Hakim Akbar
Encyclopedia
Akmal Hakim Akbar is a former American 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...

 Linebacker
Linebacker
A linebacker is a position in American football that was invented by football coach Fielding H. Yost of the University of Michigan. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up approximately three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage, behind the defensive linemen...

 of the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...

 and Canadian Football League
Canadian Football League
The Canadian Football League or CFL is a professional sports league located in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football, a form of gridiron football closely related to American football....

. He was originally drafted by the New England Patriots
New England Patriots
The New England Patriots, commonly called the "Pats", are a professional football team based in the Greater Boston area, playing their home games in the town of Foxborough, Massachusetts at Gillette Stadium. The team is part of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National...

 in the fifth round (163rd overall) of the 2001 NFL Draft
2001 NFL Draft
The 2001 NFL Draft took place on April 21–22, 2001 at the theater at Madison Square Garden, in New York City. This was the 66th National Football League draft in league history. The draft was broadcast on ESPN both days and eventually moved to ESPN2. No teams elected to claim any players in the...

. He played college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...

 at Washington
Washington Huskies football
College football has a long history at the University of Washington. The Washington Huskies have won 15 Pacific-10 Conference championships, seven Rose Bowl titles, and three national championships. Washington's all-time record of 653-398-50 ranks 20th by all-time winning percentage and 21st by...

.

Akbar earned a Super Bowl ring
Super Bowl ring
The Super Bowl ring is an award in the National Football League given to the winners of the league's annual championship game, the Super Bowl...

 with the Patriots in Super Bowl XXXVI
Super Bowl XXXVI
Super Bowl XXXVI was an American football game played on February 3, 2002 at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana to decide the National Football League champion following the 2001 regular season. The American Football Conference champion New England Patriots won their first Super...

. He has also been a member of the Houston Texans
Houston Texans
The Houston Texans are a professional American football team based in Houston, Texas. The team is currently a member of the Southern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...

, St. Louis Rams
St. Louis Rams
The St. Louis Rams are a professional American football team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are currently members of the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Rams have won three NFL Championships .The Rams began playing in 1936 in Cleveland,...

, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football franchise based in Tampa, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the Southern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League – they are the only team in the division not to come from the old NFC West...

, Jacksonville Jaguars
Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jacksonville Jaguars are a professional American football team based in Jacksonville, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...

 and Calgary Stampeders
Calgary Stampeders
The Calgary Stampeders are a Canadian Football League team based in Calgary, Alberta and named in reference to the Calgary Stampede. The Stampeders play their home games at McMahon Stadium...

.

Early years

Akbar was born the son of Kenneth and Rasheeda Akbar on August 11, 1980 in Riverside, California. Akbar attended Riverside Polytechnic High, where he was selected All-CIF, all-county and all-league pick while registering 91 tackles, with six interceptions, three fumble recoveries and seven forced fumbles as a senior
Twelfth grade
Twelfth grade or Senior year, or Grade Twelve, are the North American names for the final year of secondary school. In most countries students then graduate at age 17 or 18. In some countries, there is a thirteenth grade, while other countries do not have a 12th grade/year at all...

. He also received eight votes in Long Beach Press Telegram’s ‘Best in the West’ poll and was named to the Tacoma News Tribune
Tacoma News Tribune
The News Tribune is a daily newspaper in Tacoma, Washington, in the United States.-History:It can trace its origins back to the founding of the weekly Tacoma Ledger by R.F. Radabaugh in 1880. The next year, H.C. Patrick founded The News, another weekly. Both papers became dailies in 1883. In 1898,...

’s
‘Western 100’ team. He was rated the eighth-best defensive back
Defensive back
In American football and Canadian football, defensive backs are the players on the defensive team who take positions somewhat back from the line of scrimmage; they are distinguished from the defensive line players and linebackers, who take positions directly behind or close to the line of...

 in the Western Region by Prep Star.

College career

Akbar was a three-year letterman
Varsity letter
A varsity letter is an award earned in the United States for excellence in school activities. A varsity letter signifies that its winner was a qualified varsity team member, awarded after a certain standard was met.- Description :...

 at the University of Washington
University of Washington
University of Washington is a public research university, founded in 1861 in Seattle, Washington, United States. The UW is the largest university in the Northwest and the oldest public university on the West Coast. The university has three campuses, with its largest campus in the University...

. Akbar played in 33 games, including 26 consecutive starts at Safety. He proved to be a versatile player, starting at both Strong and Free safety. In his college career he recorded 225 tackles (123 solos) with eight tackles for losses. He also had four interceptions for a total of 52 yards. He also recorded five fumble recoveries and forced two fumbles. He played a major role in the 2000 Huskies 11-1 season and #3 overall ranking by Associated Press
Associated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...

and ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....

/USA Today
USA Today
USA Today is a national American daily newspaper published by the Gannett Company. It was founded by Al Neuharth. The newspaper vies with The Wall Street Journal for the position of having the widest circulation of any newspaper in the United States, something it previously held since 2003...

. While at Washington, he majored in Construction Management
Construction management
Construction Project Management is the overall planning, coordination and control of a project from inception to completion aimed at meeting a client’s requirements in order to produce a functionally and financially viable project that will be complete mingement is project management that applies...

.

As a freshman in 1998
1998 NCAA Division I-A football season
The 1998 NCAA Division I-A football season was the first of the Bowl Championship Series, which saw Tennessee win the national championship, one year after star quarterback Peyton Manning left for the NFL...

, Akbar was a First-team All-American
College Football All-America Team
The College Football All-America Team is an honor given annually to the best American college football players at their respective positions. The original usage of the term All-America seems to have been to the 1889 College Football All-America Team selected by Casper Whitney and published in This...

 selection by The Sporting News, while adding honorable mention from Football News. He played in all 11 games at Free safety, starting the final four games of the season. He ranked third on the team with 59 tackles (36 solos).

As a sophomore in 1999
1999 NCAA Division I-A football season
The 1999 NCAA Division I-A football season saw Florida State named national champions, defeating Virginia Tech in the BCS Sugar Bowl.Florida State became the first team in history to start out preseason #1 and remain there through the entire season. Their 12-0 season gave them 109 victories in the...

, Akbar was a Second-team All-Pac 10 selection. He was named team Co-Outstanding Defensive Player of the Year by KOMO 1000 AM
KOMO (AM)
KOMO is a radio station based in Seattle, Washington. Its format is primarily news. From 2003 to 2008, it was also the flagship station of the Seattle Mariners Radio Network...

. He was switched to Strong safety before the start of season and started all 11 games. He finished fourth on the team with 69 tackles (33 solos), including three for loss a total of -9 yards. He intercepted a pass for a four-yard return and deflected six others. He forced and recovered two fumbles. He also had one quarterback pressure.

As a junior in 2000
2000 NCAA Division I-A football season
The 2000 NCAA Division I-A football season ended with the Oklahoma Sooners claiming their first national championship and their first conference championship since the departure of head coach Barry Switzer....

, Akbar was a First-team All-American selection by the NFL Draft Report and CNNSI
Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated is an American sports media company owned by media conglomerate Time Warner. Its self titled magazine has over 3.5 million subscribers and is read by 23 million adults each week, including over 18 million men. It was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the...

, as well as an honorable mention selection from College Football News
College Football News
College Football News is a magazine and website published by College Football News, Inc., headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. News coverage includes scores, statistics, rankings, and reports on college football games. Analysis includes comparisons between teams, predictions of game outcomes and...

. He was also a First-team All-Pac-10 selection. He led the team with 97 tackles (54 solos), including five for losses. He intercepted two passes for 31 yards and deflected six others. He also recovered two fumbles.

Akbar lined up at Strong safety for the first eight games before shifting to Free safety when teammate and friend Curtis Williams suffered a career-ending spinal cord
Spinal cord
The spinal cord is a long, thin, tubular bundle of nervous tissue and support cells that extends from the brain . The brain and spinal cord together make up the central nervous system...

 injury. After Williams' injury, Akbar considered quitting football. He recorded double-digit tackles in four games during the season and also set a career-high with 19 tackles against Oregon State
Oregon State Beavers football
The Oregon State Beavers football team represents Oregon State University in NCAA Division I-A college football. The team first fielded an organized football team in 1893 and is currently a member of the Pacific-12 Conference. The head coach is Mike Riley, with Danny Langsdorf as the offensive...

. It was the highest single-game total since John Fiala
John Fiala
John Charles Fiala is a retired American football linebacker who played from 1998-2002 with the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League....

 recorded 22 tackles in 1996.

Career statistics

Career Defensive Statistics
Year Team G Tack Solo Ast TFL Sack FF FR Int Yds Lng TD Pass Def. Block
1998
1998 NCAA Division I-A football season
The 1998 NCAA Division I-A football season was the first of the Bowl Championship Series, which saw Tennessee win the national championship, one year after star quarterback Peyton Manning left for the NFL...

 
Washington Huskies 11 59 36 23 1 0 1 1 1 -- -- 0 -- 0
1999
1999 NCAA Division I-A football season
The 1999 NCAA Division I-A football season saw Florida State named national champions, defeating Virginia Tech in the BCS Sugar Bowl.Florida State became the first team in history to start out preseason #1 and remain there through the entire season. Their 12-0 season gave them 109 victories in the...

 
Washington Huskies 11 69 33 47 3 0 2 2 1 4 4 0 6 0
2000
2000 NCAA Division I-A football season
The 2000 NCAA Division I-A football season ended with the Oklahoma Sooners claiming their first national championship and their first conference championship since the departure of head coach Barry Switzer....

 
Washington Huskies 11 97 54 43 5 0 0 2 2 31 -- 0 6 0
Total 33 225 123 102 9 0 3 5 4 35 -- 0 12 0

Professional career

Akbar chose to forgo his senior season and enter the 2001 NFL Draft
2001 NFL Draft
The 2001 NFL Draft took place on April 21–22, 2001 at the theater at Madison Square Garden, in New York City. This was the 66th National Football League draft in league history. The draft was broadcast on ESPN both days and eventually moved to ESPN2. No teams elected to claim any players in the...

. Before the draft, Akbar was scouted and he ran a 4.5-second 40-yard dash. He was a second-day selection, taken in the fifth round (163rd overall) by the New England Patriots
2001 New England Patriots season
The 2001 New England Patriots season was the 32nd season for the team in the National Football League and 42nd season overall. They finished with an 11–5 record and a division title before advancing to and winning Super Bowl XXXVI....

.

New England Patriots

After being drafted by the Patriots, Akbar signed two-year contract worth close $
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....

600,000 and included a signing bonus worth close to $75,000. He was released by the team in March 2002.

Akbar played on Special teams in six games for the Super Bowl
Super Bowl
The Super Bowl is the championship game of the National Football League , the highest level of professional American football in the United States, culminating a season that begins in the late summer of the previous calendar year. The Super Bowl uses Roman numerals to identify each game, rather...

 champion Patriots. Akbar recorded five tackles for the season. He made his NFL debut in Miami
Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins are a Professional football team based in the Miami metropolitan area in Florida. The team is part of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...

. He played special teams and recorded two tackles against the San Diego Chargers
San Diego Chargers
The San Diego Chargers are a professional American football team based in San Diego, California. they were members of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...

. He recorded one tackle on special teams in Atlanta
Atlanta Falcons
The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta, Georgia. They are a member of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...

.

Car accident

In November 2001, Akbar suffered a spinal injury and nearly died. He was driving home, after socializing with teammates. He says he fell asleep at the wheel and woke up to find he was speeding down the interstate, going at least 80 mph. His Escalade
Cadillac Escalade
The Cadillac Escalade is a full-size luxury sport utility vehicle sold by the General Motors luxury brand, Cadillac. It was the division's first major entry into the popular SUV market. The Escalade was introduced for the 1999 model year in response to German and Japanese competitors and to Ford's...

 went off the road, and Akbar who wasn't wearing a seat belt
Seat belt
A seat belt or seatbelt, sometimes called a safety belt, is a safety harness designed to secure the occupant of a vehicle against harmful movement that may result from a collision or a sudden stop...

, resulting in him being thrown through the sunroof. As a result of the accident, he suffered three fractured vertebrae, broken rib
Rib
In vertebrate anatomy, ribs are the long curved bones which form the rib cage. In most vertebrates, ribs surround the chest, enabling the lungs to expand and thus facilitate breathing by expanding the chest cavity. They serve to protect the lungs, heart, and other internal organs of the thorax...

s and an injured hip and shoulder
Shoulder
The human shoulder is made up of three bones: the clavicle , the scapula , and the humerus as well as associated muscles, ligaments and tendons. The articulations between the bones of the shoulder make up the shoulder joints. The major joint of the shoulder is the glenohumeral joint, which...

. Due to his injuries he spent a month in the hospital, eating through an IV
Intravenous therapy
Intravenous therapy or IV therapy is the infusion of liquid substances directly into a vein. The word intravenous simply means "within a vein". Therapies administered intravenously are often called specialty pharmaceuticals...

. Police said alcohol wasn't involved, however he was charged with driving with the intent to endanger, among other offenses.

Due to the severity of his injuries, a doctor told Akbar he would not play football again. However, three months after the accident, he was once again working out, preparing to make his way back. Although he did not play in the Super Bowl
Super Bowl XXXVI
Super Bowl XXXVI was an American football game played on February 3, 2002 at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana to decide the National Football League champion following the 2001 regular season. The American Football Conference champion New England Patriots won their first Super...

, the Patriots presented him with a ring.

Houston Texans

On March 26, 2002, Akbar was claimed off waivers by the Houston Texans
Houston Texans
The Houston Texans are a professional American football team based in Houston, Texas. The team is currently a member of the Southern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...

. However, on September 2, 2002, he was released.

St. Louis Rams

Akbar was signed by the St. Louis Rams
St. Louis Rams
The St. Louis Rams are a professional American football team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are currently members of the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Rams have won three NFL Championships .The Rams began playing in 1936 in Cleveland,...

 on November 5, 2002. He played in four games for the Rams, playing on Special teams. He finished the season with two Special teams tackles. He made his Rams debut and recorded a special teams tackle at Philadelphia
Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...

.

He was waived by the team on August 31, 2003.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

On December 11, 2003, Akbar was signed to the practice squad of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football franchise based in Tampa, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the Southern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League – they are the only team in the division not to come from the old NFC West...

, but only spent five days there before being signed to the active roster of the Jacksonville Jaguars
Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jacksonville Jaguars are a professional American football team based in Jacksonville, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...

.

Jacksonville Jaguars

Akbar then spent the final two weeks of the season on the inactive list after being signed off the Tampa Bay practice squad on December 16, 2003 by the Jacksonville Jaguars.

In 2004, he was allocated to NFL Europe. He was released by the Jaguars on September 7, 2004. It was the last time he was a member of an NFL team.

Calgary Stampeders

On April 26, 2006, Akbar was signed to the practice squad of the Calgary Stampeders
Calgary Stampeders
The Calgary Stampeders are a Canadian Football League team based in Calgary, Alberta and named in reference to the Calgary Stampede. The Stampeders play their home games at McMahon Stadium...

. He wasn't able to play very much during the Stampeders pre-season due to a hamstring
Hamstring
In human anatomy, the hamstring refers to any one of the three posterior thigh muscles, or to the tendons that make up the borders of the space behind the knee. In modern anatomical contexts, however, they usually refer to the posterior thigh muscles, or the tendons of the semitendinosus, the...

 injury. Due to being slowed by the hamstring injuries, he did not win the starting linebacker position. The Stampeders released him on October 14, 2006.

Career statistics

Career Defensive Statistics
Year Team G Tack Solo Ast TFL Sack FF FR Int Yds Lng TD Pass Def. Block
2001
2001 NFL season
The 2001 NFL season was the 82nd regular season of the National Football League.Following a pattern set in 1999, the first week of the season was permanently moved to the weekend following Labor Day...

 
New England Patriots
2001 New England Patriots season
The 2001 New England Patriots season was the 32nd season for the team in the National Football League and 42nd season overall. They finished with an 11–5 record and a division title before advancing to and winning Super Bowl XXXVI....

 
6 5 2 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
2002
2002 NFL season
The 2002 NFL season was the 83rd regular season of the National Football League.The league went back to an even number of teams, expanding to 32 teams with the addition of the Houston Texans. The clubs were then realigned into eight divisions, four teams in each...

 
Houston Texans
2002 Houston Texans season
The 2002 Houston Texans season was the franchise's first-ever season and the city of Houston's first NFL season since the Houston Oilers left in 1997 to move to Tennessee to become the Titans....

*
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
2002 St. Louis Rams
2002 St. Louis Rams season
The 2002 St. Louis Rams season was the team's 65th year with the National Football League and the eighth season in St. Louis.-Schedule:This season marked the decline of Kurt Warner and The Greatest Show On Turf-Standings:...

 
4 2 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
2003
2003 NFL season
-Milestones:The following teams and players set all-time NFL records during the season:-Team:-Individual:-Awards:-External Links:**-References:*NFL Record and Fact Book *...

 
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
2003 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season
The 2003 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season began with the team trying to defend its Super Bowl XXXVII title of 2002. Despite high expectations, several last-minute losses led to locker room tension and front-office struggles. The Buccaneers finished 7-9, and missed the playoffs for the first time since...

*
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
2004
2004 NFL season
The 2004 NFL season was the 85th regular season of the National Football League.With the New England Patriots as the defending league champions, regular season play was held from September 9, 2004 to January 2, 2005...

 
Jacksonville Jaguars* 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
2004
2006 CFL season
-2006 Rogers CFL Awards:* CFL's Most Outstanding Player Award – Geroy Simon , BC Lions* CFL's Most Outstanding Canadian Award – Brent Johnson , BC Lions* CFL's Most Outstanding Defensive Player Award – Brent Johnson , BC Lions...

 
Calgary Stampeders* 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Total 10 7 4 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
*Offseason and/or practice squad member only

External links

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