Eric Abrams (born c. 1974 in

University City, San Diego University City (UC) is a community in San Diego, California, located in the northwestern portion of the city next to the University of California, San Diego. University City is bordered by La Jolla and Interstate 5 to the west, Miramar, San Dieg ...

) is a former

Stanford Stanford University, officially Leland Stanford Junior University, is a private research university in Stanford, California. The campus occupies , among the largest in the United States, and enrolls over 17,000 students. Stanford is considere ...

placekicker Placekicker, or simply kicker (PK or K), is the player in gridiron football who is responsible for the kicking duties of field goals and extra points. In many cases, the placekicker also serves as the team's kickoff specialist or punter. Spe ...

High school

Eric attended

La Jolla Country Day School La Jolla Country Day School (known informally as "Country Day" or "LJCDS") is an independent school in University City, a community of San Diego, California. The school contains a lower school (consisting of nursery through fourth grade), a mid ...

. The school at the time had played

eight-man football Eight-man football is a form of gridiron football, generally played by high schools with smaller enrollments. Eight-man football differs from the traditional 11-man game with the reduction of three players on each side of the ball and a field wi ...

. In his senior year, he was one of the top placekickers in the country, missing just 10 out of 189 extra points.

College career

Eric attended Stanford University. He played under head coach Bill Walsh, who referred to Abrams as a "sweetheart". As a freshman, Abrams made 15 out of 17 field goal attempts and scored all 21 extra points. He replaced junior Aaron Mills. Abrams had a distinct look; he was about 5-foot-7, weighed 160 pounds, and wore a one-bar face mask. Due to his appearance, his teammates nicknamed him

Gazoo The Great Gazoo or simply Gazoo is a character (arts), fictional character from the animated series ''The Flintstones''. He first appeared on the show on October 29, 1965. The Great Gazoo was voiced by actor Harvey Korman. Fictional biography ...

, after the

Flintstones ''The Flintstones'' is an American animated sitcom produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions. The series takes place in a romanticized Stone Age setting and follows the activities of the titular family, the Flintstones, and their next-door neighbor ...

character. Abrams became the leading scorer in Stanford football history by breaking John Hopkins' record.

Professional career

Abrams was invited to the 1996

NFL Combine The NFL Scouting Combine is a week-long showcase occurring every February at Lucas Oil Stadium (and formerly at the RCA Dome until 2008) in Indianapolis, where college football players perform physical and mental tests in front of National Footba ...

. He was not drafted. In 1997 Abrams played for the

San Jose SaberCats The San Jose SaberCats were a professional arena football team based in San Jose, California. The SaberCats had been members of the Arena Football League (AFL) since 1995 (the year in which the team was founded); and until 2015, they belonged to ...

of the

Arena Football League The Arena Football League (AFL) was a professional arena football league in the United States. It was founded in 1986, but played its first official games in the 1987 season, making it the third longest-running professional football league in ...

. He was cut after the first regular season game where he only made one of five field-goals.

Molestation charges

July 1997: Abrams, while posing as a

Nike Nike often refers to: * Nike (mythology), a Greek goddess who personifies victory * Nike, Inc., a major American producer of athletic shoes, apparel, and sports equipment Nike may also refer to: People * Nike (name), a surname and feminine given ...

representative, called a 14-year-old boy and told him he won a contest. Abrams allegedly picked up the boy and drove him back to his house. There he convinced the boy to undress for the purposes of being measured for Nike's merchandise. The boy became uncomfortable and Abrams allowed him to leave. He was charged with false imprisonment and child molestation. Abrams pled no contest and was sentenced to two years in prison. December 19, 1997: Abrams posed as a talent scout towards a boy on a plane. Abrams asked for the boy's name and phone number and called him, telling the child he won tickets. A meeting never took place and Abrams was charged with one felony count of attempted false imprisonment. April 14, 1998: Abrams, pretending to be a law officer and flashing a fake badge, coaxed a 13-year-old boy into his car and ordered the boy to remove his clothes for a strip search. Reports suggest two other boys were asked to go into Abrams' car that night.Ex-football star at Stanford sought
(1998, Apr 18). San Francisco Examiner, pp. A.7-7

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Abrams, Eric 1970s births Living people American football placekickers San Jose SaberCats players Stanford Cardinal football players Players of American football from San Diego