View text source at Wikipedia
| No. 98 | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Position: | Defensive end | ||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||
| Born: | January 9, 1971 Cowpens, South Carolina, U.S. | ||||||||
| Height: | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) | ||||||||
| Weight: | 305 lb (138 kg) | ||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||
| High school: | Spartanburg (SC) Broome | ||||||||
| College: | Gardner–Webb | ||||||||
| NFL draft: | 1994 / round: 4 / pick: 126 | ||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||
| |||||||||
| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||
| |||||||||
Gabriel Nicholas Wilkins (born January 9, 1971) is a former American football defensive end who played for the Green Bay Packers and the San Francisco 49ers in a six-year career that lasted from 1994 to 1999 in the National Football League (NFL).[1]
He attended Gettys D. Broome High School.[2]
Attending NAIA Gardner–Webb University, Wilkins recorded 29 sacks and 53 tackles for loss (both school records), and participated in the 1992 NAIA Football Championship game.[3]
Wilkins was selected by the Green Bay Packers in the 1994 NFL draft (fourth round, 126th overall).[4][5] After being used sparingly in his first three seasons, Wilkins performed well in relief of Reggie White during Super Bowl XXXI, recording a tackle and a deflected pass. Becoming a starter after Sean Jones retired in 1997, Wilkins finished the season with 50 tackles, 5.5 sacks, a 77-yard interception return touchdown, and a fumble recovery touchdown.[1] However, Wilkins played only one drive of Super Bowl XXXII due to a knee injury.[6]
Following the 1997 season, the San Francisco 49ers signed Wilkins to a 5-year, $20 million contract.[6] After recording 30 tackles and a sack over two years in San Francisco and being injured late in his career,[7] Wilkins retired after the 1999 season.[8]
Wilkins now lives in Spartanburg, South Carolina, with his wife and four daughters.[9]
