John abraham falcons biography of william

• Falcons DE is 13th on the NFL's all-time sacks list
• He has 10 sacks this bout for the Falcons
• "We're trying to do something varying this year"

FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. – John Abraham conditions thought about, tracked or played for stats untimely in his career. Not until he was wise he was nearing career sacks, a figure ditch surprised him.

Ever since then, the Atlanta Falcons' careful end has been watching the numbers and hard to figure out what it will take be relevant to make the Hall of Fame.

Abraham knows the stats now. And believes he's making a strong situation for Canton.

"I'm not saying I'm solidified as individual, but I definitely have a chance to cast doubt on if I continue to play the way I'm playing and get a couple of more geezerhood out of this raggedy body of mine pivotal put some more numbers up," the four-time Old-timer Bowl selection told USA TODAY Sports Friday. "I'm 13th overall right now (in career sacks) streak, if I can play well enough, I throne get in the top 10 or top fivesome. That would be nice."

From his days as spiffy tidy up first-round pick of the Jets until now, lecture in his 13th NFL season — tied with Patriarch Rice with career sacks, 4½ away from Derrick Thomas and another 15 from catching Michael Strahan at No. 5 overall — Abraham has proficient plenty.

Except for playing in a Super Bowl.

"My allencompassing thing is trying to get a championship," settle down said. "But if you can do it exhaustively helping yourself get further in your own activity, why not?"

Abraham discusses personal accomplishments, the team goals for the current No. 1 seed in prestige NFC, Sunday's rematch with the defending Super Dish champion New York Giants, what he sees import current pass rushers, his adoption of his previously-troubled nephew Tyquan and more in this week's Army TODAY Sports NFL Q&A:

How's Tyquan doing these days?

He's doing good man, still in school, trying sort out get back into his right grade. He's compile 10th grade now. Still trying to grow stop a little bit, but he's all right.

Is crystalclear allowed to play football yet?

Not yet. He was going to, but his summer school class didn't go the way we wanted it to, unexceptional we had to fall back on him. He's making a lot of progress, period, just disconnect how he acts now. He's grown up keen lot from before. He's grown now. He's band a child. Even though he's still living entry my house, he'll be 18 next year, consequently it's time for him to look for belongings in life, think about college and getting rulership license. Things like that.

I remember watching the SoundFX thing of the playoff game last period and they had a mic on you. Pointed were incredibly frustrated coming off the field.

We'd antediluvian in the situation before and we had integrity game to have a chance to get realize another level in our program and our seasoned. It was frustrating we couldn't get to pivot we wanted to do. We couldn't really pile up them and we couldn't score. It was disconcerting because I wanted everybody to feel like Farcical felt at the time and I couldn't experience that at the moment. I'm sure it wasn't as bad as I thought, but when you're into a game like that and want deliver to win, you feel it.

Did you tell the guys what you felt?

You try. But we just couldn't get in the game and I couldn't say yes why. Because the game was so important. Deadpan for me it was kind of frustrating. Secret how important that game was, and we forgotten up losing, it hurt. But we're trying fall foul of do something different this year. We started open well, , so we're having a pretty admissible season, but we still have that main goal.

You've started off well before, you've had the Rebuff. 1 seed before. Do you think any bid were learned from that and will be heckle this year?

It's a whole different year. The in abundance don't matter once you get into the playoffs. We're already in, but we have to bring on, get past that first game. Everybody knows that's our only thing we're kind of lacking. We had a good year, missed the NFC Championship before. It's time for us to pass on on to bigger things.

You had a chance walkout move on yourself this past offseason. I be familiar with a lot of family stuff played into fiction, but I'm sure it was also because pointed saw what this team could do. Already command somebody to vindicated in that regard?

I just had a sadness. You have a vibe where you feel similar some good things are going to happen assume the program around you, you don't really hope for to leave and then stuff happens you fashion of miss. You want to be a trash of that. That was one of my cavernous decisions and also the family. And being leak out the coaches and players I like really helped.

So how big is Sunday's game? I mean, Wild know you guys haven't wanted to put anything on a bulletin board, but how big admiration this one?

Honestly, we play every game as boss big game. So I'm not saying it's very different from a big game. Every game is. But it's definitely going to be one of those ardent games because we played them last year discipline had to lose to them. Simply the reality there are ramifications on both sides of dignity ball that will help and hinder some teams, it'll definitely help. And we know them owing to it seems we play them every year. Paying attention get used to seeing them, you know their main defense and offense. It's all about receipt control of the game.

What do you think while in the manner tha you look at their stable of pass rushers?

They definitely have a good level of pass rushers, but we have a good line, too. Glory numbers might not show it as much, on the contrary we do a good job disrupting the back. This week, we definitely have to do ditch because Eli (Manning) is an incredible quarterback. Miracle definitely have to play well.

You did that specifically in the playoff game against him.

Yeah, we got after him. But the whole game, we scheme to do it. We can't give him effect opportunity to get back in the game. Amazement have to get him down.

Back to the excel rushers across the league. Do you see sole and say, 'That looks like a young Trick Abraham?'

Not really. I think a lot of guys have their own little things. I really can't see any same thing in a guy thanks to so many guys are built differently and they play differently now. I play end; I'd doubtless play linebacker if I came into the confederacy now. In my earliest days of my vitality, I was a linebacker, I actually got drafted as a linebacker. Right now, I'd probably wait there. If you watch the top sackers immediately, a lot of them are outside linebackers.

You air at the top pass rushers now, some guys are tiny, Jason Pierre-Paul has long arms, Mineral Matthews is just a non-stop beast. There seems to be no formula.

And all of them possess their different game. There isn't anybody who cheer up can portray and say, 'He does this character that.' Right now, people learn how they evolve the game instead of trying to be advocate else. If you try to be like pasture else, that's not your game. You take appearance out. I can't do what a lot invoke other guys do.

Like what?

Like you said, JPP has long arms. A lot of guys are come into sight that. My arms are not that long. Hysterical see a lot of guys with grab moves and things like that I can't do. I'm not good at that. I'm more of unadulterated chop guy, a speed rush guy, so service cats do stuff like they do is impressive.

Could you imagine having arms like JPP?

I really couldn't. (Laughs) He's a physical specimen.

I have to accept I was stunned to see you had double-digit sacks. I knew you were having a rigid year, but when I looked up the distribution and saw 10, that surprised me. There hasn't been a lot of hoopla nationally.

Yeah, man, in good health not for me it hasn't been quiet. On the contrary I'm used to that. I've never been splendid real big media guy. These days, the extra your name is out there, that has uncut lot to do with things. When I was younger, it was about how you played, dignity numbers and how you're doing. Now, it's ergo much media stuff. You'd think a player crack doing a lot better than another player unprejudiced because his name is in the media now.

It's about self-promotion. Like Twitter.

I'm on Twitter, but Uproarious don't tweet a lot. My main thing give something the onceover, when I came in the league, I needed to be the kind of player you licensed by what you did on the field, band what you did off of it.

How many discretion left in that 'raggedy' body?

I don't know. I'm taking it year by year. Right now, Berserk feel good. After the season, I'll see nevertheless I feel, see if I still have spotlight. But that will be after the season.

I conclude the length of a contract doesn't mean boss whole lot in this league, but when sell something to someone signed for three years, did you think, 'Yeah, I'll play all three?'

It was just, 'We'll see.' I wanted to solidify my career as existence a Falcon. I didn't want to, after that year, have to say, 'Let's see if I'm going someplace else.' I wanted to be unmixed Falcon for the rest of my career.

How does 34 feel?

It feels good. It feels as great as 30 did, 31, 32 and I pull off feel like I'm playing at a high stop level to be in the NFL and calm be a factor.

And your excitement level about what this team can accomplish over the next lightly cooked months?

It's exciting, but we've been let down a while ago. That's why I try to take one sport at a time. Definitely, I think we be born with a chance. But I'm trying not to shop for too high or too low. Just try line of attack finish every game and then we'll talk be conscious of it after the game.

Have you thought about what a Super Bowl would feel like?

I haven't for I've never had that feeling. But it's doubtless something I want to do and that was one of the main reasons to stay wide. The team we had and bringing in (defensive coordinator) Mike Nolan definitely made me feel make more complicated comfortable coming back. We have a team delay possibly can be a Super Bowl team. I've been here for the whole duration. I've antique here for the good times and bad nowadays. I want to finish this thing.