Who is Jason Witten? Everything You Need to Know

Quick Facts

Also Known As: Christopher Jason Witten

Age: 41 Years, 41 Year Old Males

Family:

Spouse/Ex-: Michelle Witten

siblings: Ryan, Ryan and Shawn, Shawn

children: C.J., Cooper, Hadley Grace, Landry

Born Country: United States

American Football Players American Men

Height: 6'6" (198 cm), 6'6" Males

U.S. State: Tennessee

Notable Alumni: Elizabethton High School, University Of Tennessee--Knoxville

More Facts

education: University Of Tennessee--Knoxville, Elizabethton High School

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Childhood & Early Life

Christopher Jason Witten was born on May 6, 1982, in Elizabethton, Tennessee, United States, to Ed Witten and Kimberly Witten Barnett and was raised in Washington D.C. His father, a mailman, became addicted to alcohol and drugs when he was six and often behaved abusively to his mother and older brothers Ryan and Shawn.

He was sent to his grandparents in Elizabethton at the age of 11 and began playing football as linebacker and tight end under his grandfather Dave Rider, who was a coach. He attended Elizabethton High School and was a three-year starter who helped his team reach the state semi-finals three times, earning both All-American and All-State honors in his senior year.

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College Career

Jason Witten enrolled into the University of Tennessee in 2000 on a scholarship that promised him the position of defensive end, but was moved to the offensive side midway through the season due to injuries. While he initially considered transferring, he stayed as he was given the time to play as a blocker until he learned the new position.

He had an outstanding performance in his junior year, registering 39 receptions and 493 receiving yardswith five touchdowns as tight end, and received All-SEC and Academic All-SEC honors. By the time he decided to enter the NFL Draftafter his junior season, he had played only 20 games as a tight end, but still ranked third all-time within the school with 68 receptions.

Professional Career

Jason Witten was selected as the 69th overall pick by the Dallas Cowboys in the third roundof the 2003 NFL Draft and entered the league as a 20-year-old rookie. He made his NFL debut in a 27–13 loss to the Atlanta Falcons on September 7, and started seven of the 15 games he played in his rookie season.

He broke his jaw against the Arizona Cardinals and went through a major surgery, but continued to play through the injury, missing only one game. He was named to the NFL All-Rookie Team for the season and finished the year with 35 receptions for 347 yards and a touchdown.

In the 2004 season, he led the NFC with 87 catches as a tight end, which was also a team record, and was selected to his first Pro Bowl. He repeated his success in the next two seasons with at least 60 receptions in three consecutive seasons and was alsonamed to Pro Bowl every year.

He broke his own single-season record in 2007 with 96 receptions, which was also the third in the history of NFL. He was again selected to the Pro Bowl,made the 2007 All-Pro team, and was nominated for the 'Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award'.

Despite suffering a lacerated spleen, he was able to play in the 2012 season, during which he became the second player in franchise history and third tight end in NFL history to reach 700+ catches. He was also the youngest and the fastest to reach the milestone and finished the season qualifying for his eighth consecutive Pro Bowl.

In the next season, he surpassed Shannon Sharpe to have the second most receptions as a tight end in NFL history, and in 2014, became the third tight end with 10,000 career receiving yards. Following the 2017 season, he announced his initial retirement and joined ESPN as an analyst on 'Monday Night Football', but has since then come out of retirement for the 2019 season.

Family & Personal Life

In 2004, Jason Witten married Michelle, an emergency room nurse at Dallas's Parkland Memorial Hospital. They have four children together:C.J., Cooper, Landry, and Hadley Grace.

Trivia

In Elizabethton, Tennessee, where Jason Witten grew up, June 21, 2013 was named 'Jason Witten Day' after him. The city honored his decade-long success on the field with the Cowboys after he won the 2012 'Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award' and the 'Bart Starr Award' in 2013.

Jason Witten Biography