
Overall recruiting rankings: Scout: 3 (LB)   Rivals: 15, 2 (ILB), 1 (MI)  ESPN: 31, 2 (ILB)
Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight. In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale. Sources:

Brandon Graham's College Career at Michigan

Graham played for the University of Michigan Wolverines in college.

Brandon Graham joined the University of Michigan team. He was first listed as a linebacker. But before his first season in 2006, he switched to defensive end. He was one of five new players to play in the first game of the season. Brandon was a backup to a very famous player named LaMarr Woodley.

Key Moments in College

In 2007, Brandon had a great game against Notre Dame. He recorded 3.5 sacks, helping Michigan win their first game of the season. He led the team in sacks that year with 8.5.

Graham tackles Terrelle Pryor during 2008 Michigan – Ohio State rivalry game

In 2008, Brandon started the season strong. He had 3 sacks and 2 forced fumbles against the Wisconsin Badgers. He was named the Big Ten Conference Defensive Player of the Week. He finished the season with 10 sacks. He led the Big Ten in tackles for a loss. After the season, he was named the team's Most Valuable Player.

Graham in the first wave as the 2009 Michigan Wolverines football team storms into Michigan Stadium

Graham during coin toss with Tim Hiller and teammates Carlos Brown, Zoltan Mesko and Mark Ortmann.

Theo Riddick carries the ball as Graham breaks through the line during 2009 Michigan-Notre Dame rivalry game.

Graham on 2009 Fan Day

In 2009, Brandon was named co-MVP of the Big Ten Conference. He led the nation in tackles for a loss per game. He also had 10.5 sacks that season. He finished his college career with a career-high 5 solo tackles for losses against Ohio State. He was chosen for several All-America teams. Brandon was named the team MVP again, making him the first defensive player at Michigan to win this award twice. He also earned MVP honors at the 2010 Senior Bowl.

Brandon Graham's Professional NFL Career

Before the NFL Draft, Brandon showed his skills at the NFL Combine. He ran the 40-yard dash in 4.72 seconds. He also did 31 repetitions on the bench press.

The Philadelphia Eagles drafted Brandon in the first round in 2010. He was the 13th player picked overall. He signed a five-year contract with the Eagles. He started as a defensive end for the team.

Graham pressures Indianapolis Colts' quarterback Peyton Manning during a 2010 game

In his first game, he played against the Green Bay Packers. The next week, he got his first career sack against the Detroit Lions. In December 2010, Brandon suffered a serious knee injury. He tore his anterior cruciate ligament (ACL). This meant he missed the rest of his rookie season. He had surgery on his knee.

He returned to play in 2011. In the 2012 season, he played in all 16 games. He finished with 5.5 sacks and 38 total tackles. In 2013, he moved to play linebacker. He finished that season with three sacks. In 2014, he had 5.5 sacks and four forced fumbles. His four forced fumbles were among the best in the NFL.

In 2015, Brandon signed a new contract to stay with the Eagles. He had 6.5 sacks that season. In 2016, he moved back to defensive end. He was named to the 2016 All-Pro 2nd Team. This means he was one of the best defensive players in the league. He was also ranked as the ninth best player in the NFL by Pro Football Focus.

Graham talks to the media post-game in 2017

Super Bowl Champion

In 2017, Brandon had a career-high 9.5 sacks. He led the Eagles in sacks that year. During Super Bowl LII, he made a game-changing play. With only 2:21 left, he hit Tom Brady and forced a fumble. His teammate Derek Barnett recovered the ball. This play helped the Eagles win the Super Bowl 41-33. It was the team's first Super Bowl victory.

In 2018, Brandon had ankle surgery but still played in all 16 games. In 2019, he signed a new contract with the Eagles. He had a great game against the New York Jets, getting three sacks. He finished the 2019 season with 8.5 sacks.

In 2020, Brandon had eight sacks. He was chosen for the Pro Bowl for the first time. This is a special game where the best players from each conference play against each other. He was also ranked among the top 100 players in the NFL by his fellow players.

Graham in January 2021

In 2021, Brandon suffered another serious injury, a torn Achilles. This ended his season early.

He came back strong in 2022. In Week 3, he had 2.5 sacks and was named NFC Defensive Player of the Week. He earned this award again in Week 14 with three sacks. Brandon helped the Eagles reach Super Bowl LVII. It was his second Super Bowl appearance. The Eagles lost a close game to the Kansas City Chiefs.

In 2023, Brandon re-signed with the Eagles. He became the longest-tenured Eagle, playing 178 regular-season games. He also tied Chuck Bednarik for the most seasons played as an Eagle, with 14. In November 2023, Brandon broke David Akers' record for most regular-season games played for the Eagles.

In 2024, Brandon signed another contract extension. However, he tore his triceps in Week 12, ending his season. Before his injury, he had 3.5 sacks.

NFL Career Statistics

Personal Life

Brandon Graham is married to Carlyne Graham.

In 2022, Brandon provided vocals for a Christmas album called A Philly Special Christmas.