DONNIE ABRAHAM ANNOUNCES RETIREMENT

JETS CB DONNIE ABRAHAM ANNOUNCES RETIREMENT FROM THE NFL

New York City – The New York Jets announced today the retirement of cornerback Donnie Abraham. The announcement was made by Jets Executive Vice President/General Manager Terry Bradway.

Abraham, 5-10, 192 pounds, originally joined the NFL as a third-round selection of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the 1996 draft (71st player overall). The nine-year veteran signed with the Jets as an unrestricted free agent on April 24, 2002 after spending his first six seasons with the Buccaneers.
“My decision to retire from the game that I’ve enjoyed playing for nine seasons is in the best interest of my family and our future, Abraham said. This is an opportunity for me to spend more time with my children and pursue personal business interests. This was a tough call to make because of how well the Jets’ organization has treated me as a player and a person, and how much I enjoy playing with the guys on this team. I am grateful and want to thank Mr. Woody Johnson, Terry Bradway, Mike Tannenbaum and Coach Edwards for their support through this process. They’re a class group of people, and my family and I wish them great success. They demonstrated a commitment to me, and I am very optimistic for the team this coming season. New York is a special place to play, the fans are passionate and it was a thrill wearing the Jets’ green every week. I also want to thank the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ organization for drafting me back in 1996 and giving me a chance to play in the NFL. I enjoyed my six years with the Bucs and the success we had.”

“We wanted Donnie to follow his heart and this is best for him and his family, Head Coach Herm Edwards said. He provided us with three solid seasons and he’s a class act on and off the field. I’ve been fortunate to have coached Donnie for eight years of his career and when you’re building a team, you want players like Donnie in your program. He’s guided younger players, sharing his knowledge and wisdom of the game, he’s worked hard, played hard, and is a consummate professional. The Jets wish him and his family the best with their future endeavors.”

The native of Orangeburg, SC played in 132 regular-season games throughout his career and made 112 starts. He finished his career with 475 tackles, 38 interceptions, 154 passes defended, eight fumbles recovered, two forced fumbles and two sacks. He finished the 2000 season with 63 tackles, seven interceptions, one forced fumble and 27 passes defended on his way to earning a starting Pro Bowl selection.

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