Adam Carriker
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Adam Eugene Carriker (born May 6, 1984) 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 with ...
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 ...
. He was drafted by 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 ...
in the first round of the 2007 NFL Draft. 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 ...
at the
University of Nebraska A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, the ...
. He also played for the
Washington Redskins The Washington Commanders are a professional American football team based in the Washington metropolitan area. The Commanders compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) N ...
.


Early years

Carriker was born in
Hastings, Nebraska Hastings is a List of cities in Nebraska, city and the county seat of Adams County, Nebraska, Adams County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 25,152 at the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census. It is known as the town where Kool-Aid ...
. He moved to
Kennewick, Washington Kennewick () is a city in Benton County, Washington, Benton County in the U.S. state of Washington (state), Washington. It is located along the southwest bank of the Columbia River, just southeast of the confluence of the Columbia and Yakima R ...
, at the age of three,"Adam Carriker".Huskers.com.
Retrieved 2016-02-14.
and attended
Kennewick High School Kennewick High School is a public high school located in eastern Kennewick, Washington. It was founded in 1904 to serve the educational needs of the new city of Kennewick. It is one of only a few schools to have its music department honored with t ...
, where he played quarterback and defensive end. He was a three-year starter at quarterback and team captain for three years. In his only season at defensive end (his senior season), he recorded 25 tackles, 15 sacks, and four forced fumbles in a winless season. Regardless, he was named to Second-team All-Big 9 Honors. Carriker visited Oregon, Oregon State and Washington State before finally deciding to commit to Nebraska. Additionally, Carriker was a three-time All-Conference selection in baseball and ran track. He received all-state honors for his shot put prowess and long jump efforts as a senior.


College career

Carriker
redshirt Redshirt, Red Shirt, or Redshirts may refer to: Entertainment * ''Red Shirts'' (film), a 1952 film about Anita Garibaldi by Franco Rossi * Redshirt (stock character), originally derived from ''Star Trek'', a stock character who dies soon after b ...
ed in 2002. In his 2003 freshman season he played extensively in passing situations before injuring his ankle against Utah State. Against the
University of Colorado The University of Colorado (CU) is a system of public universities in Colorado. It consists of four institutions: University of Colorado Boulder, University of Colorado Colorado Springs, University of Colorado Denver, and the University of Co ...
he had three quarterback hurries and ended a CU drive in the third quarter with a nine-yard sack of quarterback
Joel Klatt Joel Klatt (born February 4, 1982) is a college football color commentator and analyst for Fox Sports (United States), Fox Sports. Klatt played college football for the University of Colorado at Boulder, University of Colorado (CU) Colorado Buffalo ...
. He finished the year with three tackles and three quarterback hurries. He played in his first bowl game, the 2003 Alamo Bowl after the regular season. In his 2004 sophomore year Carriker was hampered for the second straight season by an ankle injury. He played in 10 games with eight starts in the 2004 campaign, and finished with 36 tackles, including seven tackles for loss and three sacks for 18 yards. Carriker added seven quarterback hurries during his sophomore season. As a junior in 2005 Carriker started all 12 games at the base end spot, and finished with 9.5 sacks for 84 yards and 17 tackles for loss for 96 yards. His 9½ sacks tied for the Big 12 Conference lead and ranked 19th nationally. He also led Nebraska with 21 quarterback hurries, 10 more than any other Husker defender. Carriker's 43 total tackles ranked seventh on the team and tied for the most among defensive linemen. He began his junior season by notching two of the Huskers' school-record tying 11 sacks in the team's 25-7 win over Maine. Carriker capped 2005 with one tackle in the
Alamo Bowl The Alamo Bowl is an NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision college football bowl game played annually since 1993 in the Alamodome in San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas. Since 2010 it matches the second choice team from the Pac-12 Conference and ...
victory over the
University of Michigan , mottoeng = "Arts, Knowledge, Truth" , former_names = Catholepistemiad, or University of Michigania (1817–1821) , budget = $10.3 billion (2021) , endowment = $17 billion (2021)As o ...
. Adam was voted 2005 Nebraska Defensive MVP. As a senior in 2006 Adam Carriker completed a dominant career in the 2006 season
Cotton Bowl Classic The Cotton Bowl Classic (also known as the Cotton Bowl) is an American college football bowl game that has been held annually in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex since January 1, 1937. The game was originally played at its namesake stadium i ...
against
Auburn University Auburn University (AU or Auburn) is a public land-grant research university in Auburn, Alabama. With more than 24,600 undergraduate students and a total enrollment of more than 30,000 with 1,330 faculty members, Auburn is the second largest uni ...
. In 2006, Carriker earned Nebraska's Defensive MVP honor for the second straight season, and was honored as the Big 12 Defensive Lineman of the Year by the league's coaches. Carriker finished the season with a team-leading seven sacks and ranked second on the team with 16 tackles behind the line of scrimmage. His 52 total tackles led all Nebraska defensive linemen, and he also paced the Blackshirt defense with 12 quarterback hurries, while registering his first career interception. In addition to his selection as Big 12 Defensive Lineman of the Year, Carriker was a First-team All-Big 12 pick by the
Big 12 The Big 12 Conference is a college athletic conference headquartered in Irving, Texas, USA. It consists of ten full-member universities. It is a member of Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) for all sports. Its fo ...
Coaches and the
Associated Press The Associated Press (AP) is an American non-profit news agency headquartered in New York City. Founded in 1846, it operates as a cooperative, unincorporated association. It produces news reports that are distributed to its members, U.S. newspa ...
. He was also a Third-team All-America selection by
Rivals.com Rivals.com is a network of websites that focus mainly on college football and basketball recruiting in the United States. The network was started in 1998 and employs more than 300 personnel. History Rivals.com was founded in 1998 by Jim Heckma ...
. The strong senior season put Carriker's name in a prominent position in the NU record books. He finished with 41 career tackles for loss to rank fifth in the program's history. Carriker has 20½ career sacks to rank sixth on the Cornhusker charts. Carriker graduated with a degree in business administration.


College statistics


Professional career


St. Louis Rams

Carriker was drafted in the first round, with the 13th overall pick, by the St. Louis Rams.On July 26, 2007, Carriker signed a five-year $14.5 million contract, with guarantees of $9.5 million. Carriker started all 16 games of his rookie season at defensive tackle instead of his college position, defensive end. Carriker, who bulked up from the 296 pounds he weighed at the
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 ...
, weighed in the 305-pound range during the 2007 season. He was voted the Rams Rookie of the Year called the
Carroll Rosenbloom Dale Carroll Rosenbloom (March 5, 1907 – April 2, 1979) was an American businessman. He was the owner of two National Football League franchises; he was the first owner of the Baltimore Colts, and later switched teams, taking ownership of the ...
Memorial Award, finishing with 2 sacks, 30 tackles, and a safety. Carriker missed the entire 2009 NFL season due to injury.


Washington Redskins

Carriker was traded to the
Washington Redskins The Washington Commanders are a professional American football team based in the Washington metropolitan area. The Commanders compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) N ...
on April 20, 2010. In exchange, the teams swapped fifth and seventh-round draft picks in 2010. After initial shock, Carriker was pleased about his trade and the chance to revitalize his career. In Washington, Carriker earned the starting left defensive end position for the Washington Redskins in a 3-4 defensive scheme. With the Rams he was a "3-technique" defensive tackle in a 4-3 defensive scheme which did not work out and led to his trade to the Washington Redskins. "In St. Louis, we tried to make him a 3-technique and up-the-field rusher," said defensive coordinator
Jim Haslett James Donald Haslett (born December 9, 1955) is an American football coach and former linebacker who is the head coach of the Seattle Sea Dragons of the XFL. He played college football for the IUP Crimson Hawks before being drafted by the Bu ...
. "For a guy who ran the 40 in 4.7 and was 6-6, 315 pounds, you'd think he could do that. But that's not what he wants to do. He wants to play with strength and power, and he does a pretty good job of it. He feels so much more comfortable in this." Carriker's 315 pounds is ideal, and he reported at the beginning of the 2010 season that he bench pressed 500 pounds, which helps him in his new position. Early in the 2010 season the change drew positive reviews, said Rich Campbell of Fredericksburg.com, "I'm buying Carriker as an impact 3-4 end right now. He's strong enough to set the edge on running plays, and he's even generating a pass rush on occasion. Carriker stopped Houston RB
Arian Foster Arian Isa Foster (born August 24, 1986) is a former American football running back and current musical artist under the name Bobby Feeno. He played college football at the University of Tennessee, and was signed by the Houston Texans of the Nati ...
for a 2-yard loss in the second quarter after he made a quick step inside the pulling left guard. He also beat a double team on the first play of the second half to stop Foster for a gain of one. Carriker isn't dominant—but he is flashing." On March 13, 2012, Carriker re-signed with the Washington Redskins for four years on a $20 million contract with $7 million guaranteed. In Week 2 of the 2012 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 ...
, he suffered a right knee injury early in the first quarter. The next day it was confirmed that he tore quad tendon in his right leg and he would need surgery and would be 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 ...
. Carriker had his contract restructured to help with the salary cap penalty that the Washington Redskins faced last season on March 11, 2013. On July 25, he was placed on the PUP list after the team announced that he had a third surgery on his right knee and would be out for four or five months. On December 12, he was placed on injured reserve. He was released on March 4, 2014. Carriker participated in the first NFL Veteran Combine in March 2015. He was the only player at the Veteran Combine to do the bench press and performed 40 reps of 225 pounds, which was three more reps than the highest total at the 2015 NFL Combine. In April 2015, he attended minicamp with the
Atlanta Falcons The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta. The Falcons compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. The Falcons joined th ...
on tryout basis.


NFL statistics


Post-playing career

Carriker has used his Business degree and his TV prowess to appear multiple times on Fox News and Fox Business, as a frequently requested business and political analyst. Carriker has also made multiple public appearances with Nebraska congressional representatives in Washington, D.C. The WWE has shown recent interest in Carriker and extended an open invitation to him, to come and work with the company at his discretion. Carriker also does weekly national writing and radio segments called the "Carriker Chronicles," where he discusses the current state of the NFL and Nebraska Cornhusker football. His other weekly show appearances include "Chad Dukes vs The World" on the largest sports station in Washington, D.C., to discuss his opinion and give his take on the Washington Commanders game every week. In the state of Nebraska he appears every week on "The Bottom Line," the largest sports talk show in the state which is hosted by Mike'l Severe, to give his take on the state of Nebraska football as well. In April 2012, Carriker began his radio career as co-host of ''4th & Pain'' along with Chuck Carroll. Carriker, an avid
WWE World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc., d/b/a as WWE, is an American professional wrestling promotion. A global integrated media and entertainment company, WWE has also branched out into other fields, including film, American football, and vario ...
fan, touts ''4th & Pain'' as being the only pro wrestling and football radio show hosted by an NFL player and a guy who lost 250 pounds, an homage to his co-host. The show airs weekly online. The show has gained in popularity and they've interviewed NFL stars such as
Robert Griffin III Robert Lee Griffin III (born February 12, 1990), nicknamed RG3 and RGIII, is an American football quarterback who is a free agent. He played college football at Baylor, where he won the Heisman Trophy as a senior, and was selected second overa ...
,
DeAngelo Hall DeAngelo Eugene Hall (born November 19, 1983) is a former American football defensive back who played 14 seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for Virginia Tech and was drafted by the Atlanta Falcons eighth ov ...
and
Chris Cooley Christopher Ken Cooley (born July 11, 1982) is a former American football tight end who played for the Washington Redskins of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for Utah State University, and was drafted by the Redski ...
. In June 2012, the show gained notoriety among wrestling fans after Carriker conducted his first interview with WWE wrestler
Heath Slater Heath Wallace Miller (born July 15, 1983) is an American professional wrestler. He is currently signed to Impact Wrestling, where he performs mononymously as Heath, and is also active on the independent circuit. He is best known for his time in W ...
. Since then the show and its audience has continued to grow with interviews of wrestling stars such as
Jeff Hardy Jeffrey Nero Hardy (born August 31, 1977) is an American professional wrestler and musician. He is currently signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW). Hardy is widely considered one of the greatest professional wrestlers of all-time and is regarded ...
,
Roman Reigns Leati Joseph "Joe" Anoa'i (born May 25, 1985) is an American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler and former American football, football player. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the SmackDown (WWE brand), SmackDown WW ...
and
Bill Goldberg William Scott Goldberg (born December 27, 1966), often known mononymously as Goldberg, is an American semi-retired professional wrestler and former professional football player. He is best known for his tenures in WCW and WWE. One of the most ...
. Goldberg has appeared on the show himself over 20 different times. He has a cited a friendship with Carriker during his interviews on the show as the reason for his frequent appearances. The show also talks Nebraska football from time to time and has had such Husker legends as
Eric Crouch Eric Eugene Crouch (born November 16, 1978) is a former American football quarterback. He also is a TV sports analyst and recreational equipment vendor. Crouch played college football for the University of Nebraska. In 2001 Crouch won the Heism ...
and
Tommie Frazier Tommie James Frazier Jr. (born July 16, 1974) is an American former football player and coach who played quarterback for the University of Nebraska–Lincoln. Frazier led his team to consecutive national championships in 1994 and 1995, and is ...
join them. Carriker has also served as a recurring motivational speaker as well.


References


External links


Nebraska Cornhuskers bioSt. Louis Rams bioWashington Redskins Bio4th & Pain Bio
{{DEFAULTSORT:Carriker, Adam 1984 births Living people American football defensive ends American football defensive tackles Nebraska Cornhuskers football players People from Hastings, Nebraska People from Kennewick, Washington Players of American football from Nebraska Players of American football from Washington (state) St. Louis Rams players Washington Redskins players