Christopher Jason Witten was born on May 6, 1982, in Elizabethton, Tennessee. He is a notable former American football tight end who played primarily for the Dallas Cowboys in the National Football League (NFL). Raised alongside his older brothers, Ryan and Shawn, Witten spent part of his early childhood in Washington, D.C., before moving back to Elizabethton at age 11 to live with his grandparents due to a difficult home environment.
His father, a former mail carrier, struggled with substance abuse and inflicted domestic violence on the family, which prompted the move. Witten’s grandfather, Dave Rider, was the head football coach at Elizabethton High School, and he played a significant role in Jason’s upbringing and development both on and off the field. At Elizabethton High School, Witten was a standout two-way player, contributing as both a tight end and linebacker.
Witten earned a scholarship to attend the University of Tennessee, where he joined the Tennessee Volunteers football program. Initially recruited as a defensive end, he transitioned to tight end to address a positional need on the team. As a sophomore, Witten broke school records for a tight end with 39 receptions for 493 yards and five touchdowns in one season.
He earned first-team All-SEC honors and was recognized for his achievements off the field with an Academic All-SEC selection. By the end of his college career, Witten ranked third all-time among Volunteer tight ends with 68 career receptions and fourth all-time with 797 receiving yards. After his junior year, he declared for the 2003 NFL Draft, fulfilling his dream of playing professional football.
Despite receiving a first-round grade from many analysts, Witten was not selected until the third round of the 2003 NFL Draft. The Dallas Cowboys chose him as the 69th overall pick. The team had earlier selected other positions based on organizational needs, including cornerback Terence Newman in the first round and center Al Johnson in the second. That same year, the Cowboys also signed an undrafted rookie quarterback named Tony Romo, who would later become Witten’s teammate and close friend for over a decade.
In his rookie season, Witten played in 15 games but missed one game due to a broken jaw sustained against the Arizona Cardinals. His toughness and dedication earned praise from Head Coach Bill Parcells. Over the years, Witten cemented his legacy as one of the most reliable and productive tight ends in NFL history.
On December 7, 2015, during a Monday Night Football game against the Washington Redskins, Witten became just the second tight end in NFL history—after Tony Gonzalez—to surpass 1,000 career receptions, placing him among the elite players in league history.
| Net Worth 2021: | 12 million |
