Gibran Hamdan, the First Person of Pakistani Descent to Play in the NFL, Attended Churchill High School
Gibran Hamdan was drafted by the Washington Football Team in the seventh round of the 2003 NFL Draft, making him the first person of Pakistani descent to play in the league (his mother is Pakistani and his father is Palestinian).
Prior to his time in the NFL, which consisted of stints with Washington, Seattle, San Francisco, Miami, and Buffalo, Hamdan played his college ball at Indiana– where he also played baseball.
He was born in San Diego and moved to Kuwait with his family, where they lived until 1991. His mother took a job cutting hair and the family settled in Potomac.
After attending middle school in MoCo, Hamdan went on to Churchill High School. He was a backup quarterback for the Bulldogs for two years prior to transferring to Bishop Denis J. O’Connell in Northern Virginia for his last two years. While at Churchill, he was also on the 15 and under U.S. National Baseball team.
As the O’Connell football team’s starting quarterback, he led the Northern Virginia area in passing yards, becoming Virginia Independent Schools Player of the Year and earning first-team all-league and district honors. Hamdan also played basketball at O’Connell, where he started at center for the team.
Hamdan later married Jenny Grant, the daughter of former NFL head coach, Bud Grant. His brother Bush Hamdan, who played quarterback at Boise State, also picked up football while living in MoCo.
Since retiring, Hamdan had gotten into fashion– creating his brand Alial Fital (his parents first names spelled backwards). His creations are now being sold through his website, www.Gibran.com
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