Former Falcons DT Ed Jasper passes away at age 49

Sadly, former Atlanta Falcons defensive tackle Ed Jasper passed away over the weekend, NBC Sports reports. Jasper played nine seasons in the NFL, with six of them being spent with the Falcons from 1999-2004.

Jasper

A sixth-round draft pick by the Eagles in 1997, Jasper played two years in Philadelphia before joining the Falcons, who were coming off of a Super Bowl run. It would prove to be a terrific landing spot for him, as he’d spend six of his seven remaining seasons in the NFL with Atlanta, starting 58 games over that span and reliably providing quality play for some of the strongest defenses the Falcons have had in the last 20 years.

In 2002, Jasper had one of his best seasons, starting all 16 games for the playoff-bound Falcons, picking up a pair of sacks, and providing steady play for a strong defensive line. He’d turn in another strong year in 2004 when the Falcons were once again playoff-bound, with two sacks and his usual brand of quality run defense in 12 games. In his six years with the Falcons, Jasper totaled 14 sacks and 205 tackles. He would finish his NFL career with the-then Oakland Raiders in 2005 before retiring.

It’s quite sad to hear that Jasper has passed on, especially at an early age. All of us at The Falcoholic express our condolences to Ed Jasper’s friends and family.