30   Allen Rossum KR/CB

HEIGHT: 5-8

WEIGHT: 178

COLLEGE: Notre Dame

BORN – October 22, 1975

BIRTH PLACE: Dallas, TX

HOW ACQUIRED: T-’07 (Atl)

NFL EXPERIENCE – 10

 

 

PRO (125-9/10-0): Signed by the Steelers on September 1, 2007…signed by Atlanta as an unrestricted free agent on March 13, 2002…traded by Philadelphia to the Green Bay Packers on August 25, 2000 for a fifth-round draft choice…originally selected as a third round (85th pick overall) draft choice by the Philadelphia Eagles in 1998…Versatile, dangerous returner and dependable cornerback…holds the Falcons record for career punt return yards (1,723), punt return yards in a season (545 in ’03), career kickoff return yards (5,489), and touchdowns on punt returns (2)…holds sole possession of fourth place with 9,635 career kickoff return yards and has the most kickoff return yards among active NFL players…named to his first Pro Bowl following the 2004 season as a special teams returner…boasts a career kickoff return average of 22.9 and punt return average of 10.4…established an NFL postseason record of 152 punt return yards in the NFC Divisional Playoff Game vs. St. Louis (11/15/05)…had a career-high 14.0 punt return average in 2003 to rank him second in franchise history behind Darrien Gordon's 14.1 in 2001…began NFL career as the Eagles' primary punt and kickoff returner during the 1998-99 seasons, ranking in the top half of the NFC in both specialties each year…became the first player in Eagles history to record 1,000 kickoff return yards in two different seasons with 1,080 in 1998 and 1,347 in 1999.

2006 (16-6): Handled kickoff and punt returns at Carolina (9/10), recording 87 yards (29.0 avg.) on three kickoff returns and 29 yards on three punt returns…totaled 50 yards on two kickoff returns and 41 yards on one punt return vs. Arizona (10/1) in addition to leading the team in special teams tackles with three…posted a season-high 220 kickoff return yards on seven returns (31.4 avg.) versus Pittsburgh (10/22) in addition to 15 yards on two punt returns…started at cornerback and recorded 79 yards on three kickoff returns (26.3 avg.) and returned two punts for 11 at Detroit (11/5)…started at cornerback and notched six tackles against Cleveland (11/12)...posted a season-high 61 punt return yards on six attempts. Returned one kickoff return for 30 yards…started at cornerback versus Dallas (12/16) and collected six tackles. Totaled 130 kickoff return yards on five attempts and three punt return yards on one attempt….in the season finale at Philadelphia (12/31) started at cornerback and posted 63 kickoff return yards on three attempts (21.0 avg.) and added two punt returns for four yards. Also collared three tackles on defense.

2005 (10-0): Saw action in 10 games, recording 31 kickoff returns for 702 yards (22.6 avg.) and 17 punt returns for 145 yards (8.5 avg.), while also tallying seven tackles and one fumble recovery on defense…registered two tackles vs. Philadelphia (9/12) and returned two kickoffs for 53 yards…inactive Weeks 2-3 with an injured hamstring…returned six kickoffs for 143 yards (23.8 avg.) and one punt for eight yards at New Orleans (10/16)…posted a season-long 47-yard kickoff return at Carolina (12/4) before being forced to leave the game with an injured knee…inactive (knee) at Tampa Bay (12/24) and placed on Injured Reserve on December 27.

2004 (16-1): Saw action in 16 games with one start and registered 21 tackles, two interceptions, four passes defensed, one fumble recovery and one sack…had 1,250 yards on 58 kickoff returns (21.6 avg.) and 457 yards on 37 punt returns (12.4 avg.) with one score. His 12.4 average and 457 punt return yards ranked second and third in the NFL, respectively…returned one punt for a 75-yard score and five kickoffs for 119 yards at Kansas City (10/24)…the 75-yard punt return was a career-long and ranked the third-longest in Falcons team history…the touchdown marked the third punt return for a score in his career…intercepted the first pass of his career and returned it eight yards vs. Tampa Bay (11/14)…moved past ex-Falcon Billy "White Shoes" Johnson as the team's all-time leading punt returner with 1,280 career yards after a 34-yard return in the third quarter vs. Carolina (12/18)…set an NFL postseason record with 152 punt return yards (on three returns), including a Falcons postseason record 68-yard touchdown return, vs. St. Louis (1/15/05) in the NFC Divisional Playoff Game…returned two punts for 20 yards and four kickoffs for 102 yards in the NFC Championship Game at Philadelphia (1/23/05).

2003 (16-0): Returned 39 punts for a team record 545 yards with one touchdown and a career-high 14.0 average to finish second in the NFC and third in NFL. Also had 62 kickoff returns for 1,291 yards in 16 games played…returned five punts for 74 yards (14.8 avg.) vs. Washington (9/14)…also returned five kickoffs for 118 yards, including a 52-yard kickoff return in the second quarter to help set-up a touchdown against the Redskins…had three punt returns for 81 yards, including a 72-yard return, and three kickoffs for 53 yards vs. Philadelphia (11/2)…the 81 punt return yards were a single-game career-high, besting the 74 yards vs. Washington (9/14) earlier in the season…returned a first quarter punt 59 yards for a score vs. Tennessee (11/23).

2002 (14-0): Tallied 53 kickoff returns for 1,164 yards (22.0 avg.) with one touchdown and 24 punts for 288 yards (12.0 avg.) in 14 games played… also added six tackles on defense…returned four kickoffs for 111 yards (27.8 avg.) with a long of 47 and returned three punts for 40 yards with a long of 23 vs. Tampa Bay (10/6)…ran back a kickoff 91 yards for a score vs. Seattle (12/15) in the first quarter…it marked his third career kickoff return for a touchdown.

2001 (6-0): Played in six games and was inactive for 10 contests because of lingering hamstring and knee injuries…averaged 9.9 yards on 11 punt returns and 18.7 yards on 23 kickoff returns…returned from his hamstring injury to contribute a game-winning 55-yard punt return for a touchdown with 3:03 remaining in an eventual 21-20 victory vs. Tampa Bay (11/14)…injured his right knee at Detroit (11/22) and was inactive for the final six regular season games…returned to action for the playoffs and had two tackles, two punt returns (41) and five kickoff returns (83).

2000 (16-0): Made a big contribution to the Packers' return game following his acquisition in a trade with Philadelphia…averaged a career-high 25.8 yards (third in the NFC and fourth in the NFL) on 50 kickoff returns and 8.6 yards (tied for eighth in the NFC) on 29 punt returns…also tallied three fumble recoveries…had 33 kickoff returns of 20 or more yards to tie for fourth in the NFC…ran back a kickoff for 90 yards vs. Minnesota (11/6)…established a season-high 173 yards on four kickoff returns (43.3 avg.), including a career-long 92-yard kickoff return for a touchdown, vs. Indianapolis (11/19)…named NFC Special Teams Player of the Week for his efforts.

1999 (16-0): Played in all 16 games and set Eagles single-season records for kickoff returns (54) and kickoff return yards (1,347) while ranking fourth in the NFC (and fifth in the NFL) with a 24.9 average…selected as the special teams MVP by his teammates…contributed 12 tackles, two fumble recoveries and two passes defensed at cornerback…also made a career-high 17 special teams stops and ranked seventh in the conference with an 8.9 average on 28 punt returns…had a career-high 222 kickoff return yards vs. Washington (11/14), including his first return for a touchdown (covering 89 yards) in addition to an 86-yard return, to earn NFC Special Teams Player of the Week honors.

1998 (15-2): Made an immediate impact in his rookie season, seeing action in 15 games with two starts…totaled 26 stops, one sack, three fumble recoveries and two passes defensed in the secondary…also shared the punt return duties with Freddie Solomon, returning 22 for 187 yards (8.5 avg.)…averaged 24.5 yards per kickoff return to rank seventh in the NFC and became only the fourth player in Eagles history to log 1,000 kickoff yards in a season (1,080). Returned nine kickoffs for 30 yards or more…dropped QB Troy Aikman for his first career sack at Dallas (12/20).

COLLEGE: Three-year starter and four-time letterman (1994-97) at Notre Dame, where he set an NCAA career record with nine return touchdowns (three interceptions, three punts, three kickoffs) as he started 36 straight games at cornerback. Tallied seven interceptions, 144 total tackles, two sacks and 12 passes defensed…had the second-best career punt return average (15.8 yards) in school history, achieved on 27 attempts for 427 yards with three touchdowns. Also ran back 29 kickoffs for 891 yards (30.7 avg.) and three touchdowns…tallied seven collegiate interceptions in addition to 144 total tackles, two sacks and 12 passes defensed…served as one of three senior captains in 1997 as he ranked fourth nationally with a 28.5-yard average on 20 kickoff returns, including two for scores. Also posted a career-best 53 tackles…led the nation in punt return average (22.9 yards) as a junior, becoming the only player in the country to return three punts for touchdowns in 1996.

PERSONAL: Lettered in football and track at Skyline (Dallas, TX) High School, where he recorded 580 total tackles and 13 interceptions in his career…rushed for 1,634 yards and had 12 touchdown receptions as a senior…captained his high school's track squad all four years and posted the fastest time in the nation in the 100 meters (10.02 seconds) in 1993…two-time All-American in track at Notre Dame as he competed in the 55-meter…graduated early with a dual degree in business and computer science…won the “NFL’s Fastest Man Competition” at the 2004 Pro Bowl…established the Allen Rossum Healthy Kids Foundation and hosts an annual Allen Rossum Golf Tournament…also appeared at the Georgia state capitol as a spokesman for the Recess Bill (House Bill (1013)…he and his wife, Angela, have four daughters: Trinity Amaia, Talia Alyse, and twins Alexa and Avian…won National Fatherhood Award in 2005…Full Name: Allen Rossum.