Dwight Freeney

Dwight Jason Freeney is a professional football defensive end currently signed with the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League (NFL). He was born in Hartford, Connecticut on February 19, 1980.

At Syracuse University, Freeney was the Orange's premier pass rusher. He set a record of 17.5 sacks in his senior year. By the time he left college for the 2002 NFL Draft, he had accumulated 34 career sacks in his time with Syracuse, the second in school history behind Tom Greene.

Freeney declared eligible for the 2002 NFL Draft and was selected as the 11th overall pick by the Indianapolis Colts. In his rookie season, he set the rookie record of 9 forced fumbles, three of which occurred in a single game against the Philadelphia Eagles' Donovan McNabb (a former Syracuse athlete). He finished the season second in votes for the NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year.

By his 3rd season, he led the league with 16 sacks. He became the 3rd fastest player to achieve 40 sacks. In 2007, Freeney became a major contributor for the Colts' bid for the championship. He helped defeat the Chicago Bears in Super Bowl XLI and was subsequently awarded his first Super Bowl ring.

With his contract expiring after the 2007 season, the Colts placed the franchise tag on Freeney. On July 13, 2007 he agreed to a $72 million contract with $30 million in guarantees for six years, and became the highest paid defensive player in the NFL, later on to be surpassed by Jared Allen.

Freeney suffered a Lisfranc fracture in 2007 which forced him to miss the remainder of the season.