Stephen Nicholas
Encyclopedia
Stephen Leron Nicholas (Born May 1, 1983 in Jacksonville, Florida
) is an American football
linebacker
for the Atlanta Falcons
of the National Football League
. He was originally drafted by the Falcons in the fourth round of the 2007 NFL draft
. He played college football
at South Florida
.
at Robert E. Lee High School in Jacksonville, Florida
. As a senior he was a class 3A all-state linebacker and was invited to play in the Shrine Bowl
.
at the University of South Florida
. During his senior year he was a Big East first team selection. He finished his college career with 326 tackles
, 20 sacks
, and a school record 53.5 tackles for loss.
in the fourth round of the 2007 NFL Draft
. He finished his rookie year with 37 tackles and one sack. In 2008, he saw action in all 16 games during the season. In 2009, He started 14 games, totaling 82 tackles, 3 sacks. He started his first career game against Miami on September 13.
During his 2008 season, it was little known that Nicholas' 10 month-old son, Stephen Nicholas Jr., was waiting for a heart transplant at Children's Hospital Boston. The infant was kept alive by tubes for four months before a suitable heart became available. In order for Nicholas to spend time with his wife and sick child, he would fly to Boston every Sunday after the game and be back with his team in Atlanta in time for Wednesday's practice. A few weeks after the taxing surgery, Stephen Nicholas Jr. was delightedly given a clean bill of health, and he and his mother were finally able to return home to be permanently reunited with Nicholas.
Jacksonville, Florida
Jacksonville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Florida in terms of both population and land area, and the largest city by area in the contiguous United States. It is the county seat of Duval County, with which the city government consolidated in 1968...
) is an 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...
for the Atlanta Falcons
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...
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...
. He was originally drafted by the Falcons in the fourth round of the 2007 NFL draft
2007 NFL Draft
The 2007 National Football League Draft took place at Radio City Music Hall in New York City on April 28 and April 29, 2007. The draft was televised for the 28th consecutive year on ESPN and ESPN2. The NFL Network also broadcast coverage of the event, its second year doing so...
. 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 South Florida
South Florida Bulls football
The South Florida Bulls are a Division I FBS college football program that plays its home games in Tampa, Florida. The team began playing in 1997, holding its first team meeting under a shade tree as the school had no proper football facilities on campus...
.
Early years
Nicholas played high school footballHigh school football
High school football, in North America, refers to the game of football as it is played in the United States and Canada. It ranks among the most popular interscholastic sports in both of these nations....
at Robert E. Lee High School in Jacksonville, Florida
Jacksonville, Florida
Jacksonville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Florida in terms of both population and land area, and the largest city by area in the contiguous United States. It is the county seat of Duval County, with which the city government consolidated in 1968...
. As a senior he was a class 3A all-state linebacker and was invited to play in the Shrine Bowl
Shrine Bowl
The Shrine Bowl was a former postseason college football bowl game. The first game was played on December 18, 1948, at War Memorial Stadium in Little Rock, Arkansas between Hardin-Simmons University and Ouachita Baptist College....
.
College career
Nicholas played college footballCollege 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 the University of South Florida
University of South Florida
The University of South Florida, also known as USF, is a member institution of the State University System of Florida, one of the state's three flagship universities for public research, and is located in Tampa, Florida, USA...
. During his senior year he was a Big East first team selection. He finished his college career with 326 tackles
Tackle (football move)
Most forms of football have a move known as a tackle. The primary purposes of tackling is to disposses an opponent of the ball, to stop the player from gaining ground towards goal or to stop them from carrying out what they intend....
, 20 sacks
Quarterback sack
In American football and Canadian football, a sack occurs when the quarterback is tackled behind the line of scrimmage before he can throw a forward pass, or when the quarterback is tackled behind the line of scrimmage in the "pocket" and the intent of what he was going to do is unclear...
, and a school record 53.5 tackles for loss.
Atlanta Falcons
Nicholas was drafted by the Atlanta FalconsAtlanta 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...
in the fourth round of the 2007 NFL Draft
2007 NFL Draft
The 2007 National Football League Draft took place at Radio City Music Hall in New York City on April 28 and April 29, 2007. The draft was televised for the 28th consecutive year on ESPN and ESPN2. The NFL Network also broadcast coverage of the event, its second year doing so...
. He finished his rookie year with 37 tackles and one sack. In 2008, he saw action in all 16 games during the season. In 2009, He started 14 games, totaling 82 tackles, 3 sacks. He started his first career game against Miami on September 13.
During his 2008 season, it was little known that Nicholas' 10 month-old son, Stephen Nicholas Jr., was waiting for a heart transplant at Children's Hospital Boston. The infant was kept alive by tubes for four months before a suitable heart became available. In order for Nicholas to spend time with his wife and sick child, he would fly to Boston every Sunday after the game and be back with his team in Atlanta in time for Wednesday's practice. A few weeks after the taxing surgery, Stephen Nicholas Jr. was delightedly given a clean bill of health, and he and his mother were finally able to return home to be permanently reunited with Nicholas.