Muhammad Wilkerson
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Muhammad Hassan "Mo" Wilkerson (born October 22, 1989) is an American former professional
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 ...
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 ...
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 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 ...
for the
Temple Owls The Temple Owls are the athletic teams that represent Temple University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The current athletic director is Arthur Johnson. The owl has been the symbol and mascot for Temple University since its founding in the 18 ...
, and was selected by the
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 club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. The J ...
in the first round of the
2011 NFL Draft The 2011 NFL Draft was the 76th installment of the annual NFL Draft, where the franchises of the National Football League select newly eligible football players. Like the 2010 draft, the 2011 draft was held at Radio City Music Hall in New York C ...
.


Early years

Wilkerson attended Linden High School in his hometown of
Linden, New Jersey Linden is a city in southeastern Union County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. It is part of the New York Metropolitan Area, located about southwest of Manhattan and bordering Staten Island, a borough of New York City, across the Arthur Kill ...
. He recorded 78 tackles, five sacks, one forced fumble, and one fumble recovery in his senior season. He was named to the All-Watchung Conference first-team in his junior season. He was selected to the ''Home News Tribune'' all-area first-team and ''Newark Star Ledger'' all-Union County second-team. He also helped lead Linden to state titles during his junior and senior years in basketball.


College career

After high school, Wilkerson spent a year at Hargrave Military Academy. He subsequently enrolled at Temple University, where he played for the Temple Owls football team.Former Linden High star Muhammad Wilkerson likely to be first New Jerseyan selected in 2011 NFL Draft
NJ.com, April 25, 2011
As a freshman at Temple in 2008, Wilkerson played in 11 games and recorded 13 tackles and a sack. As a sophomore in 2009, he started all 13 games and recorded 58 tackles and six sacks. As a junior in 2010, Wilkerson recorded 68 tackles and 10 sacks. Following his junior season, he was named to the first-team All- MAC selection and the team defensive MVP.


Professional career

Wilkerson was initially what analysts termed "a sleeper selection"; however, following positive results at the NFL Combine and at Temple's Pro Day session, Wilkerson's draft stock rose significantly. He became regarded as a versatile prospect whom NFL Network analyst
Mike Mayock Michael Francis Mayock (born August 14, 1958) is a former American football executive and former player who served as the general manager of the Las Vegas Raiders of the National Football League (NFL) from 2019 to 2021. Mayock was a safety with ...
compared to Trevor Pryce, concluding that Wilkerson was a first round prospect.


New York Jets

Wilkerson was drafted by the
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 club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. The J ...
in the first round with the thirtieth overall selection in the 2011 NFL Draft. He was the fourth Temple player to be drafted by the Jets, preceded by Mike Stromberg, Joe Klecko and
Dave Yovanovits Dave Yovanovits (born March 6, 1981) is a former American football offensive lineman in the NFL most recently of the Detroit Lions. He played in every snap of 40 of 45 games for Temple University. He was drafted in the 2003 NFL Draft by the New Y ...
. He also became the Owls' highest draft pick since
Paul Palmer Paul Palmer may refer to: * Paul Palmer (American football) (born 1964), American football player * Paul Palmer (cricketer) (born 1992), Jamaican cricketer * Paul Palmer (minister) (died 1747), American religious leader * Paul Palmer (physicist) (1 ...
, who was selected nineteenth overall in the
1987 NFL Draft The 1987 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 28–29, 1987, at the Marriot Marq ...
. Head coach Rex Ryan reiterated Wilkerson possesses similar attributes to Trevor Pryce. Wilkerson signed a four-year, $7.4 million contract on July 31, 2011.


2011 season

During the third preseason game against the
New York Giants The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Giants compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East division. ...
, Wilkerson got into a fight with running back Brandon Jacobs, resulting in both players getting ejected. He made his NFL debut in the season opener on September 11 against the Dallas Cowboys, and recorded his first career sack a week later, sacking Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback
Luke McCown Lucas Patrick McCown (born July 12, 1981) is a former American football quarterback in the National Football League (NFL) for the Cleveland Browns, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Jacksonville Jaguars, Atlanta Falcons and New Orleans Saints. He was drafte ...
in the end zone for a safety. Wilkerson started all 16 games in 2011 making 49 tackles with 3 sacks, 2 passes defended, 1 forced fumble, and 1 safety enforced.


2012 season

During a game against 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 club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) West, which they rejoined in 2002 as ...
on November 11, 2012, Wilkerson scooped up a fumble lost by
Russell Wilson Russell Carrington Wilson (born November 29, 1988) is an American football quarterback for the Denver Broncos of the National Football League (NFL). He previously played his first 10 seasons for the Seattle Seahawks. Wilson is widely regarded ...
and returned it for a touchdown. The Jets lost the game 7–28, however. In 16 games (15 starts) of 2012, Wilkerson made 69 tackles with 5 sacks, 4 passes defended, 3 forced fumbles, and 1 fumble recovery returned for a touchdown.


2013 season

225px, Wilkerson signing autographs in April 2013. Wilkerson finished the 2013 season with a combined 63 tackles, 10.5 sacks, 2 FF, and an interception. For his outstanding play, he was selected to the second All-Pro team by the Associated Press.


2014 season

On April 18, 2014, the Jets picked up the fifth-year, $6.96 million option of Wilkerson's rookie contract. During a game against the
Green Bay Packers The Green Bay Packers are a professional American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Packers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. It ...
on September 14, 2014, he was disqualified for the first time in a regular season game for getting into a scuffle with several Packers players following their go-ahead touchdown. On September 20, 2014, Wilkerson was fined $20,000 by the NFL for his role in the brawl. In 13 starts, Wilkerson finished the year with 56 tackles, 6 sacks, 5 passes defended, and 1 forced fumble.


2015 season

During Week 17 against the
Buffalo Bills The Buffalo Bills are a professional American football team based in the Buffalo metropolitan area. The Bills compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. ...
on January 3, 2016, Wilkerson suffered a broken leg and was carted off the field as the Jets lost the game 17–22 and were eliminated from playoff contention despite finishing the year with a 10–6 record. In 16 games, Wilkerson made 64 tackles, 12 sacks, 7 passes defended, and 3 fumble recoveries. He was a Pro Bowl selection for the first time of his career. He was ranked 39th by his fellow players on the
NFL Top 100 Players of 2016 The NFL Top 100 Players of 2016 was the sixth season in the series. It aired on May 4, 2016. It ended with reigning NFL MVP Cam Newton being ranked #1. The Kansas City Chiefs had the most players selected with nine, while the Chicago Bears Th ...
. Wilkerson was selected for the 2016 Pro Bowl, but was unable to participate due to a right fibula fracture sustained during the Jets' final game of the season.


2016 season

On July 15, 2016, Wilkerson signed a 5-year deal worth $86 million featuring $53 million guaranteed and a $15 million signing bonus. Wilkerson played 15 games in 2016, starting 14 of them, finishing with 58 tackles, 4.5 sacks, 3 passes defended, and a forced fumble.


2017 season

On December 15, the Jets announced that Wilkerson would be scratched for the upcoming Week 15 game against the New Orleans Saints due to showing up late for a team meeting. It was also revealed the Wilkerson had a history of violating team rules, including showing up late or missing team meetings, therefore putting his tenure with the Jets in jeopardy. Wilkerson was inactive again for Week 16 against the Los Angeles Chargers. It was revealed that Wilkerson showed up late for team meetings four times in the past three years, and the Jets intended to release Wilkerson if he was inactive for one more game due to any sort of disciplinary reason. Ultimately, Wilkerson was declared inactive for the season finale against the
New England Patriots The New England Patriots are a professional American football team based in the Greater Boston area. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East divisio ...
in Week 17. Limited to 13 games (12 starts), Wilkerson finished with 46 tackles, 3.5 sacks, 4 passes defended, and an interception. On February 28, 2018, Wilkerson was released by the Jets.


Green Bay Packers

On March 15, 2018, Wilkerson signed a one-year deal with the
Green Bay Packers The Green Bay Packers are a professional American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Packers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. It ...
worth $5 million. On September 23, 2018, during Week 3 against the Washington Redskins, Wilkerson suffered a serious ankle injury after teammate
Kentrell Brice Kentrell Montez Brice (born August 11, 1994) is an American football strong safety for the DC Defenders of the XFL. He played college football at Louisiana Tech and signed with the Green Bay Packers as an undrafted free agent in 2016. He has als ...
accidentally leg-whipped him while attempting to tackle Washington running back Chris Thompson. Wilkerson was carted off the field and underwent surgery the same night in a Washington, D.C. hospital, causing him to miss the team flight back to Wisconsin. The Packers placed Wilkerson on injured reserve on September 29, ending his season. He posted five total tackles for the 2018 season prior to the injury. Wilkerson became a free agent in March 2019. He was suspended for the first two weeks of the
2020 NFL season The 2020 NFL season was the 101st season of the National Football League (NFL). The regular season started with the NFL Kickoff Game on September 10, in which defending Super Bowl LIV champion Kansas City defeated Houston. The playoffs were ...
on September 11, 2020, and had his suspension lifted on September 22.


NFL career statistics


Regular season


Personal life

Wilkerson is a Muslim. Due to his involvement in sports, he does not fast during the month of
Ramadan , type = islam , longtype = Religious , image = Ramadan montage.jpg , caption=From top, left to right: A crescent moon over Sarıçam, Turkey, marking the beginning of the Islamic month of Ramadan. Ramadan Quran reading in Bandar Torkaman, Iran. ...
, but intends to in the future.


Legal issues

On June 1, 2019, Wilkerson was arrested for DWI in Washington Heights, New York. At around 3:30 A.M., he was pulled over after running a stop sign. His alcohol content measured .09, exceeding the legal limit of .08 in New York. On March 4, 2020, it was revealed that Wilkerson was arrested by New Jersey State Police for DWI plus possession of marijuana and paraphernalia. It was Wilkerson's second DWI offense spanning within nine months.


References


External links

*
Official websiteNew York Jets bioTemple Owls bio
{{DEFAULTSORT:Wilkerson, Muhammad 1989 births Living people African-American Muslims American football defensive ends American football defensive tackles Linden High School (New Jersey) alumni New York Jets players People from Linden, New Jersey Players of American football from New Jersey Sportspeople from Union County, New Jersey Temple Owls football players Unconferenced Pro Bowl players Green Bay Packers players