Offensive linemen are more aware of
him, while running backs and tight ends are becoming more frequent
obstacles on the way to the quarterback.
While the increased attention
has made Freeney's job tougher, he also knows it's one of the biggest
compliments a rookie defensive end can be paid.
"I am getting noticed,"
he said with a smile . "I've had to deal with a lot more
double-teams as the year has gone along, and maybe for the rest of my career."
Freeney has used this season
to vindicate himself.
When the Indianapolis Colts
selected him with the 11th pick in April's NFL draft, critics
complained he was too small and too one-dimensional to be selected
that high. The book said he was a pass-rush specialist, not an
"impact" player.
6-1,
268
Syracuse
4
years in the NFL
D1-02
DOB:
01/04/1978
Defensive
End
COLTS CAREER DEFENSIVE STATS
Defensive
Special Teams
QB
Passes
Year
Tackle
Solo
Asst.
Total
Solo
Asst
Sack
Int
Yd
Def
B
FF
FR
2002
47
43
4
1
0
1
13
0
0
0
0
9
1
2003
41
38
3
0
0
0
11
0
0
0
1
4
2
2004
47
39
8
0
0
0
16
0
0
1
1
4
0
2005
25
23
2
0
0
0
7
0
0
0
1
4
0
CAREER
160
143
17
1
0
1
47
0
0
1
3
21
3
Dwight Jason
Freeney was drafted by the Colts out of Syracuse University with the
11th pick in the first round of the 2002 NFL Draft.
Freeney is the only player in Colts history with three
consecutive double-digit sack seasons. In 2004 he led the NFL with 16
sacks, winning the league sack title and a spot on the AFC Pro Bowl
team. His 40 sacks in his first three seasons rank 3rd-most by a
player to start an NFL career. He
also won the 2004 EA Sports Madden Bowl.
CAREER NOTES
2004: Started
16 games at RDE, his first season with starts in every
contest&ldots;continues to emerge as one of NFL's top performers at
any position&ldots;had 47 tackles, 39 solo, 16 sacks (120 yards), 47
QB pressures, one pass defensed, one batted pass and four FF&ldots;is
only player in Colts history with three consecutive double-digit sack
seasons (since sacks became official in 1982)&ldots;followed up
13-sack season in 2002 and 11-sack season in 2003 with NFL-leading 16
sacks in 2004&ldots;became first Colts player to win league sack
title&ldots;40 sacks in first three seasons rank 3rd-most by a player
to start an NFL career (52, Reggie White; 43.5, Derrick Thomas; 40,
Freeney; 37.5, Richard Dent; 36, Jevon Kearse; 36, Anthony
Smith)&ldots;led position mates as line tallied 41 of team's 45
sacks&ldots;along with DE-Robert Mathis (10.5), produced 9th and 10th
double-digit sack seasons in club history (16, Freeney, 2004; 13,
Freeney, 2002; 12, DE-Chad Bratzke, 1999; 11.5, LB-Johnie Cooks,
1984; 11, Freeney, 2003; 11, LB-Vernon Maxwell, 1983; 10.5, LB-Tony
Bennett, 1995; 10.5, DE-Dan Footman, 1997; 10.5, DE-Robert Mathis,
2004; 10, DE-Jon Hand, 1989)&ldots;had tackles in 14 games with six
at Tennessee 9/19 for top total&ldots;had five stops vs. Jacksonville
10/24, vs. Minnesota 11/8 and vs. Tennessee 12/5&ldots;was 3-19 sacks
vs. Tennessee and 3-28 sacks at Houston 12/12 for top sack
totals&ldots;had two sacks vs. Jacksonville 10/24, vs. Minnesota and
vs. Baltimore 12/19 and had solo sacks at New England 9/9, at
Tennessee, at Chicago 11/21 and vs. San Diego 12/26&ldots;is one of
11 Colts players with a 3.0+ sack game&ldots;sacks in games 12-15
marked 2nd career four-game streak&ldots;four-game streaks are tied
for the 3rd-longest (since 1982) in Colts history (6, DE-Dan Footman,
1997; 5, LB-Duane Bickett, 1985; 4, Hand, 1991; 4, Bennett, 1995; 4,
Bennett, 1996; 4, DT-Ellis Johnson, 1998; 4, Freeney, 2003; 4,
Freeney, 2004)&ldots;has four career three-game sack streaks&ldots;has
10 career multiple sack games (3, at Miami 11/2/03; 3, vs. Tennessee
12/5/04; 3, at Houston 12/12/04; 2, vs. Dallas 11/17/02; 2, at
Cleveland 12/15/02; 2, vs. Jacksonville 12/29/02; 2, vs. Carolina
10/12/03; 2, vs. Jacksonville 10/24/03; 2, vs. Minnesota 11/8/04; 2,
vs. Baltimore 12/19/04)&ldots;has sacks in 27 of 47 career games and
23 of 37 starts&ldots;Colts are 20-7 when Freeney produces a
sack&ldots;ranks 2nd in Colts career sacks (50, Bickett)&ldots;had FF
at Chicago, at Detroit 11/25, vs. Tennessee and vs. San Diego
12/26&ldots;has three career games with multiple FF (3, at
Philadelphia 11/10/02; 2 at Tennessee 12/8/02; 2, at Miami
11/2/03)&ldots;has 16 career FF and the club is 10-3 in games when he
has a FF&ldots;earned first Pro Bowl bid in 2003 to join Bickett
(1987) as the club's only defensive Pro Bowlers in team's
Indianapolis era and became club's first Pro Bowl defensive lineman
since DT-Mike Barnes and DE-John Dutton in 1977&ldots;earned second
consecutive Pro Bowl bid in 2004 to become first Colt since Dutton
(1976-77) to have consecutive Pro Bowl bids&ldots;earned AFC
Defensive Player-of-the-Month honors for December/January&ldots;was
named to AP NFL All-Pro first-team, PFW/PFWA All-AFC and All-NFL
Teams and CPFN NFL All-Pro first-team.
POST-SEASON:
Started at RDE vs. Denver 1/9 and at New England
1/16&ldots;had two tackles, one sack and six pressures&ldots;had one
tackle in each game and had sack at New England.
2003:
Started 13 of 15 games at RDE&ldots;was inactive
9/21 vs. Jacksonville with ankle/abdomen injury, his first missed
career game with injury&ldots;played as reserve at New Orleans 9/28
and 12/28 at Houston&ldots;recorded second consecutive double-digit
sack season and earned Pro Bowl honors&ldots;became first Colts
defensive player since 1987 (Bickett) to make Pro Bowl and was club's
first lineman tabbed since 1977 (Barnes/Dutton)&ldots;was Associated
Press NFL All-Pro second-team and PFW/PFWA All-AFC Team
choice&ldots;had eleven sacks to produce then only 8th 10+-sack
season in club history&ldots;became first Colts player with
consecutive 10+-sack seasons&ldots;had 41 tackles, 38 solo, eleven
sacks, 23 QB pressures, four FF, two FR and one batted pass&ldots;had
one stop at Cleveland 9/7 and two tackles and one sack vs. Tennessee
9/14&ldots;had four solo tackles, two sacks and one FF vs. Carolina
10/12&ldots;had three solo tackles and one sack vs. Houston
10/26&ldots;had six solo tackles, three sacks and two FF at Miami
11/2, making final sack-fumble to preserve 23-17 win&ldots;won AFC
Defensive Player-of-the-Week honors&ldots;had six stops at
Jacksonville 11/9 and four stops and two half-sacks vs. NYJ
11/16&ldots;had four tackles and one sack at Buffalo 11/23 and three
tackles and one sack vs. New England 11/30&ldots;had two tackles and
one sack at Tennessee 12/7&ldots;had sacks in four consecutive games
for first time in career, tying 3rd-longest streak in team
history&ldots;batted two-point conversion pass at Tennessee to
preserve 29-27 win&ldots;had three stops and one FF vs. Denver
12/21&ldots;had 19t FR at New Orleans 9/28 for first career
score&ldots;had sacks in eight games after having sacks in 10 outings
in 2002.
POST-SEASON:
Started at RDE 1/4 vs. Denver, 1/11 at Kansas City and
1/18 at New England&ldots;had eight tackles, one sack, one FF and
three QB pressures&ldots;had five solo stops and one FF vs.
Denver&ldots;had one tackle at Kansas City and two at New England.
2002: Started
final eight games at RE after being reserve during first half of
year&ldots;produced one of finest seasons by an NFL defensive
rookie&ldots;twice was named AFC Defensive Rookie-of-the-Month
(November, December)...was PFW/PFWA NFL All-Rookie Team
choice&ldots;had team-record 13 sacks, team-high nine FF, 47 tackles,
43 solo, team-high 36 QB pressures and one FR&ldots;had first career
sack and two QB pressures at Houston 9/22&ldots;had one sack and
three QB pressures vs. Cincinnati 10/6&ldots;had one sack at
Pittsburgh 10/21 and four QB pressures at Washington 10/27&ldots;was
reserve vs. Tennessee 11/3 and had five tackles, one sack and one QB
pressure&ldots;made first career start at Philadelphia 11/10 and was
named AFC Defensive Player-of-the-Week with seven tackles, three FF,
four QB pressures and one sack&ldots;had two sacks and one FF vs.
Dallas 11/17&ldots;had three QB pressures at Denver 11/24&ldots;had
one sack, one FF and four QB pressures vs. Houston 12/1&ldots;had
four solo tackles, one sack, three QB pressures and two FF at
Tennessee 12/8&ldots;had two sacks, two QB pressures and seven
tackles at Cleveland 12/15&ldots;had FF and FR vs. NYG 12/22&ldots;set
Colts seasonal sack record with 13 with two vs. Jacksonville 12/29,
along with six solo tackles and ninth FF&ldots;had sacks in 10
different games&ldots;13 sacks set then club seasonal record and
ranked as second-highest total ever by an NFL rookie (14.5, DE-Jevon
Kearse, Tennessee, 1999; 12.5, DE-Leslie O’Neal, San Diego,
1986; 12.5, DE-Simeon Rice, Arizona, 1996; 12.0, LB-Charles Haley,
San Francisco, 1986; 12.0, DE-Julius Peppers, Carolina, 2002).
POST-SEASON:
Started at RE at NYJ 1/4 and had seven solo tackles
and one sack.
Pro Bowl Starter&ldots;Associated Press NFL All-Pro
(Second-Team)&ldots;PFW/PFWA All-AFC Team&ldots;Football Digest NFL
All-Pro Team&ldots;AFC Defensive Player-of-the-Week (11/2 at
Miami)&ldots;Phil Simms Ironman Team.
2004:
Pro Bowl Starter&ldots;Associated Press NFL All-Pro
(First-Team)&ldots;PFW/PFWA All-NFL Team&ldots;PFW/PFWA All-AFC
Team&ldots;College and Pro Football Newsweekly NFL All-Pro
(First-Team)&ldots;Sporting News NFL All-Pro Team&ldots;NFL Alumni
Pass Rusher-of-the-Year&ldots;AFC Defensive Player-of-the-Month (December/January).
COLLEGE SEASON
One of the most decorated
defensive players in school history, college's premier pass rusher
ranks second on the school's career-record list with 34 quarterback
sacks, topped only by Tim Green (45½, 1982-85) &ldots; The
holder of the NCAA season record for fumbles forced and recovered in
a season (11, eight forced, three recoveries, 2001), he put together
a very impressive string of 17 consecutive games with at least one
sack before being shut out in the 2001 Miami contest &ldots; The
two-year starter made a remarkable recovery from a spleen disorder
that cost him the final four games of the 2000 season &ldots;
Finished his career with 104 tackles (68 solos), 14 forced fumbles,
three fumble recoveries and 51 stops behind the line of scrimmage for
losses of 296 yards.
2001 SEASON
Consensus All-America and All-Big
East Conference first-team selection &ldots; Named Big East
co-Defensive Player of the Year &ldots; Finalist for the Lombardi
(best lineman), Bednarik (top defensive player) and Nagurski
(outstanding defensive player) Awards &ldots; Started every game at
right defensive end, leading the nation with 17½ sacks for minus
121 yards, breaking Tim Green's old school record of 15 sacks in 1984
&ldots; Registered 26 stops for losses of 141 yards &ldots; Led the
team with 26 quarterback pressures and also deflected two passes
&ldots; Set an NCAA season-record with 11 total fumbles (eight forced
and three recovered) &ldots; His eight forced fumbles also set a Big
East Conference record &ldots; Earned Big East Player of the Week
honors four times, matching the conference record first set by
Miami's Nate Webster in 1999 and matched by fellow Hurricane
linebacker Dan Morgan in 2000.
2000 SEASON
BCSfootball.com All-America
second-team, All-ECAC and All-Big East Conference first-team
selection, despite missing the final four games with a spleen
disorder (abdominal CT revealed four individual splenic hematomas)
&ldots; Started the first seven games at right defensive end,
recording 32 tackles (23 solos) with 13 sacks for minus 95 yards and
18 stops for losses of 115 yards &ldots; His 13 sacks rank fifth on
the school's all-time list &ldots; Deflected a pass and caused three
fumbles &ldots; Credited with eight quarterback pressures.
1999 SEASON
Played in 10 regular season games,
starting vs. Toledo at right defensive end and vs. Temple on the left
side &ldots; Recorded 19 tackles (9 solos) with 3½ sacks for
minus-29 yards and five stops for losses of 32 yards &ldots; Credited
with three quarterback pressures and two pass deflections &ldots;
Also caused a fumble.
1998 SEASON
Played in ten games, recording
three solo tackles with a pair of forced fumbles, two stops for
minus-9 yards and six quarterback pressures.
AGILITY TESTS
4.48 in the 40-yard dash &ldots;
37-inch vertical jump &ldots; 455-pound bench press &ldots; 650-pound
squat &ldots; 325-pound power clean &ldots; Bench presses 225 pounds
28 times &ldots; 32 3/4-inch arm length &ldots; 9 3/4-inch hands
&ldots; Right-handed.
HIGH SCHOOL
SuperPrep,
Prep Football Report,
USA Today,
New Haven Register,
Hartford Courant
and Blue Chip Illustrated
All-America selection, adding PrepStar All-Regional
honors as a defensive end at Bloomfield (Conn.) High &ldots; Also
lettered as a tight end &ldots; All-Central Connecticut West pick and
served as team captain &ldots; Registered 37 sacks, 87 tackles (21
for loss) and four defensive touchdowns during his career &ldots;
Four-sport letterwinner, including three letters in football, four in
basketball and baseball and one in soccer.
PERSONAL
Information Studies major &ldots;
Son of Joy and Hugh Freeney &ldots; Born Dwight Jason Freeney on
January. 4, 1978 in Hartford, Conn. &ldots; Dwight is single and
resides in Bloomfield, Conn.
*********************************************
Dwight Freeney Camps was founded
by Dwight Freeney of the Indianapolis Colts. The camp's main office
is based in Phoenix, AZ. Freeney founded the camp based on his
commitment to give back to Indiana Communities by providing young
football players with this one of a kind experience. The camp hosts
250 children for four nights and five days of full contact football.
With coaches from the NFL, the top regional colleges, and top high
schools campers receive premium instruction both on and off the field.
This site is a fan based site dedicated to the
Indianapolis Colts and its fans, and is not associated with the
Indianapolis Colts, the National Football League, or any other media site.
