Jason Avant facts for kids
Avant with the Philadelphia Eagles in 2013
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| Position: | Wide receiver | ||||||
| Personal information | |||||||
| Born: | April 20, 1983 Chicago, Illinois, U.S. |
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| Height: | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) | ||||||
| Weight: | 210 lb (95 kg) | ||||||
| Career information | |||||||
| High school: | Chicago (IL) Carver | ||||||
| College: | Michigan | ||||||
| NFL Draft: | 2006 / Round: 4 / Pick: 109 | ||||||
| Career history | |||||||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||||||
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| Player stats at PFR | |||||||
Jason Raye Avant (born April 20, 1983) is a former American football player. He was a wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL). Jason played college football for the University of Michigan. The Philadelphia Eagles chose him in the 2006 NFL draft. He also played for the Carolina Panthers and Kansas City Chiefs.
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Growing Up: Jason Avant's Early Life
Jason Avant grew up in Chicago, Illinois. He went to Carver Military Academy and finished in 2002. Before that, he spent his first high school year in Decatur, IL.
At Carver, Jason played both defense as a free safety and offense as a wide receiver. He set school records for catches (148), receiving yards (2,150), and touchdowns (37). He also had 18 interceptions. After his senior year, he was named an All-American. He even played in the 2002 U.S. Army All-American Bowl.
College Football Journey
Jason Avant played wide receiver and on special teams at the University of Michigan. In his first year, he played a little. But in his second year (2003), he became the team's second-best receiver. He caught 47 passes for 772 yards that season.
As a junior, he was still the team's second-leading receiver. In his senior year, Jason was the top receiver for Michigan. He had 82 catches, 1,007 receiving yards, and eight touchdowns. For his great play, he was considered for the Fred Biletnikoff Award. This award goes to the best receiver in the country. After his senior year, he won the Bo Schembechler Award. This award is given to Michigan's most valuable player.
Professional Football Career
Playing for the Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles picked Jason Avant in the fourth round of the 2006 NFL draft. The Eagles' coach, Andy Reid, said Jason had "great hands, toughness, leadership." He also said Jason was "very intelligent and a good route runner."
In his first year, Jason didn't play much offense. This was because the Eagles had many good receivers. His best game as a rookie was the last game of the season. He caught four passes for 40 yards and scored one touchdown.
In 2009, Jason had his best season yet. He caught 41 passes for 587 yards and scored 3 touchdowns. He was known for making important catches on third down. In fact, 32 of his 37 third-down catches led to a first down. For his strong performance, he was named to the USA Today All-Joe Team.
The Eagles signed Jason to a new five-year contract in 2010. He also received the Ed Block Courage Award that year. This award honors players who show courage and dedication. Jason left the Eagles on March 4, 2014. This was part of some big changes the team made.
Time with the Carolina Panthers
On April 7, 2014, Jason signed a one-year deal with the Carolina Panthers. In his second game with the Panthers, he scored his first touchdown for the team. This happened in a 24–7 win against the Detroit Lions. He had five catches for 54 yards in that game.
The Panthers released Jason on November 18, 2014. Coach Ron Rivera said this was to give younger players more chances to play.
Joining the Kansas City Chiefs
Jason Avant then signed with the Kansas City Chiefs in November 2014. This meant he reunited with his old coach, Andy Reid, from the Eagles. He finished the 2014 season with 34 catches for 352 yards and one touchdown. He signed with the Chiefs again in 2015.
In the 2015 season, Jason had 15 catches for 119 yards. He didn't score any touchdowns that year. He played his best game of the season in a playoff loss to the New England Patriots. In that game, he had 4 catches for 69 yards.
Life Off the Field
Jason Avant enjoys playing Scrabble. He is married to Stacy, and they live in Clementon, New Jersey. His parents are Jerry Avant and Claudette Patrick. Jason's brother, Edwon Simmons, was also an athlete. Edwon played baseball and was drafted by the Baltimore Orioles. He also played football at San Diego State.
Jason is a Christian. He has shared that his faith is very important to him. He feels that his faith helps him make decisions in his life.
In 2017, Jason opened a trampoline park called Launch. It is located in Deptford Township, New Jersey.
More to Explore
- Lists of Michigan Wolverines football receiving leaders
- List of athletes from Chicago
