Chris Graham (American football)
Encyclopedia
Chris De'monte Graham is an American football
linebacker
who is currently a member of the Saskatchewan Roughriders
. He was signed by the New Orleans Saints
as an undrafted free agent in 2008. He played college football
at Michigan
.
Graham has also been a member of the Detroit Lions
.
Graham was a member of the Pittsburgh Power
of the Arena Football League
.
Chris played most of his high school football at Warren Central High School in Indianapolis. He was an all-state Linebacker in Indiana and led his team to a state championship while setting a record for number of tackles in a season (180). In his senior year he also recorded 19 TFL, 4 Sacks, 1 Int., and 1 Def. TD. He was a 4 star recruit and had offers from Tennessee, Michigan, Purdue, Indiana, and Kentucky.
College
Chris held offers from numerous top D1 programs but ultimately chose to play his college ball at the University of Michigan under Lloyd Carr. He played alongside players such as David Harris
(NYJ), Lamarr Woodley (PIT), Leon Hall
(CIN), Jake Long
(MIA), Chad Henne
(MIA), and Braylon Edwards
(NYJ). He played in games as a true freshman, and got his first start as a sophomore against Northern Illinois where he recorded 10 tackles including 2 TFL’s. Chris was a four-year letterman and appeared in 46 career games and made 20 starts at linebacker ... contributed 163 stops, 11 tackles for loss, one sack, two fumble recovery and six pass breakups during career. In his senior year he won the Roger Zarkoff Award as Michigan’s top linebacker. He was also received All-Big Ten Honorable Mention voted on by the Big Ten Media.
NFL
Chris was projected to be drafted in the late rounds of the 2008 NFL Draft, however he went undrafted. Chris was then signed by the New Orleans Saints
, but was eventually released. After trying out for 4 teams Chris was signed by the Detroit Lions
. He was first signed to the practice squad and then made roster for the entire offseason but released before preseason. After being released from Lions Chris decided to return to the University of Michigan to finish his degree in General Studies. Chris is working on making a return to the NFL as a LB, FB, or Special Teams players.
GFL
In 2010 Chris Graham was signed by the Braunschweig Lions, a record setting football team in Germany by winning 7 National Championship titles. He will most likely play LB and probably special teams.
GFL experts say that Chris Graham is probably the most talented player ever entering the German Football League.
Chris dominated the league for one season racking up over 15 sacks, but left to pursue other opportunities.
AFL
He signed with the Pittsburgh Power
of the Arena Football League
and played with them during the 2011 season.
CFL
He left the Power and signed with the Saskatchewan Roughriders
of the Canadian Football League
and was placed on the Developmental Squad following training camp. Graham was placed on the active roster periodically during the 2011 CFL season.
(6’0”), London Fletcher
(5’10”), and Gary Brackett
(5’11”).
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
linebacker
Linebacker
A linebacker is a position in American football that was invented by football coach Fielding H. Yost of the University of Michigan. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up approximately three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage, behind the defensive linemen...
who is currently a member of the Saskatchewan Roughriders
Saskatchewan Roughriders
The Saskatchewan Roughriders are a Canadian Football League team based in Regina, Saskatchewan. They were founded in 1910. They play their home games at 2940 10th Avenue in Regina, which has been the team's home base for its entire history, even prior to the construction of Mosaic Stadium at Taylor...
. He was signed by the New Orleans Saints
New Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans, Louisiana. They are members of the South Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League ....
as an undrafted free agent in 2008. He played college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
at Michigan
Michigan Wolverines football
The Michigan Wolverines football program represents the University of Michigan in college football at the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision level. Michigan has the most all-time wins and the highest winning percentage in college football history...
.
Graham has also been a member of the Detroit Lions
Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League , and play their home games at Ford Field in Downtown Detroit.Originally based in Portsmouth, Ohio and...
.
Graham was a member of the Pittsburgh Power
Pittsburgh Power
The Pittsburgh Power is an Arena Football League team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania that began play in March of 2011. The team plays its home games at the new Consol Energy Center, which they share with the Pittsburgh Penguins of the National Hockey League...
of the Arena Football League
Arena Football League
The Arena Football League is the highest level of professional indoor American football in the United States. It is currently the second longest running professional football league in the United States, after the National Football League. It was founded in 1987 by Jim Foster...
.
Playing career
High SchoolChris played most of his high school football at Warren Central High School in Indianapolis. He was an all-state Linebacker in Indiana and led his team to a state championship while setting a record for number of tackles in a season (180). In his senior year he also recorded 19 TFL, 4 Sacks, 1 Int., and 1 Def. TD. He was a 4 star recruit and had offers from Tennessee, Michigan, Purdue, Indiana, and Kentucky.
College
Chris held offers from numerous top D1 programs but ultimately chose to play his college ball at the University of Michigan under Lloyd Carr. He played alongside players such as David Harris
David Harris (American football)
-2007 NFL Draft:Harris was projected to go anywhere from the late-second round to the fourth round prior to the 2007 NFL Draft. However, he impressed scouts when he ran a 4.59 40 yard dash at the NFL Combine...
(NYJ), Lamarr Woodley (PIT), Leon Hall
Leon Hall
Leon Lastarza Hall is an American football defensive back who plays for the Cincinnati Bengals. He played college football at the University of Michigan. Hall was drafted by the Bengals with the 18th pick in the 2007 NFL Draft...
(CIN), Jake Long
Jake Long
Jake Edward Long is an American football offensive tackle for the Miami Dolphins of the National Football League . He was drafted by the Dolphins first overall in the 2008 NFL Draft. He played college football at Michigan...
(MIA), Chad Henne
Chad Henne
Chad Steven Henne is an American football quarterback for the Miami Dolphins of the National Football League.He graduated from Wilson Senior High School and attended the University of Michigan...
(MIA), and Braylon Edwards
Braylon Edwards
-Cleveland Browns:-2005:Edwards began his rookie season as Cleveland's third wide receiver – he would have started higher, but a hold-out caused him to miss the beginning of training camp. Early in the season Edwards revealed that he had a staph infection, and missed a few weeks as a result of it....
(NYJ). He played in games as a true freshman, and got his first start as a sophomore against Northern Illinois where he recorded 10 tackles including 2 TFL’s. Chris was a four-year letterman and appeared in 46 career games and made 20 starts at linebacker ... contributed 163 stops, 11 tackles for loss, one sack, two fumble recovery and six pass breakups during career. In his senior year he won the Roger Zarkoff Award as Michigan’s top linebacker. He was also received All-Big Ten Honorable Mention voted on by the Big Ten Media.
NFL
Chris was projected to be drafted in the late rounds of the 2008 NFL Draft, however he went undrafted. Chris was then signed by the New Orleans Saints
New Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans, Louisiana. They are members of the South Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League ....
, but was eventually released. After trying out for 4 teams Chris was signed by the Detroit Lions
Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League , and play their home games at Ford Field in Downtown Detroit.Originally based in Portsmouth, Ohio and...
. He was first signed to the practice squad and then made roster for the entire offseason but released before preseason. After being released from Lions Chris decided to return to the University of Michigan to finish his degree in General Studies. Chris is working on making a return to the NFL as a LB, FB, or Special Teams players.
GFL
In 2010 Chris Graham was signed by the Braunschweig Lions, a record setting football team in Germany by winning 7 National Championship titles. He will most likely play LB and probably special teams.
GFL experts say that Chris Graham is probably the most talented player ever entering the German Football League.
Chris dominated the league for one season racking up over 15 sacks, but left to pursue other opportunities.
AFL
He signed with the Pittsburgh Power
Pittsburgh Power
The Pittsburgh Power is an Arena Football League team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania that began play in March of 2011. The team plays its home games at the new Consol Energy Center, which they share with the Pittsburgh Penguins of the National Hockey League...
of the Arena Football League
Arena Football League
The Arena Football League is the highest level of professional indoor American football in the United States. It is currently the second longest running professional football league in the United States, after the National Football League. It was founded in 1987 by Jim Foster...
and played with them during the 2011 season.
CFL
He left the Power and signed with the Saskatchewan Roughriders
Saskatchewan Roughriders
The Saskatchewan Roughriders are a Canadian Football League team based in Regina, Saskatchewan. They were founded in 1910. They play their home games at 2940 10th Avenue in Regina, which has been the team's home base for its entire history, even prior to the construction of Mosaic Stadium at Taylor...
of the Canadian Football League
Canadian Football League
The Canadian Football League or CFL is a professional sports league located in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football, a form of gridiron football closely related to American football....
and was placed on the Developmental Squad following training camp. Graham was placed on the active roster periodically during the 2011 CFL season.
Personal life
Chris has seen his fair share of hardships in his life. Chris grew up in the inner city of Indianapolis. Gangs, drugs, and violence constantly surrounded him in Indianapolis. In 1998 his older brother Lionel Christian Graham was murdered in Indianapolis. His brother’s death only confirmed Chris’ defiance of the bad influences in his neighborhood. Chris and his two other brothers used sports as their way out. The three brothers excelled in sports such as Basketball, Football, Wrestling, and Track. They transferred schools to focus on their studies and sports because they knew they had the potential to play in college. Sports were their motivation to get an education as well. They knew if they did not put up the grades they could not play sports. So they were in schools 6 days a week and 5 nights a week. They had tutors to make sure they were keeping up their grades and when they were not on the playing field they were focusing on their studies. This motivation is what convinced the Michigan Football Staff that Chris was ready for the next level. In 2008 tragedy struck Chris’ life again when his Sister Jacqueline Love Graham was killed in a house fire in Indianapolis. Chris received his degree from the University of Michigan School of Literature, Science, and Arts in December 2009. He returned on a half scholarship to finish his remaining 13 credit hours.NFL Linebacker Comparison
Many experts have said that although Chris has excellent speed and moves well in pursuit in any direction, he is too short to be an excellent linebacker in the NFL. However, his strength, aggressiveness, and physical attributes are comparable to many top LB that are ≤ 6’0” including Lofa TatupuLofa Tatupu
-Seattle Seahawks:Tatupu quickly established himself as one of the top defensive players in the league as a rookie in 2005, in which he was named to the Pro Bowl, while leading the NFC Champion Seahawks in tackles, with 104, en route to their first Super Bowl appearance in franchise history...
(6’0”), London Fletcher
London Fletcher
London Levi Fletcher-Baker is an American football linebacker who has played for the Washington Redskins of the National Football League since 2007. Undrafted in 1998, he was signed by the St. Louis Rams as a rookie free agent, where he spent four seasons. In 2002, he was signed to the Buffalo...
(5’10”), and Gary Brackett
Gary Brackett
Gary Lawrence Brackett is an American football linebacker for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League. He was signed by the Colts as an undrafted free agent in 2003. He played college football at Rutgers.-Early years:Brackett attended Glassboro High School in Glassboro, New Jersey....
(5’11”).