As a Child

    Jason Rader was born in Charleston West Virginia on April 12th 1981.  He was raised in both Charleston and Cross Lanes.  While growing up and admiring his cousin, Dan Taylor, a Nitro High School football and basketball standout, Jason began to play sports.  Basketball and football were his two sports of choice beginning in the fourth grade.

Growing up

     Jason continued to play both basketball and football while growing up.  He attended Andrew Jackson Middle School in Cross Lanes before moving to St. Albans and attending Mckinley Jr. High.  After McKinley, Jason attended St. Albans High School while lettering in both basketball and football between 1996 and 1999.  He earned all Kanawha County honors and honorable mention all state all three years while playing basketball with St. Albans star Brett Nelson. 

    While Jason was excelling on the basketball court, he was finding football to be his sport of choice.  After receiving all Kanawha County and honorable mention all state his sophomore season as defensive end, he decided to give offense a try at the tight end position.  This move paied off great for his career.  After his junior season Jason was named to the first team all state team while playing defensive end and tight end.  Jason was also the only junior to ever be awarded the Sam Huff Award is 1998.  The Sam Huff Award is presented to the states top linemen each year.  College coaches began to take notice of Jason and scholarships began to come in.  As a senior, Jason once again earned first team all state honors. After narrowing his college choices to University of Georgia, Notre Dame, Purdue University, West Virginia University, and Michigan State, he had chosen the University of Georgia Bulldogs.

College Career

     Jason began his playing career at UGA in 1999 seeing limited time as a freshman at tight end and playing mostly on special teams.  During his sophomore season Jason saw more action as a reserve tight end and playing on all special teams.  During the off-season of 2000 Jason had decided to transfer to Marshall University.  He had to red-shirt and sit out of the 2001 season due to the NCAA rules of transferring.  Jason became the stating tight end for the Thundering Herd for the 2002 and 2003 seasons.

NFL Career

     Jason began his professional career by signing a free agent contract with the Atlanta Falcons after college and then was released after training camp.  Jason was out of football the entire year until being selected with the second overall pick in the 2004 NFLE (National Football League Europe) draft by the Rhein Fire.  Jason then moved to Dusseldorf Germany where he played for the Fire.  After the NFLE season he then signed a contract with the Miami Dolphins spending the year on their practice squad.  The following season Jason would make his first 53 man roster with playing a reserve role as tight end and special teams.  After the following training camp Jason was then released by the Dolphins and quickly signed to the New England Patriots practice squad where he spent the year.  The Pats made it to Super Bowl 42 after finishing the regular season 16-0.  That off-season Jason signed a contract with the Atlanta Falcons.  Last season Jason saw action in seven games including one playoff game.  Jason is still currently a member of the Atlanta Falcons as a tight end.