Aaron Gibson
Encyclopedia
Aaron Gibson is a professional American football
offensive tackle. He holds the record for heaviest NFL player ever, at 410 lbs, weighing over 440 lbs in high school.
in Indianapolis
, Indiana
and was a letterman in football
and track and field
. In football, as a senior, he was a first team All-State selection and was named as a Top 33 Pick by the Bloomington Herald-Times.
In 1998, as a right tackle, Gibson was named as a first-team All-America
n by the Football Writers Association, American Football Coaches Association, and the Football News & Walter Camp Foundation. Gibson was also a unanimous All-Big Ten Conference
selection.
in 5.35 seconds. Gibson was drafted
by the Detroit Lions
with the 27th overall pick in the 1999 National Football League Draft. Because of an injury, Gibson did not appear in any games in the 1999 NFL season
. Gibson played ten games for the Lions in 2000. In 2001, he played six games with the Lions before being cut.
In 2002, Gibson was signed by the Dallas Cowboys
and had the distinction of becoming the NFL's first 400-pound player.
In 2003, Gibson had his most consistent professional season, playing in all sixteen games with the Chicago Bears
. In 2004, Gibson played four games with the Bears, the last season in which he made an appearance in a regular season NFL game.
In 2006, Gibson signed with the Buffalo Bills
. However, he was cut before the season began.
In 2007, Gibson played for the Austin Wranglers
of the AFL
indoor professional football league, his three tackles being his only statistic for the season. As of 28 August 2010, he is listed on the roster of the Bossier-Shreveport Battle Wings
of the AFL, but as 'suspended by league'
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
offensive tackle. He holds the record for heaviest NFL player ever, at 410 lbs, weighing over 440 lbs in high school.
High school career
Gibson attended Decatur Central High SchoolDecatur Central High School
Decatur Central High School is a public high school in Indianapolis, Indiana, United States. It is part of the Metropolitan School District of Decatur Township. The mascot of Decatur Central is the Hawk; the school colors are navy and gold. DCHS currently enrolls students from grades nine through...
in Indianapolis
Indianapolis
Indianapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Indiana, and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population is 839,489. It is by far Indiana's largest city and, as of the 2010 U.S...
, Indiana
Indiana
Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
and was a letterman in football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
and track and field
Track and field
Track and field is a sport comprising various competitive athletic contests based around the activities of running, jumping and throwing. The name of the sport derives from the venue for the competitions: a stadium which features an oval running track surrounding a grassy area...
. In football, as a senior, he was a first team All-State selection and was named as a Top 33 Pick by the Bloomington Herald-Times.
In 1998, as a right tackle, Gibson was named as a first-team All-America
All-America
An All-America team is an honorary sports team composed of outstanding amateur players—those considered the best players of a specific season for each team position—who in turn are given the honorific "All-America" and typically referred to as "All-American athletes", or simply...
n by the Football Writers Association, American Football Coaches Association, and the Football News & Walter Camp Foundation. Gibson was also a unanimous All-Big Ten Conference
Big Ten Conference
The Big Ten Conference is the United States' oldest Division I college athletic conference. Its twelve member institutions are located primarily in the Midwestern United States, stretching from Nebraska in the west to Pennsylvania in the east...
selection.
National Football League
In the 1999 NFL Scouting Combine, Gibson ran the 40 yard dash40 yard dash
The 40-yard dash is a sprint covering . It is primarily run to evaluate the speed of American football players by scouts, particularly for the NFL Draft but also for collegiate recruiting. A player's recorded time in the 40 can have a heavy impact on his prospects in college or professional football...
in 5.35 seconds. Gibson was drafted
NFL Draft
The National Football League Draft is an annual event in which the National Football League teams select eligible college football players and it is their most common source of player recruitment. The basic design of the draft is each team is given a position in the drafting order in reverse order...
by the Detroit Lions
Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League , and play their home games at Ford Field in Downtown Detroit.Originally based in Portsmouth, Ohio and...
with the 27th overall pick in the 1999 National Football League Draft. Because of an injury, Gibson did not appear in any games in the 1999 NFL season
1999 NFL season
The 1999 NFL season was the 80th regular season of the National Football League. The Cleveland Browns returned to the field for the first time since the 1995 season...
. Gibson played ten games for the Lions in 2000. In 2001, he played six games with the Lions before being cut.
In 2002, Gibson was signed by the Dallas Cowboys
Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football franchise which plays in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League . They are headquartered in Valley Ranch in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas...
and had the distinction of becoming the NFL's first 400-pound player.
In 2003, Gibson had his most consistent professional season, playing in all sixteen games with the Chicago Bears
Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
. In 2004, Gibson played four games with the Bears, the last season in which he made an appearance in a regular season NFL game.
In 2006, Gibson signed with the Buffalo Bills
Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills are a professional football team based in Buffalo, New York. They are currently members of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
. However, he was cut before the season began.
In 2007, Gibson played for the Austin Wranglers
Austin Wranglers
The Austin Wranglers were an arena football team based in Austin, Texas. They played four seasons in the Arena Football League from 2004 to 2007 and spent one season in AF2, the AFL's developmental league, in 2008. They made playoff appearances in the AFL in 2006 and in AF2 in 2008...
of the AFL
Arena Football League
The Arena Football League is the highest level of professional indoor American football in the United States. It is currently the second longest running professional football league in the United States, after the National Football League. It was founded in 1987 by Jim Foster...
indoor professional football league, his three tackles being his only statistic for the season. As of 28 August 2010, he is listed on the roster of the Bossier-Shreveport Battle Wings
Bossier-Shreveport Battle Wings
The Bossier Shreveport Battle Wings were an Arena Football League team based in Bossier City, Louisiana. They played at the CenturyTel Center in Bossier City and represented both Bossier City and Shreveport...
of the AFL, but as 'suspended by league'