Amani Toomer

Toomer was born in Berkeley, California, in 1974. His first name, "Amani", is Swahili for peace, and his middle name, "Askari", is Swahili for soldier. Toomer's father, Donald Toomer, played college football for Woody Hayes at Ohio State. His uncle is comedian George Wallace. Toomer began playing Pee-Wee Football as a lineman for the Berkeley Cougars and as a receiver, kicker, punter, linebacker, and running back for the Richmond Steelers. ==University of Michigan==

Toomer enrolled at the University of Michigan in 1992 and played college football for the Michigan Wolverines football team from 1992 to 1995. As a freshman and sophomore in 1992 and 1993, he started only three games (two in 1992 and one in 1993) and was principally used as a backup to the team's #1 receiver, Derrick Alexander. Toomer caught 16 passes for 238 yards in 1992 and 29 passes for 565 yards in 1993. 1994 season As a junior in 1994, Toomer did not start any games for Michigan, as Mercury Hayes was the starting flanker in all 12 games. Despite technically being a "backup" to Hayes, Toomer in 1994 broke Jack Clancy's single-season Michigan record with 1,096 receiving yards. With Todd Collins at quarterback, Toomer was the 1994 Wolverines' leading receiver with 54 receptions for 1,096 yards, an average of 20.3 yards per reception. He also returned a punt 72 yards for a touchdown against Illinois. Toomer was a finalist for the Biletnikoff Award in 1994 and was selected by both the conference coaches and media as a first-team wide receiver on the 1994 All-Big Ten team. However, Toomer was routinely double-teamed in 1995, opening the way for Mercury Hayes to lead the team in both receptions and receiving yardage. Toomer finished the 1995 season with 44 receptions for 758 yards and seven touchdowns. College career overview In four seasons at Michigan, Toomer had 124 receptions for 2,144 yards (17.3 per catch) and 12 receiving touchdowns. Toomer was also used as a punt and kick returner at Michigan. He returned 46 punts for 384 yards (8.3 yards per return) and two touchdowns. He also returned 14 kickoffs for 306 yards (21.9 yards per return). ==Professional football==

Return specialist: 1996–1998 Toomer was selected by the New York Giants in the second round (34th overall pick) of the 1996 NFL draft. In July 1996, he signed a three-year contract with the Giants providing a $670,000 signing bonus and salaries of $269,000 in 1996, $336,000 in 1997, and $403,000 in 1998. In his first three seasons with the Giants, Toomer was principally used as a punt and kickoff returner. In his first NFL game, the opening game of the 1996 season, Toomer set a Giants' record with an 87-yard punt return for a touchdown against the Buffalo Bills. He returned a second punt for a touchdown that season against the Philadelphia Eagles, before injuring his anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) and spending the rest of the season on injured reserve. Toomer led the NFL in 1996 with an average of 16.1 yards on 19 punt returns. In 1998, Toomer again appeared in all 16 games for the Giants. He returned 35 punts for 252 yards, an average of 7.1 yards per return. He also began to see increased playing time as a receiver, registering 27 catches for 360 yards and five touchdowns. Toomer later publicly acknowledged that his slow start as an NFL receiver was the result of exercise-induced asthma which he had hidden for years. After seeking treatment for the condition, his receiving career blossomed in 1999 and 2000. Prime years: 1999–2003 During the 1999 New York Giants season, Toomer became a starting wide receiver in all 16 games. That year, he broke the team record for receptions in a season (79), and his 1,183 receiving yards were the second-highest in team history behind Homer Jones. In 2000, Toomer appeared in all 16 regular season games (14 as a starter) for the Giants and posted solid totals with 78 receptions for 1,094 yards and seven touchdowns. 2004–2006 The 2004 season marked the first time since Toomer's rookie year in which he did not score a touchdown. Toomer appeared in 15 games and had 51 catches for 747 yards, the sixth consecutive season in which he topped 50 catches and 700 yards. In eight games during the 2006 season, Toomer had 32 receptions for 360 yards and three touchdowns. Super Bowl champion: 2007 's team record for career receptions. The 2007 Giants advanced through the playoffs and won Super Bowl XLII over the previously undefeated New England Patriots. Toomer started all four postseason games for the team and totaled 21 catches for 280 yards and three touchdowns. 2008 season and career overview The 2008 season was Toomer's last in the NFL. He appeared in all 16 regular season games, 12 as a starter, and caught 48 passes for 580 yards and four touchdowns. He concluded his NFL career having appeared in 190 games, 142 as a starter, with 668 receptions for 9,497 yards (14.2 yards per catch), and 54 touchdown receptions. In 2010, Toomer was included in the initial group selected for induction into the New York Giants Ring of Honor. Giants franchise records 's NFL off-season, Amani Toomer held at least 16 Giants franchise records, including: • Most Receptions (career): 668 • Most Receptions (game): 12 (2006-09-17 @PHI; tied with Mark Bavaro, Hakeem Nicks and Odell Beckham Jr. x2) • Most Receptions (playoff career): 44 • Most Receiving Yds (career): 9,497 • Most Receiving Yds (playoff career): 608 • Most Receiving TDs (career): 54 • Most Receiving TDs (playoff career): 7 • Most Receiving TDs (playoff game): 3 (2003-01-05 @SFO) • Most Total TDs (playoff career): 7 • Most Total TDs (playoff game): 3 (2003-01-05 @SFO) • Most Punt Returns (season): 47 (1997; tied with Chad Morton) • Most 100+ yard receiving games (career): 23 • Most Games with 1+ TD scored (playoffs): 4 (tied with Brandon Jacobs) • Most Games with 2+ TD scored (playoffs): 2 (tied with Hakeem Nicks) • Most Games with 3+ TD scored (playoffs): 1 • Most 1000+ receiving yards (career): 5 Kansas City Chiefs Toomer was signed to a one-year contract by Kansas City Chiefs on August 4, 2009. He was released during final roster cuts on September 1. ==Personal life and post-playing career==

In 2011, Toomer and fellow former New York Giant Roman Oben joined MSG Varsity's coverage of "Friday Night Football." In 2012, he joined NBC Sports Radio where he was a co-host with Dan Schwartzman of "Going Deep with Amani and Dan", a nighttime talk show on the network. Toomer lived in Weehawken, New Jersey. In the summer of 2020, Toomer, along with his Danish wife Maj and their 3 children relocated to Ebeltoft, Denmark, because of the COVID-19 pandemic. During the 2020 NFL season he worked as an expert on TV3 Sport. == NFL career statistics ==

Regular season Postseason ==References==