Abram Elam: From Troubled Past to Answer Man

By MICHAEL HEINBACH

for the Bleacher Report

The biggest story stemming from the 2009 NFL draft was the New York Jets' trade with the Cleveland Browns that garnered the Jets the fifth overall pick, which they used to select USC quarterback Mark Sanchez.

What the Browns received in return were New York's first-and-second-round picks (Nos. 17 and 52 overall), as well as defensive end Kenyon Coleman, quarterback Brett Ratliff, and safety Abram Elam.

When the deal was done, new Browns head coach Eric Mangini had boosted the number of former Jets who played for him in New York on Cleveland's roster to eight.

As first reported by Sports Illustrated, the key to the deal was Elam, a three-year NFL veteran expected to bolster the Browns' youthful and much-maligned defensive secondary.

In no uncertain terms, Elam is an amazing story.

Elam managed to escape his crime-plagued hometown of Riveria Beach, FL, and landed a football scholarship at Notre Dame. But in April 2002, a Notre Dame co-ed accused three Fighting Irish football players of raping her in an off-campus house.

Though he was present during the incident, Elam wasn't charged with rape. He was convicted of felony sexual battery, while the three accused in the rape were cleared of all charges.

While Elam received two years of probation, he and the three others accused in the incident were expelled from Notre Dame. Despite his talent and a firm belief the incident was consensual, the mark on his record kept top-tier Division I schools from offering Elam a chance to rebuild his reputation.

Elam returned to Riviera Beach and enrolled at a local community college. But he desperately wanted out of the town that claimed the lives of his half brother, his younger sister and eventually another brother in 2008. All were victims of gun violence in a town that has one of highest crime rates in the state of Florida.

Elam got his second chance after sitting out two autumns, playing a season at Kent State. But when the draft came NFL teams shied away, most likely due to his past.

After some convincing, Dallas Cowboys coach Bill Parcells signed Elam, who earned praise from from the coach after blossoming into a special teams standout in his rookie season.

"This kid wants to make something of himself," Parcells told the New York Daily News. "He's a high-class kid. I like this kid a lot."

Elam was one of the final cuts made by Dallas the following preseason but was picked up by the Jets after a recommendation by Parcells. He obviously made an impression on Mangini while playing under the coach for two seasons.

One of Mangini's first moves as Cleveland's head coach was signing Elam to an offer sheet, which the Jets matched. But after the draft-day swap Mangini got his man and the two were reunited. 

The 27-year-old Elam is expected to start at strong safety for the Browns this season and he probably has the best idea of anyone on the current roster of what to expect from Mangini and his staff. He's the logical choice to answer the most burning questions that face the 2009 Cleveland Browns.

What does Mangini bring to the table concerning accountability and team discipline? How can Mangini turn a franchise in transition into a proven winner. What does it take to impress the Browns' new head coach? Was Mangini unfairly run out of New York and what will make him more successful in Cleveland? How long will it take for Browns fans to see improvement?

While Browns Backers around the globe are riddled with questions, the safety with the troubled past and a bright future might the one with the answers.