Joshua Lamar Gaines (born September 27, 1985) is a former gridiron football defensive end. He was signed by the Philadelphia Eagles as an undrafted free agent in 2009. He played college football at Penn State.
| No. 47 | |
|---|---|
| Position: | Defensive end |
| Personal information | |
| Born: | September 27, 1985 Fort Wayne, Indiana, U.S. |
| Height: | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) |
| Weight: | 275 lb (125 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school: | Fort Wayne (IN) Northrop |
| College: | Penn State |
| Undrafted: | 2009 |
| Career history | |
| * Offseason and/or practice squad member only | |
Gaines has also been a member of the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.
College career
editGaines played college football at Penn State. After redshirting his freshman year in 2004, he made appearances in every game in 2005, backing up future Kansas City Chief Tamba Hali. He would finish the season with 9 tackles and was named Academic All-Big Ten.[1]
By the 2006 season, Gaines had moved into the starting rotation and remained the starter for the remainder of his time with the Nittany Lions. In 2007 Gaines helped lead the defense to a number two ranking in quarterback sacks and a seventh ranking in total defense.[1] He was named a team captain for the Nittany Lions as a senior, and finished his career at Penn State with 105 tackles, 8.5 sacks and two fumble recoveries.[2]
He earned a Bachelor of Science in Human Development and Family Studies from Penn State in 2008. He is a charter member of the Eta Alpha chapter of Iota Phi Theta fraternity.
Professional career
editPre-draft
editGaines trained for the NFL Scouting Combine at Power Train Sports Performance in Millersville, Pennsylvania.[3]
Philadelphia Eagles
editGaines was signed by the Philadelphia Eagles on April 27, 2009, as an undrafted free agent following the 2009 NFL draft.[4] Gaines was a 2008 team captain at Penn State[5] His interception return for a touchdown was the final play of the inaugural Flight Night, a live preseason inter-squad scrimmage held at Lincoln Financial Field on August 8, 2009.[6] He was waived on September 5, 2009.
Hamilton Tiger-Cats
editGaines signed a practice roster agreement with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats on October 8, 2009.[7] He was signed to the Tiger-Cats' active roster on May 27, 2010.[8]
Pittsburgh Power
editOn October 19, 2010, Gaines signed with the Pittsburgh Power of the Arena Football League. He was placed on the Physically Unable to Perform list on March 5, 2011. He was then placed on Injured Reserve on March 9, 2011, where he stayed for the rest of the 2011 season.
Personal
editGaines is one of 11 children: when he was six years old his mother, Wilma, and stepfather, James, adopted six children from an underprivileged home in their hometown of Fort Wayne, Indiana. In addition to James' biological daughter, LaShonda, and Wilma's two other biological children, Ebony and LaToya, the Holders also cared for a cousin, Kevin, who is autistic. Gaines credits his large family for his team-oriented approach to football and his strong leadership qualities.[9]
References
edit- ^ a b "47 Josh Gaines". Pennsylvania State University. Archived from the original on February 7, 2009. Retrieved September 6, 2008.
- ^ "DE Gaines, FB Mailei Highlight RFAs". Philadelphia Eagles. April 27, 2009. Archived from the original on June 17, 2009. Retrieved April 28, 2009.
- ^ Thomas, Eric (January 22, 2009). "PSU's Evans ready for NFL challenge". The Sentinel. Retrieved January 23, 2009.
- ^ "Eagles: Five more UDFA signed". KFFL.com. April 27, 2009. Archived from the original on December 5, 2014.
- ^ "Nittany Lions Announce Captains for 2008 Season". Pennsylvania State University. Archived from the original on May 1, 2008. Retrieved April 29, 2008.
- ^ Vito, Christopher A. (August 3, 2009). "Eagles' rookie makes Gaines under lights". The Daily Local News. Archived from the original on August 5, 2009. Retrieved August 3, 2009.
- ^ "Ti-Cat Notebook". The Hamilton Spectator. Retrieved October 9, 2009.
- ^ "Ticats sign veteran LB Shannon James". The Canadian Football League. May 27, 2010. Archived from the original on May 8, 2015. Retrieved September 2, 2017.
- ^ Giger, Cory (September 5, 2008). "Big brother: Gaines a role model to large family of adopted kids". The Altoona Mirror. Retrieved September 11, 2008. [dead link]
External links
edit- Philadelphia Eagles bio
- Josh Gaines hopeful about a future with the Eagles Williamsport Sun-Gazette - May 8, 2009