Danish American
Dansk-amerikanere

Viggo Mortensen · Jacob Riis Lars Ulrich · Scarlett Johansson
Total population
Danish 1,516,126[1] 0.5% of the U.S. population (2009)
Regions with significant populations
California, Utah, Idaho, Nebraska, Iowa, Wisconsin, Minnesota
Languages
American English, Danish, Languages of Denmark
Religion
Christianity (Protestantism, Catholicism, Mormonism)
Related ethnic groups
Danes, Greenlanders, Danish Canadians, Danish Australian, Scandinavian Americans, European Americans

Danish Americans (Danish: Dansk-amerikanere) are Americans of Danish descent. There are approximately 1,500,000 Americans of Danish origin or descent. Most Danish-Americans live in the Western United States or the Midwestern United States.

History[link]

This seccion may require copy editing for grammar, style, cohesion, tone, or spelling. You can assist by editing it. (March 2012)

The first Dane known to have arrived in North America was the explorer Vitus Jonassen Bering (1681–1741), who, in 1728, discovered a narrow body of water that separated North America and Asia. Today, this strait is named the Bering Sea in his honor. Bering was also the first European to arrive in Alaska in 1741. In 1666 the Danish West India Company took the island of St. Thomas in the Caribbean. Eventually, Danes also took the islands of St. John (1717) and St. Croix (1733), then exporting after African slaves to the islands, who were devoted to snuff, cotton and sugar. Thus, began to establish trade with New England. Later, in 1917, they sold the islands to the United States, and they were renamed "U.S. Virgin Islands."

Early in the seventeenth century, individual Danish immigrants became established in North America. Thus, by the 1640s, contrary to what one might think, approximately 50 percent of the 1,000 people living in New Netherlands (Now New York) were Danes. After 1750 Danish families who were members of the religious group, the Moravian Brethren, immigrated to Pennsylvania where they settled in the Bethlehem area, among German Moravians. Until 1850, of the Danish who emigrated to North America were single men. During this period, some Danes achieved notability, such as Hans Christian Febiger or Fibiger (1749–1796), one of George Washington's most trusted officers during the American Revolution. Another notable Dane was Charles Zanco (1808–1836) who died at the Alamo in March 1836, in the struggle for Texan independence. Peter Lassen (1800–1859), a blacksmith from Copenhagen, led a group of adventurers from Missouri to California in 1839, establishing a trail soon to be followed by "forty-niners." Lassen is now considered one of the most important early settlers of California.

Between 1820 and 1850, 60 Danes were established each year in the United States. However, the number of Danes who emigrated to this country soon increase, reaching to emigrate more of 375,000 Danes between 1820 and 1990 to United States, the vast majority them emigrated between 1860 to 1930. Thus, the main year of Danish emigration in United States was 1882, when 11.618 Danes settled in the country.

The first significant wave of Danish immigrants to America was formed by Converts to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (Mormons) who settled in United States in 1850, in the newly acquired state of Utah, which had been under Mexican control until 1848. They were 17,000 immigrants. Many of these Danes settled in the small farming communities of Sanpete and Sevier counties. Even today, these counties continue to occupy the second and fifth positions respectively among all the counties in the United States in percentage of Danish American.

Another places of sizable Danish emigration was the Schleswig area of Jutland, that was under the power of Prussia, following the Danes' defeat, and forced to stop using the Danish language in schools. For this reason, between 1864 and 1920, some 50,000 North Slesvigers immigrated to the United States; however, most of these Danes are recorded in census statistics as immigrants from Germany rather than Denmark. Most Danes who immigrated to the United States after 1865 did so for economic reasons. By 1865, the large increase in the Danish population, because of the medicine and the improvement in food, had also caused a high rate of poverty, which in turn caused a significant migration to other countries, as well as to and United States, thanks to important sale of lands, and to an ongoing stream of letters from America (some containing pre-paid tickets). Many became become farmers in the United States. During the 1870 almost half of all Danish immigrants to the United States settled in family groups, but by the 1890s family immigration made up only of 25 percent of the total. Perhaps many of these immigrants eventually went back to Denmark.^[2]

Population[link]

According to the United States Census of 2000, the states with the largest populations of Danish Americans are as follows:

• California - 207,030
• Utah - 144,713
• Minnesota - 88,924
• Wisconsin - 72,160
• Washington - 72,098

The states with the smallest populations of Danish Americans are as follows:

• West Virginia - 1,317
• Delaware - 1,585
• Rhode Island - 1,811
• Vermont - 2,522
• Mississippi - 2,617

If it were a state, Washington, D.C., would have the smallest Danish American population, with 1,047 counted in 2000.

Usage of Danish Language[link]

Danish Americans that continue the usage of the Danish language number about 30,000. According to the US Census Bureau, in 2000, 33,400 people spoke Danish at home, the figure was down to 29,467 5 years later (2005 American Community Survey), the decrease rate was about 11.8%.^[3]

Culture[link]

The Library of Congress has noted that Danish Americans, more so than other Scandinavian Americans, "spread nationwide and comparatively quickly disappeared into the melting pot....the Danes were the least cohesive group and the first to lose consciousness of their origins."^[4] Historians have pointed to the higher rate of English use among Danes, their willingness to marry non-Danes, and their eagerness to become naturalized citizens as factors that contributed to their rapid assimilation, as well as their interactions with the already more assimilated German American community.^[2]

Much that is regarded as "Danish" national culture today was not widespread in the psyche of Danish emigrants during the Nineteenth Century era of immigration to the United States. It would take the European nationalism and class struggles of the late Nineteenth Century to effectively seed the ideas of a distinctive national cultural personality. While many Danish emigrants to the U.S.A. fared far better economically than emigrants from Eastern Europe, a deep cultural awareness of Danish literature, with popular fiction authors such as H. C. Andersen, did not exist among the agrarian bønder or common people of Denmark. Exceptions exist, of course, and primary among these are a rich heritage of folklore, an affinity to art, and regional traditions involving food and feast days.

As the Danes came to America, they brought with them their traditional foods. Popular Danish cuisine includes kringle (almond paste pastry), Wienerbrød and fastelavn bolle or Danish pastry (what Americans call breakfast "Danish"), æbleskiver (puffed pan cakes), frikadeller (Danish veal and pork meatballs), Flæskesteg (Christmas pork roast), and risengrød (rice pudding). Despite the perceived importance of beer in modern Danish national culture, Danish immigrants were largely unsuccessful in penetrating the American beer industry, which was saturated by immigrant German and Czech brew masters.

In 1872, Danish Americans in Omaha, Nebraska, founded the Den Danske Pioneer, or Danish Pioneer, an English-Danish newspaper. Now published in Hoffman Estates, Illinois, it is the oldest Danish American newspaper in publication.^[5]

Education[link]

Like many other immigrant groups, Danish Americans also founded schools to educate their youth. Traditional Danish "folk schools," which focused more on learning outcomes than grades or diplomas, were operated primarily between the 1870s and 1930s in heavily Danish communities such as Racine, Wisconsin, Elk Horn, Iowa; Ashland, Michigan; West Denmark, Wisconsin; Nysted, Nebraska; Tyler, Minnesota; Kenmare, North Dakota; and Solvang, California.^[2] Omaha, Nebraska and neighboring Council Bluffs, Iowa, had major colonies of Danes for many years.^[6]

The one major still-operating historically Danish American college is Grand View University, founded in 1896 in Des Moines, Iowa. Grand View University continues to maintain a large archival collection of Danish American history. Another institution, Dana College in Blair, Nebraska, operated from 1884 until 2010, but closed its doors in July 2010. The Danish American Archive and Library that once resided at Dana College is now independently situated in Blair. The archive contains the country’s largest and broadest collection of materials relating to the life experience, cultural heritage and vital contributions to North America of the people of Danish extraction.

Religious life[link]

Like other groups of Americans of Scandinavian descent, many of them are Lutherans. Lutheran pioneer minister, Claus Lauritz Clausen, the first president of the Norwegian-Danish Lutheran Conference, traveled to Denmark and influenced religious leaders to send pastors to America. The oldest Danish Lutheran congregation is Emmaus Lutheran Church in Racine, Wisconsin, founded August 22, 1851. Nearby Kenosha is home to the second oldest Danish Lutheran congregation, St. Mary's Lutheran Church, which is the largest congregation in the Greater Milwaukee Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.

In addition, a large number of Danish Americans belong to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Between 1849 and 1904, some 17,000 Danish Mormons and their children made the journey to the Church's settlements in Utah, making Danes second only to the British in number of foreigners recruited by the church to the state.

Nebraska, Iowa and Wisconsin have the largest concentrations of non-Mormon Danish Americans. The states with the largest Mormon Danish American populations are Utah and Idaho -- and in the case of Idaho, particularly the southeastern part of the state.

Smaller but significant numbers of Danish Americans have also become Methodists, Baptists, Roman Catholics, and Seventh-day Adventists.^[2]

Danish American communities[link]

Two cities, Chicago and Racine, Wisconsin, claim to be the home to the largest group of Danish Americans in the United States. Racine, 25 miles south of Milwaukee has the largest concentration of city dwellers with Danish origin. A number of other communities were founded by Danish Americans or have a large Danish American community:

Additionally, Danish Americans helped settle three U.S. counties: Montcalm, Michigan; St. Louis, Minnesota; and Sanpete, Utah.

Notable Danish Americans[link]

Art[link]

Gutzon Borglum chiseled Mount Rushmore in the Black Hills of South Dakota, now a modern American icon.

Sculptor Gutzon Borglum provided a staple of modern Americana when he chiseled Mount Rushmore in the Black Hills of South Dakota. His brother, sculptor Solon Borglum, also gained fame for his representations of the American frontier. Among America's earliest oil painters of merit is Amadeus Christian Gullager, a premier painter in early Federal America, who also worked in terra cotta. The marine painters Antonio Jacobsen and Emil Carlsen left a considerable body of work which continues to draw strong art auction prices. Several Danish artists settled in the American West where they left their mark on the regional artistic genre. Not least among this group is counted Olaf Wieghorst, called the "Dean of Western Painters," and Olaf Seltzer. Johann Berthelsen was a prominent and prolific Impressionist painter known for his urban scenes, especially those of New York City. On the less formal level, Carl Christian Anton Christensen, is America's Danish-American equivalent of "Grandma Moses." Another early Danish-American artisan was Peter Hanson, a landscape painter, tulip authority, and daguerreian. Hanson was born in Denmark in 1821 and came to America c. 1847, when he settled in Brooklyn, NY, with a photography studio in the Bowery. Roland Petersen born in Endelave, Denmark in 1926, is an American painter and printmaker. He is known for his distinctive and recognizable style of intaglio printmaking. Peter Sekaer (born Peter Ingemann Sekjær (1901) was a Danish-American photographer and artist. Born in Copenhagen, Denmark, Sekaer came to New York in 1918 to seek freedom and opportunity. By 1922 he acquired a reputation as a master sign painter and later as a master photographer documenting the New Deal and the plight of America's Depression Era.

Design[link]

In the early American decorative arts, one Danish-Afro-American stands out in particular - the accomplished Danish West Indies silversmith Peter Bentzon, who produced his masterpieces on both St. Croix and in Philadelphia. Jens Risom a craftsman from Copenhagen, who emigrated in 1939, is renown for his furniture design, as co-founder of the Hans Knoll Furniture Company, and as a trustee at the Rhode Island School of Design. Tage Frid, another Danish furniture designer, who came to the United States in 1948, is likewise known for his wood furniture design and professorship at the Rhode Island School of Design from 1962-1985. In the field of metalsmithing, John Prip, who was born in New York to a Danish father and an American mother, performed his apprenticeship in Denmark and returned to the United States where he became known for his silverwork and design. Many years after creation, some of Prip's designs are still in production by the Reed & Barton Silver Company. Prip taught at both the Rochester Institute of Technology and the Rhode Island School of Design.

Science[link]

Jens Clausen revolutionized the study of evolutionary genetics in botany, while Erik Erikson revolutionized developmental psychology with his theory on social development. Niels Ebbesen Hansen was a noted pioneer in plant breeding. Charles Christian Lauritsen was a physicist. In the final months of World War II he was part of the team of scientists who invented the atomic bomb. Mikkel Frandsen was a physical chemist noted for his experiments involving chemical thermodynamics, oil, and heavy water. Adam Giede Boving served as Assistant Curator of Entomology in the Zoological Museum in Copenhagen from 1902 to 1913 and after emigration became a Research Associate at the Smithsonian, in 1939 he joined the staff of the Bureau of Entomology at United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) until his retirement in 1945.

Sports[link]

Battling Nelson, presumed early 1900s

Oscar Mathæus Nielsen, also known as Oscar Battling Nelson, was a Danish boxer who held the world lightweight championship on two separate occasions. He was nicknamed "the Durable Dane". Nelson was born in Copenhagen, Denmark, and emigrated to the United States in 1883. Morten Andersen holds the distinction of being the all-time leading scorer in NFL history and the all-time leading scorer for two different teams.

George Nissen was an American gymnast and inventor who developed the modern trampoline and made trampolining a worldwide sport. Related to American sports culture, competitive swimming and sports apparel have never been the same since Danish-American Carl C. Jantzen and his partners founded the Jantzen Knitting Works in Portland, Oregon, in 1910.

Music[link]

Carl Busch readily stands out as a Danish-American composer who embraced new musical themes, taking his artistic inspiration from "Western" Native-American tribal themes and melodies. The Danish-American tubist Anders Christian August Helleberg is remembered as not only a great symphony musician and virtuoso, but his Helleberg mouthpieces, which he developed, are still used throughout the world. Mose Christensen was a noted American violinist; he became a founder and conductor of the Oregon Symphony. A native of Salt Lake, Utah, Christensen's father emigrated from Denmark with the wave of Mormon pioneers in the early 1850s. Kai Winding was a popular trombonist and jazz composer.

Entertainment[link]

The Barrison Sisters reveal kittens beneath their skirts, at the conclusion of their notorious vaudeville cat dance, c. 1890s

The Barrison Sisters were a risqué Vaudeville act who performed in the United States and Europe from about 1891 to 1900, advertised as The Wickedest Girls In the World. The sisters, whose birth name was Bareisen, emigrated with their mother to the United States in 1886, joining their father who immigrated earlier. Victor Borge, known as the Great Dane and Clown Prince of Denmark, gained fame for his offbeat comedy and music routines. Lauritz Melchior was a Danish and later American opera singer. He was the pre-eminent Wagnerian tenor of the 1920s, 1930s, and 1940s, and has since come to be considered the quintessence of his voice type. Michael J. Nelson well known as the head writer of the series Mystery Science Theater 3000 and currently Rifftrax. Christine Jorgensen (born George William Jorgensen, Jr. in New York City to Danish immigrant parents), obtained a sex-change operation in Denmark in 1952 and made a celebrated return to the USA in 1953, after which she gave lectures, acted, and sang in nightclubs to the applause of ‘I Enjoy Being a Girl.’ Jorgensen's autobiography was made into a film and she became a spokesperson for transsexual and transgender people.

Soren Sorensen Adams, who was known as "king of the professional pranksters," was an inventor and manufacturer of novelty products, including the Joy Buzzer. He was born near Aarhus, Denmark in 1879 to Hans and Sofia Sørensen, and emigrated to the US with his family at age four, and grew up in Perth Amboy, New Jersey. His other contributions to American popular culture include: Cachoo Sneezing Powder, the Exploding Cigarette Box, the Snake Nut Can, Itching Powder, the Stink bomb, and the Dribble glass

Journalism[link]

Jacob Riis, a prominent socially conscious journalist and photographer, used his influence to help the less fortunate of New York City with his implementation of "model tenements. " As one of the first American photographers to use flash, he is also considered a pioneer in photo journalism.

Politics[link]

William Leidesdorff, the son of a Danish West Indies planter and an African mother arrived in San Francisco in 1841 and became both wealthy and arguably the first mixed-race U.S. diplomat in United States history. As the United States subconsul, he played a significant role in the turnover of Mexican California to the United States. Charles Walhart Woodman, who was born in Aalborg, Denmark, served as an U.S. Representative for Illinois from 1895-1897. Jacob Johnson, who also emigrated from Aalborg, Denmark, in 1854 and later served one term as a U.S. Representative for Utah from 1912-1915. Niels Juul a lawyer, State Representative, and U.S. Representative from Illinois, was born in Randers, Denmark, and served in Congress from 1917-1921. Andrew Petersen, an U.S. Representative from New York, was born in Thisted, Denmark, and emigrated with his parents to Boston in 1873, the family later moving to New York. Petersen served in Congress from 1921-1923. Charles Gustav Binderup, from Minden, NE, and who was born in Horsens in 1873, represented Nebraska's 4th District in the Congress from 1935-1939. Herman Carl Andersen, an U.S. Representative from Minnesota, was born in Washington state and after a career in Minnesota politics served in the House of Representatives from 1939-1963. Andersen's father emigrated from Denmark in the late 1870s and later moved his family to a Danish immigrant enclave in Tyler, Minnesota. Hjalmar Petersen, an emigrant from Eskildstrup, Denmark, Midwest journalist, and onetime mayor of Askov, Minnesota, served in the Minnesota Legislature, and later as the Lieutenant Governor. Upon the death of Governor Olson in 1936, he became the 23rd Governor of Minnesota. George A. Nelson, the 1936 Vice Presidential candidate of the Socialist Party of America, was born to Danish parents in rural Wisconsin. Morgan F. Larson, of Perth Amboy, NJ, the son of a Danish immigrant blacksmith, served as governor of New Jersey from 1929-32. Esther Peterson, the daughter of Danish Mormon immigrants, grew-up in Provo, Utah, and later served as Assistant Secretary of Labor and Director of the United States Women's Bureau for President John F. Kennedy, Special Assistant for Consumer Affairs under Presidents Lyndon B. Johnson and Jimmy Carter. She received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1981 and was named a delegate the UN as a UNESCO representative in 1993. Steny Hoyer, a Democratic member of the United States House of Representatives and the present House Minority Whip, is a native of New York City, but grew up in southern Maryland. Hoyer's father emigrated from Copenhagen, Denmark. Hoyer was bestowed a knighthood by the Queen of Denmark in 2008.

Movies[link]

During the early days of Hollywood film making numerous Danes either produced, directed, or acted on the silver screen, to include: Robert Andersen, Ann Forest, Anders Randolph, Karl Dane, Otto Mathiesen, Winna Winfred, Gwili Andre, Gale Sondergaard, Torben Meyer, Bodil Rosing, Benjamin Christensen, Svend Gade, Carl Gerard, Ann Forrest, James Cruze, Jean Hersholt, Carl Brisson, Johannes Poulsen, William Orlamond, Max Ree (1931 Oscar), and Tambi Larsen.

More to modern times, many Danes are actively involved in the movie industry, however today's air transportation no longer necessitates a Dane moving to America to be an artistic part of Hollywood. Among the few Danes who have moved to the U.S.A. to pursue acting careers is Connie Inge-Lise Nielsen, who was born in Denmark and today lives in Sausalito, California. Additionally, a few stars signal the offspring from Danish-American parents. For example, the actor Viggo Mortensen was born to a Danish father and an American mother. Likewise, actress Scarlett Johansson was also born to a Danish father.

Military[link]

Christian Febiger was an American Revolutionary War commander, born on Funen, he became a confidante of General George Washington and was an original member of the Society of the Cincinnati. Known by the moniker "Old Denmark", Febiger also served as Treasurer of Pennsylvania from November 13, 1789 until his death nearly seven years later.^[7]

Chris Madsen, the famous lawman of the Old West, was born Chris Madsen Rormose in Denmark. After emigrating in 1876, he served for 15 years in the U.S. Army in the Fifth Cavalry and fought in many major Indian campaigns. After his discharge in 1891, Madsen became a deputy U.S. marshal in the Oklahoma Territory, where he apprehended or killed many outlaws. In 1898, he joined Theodore Roosevelt's Rough Riders, serving as Quartermaster Sergeant. After more service as a U.S. marshal, and at the outset of World War I, he tried to enlist in the U.S. Army but was rejected due to his age

Robert A. Arensen, FM1, USN, lost his life on December 7, 1941 at Pearl Harbor when the U.S.S. Helena was torpedoed. Arensen came from Perth Amboy, NJ. Dale M. Hansen, Pvt., USMC, earned his nation's highest military decoration — the Medal of Honor — for his outstanding heroism on 7 May 1945 in the fight for Hill 60 on Okinawa. He was killed by enemy sniper fire three days later. Hansen came from Wisner, Nebraska. Camp Hansen, one of the ten Marine Corps camps on Okinawa, is named in honor of Pvt. Hansen.

A leading executive in the automobile industry, William S. Knudsen, an emigrant from Copenhagen, Denmark, accepted President Franklin Roosevelt's urging to manage the task of overseeing America's vast wartime military armament and supply production. In 1942, Knudsen accepted a brevet commission and served for the duration of the war as a Lieutenant General in the U.S. Army.

Danish born Congressional Medal of Honor recipients

• James Miller (Medal of Honor) (1865), Quartermaster, USN, U.S.S. Marblehead, for action on St. John's Island on 25 Dec 1863. Born Denmark.
• John Brown (Medal of Honor) (1866), Captain of the Afterguard, USN, for rescuing two seamen of the U.S.S. Winooski off Eastport, ME, on 10 May 1866. Born in Denmark.
• James Benson (Medal of Honor) (1872), Seaman, USN, U.S.S. Ossipee, for lifesaving on 20 Jun 1872. Born Denmark.
• Claus Kristian Randolph Clausen, (1899) Coxwain, USN, for heroism connected to the sinking of the U.S.S. Merrimac, Santiago, Cuba, on 2 Jun 1898. Born Denmark.
• Frederick Muller (1901), Mate, USN, U.S.S. Wompatuck, for action at Manzanillo, Cuba, on 30 Jun 1898. Born Denmark.
• Gotfred Jensen (1906), Private. Co. D, 1st ND Vol. Inf. for action at San Miguel de Mayumo, Luzon, Philippine Islands, on 13 May 1899. Born Denmark.

Infamous Danish Americans[link]

George Anderson

Robert Hansen (Robert Christian Hansen) is a serial killer, who between 1980 and 1983 murdered between 17 and 21 people near Anchorage, Alaska. Hansen was born in Estherville, Iowa, to Christian and Edna Hansen. Hansen's father was a Danish immigrant baker and he worked in his father's bakery as a youth. It is theorized that Hansen began killing prostitutes around 1980. After paying women for her services, he would kidnap, torture, and rape them, further binding and flying them to his cabin in the Knik River Valley in his private airplane. Once there, he would release his victim on a river sandbar, stalk and then kill them with a hunting knife or carbine as they fled through the woods. Apprehended in 1983, Hansen was convicted in 1984 and sentenced to 461 years plus life, without chance of parole. He is currently imprisoned at Spring Creek Correctional Center in Seward, Alaska. The Hansen case served as inspiration for the action thriller Naked Fear (2007).

Thor Nis Christiansen was a serial killer from Solvang, California. He was born in Denmark and emigrated to Inglewood with his parents and on to Solvang when he was five years old. His father, Nis, ran a restaurant in Solvang. In sum, Thor Christiansen was obsessed with fantasies of shooting women and having sex with their corpses. Christiansen killed four women and his fifth victim escaped with serious wounds. After conviction, he was stabbed to death in Folsom State Prison in 1981.

Bjarne Skounborg, born Peter Kenneth Bostrøm Lundin, (more commonly known as Peter Lundin), is a convicted murderer. He was born in Solrød Strand, Denmark in 1971 and emigrated to the United States when he was seven years old. In April 1991, Lundin strangled his mother to death in Maggie Valley, North Carolina, and, with the help of his father, he buried her body on a Cape Hatteras beach, where it was later found. In 1992, Lundin was sentenced to 15 years imprisonment for the murder and in 1999 Lundin was released from prison for capacity reasons and deported back to Denmark. After his return to Denmark he was convicted for killing his girlfriend and her two sons and is currently serving life imprisonment.

George Anderson also known as George "Dutch" Anderson was an early Prohibition-era gang criminal in the mid-1920s. Anderson was born Ivan Dahl von Teler to a wealthy Danish family circa 1880 and emigrated to the United States around the turn of the century. Anderson, along with Gerald Chapman, operated a Prohibition-era gang during the late 1910s until the mid-1920s. He and his associates successfully robbed a U.S. Mail truck of $2.4 million in cash, bonds, and jewelry. His criminal infamy included burglary, armed robbery, boot-legging, prison escape, counterfeiting, and murder. Finally captured, he was sentenced to 25 years in prison, but later escaped. He was killed in a police shootout on October 31, 1925.

Casper Holstein was a numbers racketeer who made a fortune in New York's Harlem neighborhoods. Born in 1878 on St. Croix, Danish West Indies, to a Danish military father and African descent mother, Holstein moved to New York City in 1894. After service in the U.S. Navy, the veteran Holstein eventually became involved in gambling and found a niche in the African-American neighborhoods of Harlem, where he devised a dime-based numbers betting enterprise. By the early 1920s, Holstein's system achieved huge popularity and he became known as the "Bolita King," earning him an estimated $5000 a day. Holstein used his illegal revenue for many philanthropic causes both within Harlem and back in the renamed U.S. Virgin Islands. Eventually, Holstein was muscled out of his operations by competing (white) organized crime. In 1935 Holstein was arrested and convicted of illegal gambling and served a one-year sentence. Upon release Holstein invested in real estate and offered mortgages to minorities in the Harlem community until his death in 1944, when a reported 2,000 people attended his funeral at Harlem's Memorial Baptist Church.

See also[link]

• Danish American Chamber of Commerce (also listed in the list of external links, below)

References[link]

Bibliography[link]

• Beasley, Norman. Knudsen: a Biography, New York: Whittlesey House, 1947.
• Balogh, Laura Petersen. Karl Dane: A Biography and Filmography, Jefferson, NC: McFarland & Company, 2009.
• Christensen, Thomas Peter. Dansk Amerikansk historie, Cedar Falls, IA: K.C. Holst Pub., 1927.
• Croy, Homer Trigger Marshal. The Story of Chris Madsen, New York: Duell, Sloan and Pearce, 1958.
• Davis, John L. The Danish Texans, San Antonio, TX: Institute of Texan Cultures, University of Texas, 1984.
• Emmons, Shirley. Tristanissimo: The Authorized Biography of Heroic Tenor Lauritz Melchior, New York: Schirmer Books, 1990.
• Evjen, John Oluf. Scandinavian Immigrants in New York 1630-1674, Minneapolis: K.C. Holter Pub., 1916.
• Garde, H. F.. Peter Bentzon -- en vestindisk guldsmed, Personalhistorisk Tidsskrift 1993:1, pp. 68–83.
• Henius, Max. Den Danskfødte Amerikaner, Copenhagen: Gyldendalske Boghandel, 1912.
• Howard, Leland G. Johann Berthelsen: An American Master Painter, Terre Haute, IN: Sheldon Swope Art Museum, 1988.
• Hvidt, Kristian. Danske veje vestpå. Rebild National Park, 1976.
• Jensen, Arne Hall. Den Dansk-Amerikanske Historie: En Udførlig Skildrig af de Danske Udvandrere til Amerika fra Tidligste Tid til Vore Dage, København: Arthur Jensens Forlag, 1937.
• Jensen, Carl Christian. An American Saga, Boston: Little, Brown and Company, 1927.
• Jorgensen, Christine. Christine Jorgensen: A Personal Autobiography, New York: Paul S. Eriksson, Inc., 1967.
• Layton, Rachel. Peter Bentzon, A "Mustice" Silversmith in Philadelphia and St. Croix, International Review of African American Art, Vol. 12, No. 2, pp. 31–35.
• Layton, Rachel. Peter Bentzon, Silversmith, The Magazine Antiques, February 1995, pp. 306–315.
• Melchior, Ib. Lauritz Melchior: The Golden Years of Bayreuth, Fort Worth, TX, Baskerville Publishers, 2003.
• Meyer, Edith Patterson. "Not Charity, but Justice" The Story of Jacob A. Riis, New York: Vanguard Press, 1974.
• Price, Willadene. Gutzon Borglum: Artist and Patriot, New York: Rand McNally, 1961.
• Rauscher, William. S.S. Adams: High Priest of Pranks and Merchant of Magic, Oxford, CT: David E. Haversat, 2002.
• Sadik, Marvin. Christian Gullager: Portrait Painter to Federal America, Washington: National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution, 1976.
• Shaff, Howard and Shaff, Audrey Karl. Six Wars at a Time: The life and times of Gutzon Borglum, Sioux Falls: Center for Western Studies, 1985.
• Taliaferro, John. Great White Fathers: The Story of the Obsessive Quest to Create Mount Rushmore, New York: Public Affairs, 2002.
• Vig, Peter Sørensen. Danske i Amerika, Minneapolis: C. Rasmussen Pub., 1907.
• Vig, Peter Sørensen. Den danske udvandring til Amerika, Danish Luth. Pub. House, 1915.

See also[link]

• Danish American Chamber of Commerce (also listed in the list of external links, below)

References[link]

External links[link]

• Danish Immigrant Museum
• Danish American Heritage Society
• Danish American Archive and Library
• Danish Archive North East
• National Danish-American Genealogical Society
• Danish Emigration Archives
• Danish American Chamber of Commerce
• Danish Society of Massachusetts
• Rebild National Park Society
• Danes Worldwide
• Bien Newspaper
• Danish Pioneer Newspaper
• Danske Kulturministeriets Kulturkanon (Danish Cultural Canon)

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Kenichi Ebina (蛯名 健一, Ebina Ken'ichi^?) is a dance performer. His solo act features his unique self-taught style which combines a number of different styles, including freestyle hip-hop, mime, jazz, and ethnic dance. In 2006-2007 he won the Apollo Amateur Night seven times and became grand champion for the season. In 2001 his dance troupe BiTriP won 1st place at the Apollo Amateur Night. He remains the only two-time grand champion. He is also featured in Angelina Ballerina: The Next Steps where he talks about his dance performance involving a story about a mannequin brought to life.

External links[link]

• YouTube videos uploaded by Ebina
• TED Talks: Kenichi Ebina's magic moves at TED in 2007

This article about someone associated with the art of dance is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. v t e

This biographical article needs additional citations for verification. Please help by adding reliable sources. Contentious material about living persons that is unsourced or poorly sourced must be removed immediately, especially if potentially libelous or harmful. (January 2008)

Per Stig Møller in September 2011

Per Stig Møller (left) and Jóannes Eidesgaard in Fámjin before signing the contract about Faroese-Danish relations in foreign policy

Per Stig Møller (Danish pronunciation: [ˈpeɐ̯ sdi ˈmølɐ], informal: Per Stig; born August 27, 1942 in Frederiksberg) was Culture Minister of Denmark. He has been a member of Folketinget (the Danish national parliament) for the Conservative People's Party since 1984, and was Minister for the Environment from December 18, 1990 to January 24, 1993 as part of the Cabinet of Poul Schlüter IV and Foreign Minister from November 27, 2001 to February 23, 2010 as part of the Cabinet of Anders Fogh Rasmussen I, II and III, and the first Cabinet of Lars Løkke Rasmussen. Since February 23, 2010 to October 3, 2011 he has been Minister for Culture.

Per Stig Møller is the son of the former Finance Minister Poul Møller and journalist Lis Møller, who were both Members of Parliament.

Education[link]

Per Stig Møller completed his master's degree in comparative literature at the University of Copenhagen in 1967, and was awarded a dr.phil. (higher doctorate) in 1973 for his thesis Malte-Bruns litterære kritik og dens plads i transformationsprocessen mellem klassicisme og romantik i fransk litteraturhistorie 1800-1826 (Eng.: Literary criticism of Malte-Brun and its position in the transformation process between classicism and romanticism in French history of literature 1800-1826).

Non-political career[link]

• 1973 - 1974: Editor of culture in Danmarks Radio.
• 1974 - 1976: Lecturer at the University of Paris.
• 1974, 1976 - 1979: Vice president (souschef) at the department of culture and society at Danmarks Radio.
• 1979 - 1984: Working with the program manager at Danmarks Radio.
• 1985 - 1986: Vice president of Radiorådet, the leading organ of Danmarks Radio which is appointed by Folketinget.
• 1986 - 1987: President of Radiorådet.
• 1984 - 2001: Commentator at the newspaper Berlingske Tidende.

Political career[link]

• 1983 - 1989: President of Folkeligt Oplysningsforbund.
• 1984–present: Member of Folketinget for the Conservative People's Party.
• 1985 - 1998: Member of hovedbestyrelsen, the leadership of the Conservative People's Party.
• 1987 - 2001: Member of the Council of Europe.
• 1990 - 1993: Minister for the Environment in the Cabinet of Poul Schlüter IV.
• 1994 - 2001: Member of Udenrigspolitisk Nævn, the committee for foreign policy.
• 1994 - 1996: President of Sikkerhedspolitisk Udvalg, the committee of security.
• 1997 - 1998: Leader of the Conservative People's Party, succeeding Hans Engell. He resigned after a poor result in the election in 1998.
• 1998 - 2001: Foreign policy spokesman for the Conservative People's Party.
• 2001 - 2010: Foreign Minister of Denmark
• 2010–2011: Culture Minister of Denmark
• 2011–2011: Minister for Ecclesiastical Affairs of Denmark

Bibliography[link]

• Synspunkter i konservatismen (anthology) (1968)
• Antikleksikon (with Preben Hasselbalch and Jens Winther) (1970)
• La Critique dramatique et littéraire de Malte-Brun (1971)
• Utopi og virkelighed (with Søren Krarup and Ebbe Reich) (1973)
• Malte-Bruns litterære kritik og dens plads i transformationsprocessen mellem klassicisme og romantik i fransk litteraturhistorie 1800-1826 (Doctor of Philosophy|Ph. D. thesis) (1973)
• Léopold Sédar Senghor: Mod en ny civilisation (commentary) (1973)
• Tøger Reenberg: Ars Poetica. Digte mellem to tider (commentary) (1973)
• Erotismen (1973)
• København-Paris t/r (1973)
• Tværsnit 1790 (anthology) (1974)
• På Sporet af det forsvundne Menneske (1976)
• Forfatternes Danmarkshistorie (editor) (1977)
• Livet i Gøgereden (1978)
• Fra Tid til Anden (1979)
• Forfatternes kulturhistorie (editor) (1979)
• Tro, Håb og Fællesskab (1980)
• Forfatternes forfatterhistorie (editor) (1980)
• Midt i Redeligheden (1981)
• Orwells Håb og Frygt (1983)
• Nat uden Daggry (1985)
• Mulighedernes Samfund (with Bertel Haarder and Tom Høyem) (1985)
• Stemmer fra Øst (1987)
• Historien om Estland, Letland og Litauen (1990)
• Kurs mod Katastrofer? (1993)
• Miljøproblemer (1995)
• Den naturlige Orden - Tolv år der flyttede Verden (1996)
• Spor. Udvalgte Skrifter om det åbne Samfund og dets Værdier (1997)
• Magt og Afmagt (1999)
• Munk (2000)
• Mere Munk (2003)

References[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Per Stig Møller

• CV - From the official website of Folketinget.
• CV - From the official website of Foreign Ministry of Denmark.

This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (June 2010)

American Dragon: Jake Long is an American animated television series produced by Walt Disney Television Animation. It premiered on Disney Channel January 21, 2005 and became discontinued on September 1, 2007.^[1] The show currently airs on Disney XD in the United States. In the United Kingdom it originally aired on Disney Channel, but has now moved to Disney XD and airs on Disney Channel in Australia and Mexico.

Premise[link]

Set in New York City (specifically the borough of Manhattan), this animated series tells the story of thirteen-year-old Jake Long who must balance ordinary adolescent transformation with the amazing power and ability to change into the form of a dragon. When he eventually unlocks his full potential and turns into the American Dragon, he will overcome obstacles to protect the magical creatures living in the city, but as his ordinary self, Jake Long can't conquer his crush on pretty blond schoolmate Rose who, unbeknownst to Jake, has an amazing dark secret of her own. She's a natural dragon slayer named Huntsgirl. Jake navigates the city with fellow skateboarders Trixie Carter and Arthur P. Spuddinski (A.K.A Spud), and when he gets home, it's to an extended family: a businessman dad originally from the Midwest who doesn't know he's married into a family of dragons, Jake's Chinese mom, his grandfather (who recently immigrated to train his grandson in the ways of the ancient dragon), younger seven-year-old sister Haley (a nascent dragon) and Grandpa's gruff sidekick, a magical Shar-Pei named Fu Dog.

Production[link]

American Dragon: Jake Long was created by Jeff Goode. The Walt Disney Company ordered an initial twenty-one 30 minute episodes for the first season, all of which have been made. It was first broadcast in the United Kingdom on Disney Channel January 4, 2005, in the United States on The Disney Channel on January 21, 2005, and on Toon Disney on February 2006. It has also been broadcast on Family in Canada as well as on the Seven Network in Australia. It is still being aired on Disney Channel Latin America from Monday to Friday on the animated block and Saturdays and Sundays after The Wonderful World of Disney. The show will be syndicated on Toon Disney's successor Disney XD.

Characters[link]

Main characters[link]

• Jacob "Jake" Luke Long (Voiced by Dante Basco): Jake is a proud and lazy yet kind and loyal thirteen-year-old (fourteen years old in the second season) skateboarder who is, in secret, a dragon. He uses his duties as a dragon to help defend the underground magical world of New York City, while continuing his training into becoming the first American Dragon. He's initially a very big show off and lacks in his responsibilities, but when it really matters, he always displays a strong sense of responsibility and maturity. Jake is famous for being the second dragon to survive an encounter with the Dark Dragon and the first to do so twice. Due to this and his other adventures, Jake becomes a popular and well-known figure in the magical world. His catchphrase is "Awww Man". By the end of the series, Jake graduates from Millard Fillmore Middle School and he is dating Rose, whom he has really strong romantic feelings for.

• Luong Lao Shi "Grandpa" (Voiced by Keone Young): Lao, as Jake and Haley's Chinese Dragon maternal grandfather, is a Dragon Master who teaches Jake the necessary skills in becoming a protector of magical creatures. Lao has reluctantly supported Susan's relationship with Jonathan, often calling him "daughter's husband." The two eventually work out their major differences during a family reunion. He runs the Canal Street Electronics shop, which is infamous for never having any customers (the shop's slogan is "Never had a customer, never had a sale"). Nonetheless, Lao has an intense rivalry with another electronics store. Regardless, his store is the main headquarters for all magical operations. His friend Fu Dog is his guardian who can create magical potions to assist in these missions. Lao's attempts at training Jake can, at times, cause more damage than help. However, Jake learns and puts into use the skills that are essential in becoming the American Dragon. He is the first dragon to mentor a blood relative – a break from tradition that he insisted on should Jake ever have to face the Dark Dragon. Lao is actually the first dragon to face the Dark Dragon and survive. According to Fu, Lao was very laid back (much like Jake had originally been) before this encounter, but matured immensely after defeating him. The name, Luong Lao Shi, appears to be a Romanized translation of the Chinese words for "dragon" and "teacher".

• Fu Dog (Voiced by John DiMaggio): Fu is a six hundred-year-old talking Shar Pei and Lao's only companion, who speaks with a Brooklyn accent. The two actually met when Fu was a petty thief, but (with much insistence from Fu) the two became a team shortly before Lao's first encounter with the Dark Dragon. Like many magical animals, Fu is able to walk upright, and has no trouble using his front paws as hands despite the apparent absence of opposable thumbs. He is highly skilled at brewing potions and casting spells, which constantly proves to be an asset. Despite his age, he frequently keeps up-to-date with current trends and events that will occasionally put him at odds with Lao Shi. He is somewhat lecherous, and is infamous for constantly gambling and placing bets on Jake in battles (bets that often change depending on how the battle is going); he owes an immense amount of money to many magical beings as a result.

• Arthur P. "Spud" Spudinski (Voiced by Charlie Finn): Spud is one of Jake's best human friends. Though often appearing to be slow-witted, he is actually a genius. He just preferred to keep it a secret to avoid the related pressure, but the truth came out in the second season, and he found it wasn't so bad that everyone knew. He owns a laptop computer that sports surveillance capabilities and other functions that assist him in the field. His philosophy is that he believes that all play and no work is just as bad as all work and no play and he wants to be the medium. He apparently has magical potential and may have a wizard heritage (e.g. being able to use Panderis' wand, his grandfather knowing how to seal away the genie in Taranushis Chalice and his grandfather also telling him stories about the mermaid city). In "Something Fishy This Way Comes," it is revealed that he has a fascination with the advanced mermaid city. In the episode, "Homecoming," after questions over being more than just friends, he and Trixie finally decide they are only "just friends" on a strictly platonic, friendly level and nothing more.

• Trixie Carter (Voiced by Miss Kittie): As one of Jake's human best friends, she is sassy, vivacious and is a judgmental character. Of the three friends, Trixie is usually the most level-headed and responsible. She is a fashion enthusiast. Her father being a pilot gives her access to fashions from overseas, but she usually prefers her regular clothes. In the situation of Jake and Rose's relationship, Trixie has always shown a dislike and distrust towards Rose advising Jake to be wary around her. But over time, she started to be more supportive of their relationship, and even tried to help Jake move on once she was gone.

• Haley Kay Long (Voiced by Amy Bruckner): Haley is Jake's seven-year-old younger (eight years old in the second season) sister, who is quite intelligent, talented, a bit of a perfectionist, and a goody-two-shoes (much to Jake's consistent annoyance). Haley goes to a school for advanced youths and actually tries hard to succeed. She is also quick to point out Jake's faults and make herself look superior to him. Yet, deep down, she looks up to him. Unlike Jake, she began developing her dragon powers at an earlier age. In the first season she is a purple dragon, in the second season she is pink. As his sister, she is actually next in line to be the American Dragon. Her mentor is Sun Park, though her training is quite different from Jake's. In "Being Human," Jake purposely gets a one week suspension from his dragon duties, so Haley became his replacement. Though thinking she's up to the task, she quickly realizes how hard Jake has to work and how much pressure it creates. Nonetheless, Sun praises Haley's service and feels she can start pitching in to help Jake.

• Rose/Huntsgirl (Voiced by Mae Whitman): Rose is Jake's huge crush and is also part of the Huntsclan, a clan that wants to destroy magical creatures, like Jake as a dragon. Rose is the Huntsgirl and needs to kill the American dragon to become part of the Huntsclan. Rose has a Chinese dragon-shaped birthmark on her hand to show that she is part of the Huntsclan, which was revealed in the episode The Ski Trip, when Jake realizes that Huntsgirl and Rose is the same person with the same tattoo, he disappointingly dumps her at the end of the episode. Later on in the series, Rose finds out that Jake is the American Dragon, and since then, she starts helping him, but still trying to show that she still "hates" him. In the episode, Dreamscape, Rose finds out that she has a mother, a father, and an unnamed identical twin sister but she was taken away by the Huntsclan because she has the Chinese dragon-shaped birthmark on her left wrist and hand, which is referred to as "the Mark of the Huntsclan." Throughout the entire series, she develops very strong romantic feelings for Jake, despite him being a dragon, and later, works as a double-agent because of them.

In order to protect her true romantic love, Jake, she destroys all of the Huntsclan though it will kill her as well, but Jake is able to save her and make it so she never was taken as a baby. As a result she loses her memory of him and moves to Hong Kong,China, with her parents. But in the series finale,"Hong Kong Longs," after seeing a photo of them at a dance with their arms around each other, part of her memory returns, and she aids Jake against the Dark Dragon, and the two apparently get back together and begin to date as a couple.

Recurring characters[link]

• Jonathan Long (Jeff Bennett): As Jake and Haley's well-meaning American father, he's a normal human who has no clue that he's married into a whole family of magical and mystical fire-breathing dragons. Though often near feats of magic, he either mistakes them for something else or is completely oblivious to them. (In one occurrence, he chalked up Haley's brief Krylock mutation to an allergic reaction to chocolate.) He has a sister. Though Jonathan often comes off as naive or goofy, it has been shown he always has his family's best interests at heart and that some of Jake's best qualities were inherited from him. Jonathan fought the Jersey Devil (mistaking it for a bear) and vampires (who were masquerading as humans) to protect Jake from harm. Even though his last name is also a valid Chinese surname, Jonathan does not appear to be of Chinese ancestry. He does, however, feel that he is because he claims to be 1/16 Navajo – rationalizing that Native Americans came to the continent on land bridges connected to Asia. In the series finale, he sees Haley's dragon form and finally learns the truth. While initially overwhelmed and full of questions, he is also completely accepting, noting that he always felt there was something magical about his family. He participates in the final battle against the Dark Dragon and destroys his Shade Demons.

• Susan Long (Lauren Tom): Jake and Haley's Chinese human-born to Dragon ancestry mother and the daughter of Luong Lao Shi. She does not appear to have inherited any natural dragon powers and abilities, saying it skipped her generation. She works as a caterer. She also has a penchant to photograph milestones in her children's lives, such as Jake's first date and Haley's first lost tooth. Throughout the series, she keeps the family secret from Jonathan out of fears that he would freak out and (possibly) leave her; yet, this does not occur. However, on the last day of eighth grade, she wrote a letter explaining her families dragon powers and abilities, but never gave it to him. In one episode, Jake went back in time, took the note and put it in his father's locker causing him to actually leave her but he solved this problem. In the last episode, her husband finally finds out of his wife's family history. While unlike Jonathan who helped Jake out unknowingly a few times, Susan never took a direct role in his missions until Hong Kong Longs when she and Jonathan join Trixie, Spud, Haley and Fu Dog in helping to battle the Dark Dragon. During the battle, Susan manages to destroy a few Shade Demons and helps Jonathan destroy the rest.

• Sun Park (Sandra Oh): She is the Korean Dragon as well as Haley's dragon master and Jake's Home Economics teacher. She appears to be a pacifist, though she is quite adept at fighting if required. According to executive producers Eddie Guzelian and Matt Negrete, Sun was originally set to die in "Homecoming", however the scene was cut for being too dark.^[2]

• Kara and Sara (Tara Strong): Twin siblings who are descended from the Oracle of Delphi, each possessing the ability to see into the future. Kara only sees good things occur but is very moody and sullen, while Sara only sees bad things occur but is very happy and cheerful. When questioned by Jake over this, Kara states foreseeing all of life's good moments renders them without meaning for her, while Sara states that only foreseeing bad moments leaves her constantly looking at the positives of things and being cheerful at any good news. In the first season, they are identical redheads. The two are part of Jake's army against the Dark Dragon and help him temporarily destroy him. In the second season, Sara is a blonde and Kara has black hair. The two are also featured in the opening credits of Season 2.

• Veronica (Tara Strong): An arachnoid human hybrid and love interest of Fu during the first season. She runs a stand in Magus Bazaar, a magical shopping district in New York.

• Silver (Kari Wahlgren): A highly intelligent mermaid and ally of Jake, first shown as one of the prisoners for the Huntsclan's Grand Equinox Hunt. Strangely, despite her species, she suffers from aquaphobia in her first appearance. She overcomes this by the end of that episode, but later suffers a relapse in Season 2.

• Dolores Derceto (Susan Blakeslee): The first principal of Jake's school. She once noted that she saw Jake more often than her own secretary. Though initially appearing to be a paraplegic, she is revealed in the second season to be an undercover mermaid detective, seeking out the Kelpie. She also developed a relationship with Lao Shi, but when her assignment concluded, she had to leave – much to the regret of both.

• Councilor Andam (Clarence Williams III): One of the members of the Dragon Council. He is the African Dragon and is from Kenya.

• Councilor Kulde (Jeff Bennett): One of the members of the Dragon Council. He is the European Dragon and is from Norway. He has expressed particular interest in Jake's training and future, feeling he has great promise. It is noted that he is the only dragon in the series that breathes ice instead of fire.

• Councilor Omina: One of the members of the Dragon Council. She is the Dragon of Atlantis.

• Councilor Kukulkan: One of the members of the Dragon Council. He is the Central American Dragon and is from Guatemala.

• Danika Hunnicutt (Jessica DiCicco): Jake's second love interest, who wins him at their school's fund-raising Bachelor Auction. When Jake starts to act dangerously self-destructive, a siren is believed to be the cause and Danika is the main suspect. It turns out that she was actually a pawn for the actual siren, but not before she is accused of wrong-doing by Jake and friends, which deeply upsets her. She admits she later forgave Jake and the two were graduation partners.

• Bertha: (Tara Strong) A giant girl whose feet smell.

• Nigel Thrall (Adam Wylie): Millard Fillmore Middle School's new foreign exchange student from the United Kingdom who turns out to be a wizard who came to America to complete his training. He and Jake immediately become rivals, as Nigel outdoes Jake at skateboarding and rapping, but eventually settle into a competitive friendship. Nigel later helps save Jake from the Gorgon sisters.

Antagonists/Villains[link]

• The Huntsman (Voiced by Jeff Bennett): The Huntsman (referred to as "Huntsmaster" by his subordinates) is the leader of the Huntsclan and the main antagonist of the series. The Dragon Council rates him as the #4 threat to the magical community. He is fanatically devoted to destroying all magical creatures (especially dragons), viewing them as disgusting and unnatural, and has no qualms against killing any humans who get in his way. Though he typically leaves his henchmen to do the fighting for him, he has proven quite powerful on his own. When Jake travels back in time to reveal the truth about dragons to his father, he encounters a teenaged Huntsman, who (while dedicated to the Huntsclan) is shown to be quite wimpy, bullied by his peers and speaking with a cracking voice. However, after Jake knocks him into a pit with a dangerous monster, the battered Huntsman displays a new intensity that terrifies his peers and vows to destroy every last dragon on Earth. He ultimately meets his demise when Rose's wish to destroy all Huntsclan is granted. The Huntsman was originally Rose's first guardian, stealing her from her parents as an infant and claiming her parents were deceased. (He did, however, know who and where her real parents were to maintain potential leverage.) Throughout the series, The Huntsman was a masked character always wearing a dragon skull helmet with a balaclava covering his face, only showing his eyes. His face is finally shown in his final appearance when Jake kicks him into an elevator, smashing his helmet. In rage, he tears off half of his shirt and balaclava showing that he has a huge dragon birthmark on his chest and face and that he is bald. In a running gag, he is often defeated in a comical fashion, such as Jake's flaming flatulence and being humiliated in front of his peers.
  • Huntsboys #88 and #89 (Voiced by Kyle Massey and Nicholas Brendon): Two Huntsclan students that become the Huntsman's apprentices in the second season. It was confirmed, that they were admitted into the Huntsclan because of their impressive skills in a fantasy video game (killing three dragons, a giant leech and a pack of Manticores.) which the Huntsman took literally, as shown in one of Fu's "rap-ups". They both act brave and arrogant, when in reality, they are cowards who run in fear at the sight of a dragon. Other than Rose, #88 and #89 are the only known Huntsclan members that were left alive after Rose's wish for the destruction of all Huntsclan was granted due to them quickly resigning before they were eliminated (and ran off with their masks being the only part of their uniform, in their boxers). However, they made a return in "Shaggy Frog".

• Professor Hans Rotwood (Voiced by Paul Rugg): Rotwood used to be a famous professor, until his theories on magical creatures humiliated him in front of his peers, destroyed his credibility as a scientific researcher, got him fired from his job at the Hoboken Science Institute and reduced him to his current position at Jake's school. As a believer of magical creatures, he teaches a class about them. However, because his facts are all wrong, Jake is always hopelessly confused and suffering from low grades in the class. He has a noted dislike of Jake, largely due to a frequent lack of respect. Rotwood eventually develops a suspicion of Jake and keeps a close eye on him. By Season 2, he becomes principal and tricks Jake into revealing himself as a dragon to him. In Season 2's "Magic Enemy #1.", he attempts to make Jake reveal himself as being a dragon by humiliating him at school. By the end of the episode, Rotwood gets a personal look at the magical world and is quite delighted, though Jake ensures he has no proof of what he saw. Though wanting to be famous for proving magical creatures exist, Rotwood appears to have a true affinity for them. At graduation, he and Jake seem to have put their differences aside as they shake hands. In "Dreamscape," it is suggested he encountered a Chimera while a baby.

• The Dark Dragon (Voiced by Clancy Brown): The number one threat to the magical world. His human form is never seen in the series. The Dark Dragon is shown to be stronger than other dragons, as well as capable of creating and controlling shade demons. Very little is known about him or his origins, but it is mentioned that he is consumed by dark magic. Few dragons have faced him and lived; Lao Shi was the only one before Jake encountered him, and Jake is the first dragon to do so twice. He feels that magical creatures are superior to humans and should be the dominant species of Earth instead. He appeared twice in the first season, in which he tried to get Jake to join him. He was destroyed by the Tooth Fairy during a battle with Jake and his "army," but is resurrected in season 2 even more powerful than ever. The resurrection required Jake's own chi or blood to succeed. Chang also gifted him with even more power than before. In the series finale, he captured Lao Shi in order to blackmail Jake into serving the dragons of the world a mind control potion. Jake tricked him and after Haley saved Lao Shi, the dragons of the world, Johnathon, Trixie, Spud, Fu Dog and Rose battled him. In the end, he was defeated by Jake and Rose when he was sucked into a portal, where he will be imprisoned for, at least, one thousand years.
  • Councilor Chang (Voiced by Lauren Tom): A member of the Dragon Council that was secretly working for the Dark Dragon. Her cover was revealed in "Hong Kong Nights," and she was imprisoned. However, in the second season, she escapes from prison to get revenge on Jake and revive the Dark Dragon. In the first season, Chang is seen breathing lightning. During the final battle of the series, she is defeated by Haley and Sun Park and recaptured.
  • Bananas B (Voiced by Adam Wylie): The first ever "hip-hop helper monkey" who replaces Fu as Jake's animal guardian. However, when Chang escapes from prison, Bananas joins her out of fear for his life. His betrayal nearly costs Jake his life, but Fu saves him. Bananas remains as Chang's sidekick until the final battle where he decides that he doesn't want to take part as he hates violence. He is then chased off by a gleeful Fu.
  • Shade Demons: Minions of the Dark Dragon. Creatures that are basically living shadows. Act as the Dark Dragon's minions, but are easily destroyed. In the final episode, Johnathon discovers that they have a weakness to light and destroys all of them by reflecting moonlight at them.

• Brad Morton (Voiced by Matt Nolan): A bully at Jake's school. He is noticeably bigger than the other students due to the fact that he was held back twice in the third grade, as mentioned in the episode Young at Heart. He is also noticeably dim, such as taking twelve years of piano lessons and being unable to play well in the slightest.

• Eli Pandarus (Voiced by Jonathan Freeman): The Wizard of Wall Street. Pandarus desires to be the most powerful magical being. In Season 1, Pandarus is fairly cowardly, as he cowers and begs not to be hurt after he is defeated in "Eye of the Beholder." In Season 2, he appears less cowardly and is much more wicked, being more willing to kill his enemies or those who get in his way.

Notable guest stars[link]

• Corey Burton as Sigmund Brock (episode "The Rotwood Files")
• Nestor Carbonell as Cupid (episode "The Love Cruise")
• Tia Carrere as Yan-Yan (episode "Fu and Tell")
• Lacey Chabert as Jasmine (episode "Dragon Breath")
• Diane Delano as Ogelvy (episode "Fu Dog Takes a Walk")
• Will Friedle as Greggy (episode "Feeding Frenzy")
• Dee Bradley Baker as Pooka Pooka (episode "Haley Gone Wild")
• Monty Hall as Himself (episodes "Eye of the Beholder" and "A Befuddled Mind")
• T'Keyah Crystal Keymah as Trixie's mom (episodes "Professor Rotwood's Thesis" and "Hairy Christmas")
• Tress MacNeille as Queen Lilliana (episode "Bite Father, Bite Son")
• Wendie Malick as Aunt Patchouli (episode "Adventures In Trollsitting")
• Ron Masak as Marty (episode "Family Business")
• Edie McClurg as The Tooth Fairy (episode "The Legend of Dragon Tooth")
• John C. McGinley as Dr. Diente (episode "The Legend of the Dragon Tooth")
• Phil Morris as Trixie's dad (episode "Hairy Christmas")
• Paige Moss as Marnie Lockjelly (episode "Bite Father, Bite Son")
• Laura Ortiz as Vicky (episode "Siren Says")
• Liliana Mumy as Olivia Meers (episodes "Fu and Tell" and "Switcharoo")
• Kay Panabaker as Lacey (episode "Bring It On")
• Rob Paulsen as Thad Rochefort-Chaise (episode "Jake Takes the Cake'")
• Daryl Sabara as Hobie (episode "Ring Around the Dragon")
• Brenda Song as Tracey (episode "Bring It On")
• Mindy Sterling as Mrs. Grumplestock (episode "A Befuddled Mind")
• David Ogden Stiers as Narrator (episode "The Talented Mr. Long")
• James Arnold Taylor as Sam Spark (episode "Family Business")
• Stephen Tobolowsky as Troll (episode "Adventures In Trollsitting")

Episodes[link]

Appearances in other media[link]

Television[link]

• Jake, Spud, Trixie, Lao Shi, and Fu Dog made a guest appearance in the Lilo & Stitch: The Series episode "Morpholomew" on July 1, 2005. In that episode, they had their Season 1 looks. Through this crossover, American Dragon: Jake Long is established to be in the same universe of the following cartoon series: Kim Possible; The Proud Family; and Recess, for all of them have characters who appeared in Lilo & Stitch: The Series.
• Juniper Lee has a lot of similarities to Jake Long, so The Life and Times of Juniper Lee is considered a near-counterpart of American Dragon: Jake Long. Both shows involve adolescent Chinese-Americans which have been given magical powers and must keep the balance between the magical and real world, something that they must keep a secret. Also, in both cases, this position was previously held by a grandparent, who now acts as a mentor. Another rather shocking coincidence is that in both shows the main character's dog can talk, and they are both of similar appearances. However even though both dogs have accents only that they have different accents and one is a pug while the other is a shar pei. They also have little siblings who also share their abilities, which at many times the main characters find them as nuisances. In addition both shows started and ended at very close dates. Both shows ran from 2005-2007.

Video games[link]

Two video games based on the show were produced, one for Nintendo DS and one for Game Boy Advance.

• Attack of the Dark Dragon (DS) — released October 12, 2006
• Rise of the Huntsclan (GBA) — released October 12, 2006

Books[link]

Jeff Goode has written two children's books about American Dragon which were released in 2003 and 2004 - before the initial TV show started airing.

• American Dragon Book 1: The Dragon Hunter, ISBN 0-7868-1926-X — released April 1, 2004
• American Dragon Book 2: The Gnome Eater, ISBN 0-7868-1927-8 — released May 1, 2004

References[link]

External links[link]

	United States portal
	Television portal

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: American Dragon: Jake Long

• Official website
• American Dragon: Jake Long at the Internet Movie Database
• American Dragon: Jake Long at TV.com
• American Dragon: Jake Long at JeffNet

Jake Long

Long with the Dolphins in 2009
No. 77     Miami Dolphins
Offensive tackle
Personal information
Date of birth: (1985-05-09) May 9, 1985 (age 27)
Place of birth: Lapeer, Michigan
Height: 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) Weight: 317 lb (144 kg)
Career information
College: Michigan
NFL Draft: 2008 / Round: 1 / Pick: 1
Debuted in 2008 for the Miami Dolphins
Career history
Miami Dolphins (2008–present)
Roster status: Active
Career highlights and awards
4× Pro Bowl (2008, 2009, 2010, 2011) First-team All-Pro (2010) Second-team All-Pro (2009) Ed Block Courage Award (2011) PFW All-Rookie Team (2008) Jim Parker Trophy (2007) Consensus All-American (2006, 2007) Big Ten Offensive Lineman of the Year (2006, 2007) First-team All-Big Ten (2006, 2007) Big Ten Conference Championship (2004)
Career NFL statistics as of Week 13, 2011
Games played 60 Games started 60 Fumble recoveries 1 Stats at NFL.com

Jake Edward Long (born May 9, 1985) is an American football offensive tackle for the Miami Dolphins of the National Football League (NFL). He was drafted by the Dolphins first overall in the 2008 NFL Draft. He played college football at Michigan. Previously he starred at Lapeer East High School in football, basketball and baseball.

In high school, Long was the first player in his high school's history to earn all-state "Dream Team" (all-class state team) honors in football from the Detroit News. He was a two-time First-team All-Metro League player in both basketball and football, where he was honored both on offense and defense. In baseball, he was a two-time Second-team All-Metro League selection. In both basketball and football, he led his team to regular and post season success that had not been seen in many years.

At the University of Michigan, he redshirted for a year and then became a starter at offensive tackle for the football team in the third game of his redshirt freshman season. He earned Second-team All-Big Ten Conference recognition and Rivals.com Freshman All-American recognition. In 2006 & 2007, he earned Big Ten Offensive Lineman of the Year and First-team All-Big Ten Conference recognition. In 2006 he was an Outland and Lombardi Trophy watch lists selection and in 2007 he was a finalist for both awards. He was a 2006 consensus All-American and 2007 unanimous All-American.

After being drafted by Miami, he became an immediate starter and has started every game that the team has played since he has been a member. At the conclusion of his rookie season, he was selected to numerous All-Rookie teams and was a substitute Pro Bowl selection. Long followed up a successful rookie season by earning a position in the starting lineup of the 2010 Pro Bowl.

Early years[link]

The son of John and Denise Long of Lapeer, Michigan,^[1] Long attended Lapeer East High School in Lapeer where he was the first player in his high school's history to earn all-state "Dream Team" (all-class state team) honors in football.^[2] In baseball he played first base.

Long played basketball, baseball and American football in high school. Although Long was a 2001 Flint, Michigan All-Metro League lineman on both sides of the ball as a defensive end and offensive lineman,^[3] in Lapeer East's final game of the 2001 season, he rushed for three touchdowns.^[4][5] As a junior that football season, he was listed at 6 feet 7 inches (2.01 m), 270 pounds (122 kg).^[3] In Long's first start as a varsity basketball player on December 4, 2001, he led all scorers although he only scored one first half point.^[6] That season he helped lead Lapeer East to an unbeaten 14–0 Metro League record (17–3) overall as they prepared for the Michigan High School Athletic Association (MHSAA) tournament.^[7] It was the first unbeaten Metro League season by any team since 1989 and Lapeer East's first unbeaten season since 1980.^[8] Long was an All-Metro league first team selection,^[9] but his team lost in the 2002 Class A district semifinal on the road.^[10] By the end of the basketball season, he was listed at 6 feet 7 inches (2.01 m), 290 pounds (132 kg).^[10] As a junior, he was a second-team All-Metro League baseball selection as an infielder.^[11] By the end of his junior year, he had already set the school home run record in baseball and was the fifth-ranked high school football prospect in the state of Michigan (future Michigan teammate and co-captain LaMarr Woodley was number one).^[12]

After his junior year of high school, he attended the University of Michigan football camp, which ran from June 16–21. At the conclusion of the camp, Michigan Wolverines football head coach Lloyd Carr offered him a scholarship as an offensive tackle. Long, who was a lifelong Michigan Wolverines fan, responded with a verbal commitment. At the time, Long weighed 305 pounds (138 kg) and Michigan hoped he would bulk up to 330 pounds (150 kg) by the time he arrived. Long had made official visits to Michigan, Michigan State, Notre Dame, Ohio State and Purdue.^[13]

In his 2002 senior season, Long helped lead Lapeer East to their first season opener win since 1995 and their first state playoff appearance since 1993.^[14][15] That season, the football team set a school record by posting a nine-game winning streak, which started after a October 6, 2001 loss the prior year.^[16] The team achieved its first state playoff win in its 27-year history that season.^[17] The team's 9–2 record was the best in school history,^[8] and Long was again chosen as an All-Metro League selection on both offense and defense.^[18] That season he became the first Lapeer East player selected to the All-state Dream Team in 2002.^[2] Although he was All-State as a lineman, Long often lined up at fullback and accumulated four career touchdowns.^[2] He finished the season as the number two football prospect in the state behind Woodley according to the Detroit News.^[19] Long led the basketball team to a second consecutive undefeated Metro League championship season,^[20] which was the first repeat league champion since 1996 and Lapeer East's first repeat championship since 1982.^[21] Long was again first-team All-Metro League,^[22] and he was selected as an honorable mention 2003 Associated Press Class A All-State basketball player.^[23] Long was again a second-team All-Metro League selection as a first baseman.^[24] Following his senior season, Long was selected to play in the 23rd annual Michigan High School All-Star Football Game on July 26 at Michigan State University.^[25]

Name	Hometown	High school / college	Height	Weight	40‡	Commit date
Jake Long OL	Lapeer, Michigan	Lapeer East (MI)	6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)	295 lb (134 kg)	5.0	Jul 8, 2003
	Scout:   Rivals:
Overall recruiting rankings: Scout: 11 (OL)   Rivals: 21 (OT), 6 (MI), 24 (MW)
Note: In many cases, Scout and Rivals may conflict in their listings of height and weight. In these cases, an average of the two was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale. Sources: "Michigan Football Commitments". Rivals.com. http://rivals.yahoo.com/footballrecruiting/football/recruiting/commitments/2003/alabama-29. Retrieved 2009-10-14.  "2003 Michigan Football Commits". Scout.com. http://scout.scout.com/a.z?s=162&p=9&c=8&yr=2003. Retrieved 2009-10-14.  "ESPN". ESPN.com. http://espn.go.com/college-football/recruiting/school/_/id/130/class/2003. Retrieved 2009-10-14.  "Scout.com Team Recruiting Rankings". Scout.com. http://scout.scout.com/a.z?s=162&p=9&c=14&yr=2003. Retrieved 2009-10-14.  "2003 Team Ranking". Rivals.com. http://www.rivals.com/TeamRank.asp?type=0&sort=0&year=2003. Retrieved 2009-10-14.

College career[link]

2006 Michigan Wolverines football team huddle with #86 Mario Manningham, #7 Chad Henne, #16 Adrian Arrington, #72 Rueben Riley, #54 Mark Bihl, #77 Long

As a freshman, Long was on the 2003 Michigan Wolverines football team roster,^[26] but Tony Pape and Adam Stenavich were the starting offensive tackles.^[27] He was redshirted for the year as he bulked up to 330 pounds (150 kg).^[28] Long traveled with the team to the 2004 Rose Bowl, but did not play in the game.^[29]

On June 16, 2004, following his freshman year, he was hospitalized in an intensive-care unit for smoke inhalation injuries when a house rented by nine Michigan Wolverine players caught fire.^[30][31] Long landed on a teammate's automobile escaping the fire covered in soot at about 4:00 AM that Wednesday. When he awoke to the sound of fire alarms, he attempted to exit his room, but was forced back by the smoke. He exited the building by jumping two floors after knocking out the screen in his bedroom window. Long endured procedures where tubes were put down his throat to suction black phlegm from his lungs at the hospital.^[1][32][33] The tubes also performed Long's breathing while he lay unconscious for the first few days.^[34] A few hours before the fire, the Detroit Pistons had won the 2004 NBA Finals and the neighborhood experienced fireworks celebrations. Investigators concluded that the fire likely started with a couch on the front porch, possibly ignited by fireworks from the neighbors.^[34][35] He was released from the University of Michigan Medical Center and was able to spend Father's Day (June 20) back in Lapeer.^[36]

2007 Michigan Wolverines football team huddle with Mario Manningham (86), Ryan Mallett (15), Mike Hart (20), Long (77), Adrian Arrington (16), Mike Massey (83), Justin Boren (65), Carson Butler (85), and Stephen Schilling (52) against Penn State

Ryan Mallett rolls out against Penn State. Long and Justin Boren are among the visible linemen.

As a sophomore member of the 2004 Michigan Wolverines football team, Long competed with senior Dave Schoonover and juniors Mike Kolodzieg, Rueben Riley and Mike Barishaj for the starting position vacated by the graduated Pape. Long impressed the coaches by playing through a turf toe injury.^[37] The battle came down to him and Kolodzieg.^[38] Long made his Michigan debut on September 4, 2004, in a 43–10 victory over Miami University.^[39] He made the travel squad, but he did not play against Notre Dame in the Michigan – Notre Dame rivalry game the following week at Notre Dame Stadium.^[29] Kolodzieg started the first two games, but Michigan averaged only 85.5 yards rushing, which ranked 94th nationally among 117 Division I teams. Long became a starter in the third game on September 18 against the San Diego State Aztecs football team.^[40] Over the course of the season, he started eight games and Kolodzieg started 4 at right offensive tackle. Kolodzieg also started one game at left tackle.^[41] A week after Long was moved into the starting lineup, David Baas was moved from left offensive guard — where he had been a 2003 second team All-American — to center so that Leo Henige, Jr. could enter the starting lineup.^[42] After the move, Baas was the co-Rimington Trophy winner that season.^[43] The team finished the season as the 2004 Big Ten Conference Co-Champions and were awarded the Big Ten Conference's Bowl Championship Series Bowl game bid.^[44] By the time Michigan was preparing for the 2005 Rose Bowl, the team was averaging 156.18 rushing yards per game, which ranked 56th in the nation.^[33] Long earned a second team All-Big Ten Conference recognition from the coaches, while linemates guard Matt Lentz, tackle Adam Stenavich and tight end Tim Massaquoi were first-team selections. Baas was Big Ten Offensive Lineman of the Year.^[45] Long also received honorable mention All-Big Ten recognition from the media.^[46] Long and teammates Chad Henne and Mike Hart were named to Rivals.com's 2004 Freshman All-America first team.^[47] Long had post season shoulder surgery and missed 2005 spring practice.^[48] In fact, because of the large number of injured players, the team canceled the culminating spring practice intrasquad scrimmage game and instead held an open practice in which players participated in drills.^[49]

In August 2005, Long suffered an ankle injury and was sidelined as the 2005 Michigan Wolverines football team's season began.^[50] The injury had been caused in training camp when he was zone blocking alongside center Mark Bihl, who got tangled up with nose tackle Gabe Watson. The two fell against the outside of Long's leg and rolled over it.^[51] The injury required surgery.^[34] Long did not return to the lineup until October 22 on the third possession against the Iowa Hawkeyes.^[52] He was the lead blocker on the game-winning overtime touchdown.^[53] He started the game the subsequent week against the Northwestern Wildcats.^[51] Two weeks later, following a bye week, Long got injured during the first half against the Indiana Hoosiers, and his foot was put in a protective boot.^[54] The second foot injury was expected to ended his season.^[55] He appeared in the subsequent rivalry game against Ohio State Buckeyes, and during the first play, he opposed Bobby Carpenter and Carpenter got a broken leg.^[56] After the game, Long appeared to need immediate surgery, which would have caused him to miss the 2005 Alamo Bowl.^[57] By the time of the game on December 28, though, he was ready to play.^[58][59] As the team prepared for 2006 spring practice, the left-handed Long was moved from right tackle to left tackle where he would be protecting the blindside of right-handed quarterbacks.^[60]

As 2007 co-captain, Long participated in opening coin tosses along with Mike Hart, Shawn Crable and Brandent Englemon.

Long entered the season for the 2006 Michigan Wolverines football team listed on numerous preseason conference and national teams as well as watchlists for awards such as the Outland Trophy and Lombardi Trophy.^[61] He was on the preseason Outland Trophy watch list along with Levi Brown, Joe Thomas, Justin Blalock, and Herbert Taylor.^[62] Long was considered the heart of the Michigan offense,^[63] and his teammates voted the redshirt junior to be a co-captain along with senior Woodley.^[64] Before the season started, Carr replaced offensive coordinator Terry Malone with Mike DeBord who had previously been offensive coordinator from 1997–1999.^[65] Following the 7–5 2005 season which was the worst Michigan season since 1984's 6–6 year, there was pressure on Carr to turn things around and he sought a lighter, faster and better conditioned team.^[66] During the offseason, Long reduced his weight from 338 pounds (153 kg) to 316 pounds (143 kg) to improve his agility, speed and conditioning.^[67] Under the new coordinator and with newly sculpted fitter athletes the offensive scheme was shifted to concentrate on the zone blocking system.^[68] The system was similar to the one used by the Denver Broncos when they won back-to-back Super Bowls and by the Atlanta Falcons to help Warrick Dunn achieve a career-high in rushing yards while the team led the NFL in rushing yards in consecutive seasons.^[69] By the middle of November, Michigan had flourished under the new system with an 11–0 record,^[70] and some of the credit for the success was attributed to Long, the team captain and offensive leader.^[56] Long was recognized as a first-team All-Big Ten selection by both the coaches and the media and was selected as the Big Ten Offensive Lineman of the Year.^[71] Long was also part of a Michigan record-setting three American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) All-America Team selections along with Woodley and Leon Hall.^[72] Long was a consensus (meaning at least half of the recognized lists, which are AP, AFCA, FWAA, TSN, and the WCFF selected him) 2006 College Football All-America Team first-team selectiton by Associated Press (AP),^[73] AFCA, Football Writers Association of America (FWAA), Walter Camp Football Foundation, Sports Illustrated, Pro Football Weekly, ESPN,^[74] CBS Sports,^[75] Rivals.com,^[76] Scout.com.^[77] He was a second-team All-American selection by the College Football News.^[78] Long was the first offensive lineman who was a Michigan high school graduate selected to the first-team by the FWAA since Paul Seymour was selected to the 1972 College Football All-America Team.^[79] Long was believed to be a likely mid to high first round selection if he had chosen to declare himself eligible for the 2007 NFL Draft, but he chose to use his last year of collegiate eligibility and stay for a fifth year.^[80] His decision to stay was what convinced Hart to stay in college.^[81] Michigan opposed the 2006 USC Trojans football team in the 2007 Rose Bowl and the offensive line that had surrendered 18 quarterback sacks in the first 12 games, allowed 6 in the 32–18 loss to finish the season 11–2.^[82] Long became a member of senior honorary society Order of Angell.^[83]

Long on Senior Day 2007 against Ohio State

Long was a co-captain of the 2007 Michigan Wolverines football team,^[84] and he again began the season on the Outland Trophy and Rotary Lombardi Award watch lists.^[85] He was elected to serve as tri-captain along with Hart and Shawn Crable.^[86] Entering the season, the team was picked by the Big Ten media members to win the conference.^[87] The season was eagerly anticipated with returning seniors Long, Hart and Chad Henne in key roles,^[88] but the season quickly began to fall apart when the team lost to the two-time defending FCS champion Appalachian State Mountaineers in the opening game.^[89] The loss put Long in a position of having to defend his coach and teammates to ESPN and the nation.^[90] In the second game, the team suffered its worst defeat since 1968 and its first consecutive home losses to start the season since 1959.^[91] This presented a leadership challenge to Long as team captain.^[92] As Michigan won its next eight games, Long was described in the press as the team's most valuable player and an offensive lineman who should be considered for the Heisman Trophy since he was likely to be the first overall pick in the NFL draft.^[93][94][95] In early November, Long was named one of four finalists (along with Glenn Dorsey, Chris Long, James Laurinaitis) for the Lombardi award that Woodley had won the year before.^[96] He was named as an Outland Trophy finalist along with Dorsey and Anthony Collins.^[97] When the win streak ended the week before his final Michigan – Ohio State game, he accepted the blame on behalf of the offensive line although the teams offensive stars were injured.^[98] At the conclusion of the Big Ten Conference schedule, he was selected again as first-team All-Big Ten selection by both the coaches and the media and as the Big Ten Offensive Lineman of the Year.^[99] Long, Michael Crabtree and Darren McFadden were the only unanimous offensive 2007 College Football All-America Team selections by AP,^[100] AFCA,^[101] FWAA,^[102] Walter Camp,^[103] Sporting News,^[104] Sports Illustrated,^[105] Pro Football Weekly, ESPN,^[106] CBS Sports,^[107] College Football News,^[108] Rivals.com,^[109] and Scout.com.^[110] In coach Carr's final game before retirement and Long's final game as a Wolverine, the team won the 2008 Capital One Bowl against the Florida Gators in a game that included an attempted Jake Long tackle eligible screen pass.^[111] Long declined an invitation to participate in the 2008 Senior Bowl.^[112] From February 21–24, 2008, Long attended the NFL Combine, where he excelled.^[113][114]

Professional career[link]

Long with the Dolphins in 2009.

2008 NFL Draft[link]

Regarded as the top offensive tackle available in the 2008 NFL Draft,^[115][116] Long drew comparisons to Ryan Tucker.^[117] His 37 repetitions of 225 pounds on the bench press tied Vernon Gholston for the highest total at the 2008 NFL Combine.^[118]

Miami Dolphins[link]

More than two weeks before the 2008 NFL Draft, the Miami Dolphins of the National Football League, who owned the right to make the first selection in the draft determined that they wanted to negotiate with Long to be their pick and met with Tom Condon, Long's sports agent.^[120] On April 22, 2008 in advance of the April 26 and 27 draft, Long agreed to a five-year, $57.75 million deal with the Miami Dolphins. The deal included $30 million in guaranteed money and made Long the first overall pick in the 2008 NFL Draft.^[121] This made him, as of that date, the highest paid offensive lineman in NFL history.^[122] In addition to being one of eight offensive tackles drafted in the first round that year,^[123] Long is only the third offensive tackle ever to be taken with the first overall pick in the NFL Draft, after Orlando Pace (1997, a 5-time All-Pro and All-Decade team for the 2000s) and Hall of Famer Ron Yary (1968, an 8-time All-Pro and All-Decade team for the 1970s)^[124] The Dolphins drafted Long's college teammate, quarterback Chad Henne, in the second round of the draft.^[125] At Dolphins minicamp on May 2, Long was assigned number 79 and he thought he would have to negotiate with Drew Mormino for the number 77 that he had worn since high school.^[126] However, after he failed his physical exam, Mormino was released from the team,^[127] and before training camp Long was assigned number 77.^[128]

Long's ascension with the Dolphins was part of an effort to overhaul the offensive line that had allowed 42 sacks and produced the 29th-rated of 32 offenses the previous season. The Dolphins hired new coach Tony Sparano and employed Bill Parcells as Executive Vice President in charge of football operations.^[129] Long was immediately slated to play left tackle.^[128][130] He was the only rookie expected to be a starter for the 2008 Miami Dolphins.^[131] According to the South Florida Sun-Sentinel, at the end of training camp, Long was one of three rookies listed as first-string on the depth chart.^[132] Jake Long was nominated for Rookie of the Week in the 10th week of the 2008 season, but lost out to Broncos WR Eddie Royal. Other players who were nominated for rookie of the week that same week were Matt Ryan, Benjarvus Green-Ellis, and Joe Flacco.^[133] At the end of the season, Long was selected to nine All-rookie teams by Pro Football Writers Association, Draft.com, Draftsinders.com, Draftseason.com, Sports Network, Fannation, Sporting News, Scout.com and Ourlads Scouting Service.^[134] On January 20, 2009, Long was selected to the 2009 Pro Bowl, replacing Jason Peters for the AFC's squad.^[135] Long gave up just 2.5 sacks his rookie season,^[136] compared to the 11.5 allowed by Peters in 2008.^[137]

In 2009, Long yielded only 4 sacks and was ranked the second best offensive tackle. He was selected as a starter for the 2010 Pro Bowl.^[138] He was not selected to the first team All-Pro losing out to Ryan Clady, who gave up 8 sacks, and Joe Thomas, who is ranked the best offensive tackle in the NFL.^[139] Long was selected to the second team All-Pro and was named a starter for the AFC Pro Bowl.^[140][141] Long joins Richmond Webb as the only Dolphins offensive tackles to be named starters in the Pro Bowl and is the first Dolphins offensive lineman to be named to back-to-back Pro Bowls since Webb played in seven straight from 1990 to 1996.^[142] Long did not participate in the game due to injury and was replaced on the Pro Bowl roster by D'Brickashaw Ferguson.^[143] The following season Long was named as a starter for the 2011 Pro Bowl, while Ferguson was named as a reserve.^[144]

During the 2011 NFL season, Long's 61 games started streak snapped when he suffered a back ailment. Subsequently, he was placed on injured reserve with a torn right bicep for the final week of the season. The roster move came one day after he was selected to the 2012 Pro Bowl. He was named as a Pro Bowl starter for the third consecutive season.^[141] He missed the Pro Bowl for the 2011 season.^[145] However, he was named the Dolphins' Ed Block Courage Award recipient.^[146] In addition, he was listed as the 59th player on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2012.^[147][148]

Personal[link]

After surviving the fire during his second year of college, Long got a tattoo of Saint Joseph on his right bicep. His aunt had placed a card of the saint under his pillow while he was in the hospital in intensive care. He also has a tattoo of the family name on his other arm.^[61] Long has two brothers: John and Joseph ("Joe"). In 2009, Joe was playing football in his junior year for the Wayne State Warriors.^[149] Jake Long married his college sweetheart, Jacqueline Laurian, on March 10, 2012.^[150]

References[link]