Jason Thomas Babin (born May 24, 1980) is a former
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 wi ...
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 formations over the years have substantially changed how the position is ...
and
outside linebacker who played in the
National Football League
The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the ...
(NFL). He was drafted by the
Houston Texans 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 April 24–25, 2004 at the Theater at ...
. He played
college football at
Western Michigan
West Michigan and Western Michigan are terms for an arbitrary region in the U.S. state of Michigan's Lower Peninsula. Most narrowly it refers to the Grand Rapids- Muskegon-Holland area, and more broadly to most of the region along the Lower Pen ...
, where he was twice recognized as the conference defensive player of the year.
Babin also played for the
Seattle Seahawks,
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 club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) West division.
The ...
,
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 club of the American Football Conference (AFC) South division, and play their hom ...
,
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 club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East division. The team play ...
,
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 pla ...
,
New York Jets, and
Baltimore Ravens
The Baltimore Ravens are a professional American football team based in Baltimore, Maryland. The Ravens compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) North division. The team plays it ...
.
Early years
Babin attended
Paw Paw High School and lettered in football,
wrestling
Wrestling is a series of combat sports involving grappling-type techniques such as clinch fighting, throws and takedowns, joint locks, pins and other grappling holds. Wrestling techniques have been incorporated into martial arts, combat ...
, and track. In
football, 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 is a sport that includes athletic contests based on running, jumping, and throwing skills. The name is derived from where the sport takes place, a running track and a grass field for the throwing and some of the jumping eve ...
, Babin was a state-qualifier in the throwing events, with top-throws of 16.15 meters (52 ft 9 in) in the
shot put 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 event in which an athlete throws a heavy disc—called a discus—in an attempt to mark a farther distance than their competitors. It is an ancient sport, as demonstrated by th ...
.
College career
Babin attended
Western Michigan University
Western Michigan University (Western Michigan, Western or WMU) is a public research university in Kalamazoo, Michigan. It was initially established as Western State Normal School in 1903 by Governor Aaron T. Bliss for the training of teachers ...
, 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 and the Mid-American Conference (MAC). Western Michigan has competed in football since 1906, when they played t ...
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-America
The All-America designation is an annual honor bestowed upon an amateur sports person from the United States who is considered to be one of the best amateurs in their sport. Individuals receiving this distinction are typically added to an All-Am ...
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 circulation over one million to win the National Magazine Award for General Excellence twi ...
'', ''
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 pr ...
'', 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 includ ...
''. He was a first-team All-
Mid-American Conference
The Mid-American Conference (MAC) is a National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) NCAA Division I, Division I collegiate List of NCAA conferences, athletic conference with a membership base in the Great Lakes region (North America), Great L ...
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
Pre-draft
Houston Texans
Babin was drafted by
Houston Texans in the first round (27th pick overall) of
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 April 24–25, 2004 at the Theater at ...
. The Texans traded second, third, fourth, and fifth round picks to the
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 club of the American Football Conference (AFC) South division, and play their hom ...
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
Seattle Seahawks from the
Houston Texans in exchange for
safety
Safety is the state of being "safe", the condition 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
There are two slightly dif ...
Michael Boulware
Michael Boulware (born September 17, 1981) is a former American football safety in the National Football League (NFL). He was drafted by the Seattle Seahawks in the second round of the 2004 NFL Draft and also played for the Houston Texans. He p ...
. He was released by the Seahawks on September 17, 2008 after the team acquired
wide receiver Keary Colbert
Patrick Keary Jerel Colbert (born May 21, 1982) is an American football coach and former player who is currently the wide receivers coach at the University of Florida.
Colbert played as a wide receiver and was drafted by the Carolina Panthers ...
from the
Denver Broncos
The Denver Broncos are a professional American football franchise based in Denver. The Broncos compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) West division. The team is headquar ...
.
Kansas City Chiefs
Babin was signed by the
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 club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) West division.
The ...
on November 12, 2008. After the 2008 season, Babin became a free agent.
Philadelphia Eagles
Babin was signed by 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 club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East division. The team play ...
on August 4, 2009.
Tennessee Titans
On March 19, 2010, Babin signed with the
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 club of the American Football Conference (AFC) South division, and play their hom ...
. 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, despi ...
, the first appearance of his career.
Second stint with the Eagles
Following his
Pro Bowl
The National Football League All-Star Game (1939–1942), Pro Bowl (1951–2022), or Pro Bowl Games (starting in 2023) is an annual event held by the National Football League (NFL) featuring the league's star players.
The format has changed thro ...
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 ( grc, οἱ Τῑτᾶνες, ''hoi Tītânes'', , ''ho Tītân'') were the pre-Olympian gods. According to the ''Theogony'' of Hesiod, they were the twelve children of the primordial parents Uranus (Sky) and Gai ...
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 Tenness ...
. 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 from 1995 to the 2015 season, before moving back to Los Angeles, where the team had played from 1946 to 1994.
The arr ...
, 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.
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
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 pla ...
. 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
Arizona Cardinals running back
Andre Ellington
Andre DeAngelo Ellington (born February 3, 1989) is a former American football running back. He played college football at Clemson and was drafted by the Arizona Cardinals in the sixth round of the 2013 NFL Draft.
High school career
Ellingto ...
's dreadlocks while defending a running play versus the
Arizona Cardinals 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
New York Jets on July 23, 2014. He was released by the Jets on September 5, 2015.
Baltimore Ravens
The
Baltimore Ravens
The Baltimore Ravens are a professional American football team based in Baltimore, Maryland. The Ravens compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) North division. The team plays it ...
signed Babin on September 15, 2015. Babin was released on October 13, 2015.
Arizona Cardinals
On January 12, 2016, Babin signed with the
Arizona Cardinals to add depth as an outside linebacker for the
postseason
The playoffs, play-offs, postseason or finals of a sports league are a competition played after the regular season by the top competitors to determine the league champion or a similar accolade. Depending on the league, the playoffs may be eithe ...
after
Alex Okafor
Alex Okafor (born February 8, 1991) is an American football defensive end who is a free agent. He was drafted by the Arizona Cardinals in the fourth round of the 2013 NFL Draft. He played college football at Texas, where he earned All-America ...
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
Babin has a wife and three sons. He is a supporter of the
Republican Party, is an avid
poker player, and is well known for his devout love of the theater, which has included multiple trips to plays both on and off Broadway. His father moved from Quebec in Canada to live in Michigan
In 2014, Babin was inducted into the Western Michigan University Athletics Hall of Fame.
Babin cofounde
RedZone Realty Groupwith former
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 pla ...
teammate,
Kyle Bosworth.
References
External links
*
Philadelphia Eagles bioTennessee Titans bioJacksonville Jaguars bioNew York Jets bio
{{DEFAULTSORT:Babin, Jason
1980 births
Living people
Players of American football from Michigan
Sportspeople from Kalamazoo, Michigan
American football defensive ends
American football linebackers
Western Michigan Broncos football players
American Conference Pro Bowl players
Houston Texans players
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 people of Canadian descent
National Conference Pro Bowl players