Aaron Cann (born October 23, 1991) is an

American football American football (referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada), also known as gridiron, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular field with goalposts at each end. The offense, the team with ...

guard Guard or guards may refer to: Professional occupations * Bodyguard, who protects an individual from personal assault * Crossing guard, who stops traffic so pedestrians can cross the street * Lifeguard, who rescues people from drowning * Prison ...

who is a free agent. He played

college football College football (french: Football universitaire) refers to gridiron football played by teams of student athletes. It was through college football play that American football rules first gained popularity in the United States. Unlike most ...

South Carolina )''Animis opibusque parati'' ( for, , Latin, Prepared in mind and resources, links=no) , anthem = " Carolina";" South Carolina On My Mind" , Former = Province of South Carolina , seat = Columbia , LargestCity = Charleston , LargestMetro = ...

, and was selected in the third round of the

2015 NFL Draft The 2015 NFL Draft was the 80th annual meeting of National Football League (NFL) franchises to select newly eligible football players. It took place in Chicago at the Auditorium Theatre and in Grant Park, from April 30 to May 2. The previous ...

by the

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 club of the American Football Conference (AFC) South division. The team play ...

Early years

Cann attended

Bamberg-Ehrhardt High School Bamberg-Ehrhardt High School is a senior high school in Bamberg, South Carolina. It is a part of Bamberg School District One. Alumni *Zack Godley, professional baseball player *Mookie Wilson, professional baseball player *Preston Wilson Preston ...

Bamberg, South Carolina Bamberg is a city in and the county seat of Bamberg County, South Carolina, United States. The population was 3,607 at the 2010 census. History Bamberg is named after early resident William Seaborn Bamberg. Members of the Bamberg family continu ...

, where he played

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...

and competed in

track Track or Tracks may refer to: Routes or imprints * Ancient trackway, any track or trail whose origin is lost in antiquity * Animal track, imprints left on surfaces that an animal walks across * Desire path, a line worn by people taking the shorte ...

. He committed to play

at the University of South Carolina in June 2009. Cann's mother died of

throat cancer Head and neck cancer develops from tissues in the lip and oral cavity (mouth), larynx (throat), salivary glands, nose, sinuses or the skin of the face. The most common types of head and neck cancers occur in the lip, mouth, and larynx. Symptoms ...

on October 7, 2007.

College career

Cann was

redshirted Redshirt, in United States college athletics, is a delay or suspension of an athlete's participation in order to lengthen their period of eligibility. Typically, a student's athletic eligibility in a given sport is four seasons, aligning with the ...

as a freshman in 2010. In 2011, he became a starter at

left guard In gridiron football, a guard (G), otherwise known as an offensive guard (OG), is a player who lines up between the center and the tackles on the offensive line of a football team on the line of scrimmage used primarily for blocking. Right g ...

. In 2013, he was named a permanent team captain. Cann had started 38 of 39 games entering his senior season. As a senior in 2014, he started all 13 games and was named an All-American. Cann was a four-year starter, starting in 51 games, the second-most in school history to T. J. Johnson who started 53 games.

Professional career

Jacksonville Jaguars

Cann was drafted by the

in the third round, 67th overall, in the

. During his rookie season in 2015, Cann started 13 games at

right guard Right Guard is an American brand of deodorant and shower gel that is manufactured and sold by Thriving Brands LLC. It is the second largest brand in the male deodorant category in the United States. Right Guard was introduced in 1960 by The Gill ...

while playing a total of 14 games. In 2016, Cann saw a full-time role on the

offensive line In gridiron football, a lineman is a player who specializes in play at the line of scrimmage. The linemen of the team currently in possession of the ball are the offensive line, while linemen on the opposing team are the defensive line. A numbe ...

, starting all 16 games at the right guard position for the Jaguars. Cann maintained his starting job at right guard in 2017 and 2018, starting 15 games both seasons, missing one each season, both due to a triceps injury. On March 13, 2019, Cann signed a three-year, $15 million contract extension with the Jaguars. On October 4, 2021, Cann was placed on

injured reserve The injured reserve list ( IR list) is a designation used in North American professional sports leagues for athletes who suffer injuries and become unable to play. The exact name of the list varies by league; it is known as "injured reserve" in th ...

Houston Texans

On March 23, 2022, Cann signed a two-year, $8.5 million contract with the

Houston Texans The Houston Texans are a professional American football team based in Houston. The Texans compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division, and play their home ga ...

. He was named the Texans starting right guard, and started 16 games. Cann was released on March 16, 2023.

References

External links

*
South Carolina Gamecocks bio
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cann, A. J. 1991 births Living people People from Bamberg, South Carolina Players of American football from South Carolina American football offensive guards South Carolina Gamecocks football players Jacksonville Jaguars draft picks Jacksonville Jaguars players Houston Texans players