Jay Alford facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Jay Alford

Alford signing autographs at Penn State in 2008
No. 93, 94, 91
Position:	Defensive tackle
Personal information
Born:	(1983-05-28) May 28, 1983 (age 42) Orange, New Jersey, U.S.
Height:	6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
Weight:	304 lb (138 kg)
Career information
High school:	Orange (NJ)
College:	Penn State
NFL Draft:	2007 / Round: 3 / Pick: 81
Career history
New York Giants (2007–2009) Oakland Raiders (2010) Seattle Seahawks (2011)* Virginia Destroyers (2011) Saskatchewan Roughriders (2012–2013)
Career highlights and awards
Super Bowl champion (XLII) Third-team All-American (2006) 2× Second-team All-Big Ten (2005, 2006)
Career NFL statistics
Total tackles: 18 Sacks: 3.5 Pass deflections: 1
Player stats at PFR
Player stats at CFL.ca (archive)

Jason Jamaal Alford (born May 28, 1983) is a former American football player. He played as a defensive tackle. Jay Alford was picked by the New York Giants in the third round of the 2007 NFL draft. He played college football for Penn State.

Alford also played for the Oakland Raiders, Seattle Seahawks, Virginia Destroyers, and Saskatchewan Roughriders. In 2007, he helped the Giants win Super Bowl XLII. He famously sacked Tom Brady in the final minute of the game. This helped the Giants win 17–14 against the New England Patriots.

Early Life and High School Football

Jay Alford grew up in Orange, New Jersey. He went to Orange High School. He was a top player there for three years. He was chosen as First-team All-State. He was also named a U.S. Army All-American. Experts listed him as one of the top 50 defensive players in the country.

College Football Career

Alford played college football at Penn State. He was a starter for four years with the Nittany Lions. He played in 46 games and started 41 of them. He made 118 tackles and 19 sacks during his college career.

He was named a Third-team All-America player. He was also chosen for the All-Big Ten team twice. This happened in both his junior and senior years. In his last year, he had 32 tackles and eight sacks. Jay Alford earned a degree in Integrative Arts from Penn State in 2006. He also won the Jim O’Hora Award. This award goes to the defense's most improved player each season.

Professional Football Journey

New York Giants Highlights

Jay Alford's most famous moment was with the New York Giants. He sacked Tom Brady in Super Bowl XLII. This happened with less than a minute left in the game. The New England Patriots were down 17–14 and had the ball. Alford's sack made it a difficult situation for the Patriots. The Giants then won the game 17–14. This win was a huge upset against the undefeated Patriots.

In his first year (2007), Alford played in all 16 regular season games. He also played in all 4 playoff games. He helped with field goals and extra points. In 2008, he played in all 16 regular season games again. He had 2.5 sacks that year. He missed the 2009 NFL season because of a knee injury.

Time with Other Teams

After the Giants, Alford signed with the Oakland Raiders in 2010. He later spent time with the Seattle Seahawks.

In 2011, Alford joined the Virginia Destroyers. This team was part of the UFL. He helped the Destroyers win the 2011 UFL Championship Game. This meant he won a championship in both the NFL and the UFL.

Alford then signed with the Saskatchewan Roughriders in the Canadian Football League in 2012. He played in 10 games for them that year. He made 11 tackles and two sacks. He was released by the team in 2013.

About Jay Alford's Life

Jay Alford was born in Orange, New Jersey. He was raised by his grandmother. He was a great player at Orange High School. He was named All-State and a U.S. Army All-American. He was also listed as one of the top 50 defensive players in the nation.

On February 29, 2008, Jay Alford received the Key to the City from Orange Township.