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Jeff Backus

American football player (born 1977)

Image credit is listed at the end of this article.

Jeffrey Carl Backus (born September 21, 1977) is an American former professional football player who was an offensive tackle in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the University of Michigan. He was selected with the 18th pick in the first round of the 2001 NFL draft by the Detroit Lions and played his entire 12-year career for the team.

01Early life

Backus attended Norcross High School and was a standout in football and baseball. He spent his freshman year at Marist School in Dunwoody before returning to Norcross, where he played his middle school years. In football, as a senior, he was a USA Today All-America selection, and was chosen by the Gwinnett Touchdown Club as the Gwinnett Touchdown Club's Lineman of the Year.

02Professional career

Pre-draft measurables
HeightWeightArm lengthHand span40-yard dash10-yard split20-yard split20-yard shuttleThree-cone drillVertical jumpBroad jumpBench press
6 ft 5+12 in
(1.97 m)
310 lb
(141 kg)
32+12 in
(0.83 m)
9+12 in
(0.24 m)
5.33 s1.81 s3.01 s4.67 s8.27 s27 in
(0.69 m)
8 ft 3 in
(2.51 m)
25 reps
All measurables were taken at the NFL Scouting Combine. See also the scouting report.

In July 2001, Backus signed a $7 million 5-year contract with the Detroit Lions, including a $3.2 million signing bonus. In July 2006, Jeff Backus signed a $40 million 6-year contract with the Lions. On November 22, 2012, Backus' streak of starting and playing in 186 consecutive games ended due to injury. On March 14, 2013, Backus retired.

03Post-playing career

Backus became a part-time coaching intern with the Detroit Lions after his retirement from playing football.

Watch videos about Jeff BackusExplainers and documentaries on YouTube (opens in a new tab)

Sources and credits

This article is adapted from the Wikipedia article Jeff Backus, written by its contributors and licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Fathomly has changed the layout, removed citation markers, navigation and maintenance notices, and adjusted punctuation. This adapted version is shared under the same license. For references, see the original article.

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