Trai Essex
Trai Jamar Essex (born December 5, 1982) is a former American football offensive guard who played eight seasons in the National Football League (NFL) with the Pittsburgh Steelers and Indianapolis Colts. Early years Essex grew up in Fort Wayne, Indiana where he attended Paul Harding High School and lettered in football and basketball. In football, he was a standout tight end. He played in the first ever U.S. Army All-American Bowl (a high school football national all-star game) on December 30, 2000. In basketball, he was a member of the 2001 class 2A Indiana boys high school championship team. His 14 rebounds ties for 3rd best ever in the class 2A championship game. Essex was an All-Conference honoree as a junior. College years Essex attended Northwestern University, where he majored in African-American studies and was a letterman in football. He started every game as a true freshman at tight end, catching three passes for 24 yards and a touchdown. He was named to the Big Ten All-Freshman team by The Sporting News magazine. He was moved from tight end to offensive tackle prior to his sophomore season and started 37 consecutive games at left tackle for the Wildcats in his