View source for Jumpy Geathers

{{Short description|American football player (born 1960)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2024}}
{{Infobox NFL biography
| name        = Jumpy Geathers
| number      = 97, 79
| position    = [[Defensive tackle]] <br> [[Defensive end]]
| birth_date  = {{Birth date and age|1960|6|26|mf=y}}
| birth_place = [[Georgetown, South Carolina]], U.S.
| height_ft   = 6
| height_in   = 7
| weight_lb   = 290
| high_school = [[Choppee, South Carolina|Choppee (SC)]]<ref>{{Cite web|title=Recruiting report|url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/750441792/?match=1&terms=%22james%20geathers%22|access-date=2024-12-20|website=The State|language=en-US}}</ref>
| college     = [[Wichita State Shockers football|Wichita State]]
| draftyear   = 1984
| draftround  = 2
| draftpick   = 42
| pastteams   =
* [[New Orleans Saints]] ({{NFL Year|1984|1989}})
* [[Washington Redskins]] ({{NFL Year|1990|1992}})
* [[Atlanta Falcons]] ({{NFL Year|1993|1995}})
* [[Denver Broncos]] ({{NFL Year|1996|1997}})
| highlights  =
* 2× [[Super Bowl champion]] ([[Super Bowl XXVI|XXVI]], [[Super Bowl XXXII|XXXII]])
| statlabel1  = [[Tackle (football move)|Total tackles]]
| statvalue1  = 273
| statlabel2  = [[Quarterback sack|Sacks]]
| statvalue2  = 62.0
| statlabel3  = [[Fumble|Forced fumbles]]
| statvalue3  = 5
| statlabel4  = [[Fumble|Fumble recoveries]]
| statvalue4  = 9
| pfr         = GeatJu20
}}

'''James Allen''' "'''Jumpy'''" '''Geathers''' (born June 26, 1960) is an American former professional [[American football|football]] player who was a [[defensive tackle]] in the [[National Football League]] (NFL). At the time of his retirement, he was the only active player who played at [[Wichita State University]], which discontinued [[Wichita State Shockers football|its football program]] following the 1986 season, making him the last WSU football player to play in the NFL. Geathers was selected by the [[New Orleans Saints]] with the 42nd overall selection in the second round of the [[1984 NFL draft]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=1984 NFL Draft Listing |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/years/1984/draft.htm |access-date=2023-10-10 |website=Pro-Football-Reference.com |language=en}}</ref>

==Career==
He played [[defensive tackle]] at [[Wichita State Shockers football|Wichita State]], and then for 13 seasons in the [[National Football League|NFL]] ([[New Orleans Saints]] 1984–1989, [[Washington Redskins]] 1990–1993, [[Atlanta Falcons]] 1994–1995, and [[Denver Broncos]] 1996).  He was a part of the Redskins team that won [[Super Bowl XXVI]]. At {{convert|6|ft|7|in}} and {{convert|290|lb}} he was a forceful pass rusher, famous for his "forklift" rush, in which he picked up his blocker and carried him to the quarterback.<ref name="Broncos bio">{{cite web|title=Jumpy Geathers|url=http://denverbroncos.com/roster/playerbios/geathers_j.html|publisher=Denver Broncos|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/19980224180820/http://denverbroncos.com/roster/playerbios/geathers_j.html|archivedate=February 24, 1998|year=1997}}</ref>  Despite bad knees later in his career, Geathers played well into his 30s.  Geathers' career was cut short when he ruptured his Achilles tendon during training camp with the Denver Broncos and spent the 1997 season on injured reserve,<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.westword.com/news/unnecessary-roughness-5059213 |newspaper=Westworld |last=Jones |first=Marty |title= Unnecessary Roughness |date=October 29, 1998 |access-date=November 18, 2017}}</ref> the same year the Broncos would go on to win the Super Bowl for the first time in franchise history. He retired with 62 sacks in 183 games. Geathers attended Choppee High School located in [[Georgetown, South Carolina]].

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*{{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/19980224180820/http://denverbroncos.com/roster/playerbios/geathers_j.html |date=February 24, 1998 |title=Denver Broncos bio from 1997 }}

{{Super Bowl XXVI}}
{{Super Bowl XXXII}}
{{Saints1984DraftPicks}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Geathers, Jumpy}}
[[Category:1960 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:American football defensive linemen]]
[[Category:Atlanta Falcons players]]
[[Category:Denver Broncos players]]
[[Category:New Orleans Saints players]]
[[Category:Washington Redskins players]]
[[Category:Wichita State Shockers football players]]
[[Category:Players of American football from South Carolina]]
[[Category:Sportspeople from Georgetown, South Carolina]]
[[Category:Geathers family]]
[[Category:20th-century American sportsmen]]


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