Dwight Freeney

Dwight Freeney was born on February 19, 1980, in Hartford, Conneticut. As a kid, he played football with his friends and Madden video games as well. The first time he actually played real football was as a sophomore in high school. He not only played football for three years, but basketball and baseball for four years. He also played soccer his freshman year. He still holds his school's record for sacks with 120.

He attended Syracuse University and was a starter for two years. He had 34 total sacks, with 17.5 coming in his senior season alone. He also got at least one sack in 17 straight games. He was drafted by the Indianapolis Colts in 2002. That year, he set a NFL rookie record when he forced 9 fumbles. He led the NFL in 2004 with 16 sacks. He then became the third quickest player to forty career sacks. When asked, he has said his speed came from his family members that ran track. Freeney's greatest achievement to date was helping the Colts win Super Bowl XLI in 2007.

That year, his rookie contract was up, and the Colts gave him a new 6 year contract that made him the highest-paid defensive player in the NFL. March 26, 2007 was designated “Dwight Freeney Day” at Freeney's old high school, and they retired his jersey, which now hangs in the school gym. Teachers hope it will inspire future generations of students to excel both on the field and in the classroom.