Jason Thomas Babin (born May 24, 1980) is an American former professional

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...

player who was a

defensive end Defensive end (DE) is a defensive position in the sport of gridiron football. This position has designated the players at each end of the defensive line, but changes in formation (American football), formations over the years have substantially ...

and

linebacker Linebacker (LB) is a playing position in gridiron football. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and typically line up three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage and so back up the defensive linemen. They play closer to the line ...

in the

National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a Professional gridiron football, professional American football league in the United States. Composed of 32 teams, it is divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National ...

(NFL). He was selected by the

Houston Texans The Houston Texans are a professional American football team based in Houston. The Texans compete in the National Football League as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division. The team plays its home games at N ...

in the first round of the

2004 NFL draft The 2004 NFL draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held from April 24–25, 2004, at the Theate ...

. He played

college football College football is gridiron football that is played by teams of amateur Student athlete, student-athletes at universities and colleges. It was through collegiate competition that gridiron football American football in the United States, firs ...

Western Michigan West Michigan and Western Michigan are terms for a region in the U.S. state of Michigan's Lower Peninsula. Generally, it refers to the Grand Rapids- Muskegon-Holland area, and more broadly to most of the region along the Lower Peninsula's Lake ...

, where he was twice recognized as the conference defensive player of the year. Babin also played for the

Seattle Seahawks The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle. The Seahawks compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC West, West division. The club entered the NFL a ...

Kansas City Chiefs The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Chiefs compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) West division. Established in 1959 ...

Tennessee Titans The Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee. The Titans compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division. They play the ...

Philadelphia Eagles The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia. The Eagles compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. The team plays its ...

Jacksonville Jaguars The Jacksonville Jaguars are a professional American football team based in Jacksonville, Florida. The Jaguars compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division. The team ...

New York Jets The New York Jets are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Jets compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East division. The team p ...

Baltimore Ravens The Baltimore Ravens are a professional American football team based in Baltimore. The Ravens compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. The team plays its home g ...

and

Arizona Cardinals The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in the Phoenix metropolitan area. The Cardinals compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC West, West division. The ...

Early life

Babin attended Paw Paw High School and lettered in football,

wrestling Wrestling is a martial art, combat sport, and form of entertainment that involves grappling with an opponent and striving to obtain a position of advantage through different throws or techniques, within a given ruleset. Wrestling involves di ...

, and track. In

, he was a two-time team Defensive MVP, and was an All-Kalamazoo Valley Association first-team choice as a senior. In wrestling, he was the state champion as a senior. Babin came back from a broken leg during his senior year, playing in the last three games and earning a scholarship from Western Michigan University. In

track & field Track and field (or athletics in British English) is a sport that includes athletic contests based on running, jumping, and throwing skills. The name used in North America is derived from where the sport takes place, a running track and ...

, Babin was a state-qualifier in the throwing events, with top-throws of 16.15 meters (52 ft 9 in) in the

shot put The shot put is a track-and-field event involving "putting" (throwing) a heavy spherical Ball (sports), ball—the ''shot''—as far as possible. For men, the sport has been a part of the Olympic Games, modern Olympics since their 1896 Summer Olym ...

and 47.85 meters (156 ft 4 in) in the

discus throw The discus throw (), also known as disc throw, is a track and field sport in which the participant athlete throws an oblate spheroid weight (object), weight called a discus in an attempt to mark a further distance than other competitors. It is a ...

College career

Babin attended

Western Michigan University Western Michigan University (Western Michigan, Western or WMU) is a Public university, public research university in Kalamazoo, Michigan, United States. It was initially established as Western State Normal School in 1903 by Governor Aaron T. B ...

, where he played for the

Western Michigan Broncos football The Western Michigan Broncos football program represents Western Michigan University in the Football Bowl Subdivision of Division I (NCAA), Division I and the Mid-American Conference (MAC). Western Michigan has competed in football since 1906, w ...

team from 2000 to 2003. He finished his college football career with 38 sacks, 299 tackles, eight forced fumbles, and two fumble recoveries. Babin started 25 of 47 games at Western Michigan, setting Broncos career marks in sacks (38) and tackles for loss (75). Babin also had two passes defended, blocked three punts and had three receptions for 55 yards. Babin started all 12 games at the left defensive end position as a senior, earning first-team

All-American The All-America designation is an annual honor bestowed on outstanding athletes in the United States who are considered to be among the best athletes in their respective sport. Individuals receiving this distinction are typically added to an Al ...

honors from The NFL Draft Report and College Sports Report and added second-team honors from ''

Sports Illustrated ''Sports Illustrated'' (''SI'') is an American sports magazine first published in August 1954. Founded by Stuart Scheftel, it was the first magazine with a circulation of over one million to win the National Magazine Award for General Excellen ...

'', ''

The Sporting News ''The Sporting News'' is a website and former magazine publication owned by Sporting News Holdings, which is a U.S.-based sports media company formed in December 2020 by a private investor consortium. It was originally established in 1886 as a ...

'', and ''

College Football News ''College Football News'' (''CFN'') is a magazine and website published by College Football News, Inc., headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. News coverage includes scores, statistics, rankings, and reports on college football games. Analysis incl ...

''. He was a first-team All-

Mid-American Conference The Mid-American Conference (MAC) is a collegiate List of NCAA conferences, athletic conference with a membership base in the Great Lakes region (North America), Great Lakes region that stretches from Western New York to Illinois. Its members co ...

selection and league's Defensive Player of the Year for the second consecutive season, in addition to being team captain and team MVP. As a senior, he made 115 tackles and matched his career-high with 15 sacks and made 33 tackles behind the line of scrimmage. As a junior, he started all 12 games and made 94 tackles (26 for loss), 15 sacks, two forced fumbles, one fumble recovery, and two passes defensed. Babin also blocked two punts and caught three passes for 35 yards. He made 56 tackles (13 for loss) as a sophomore, plus a team-leading seven sacks and two forced fumbles. As a freshman, Babin played in all 12 games, collected 34 tackles and was the only true freshman on the team to earn a letter.

Professional career

Houston Texans

Babin was selected by

in the first round (27th pick overall) of

. The Texans traded second, third, fourth, and fifth round picks to the

in exchange for a first (27th overall) and fifth round pick. He was signed to a five-year contract worth $6 million by the Texans on June 26, 2004. He played 16 games in his rookie season for Houston, making 51 solo tackles, 12 assisted tackles, and four sacks. In 2005, he played in 12 games and made 35 tackles. He matched his 2004 sack mark with four and also forced two fumbles. In 2006, he played 15 games and recorded 26 tackles and five sacks.

Seattle Seahawks

On September 1, 2007, Babin was acquired by the

from the

in exchange for

safety Safety is the state of being protected from harm or other danger. Safety can also refer to the control of recognized hazards in order to achieve an acceptable level of risk. Meanings The word 'safety' entered the English language in the 1 ...

Michael Boulware Michael Boulware (born September 17, 1981) is an American former professional football player who was a safety in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Florida State Seminoles and was selected by the Seattle Sea ...

. He was released by the Seahawks on September 17, 2008, after the team acquired

wide receiver A wide receiver (WR), also referred to as a wideout, and historically known as a split end (SE) or flanker (FL), is an eligible receiver in gridiron football. A key skill position of the offense (American football), offense, WR gets its name ...

Keary Colbert Patrick Keary Jerel Colbert (born May 21, 1982) is an American professional football coach and former player who is the wide receivers coach for the Denver Broncos of the National Football League (NFL). Colbert played in the NFL as a wide receiv ...

from the

Denver Broncos The Denver Broncos are a professional American football team based in Denver. The Broncos compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC West, West division. The team is headquartered in E ...

Kansas City Chiefs

Babin was signed by the

on November 12, 2008. After the 2008 season, Babin became a free agent.

Philadelphia Eagles (first stint)

Babin was signed by the

on August 4, 2009.

Tennessee Titans

On March 19, 2010, Babin signed with the

. Babin's lone season with Titans proved to be one of his best, recording 58 tackles, 12.5 sacks, and two forced fumbles, which led to him being named to the

2011 Pro Bowl The 2011 Pro Bowl was the National Football League's all-star game for the 2010 season. It took place at 7:00 p.m. EST (2:00 p.m. local time) on Sunday, January 30, 2011, at Aloha Stadium in Honolulu, Hawaii. The NFC won 55–41, des ...

, the first appearance of his career. He was ranked 85th by his fellow players on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2011.

Philadelphia Eagles (second stint)

Following his

Pro Bowl The National Football League All-Star Game (1939–1942), Pro Bowl (1951–2022), or Pro Bowl Games (since 2023) is an annual event held by the National Football League (NFL) featuring the league's All-star, star players. The format has changed ...

season, Babin signed a five-year deal with the Eagles worth approximately $28 million. This deal included guarantees in the $5–6 million range and reunited him with former

Titans In Greek mythology, the Titans ( ; ) were the pre-Twelve Olympians, Olympian gods. According to the ''Theogony'' of Hesiod, they were the twelve children of the primordial parents Uranus (mythology), Uranus (Sky) and Gaia (Earth). The six male ...

defensive line coach

Jim Washburn Jim Washburn (born December 2, 1949) is an American football coach. He was the assistant defensive line coach for the Detroit Lions from 2013 to 2015, defensive line coach for the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League and the Tennes ...

. In Week 1 of the 2011 regular season against the

St. Louis Rams The St. Louis Rams were a professional American football team of the National Football League (NFL). They played in St. Louis, Missouri, from 1995 through the 2015 season, before moving back to Los Angeles, California, where the team had played ...

, Babin had two sacks, which matched his previous total during his last stint with the Eagles. He then would record eight sacks in three games, and climbed to the top of the NFL with 18 sacks with two games remaining in the season. He finished the season with 40 tackles and 18 sacks, the highest of his career. He earned another Pro Bowl nomination. He was ranked 44th by his fellow players on the

NFL Top 100 Players of 2012 The NFL Top 100 Players of 2012 was the second season of the series. It ended with reigning NFL MVP Aaron Rodgers being ranked #1, while Super Bowl MVP Eli Manning Elisha Nelson Manning (born January 3, 1981) is an American former professi ...

. On November 27, 2012, Babin was released. He had 5.5 sacks through 11 games.

Jacksonville Jaguars

On November 28, 2012, Babin was claimed off waivers by the

. In five games with the Jaguars, Babin made 11 tackles, 1.5 sacks, 2 forced fumbles, and 1 fumble recovery. Overall in the 2012 season, combined with both teams, Babin played 16 total games with 37 total combined tackles, 7 sacks, 1 pass defended, 4 forced fumbles, and 1 fumble recovery. On November 17, 2013, Babin inadvertently ripped out a handful of

running back

Andre Ellington Andre DeAngelo Ellington (born February 3, 1989) is an American former professional football player who was a running back in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Clemson Tigers and was selected by the Arizona ...

's dreadlocks while defending a running play versus the

in Jacksonville. Babin finished the 2013 season with 7.5 sacks on 40 combined tackles, two passes defended, and three forced fumbles. On March 10, 2014, Babin voided the final two years of his contract to become a free agent. Three days later, on March 13, he re-signed with the team. Babin was released from the Jaguars on June 19, 2014.

New York Jets

Babin signed a two-year contract with the

on July 23, 2014. In the 2014 season, he appeared in all 16 games and started four. He recorded two sacks and 25 total tackles. He was released by the Jets on September 5, 2015.

Baltimore Ravens

The

signed Babin on September 15, 2015. Babin was released on October 13, 2015, after appearing in two regular season games for the Ravens.

Arizona Cardinals

On January 12, 2016, Babin signed with the

to add depth as an outside linebacker for the postseason after Alex Okafor was lost to an injury.

NFL statistics

Key * GP: games played * COMB: combined tackles * TOTAL: total tackles * AST: assisted tackles * SACK: sacks * FF: forced fumbles * FR: fumble recoveries * FR YDS: fumble return yards * INT: interceptions * IR YDS: interception return yards * AVG IR: average interception return * LNG: longest interception return * TD: interceptions returned for touchdown * PD: passes defensed

Personal life

In 2014, Babin was inducted into the Western Michigan University Athletics Hall of Fame. Babin cofounde
RedZone Realty Group
with former

teammate, Kyle Bosworth. Mexican

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Babin, Jason 1980 births Living people Players of American football from Kalamazoo, Michigan American football defensive ends American football linebackers Western Michigan Broncos football players American Conference Pro Bowl players Houston Texans players 21st-century American sportsmen Seattle Seahawks players Kansas City Chiefs players Philadelphia Eagles players Tennessee Titans players Jacksonville Jaguars players New York Jets players Baltimore Ravens players Arizona Cardinals players Michigan Republicans American sportspeople of Canadian descent National Conference Pro Bowl players Hispanic and Latino American players of American football