AKEEM JORDAN

CLASS OF 2003

ATHLETE

        In 2000 sophomore defensive back Akeem Jordan was impressive enough to earn all-district honors.  The next year coach Tim Sarver (HoF 2012) inserted Jordan at tailback (keeping his starting safety position). During the 2001 and a slow start, the streaks entered the playoffs with a record of 7 wins and 3 losses.  The Jordan-led rushing attack defeated Fort Defiance, R.E. Lee and Poquoson in the playoffs to set up a meeting with powerful Graham high school for the state championship.  In that game, Akeem rushed for 123 yards and 2 touchdowns as the Blue Streaks won 24-10 for the only state championship in school history. (The Streaks won half-state championships in 1943 and 1944 under Coach Claude Warren (HoF 2008).

        For the season, Akeem rushed for 2,157 yards and 32 touchdowns. He added 2 receiving touchdowns for a total of 34, a school record at the time.  Jordan earned 1^st team All-State on both offense and defense and was the group AA player of the year.  As a senior Jordan earned 1^st team All-State on defense and 2^nd team on offense.

Recruited by James Madison University, Jordan earned a scholarship and quickly made his presence known on the field.  The JMU coaches switched him from safety to linebacker and he became a special teams star while serving as a back-up linebacker.  In his sophomore season Akeem was a regular on defense and special teams. That year, the Dukes won their 1^st national championship by defeating Montana in Chattanooga TN.  In Jordan’s JMU career he was honored with the Dean Ehlers MVP Award, Virginia Defensive Player of the Year, runner up for the Buck Buchanan Award as the nation’s top defensive player and named to 5 different All-American teams.

        Akeem went undrafted in the 2007 NFL draft but signed as a free agent by the Philadelphia Eagles.  After making the practice squad, injuries by other players gave him the opportunity to make the 53 man roster.  Jordan played a total of 6 seasons with the Eagles as a linebacker and special teams contributor. He signed as free agent with the Kansas City Chiefs in 2013.  After a season with the Chiefs he signed with the Washington Redskins. An injury moved him to injured reserve as he finished out his career.

        Akeem has two sisters, Fatima and Kish. Both were outstanding athletes at HHS.  Fatima played basketball and ran track and Kish was a star basketball player and 1000 point scorer for the JMU women’s basketball team.  Akeem is now living in the Harrisonburg area.