Ephraim Salaam facts for kids

Ephraim Mateen Salaam (born June 19, 1976) is a former American football player. He played as an offensive tackle in the National Football League (NFL). An offensive tackle is a player who blocks defenders to protect the quarterback.

Ephraim was picked by the Atlanta Falcons in the 1998 NFL draft. He also played for the Denver Broncos, Jacksonville Jaguars, Detroit Lions, and Houston Texans. Before turning pro, he played college football for the San Diego State Aztecs.

Growing Up and High School Sports

Ephraim Salaam grew up in Chicago, Illinois. He played high school football at Florin High School in Sacramento, California. He was also a star on the basketball team.

In his senior year, he scored about 24 points and grabbed 12 rebounds per game. He earned honors for his great play and was named a Nike All-American.

College Sports Career

Ephraim went to San Diego State University. He became a starter for three years as an offensive tackle. He played in 31 games during his college career.

He also played on the basketball team at San Diego State.

Playing in the NFL

The Atlanta Falcons chose Ephraim Salaam in the seventh round of the 1998 NFL draft. He was the 199th player picked overall. In his first year, the Falcons had a great season, winning 14 games and losing only 2.

They won the NFC Championship and went to their first-ever Super Bowl. Ephraim started as the right tackle in Super Bowl XXXIII. The Falcons lost to the Denver Broncos in that game. He was one of the youngest players to start a Super Bowl at 22 years old.

Ephraim played for 13 seasons in the National Football League. He played for five different NFL teams. These teams were the Atlanta Falcons, Denver Broncos, Jacksonville Jaguars, Houston Texans, and Detroit Lions.

Basketball After College

On October 31, 2013, Ephraim Salaam was invited to a training camp. It was for the Texas Legends basketball team. However, he was later released from the team on November 17.

Life Outside of Football

Ephraim Salaam appeared in a TV commercial during Super Bowl XLII. He was with his Texans teammate Chester Pitts. In the ad, Ephraim told a story about how he met Chester. He said he saw Chester bagging groceries at a store. Ephraim was impressed by Chester's size and convinced him to try out for the San Diego State Aztecs football team. The commercial then showed that Chester was picked in the second round of the NFL draft, while Ephraim was picked in the seventh round.

On February 10, 2013, Ephraim was interviewed by United States Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. This event took place at the United States Department of State. It was held to honor many Muslim athletes.

On January 24, 2013, Ephraim shared on a podcast that he is the nephew of Bob McAdoo. Bob McAdoo is a famous former professional basketball player.

In 2013, Ephraim Salaam also became a sports analyst for Fox Sports 1.

Movie and TV Roles

Ephraim Salaam has also worked in movies and television. In 2009, director Deon Taylor cast him in a film called Dark Christmas. This movie was part of the Nite Tales series.

Ephraim has also worked as a producer for two TV shows. These shows were Dead Tone (2007) and Supremacy (2012).

In 2013, Ephraim took part in the 23rd season of The Amazing Race. He competed with his former teammate Chester Pitts. They faced many travel delays on their way to Lisbon, Portugal. They finished in 9th place out of 11 teams. They were the third team to be eliminated from the race. They were eliminated at the airport because all other teams had already finished their tasks. This made them the first team in Amazing Race history to be eliminated at the airport.

Ephraim has also become a host for different TV and radio stations. In October 2023, he was on the CBS game show Raid the Cage.