Since 2010, defensive end Jason Babin has been one of the most dominant players in the league at his position. Over the last two seasons, he ranks second in the NFL, behind Cowboys outside linebacker DeMarcus Ware, with 30.5 sacks.
With one game left to play in the 2011 season, the 31-year-old end has already notched 18 sacks, the third most in a single season in franchise history. On six occasions this season, Babin posted multiple sacks, including three games in which he had three sacks. With another three-sack performance this Sunday against the Redskins, he would tie Reggie White's single-season franchise record of 21 sacks.
On Tuesday, he was named a starter in what will be his second-consecutive Pro Bowl. Despite his recent success, Babin, who has switched teams six times during his eight-year NFL career, has not consistently been the dominant force he is today.
A standout at Western Michigan University, he notched 115 tackles, 15 sacks and 33 tackles for loss. No, those are not his career numbers at WMU. He did all that in his final year alone. His remarkable senior campaign earned him All-American honors and piqued the interest of several NFL teams. The Houston Texans fell in love with his blend of brawn and speed, trading their second, third, fourth, and fifth-round picks in order to move up and take him in the first round of the 2004 NFL Draft.
Babin, however, did not make the type of impact that was expected of him in Houston. In his rookie year, he started all 16 games, but only mustered four sacks. Over the following two seasons, he would appear in 27 games, starting six, and posting nine sacks. He was traded to the Seattle Seahawks prior to the 2007 season and appeared in only four games in a year and a half, notching just one tackle.
After being released by the Seahawks midway through the 2008 season, the Kansas City Chiefs picked him up and allowed him to start four games. Babin was able to collect two sacks. The Chiefs did not bring him back for a second season.
The eight-year veteran does not lament those dark days, though. He realizes that his struggles were all part of the process that made him the man he is today.
"I don't regret anything," he said earnestly. "I'm not the kind of person who lives my life thinking about what could have been. Maybe if this had all come easily, I wouldn't have the kind of work ethic I have today. I think everything happens for a reason."
During training camp in 2009, the Philadelphia Eagles decided to give the talented player a shot to work his way into their defensive end rotation. While he did earn a spot on the roster, Babin could only muster 2.5 sacks as a situational pass rusher.
The Eagles let him walk at the end of the season, making him a free agent yet again.
Meanwhile, in Tennessee, Titans defensive line coach Jim Washburn saw Babin as a perfect weapon for his wide-nine scheme. Tennessee signed him to a one-year deal in March of 2010 and Washburn molded him into one of the top pass rushers in the game. He started all 16 games last season and posted a then-career-high 12.5 sacks, earning his first Pro Bowl appearance.
One would think that a career journeyman like Babin would gladly want to re-sign with the only professional club with whom he had made a major impact. However, the 31-year-old end attributed much of his success to the tutelage of renowned coach Washburn, who had left Tennessee following the 2010 season to join the Philadelphia Eagles' coaching staff. Babin wanted to go wherever Washburn went, and so he did.
"I had a good feeling, staying with coach Washburn," he said. "I knew that if I just kept working hard, practicing hard, I would have a shot to improve upon my performance last season. But even I didn't know I'd improve this much."
The Eagles signed the 6-3 end to a five-year deal prior to the 2011 season and it appears as if the career journeyman may have finally found a permanent home in The City of Brotherly Love.
"I'm very pleased with my decision," said Babin. "This experience has really been special."
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