Hugh Douglas (American football)

Hugh Douglas

Douglas during Super Bowl XXXIX.
No. 99, 53
Defensive end
Personal information
Date of birth: August 23, 1971 (1971-08-23)
Place of birth: Mansfield, Ohio
High school: Mansfield Senior
Career information
College: Central State
NFL Draft: 1995 / Round: 1 / Pick: 16
Debuted in 1995 for the New York Jets
Last played in 2004 for the Philadelphia Eagles
Career history
New York Jets (1995–1997) Philadelphia Eagles (1998–2002) Jacksonville Jaguars (2003) Philadelphia Eagles (2004)
Career highlights and awards
AP NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year (1995) PFWA Defensive Rookie of the Year (1995) 3× Pro Bowl selection (2000, 2001, 2002) 2× All-Pro selection (2000, 2002) NFL Alumni Pass Rusher of the Year (2000)
Tackles	361
Sacks	80
Interceptions	1
Stats at NFL.com

Hugh Lamont Douglas (born August 23, 1971) is a former American football defensive end in the National Football League and current football analyst for the ESPN television network. His playing career included stints with the New York Jets, Philadelphia Eagles (twice), and the Jacksonville Jaguars. In his first season in 1995, Douglas was named Defensive Rookie of the Year by the Associated Press.

Early life

Douglas was born in Mansfield, Ohio and attended Mansfield Senior High School.

College career

At Central State University in Wilberforce, Ohio, Douglas majored in elementary education and was a two-time NAIA Division I All-American, made 42 sacks in just 32 games in a three-year career, turned in 13 multiple-sack games, and helped lead his team to an NAIA national championship as a sophomore. As a senior, Douglas was named Defensive Player of the Year by The Pigskin Club of Washington, D.C. He is also a member of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc.

NFL career

A three-time Pro Bowl selection, Douglas was a first-round draft choice of the Jets in the 1995 NFL Draft and was traded to the Eagles prior to the 1998 season for two draft choices. Douglas spent the 2003 campaign with the Jaguars before re-signing with Philadelphia in 2004. Douglas is ranked fourth behind Reggie White (124), Clyde Simmons (76.5), and Trent Cole (57), on the Eagles' all-time sack list with 54.5 during his six seasons.

Douglas was cut by the Eagles prior to the 2005 season, but was hired into the front office position of "Good-Will Ambassador" shortly after.

On November 5, 2005, Douglas was reportedly involved in an altercation with teammate Terrell Owens, who was in the midst of a very public war of words with the team. Owens was suspended by the team and was later deactivated when he refused to fully apologize for the altercation, as well as for derogatory remarks made about Eagles' quarterback Donovan McNabb.

Broadcasting career

Douglas is employed as an on-air reporter with WTXF-TV in Philadelphia and as a regular personality on Philadelphia’s sports radio station 610 WIP.

In January 2011, Douglas was made co-host of a Six Nations Championship rugby show on BBC America after a successful guest appearance. In his taped segments, Douglas took a stab at the sport, interviewed zookeepers and took an Irish stepdancing lesson.

On August 1, 2011 ESPN announced that Douglas will join the network as a NFL studio analyst. He will provide analysis across a myriad of studio programs such as SportsCenter, NFL Live, ESPN2’s First Take and ESPNEWS.

References

Awards and achievements
Preceded by Tim Bowens	Defensive Rookie of the Year 1995	Succeeded by Simeon Rice