No. 90 | |||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Position: | Defensive tackle | ||||||||||
Personal information | |||||||||||
Born: | New York, New York, U.S. | July 11, 1986||||||||||
Height: | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | ||||||||||
Weight: | 337 lb (153 kg) | ||||||||||
Career information | |||||||||||
High school: | Westwood Regional (Westwood, New Jersey) | ||||||||||
College: | Boston College (2004–2008) | ||||||||||
NFL draft: | 2009 / Round: 1 / Pick: 9 | ||||||||||
Career history | |||||||||||
Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||
| |||||||||||
Career NFL statistics | |||||||||||
| |||||||||||
Player stats at PFR |
Busari Alamu Raji Jr. (born July 11, 1986) is an American former professional football player who was a defensive tackle for the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Boston College Eagles. Raji was selected by the Green Bay Packers with the ninth overall pick in the 2009 NFL draft. He won Super Bowl XLV with the Packers against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Raji was born in New York City on July 11, 1986, the son to Busari Raji, Sr. and Mamie Raji. A three-year starter on both the offensive and defensive lines at Westwood Regional High School, he earned All-State, All-Conference, and All-County honors as a senior. Raji was also a two-time All-Bergen County Scholastic League choice. In 2003, he recorded 75 tackles, 7.5 sacks, and four forced fumbles. He was selected to play in the 2004 Governor's Bowl, a game played between the top high-school seniors in New Jersey and New York.
Considered a two-star recruit by Rivals.com , Raji was not ranked among the top defensive tackle prospects of the Class of 2004, which also included DeMario Pressley, Frank Okam, and Glenn Dorsey. [1] Raji chose to attend Boston College over Rutgers and Wisconsin. [2]
Raji made the Boston College Eagles as a true freshman in 2004, playing in a rotation behind senior Tim Bulman. He made his college debut in the home opener against Penn State, making one tackle. He finished the year with 13 tackles (6 solos) and 1.5 tackles for loss. [3]
As a sophomore, Raji started in all twelve games, registering 27 tackles (20 solos), 6.5 tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, and one pass breakup. He recorded one unassisted tackle against Boise State in the MPC Computers Bowl. [3]
In his 2006 junior season, Raji started in 12 games, finishing with 63 career tackles (37 solos), 16.5 tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks, and four pass breakups. He also had three solo stops, including two tackles for loss in the Meineke Car Care Bowl against Navy.
Raji missed the 2007 season due to academic reasons. Returning to the team in 2008, he started on a defense that included Ron Brace, Kevin Akins, Mark Herzlich, Robert Francois, and Brian Toal, anchoring the defense to a berth in the 2008 Music City Bowl. Over his four-year college career, Raji amassed 99 tackles (23 for a loss) and 9 sacks, [3] and was named all-ACC twice, in 2006 as a 2nd-team member and in 2008 as a first-team starter. [4] [5]
Height | Weight | Arm length | Hand span | 40-yard dash | 10-yard split | 20-yard split | 20-yard shuttle | Three-cone drill | Vertical jump | Broad jump | Bench press | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
6 ft 1+1⁄2 in (1.87 m) | 337 lb (153 kg) | 32 in (0.81 m) | 10+3⁄8 in (0.26 m) | 5.23 s | 1.82 s | 3.02 s | 4.69 s | 7.90 s | 32 in (0.81 m) | 8 ft 7 in (2.62 m) | 33 reps | |
All values from NFL Combine [6] [7] |
Raji was selected in the first round with the ninth overall pick by the Green Bay Packers in the 2009 NFL draft. [8] He was worked into defensive coordinator Dom Capers' brand new 3-4 scheme during the start of the Packers 2009 season. Raji held out during the 2009 training camp and completed his deal on August 14. Hampered by an ankle injury for the entire season, he appeared in fourteen games (once as a starter), and managed 25 tackles and 1 sack.
Fully recovered and expected to fully contribute for the 2010 season, Raji earned the starting position at the sole defensive tackle position in Capers' 3-4 type defense, switching previous starter Ryan Pickett to defensive end. 2010 was a breakout season, as he started in all 16 games. Raji became the defensive anchor that the Packers had envisioned, accumulating 39 tackles with 6.5 sacks, along with 3 passes defended.
The Packers began using Raji as an additional fullback in their goal line offense during the 2011 postseason, which led to Raji nicknaming himself "The Freezer" in homage to William Perry, who played for the Bears and was nicknamed "The Fridge". [9] [10] On January 23, 2011, in the fourth quarter of the NFC Championship Game at Soldier Field in Chicago, Raji intercepted a pass from Bears backup quarterback Caleb Hanie and returned it 18 yards to the end zone, marking Raji's first career interception and touchdown. [9] The 337-pound Raji performed a memorable hula dance after the touchdown, an incident that was parodied in a State Farm Insurance commercial featuring Raji and Aaron Rodgers. [11] The play also broke William Perry's NFL record for the heaviest player to score a post-season touchdown. [9] [12] The touchdown proved to be the decisive score, and with that interception, the Packers advanced to Super Bowl XLV, where they defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers by a score of 31–25. [13] He was ranked 81st by his fellow players on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2011. [14]
In early August 2011, Raji was named the co-host of the "In The Huddle" radio show along with longtime Wisconsin sports reporter Bill Scott. The one-hour show airs live from Tanner's Sports Bar in Kimberly near Green Bay.
During a Week 11 matchup against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on November 20, on his first and only carry of his career, Raji scored a rushing touchdown in the 35–26 victory. [15] He was only the fourth defensive lineman to score a rushing touchdown since the NFL/AFL merger. [16] On December 28, 2011, he was elected to his first Pro Bowl appearance. In 16 games of the 2011 season, Raji registered 3 sacks and 2 passes defended on 24 tackles. The Packers finished the season with an NFL-best 15–1 record for an NFC North pennant, but lost to the New York Giants 20–37 in the divisional round.
Raji played in 14 games in the 2012 season, making 26 tackles and defended two passes.
The Packers' defensive line became short-handed in 2013 due to injuries. Raji was transitioned to defensive end, while Ryan Pickett maintained the role at defensive tackle. He started all 16 games at defensive end, making 17 tackles.
On August 22, 2014, in a preseason game against the Oakland Raiders, Raji suffered a torn right biceps. He was subsequently placed on injured reserve, and missed the entire 2014 NFL season. [17]
On March 30, 2015, Raji signed a one-year, $3.5 million deal with the Packers. [18] In the 2015 season, Raji totaled 22 tackles and half a sack. [19]
On March 14, 2016, Raji announced his retirement from professional football after seven seasons, but noted he would return to the league and that he may simply be taking a "hiatus". [20] However, as of 2024 he has remained retired.
Source: NFL.com
Year | Team | G | GS | Tackles | Interceptions | Fumbles | ||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Total | Solo | Ast | Sck | SFTY | PDef | Int | Yds | Avg | Lng | TDs | FF | FR | ||||
Regular season | ||||||||||||||||
2009 | GB | 14 | 1 | 25 | 19 | 6 | 1.0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
2010 | GB | 16 | 16 | 39 | 29 | 10 | 6.5 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
2011 | GB | 16 | 16 | 22 | 14 | 8 | 3.0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
2012 | GB | 14 | 14 | 26 | 16 | 10 | 0.0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
2013 | GB | 16 | 16 | 17 | 12 | 5 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
2015 | GB | 15 | 15 | 22 | 13 | 9 | 0.5 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Total | 91 | 78 | 151 | 103 | 48 | 11.0 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |
Postseason | ||||||||||||||||
2009 | GB | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
2010 | GB | 4 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 1.0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 18 | 18.0 | 18 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
2011 | GB | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
2012 | GB | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
2013 | GB | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
2015 | GB | 2 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Total | 11 | 10 | 14 | 10 | 4 | 1.0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 18 | 18.0 | 18 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
James Alfred Farrior is an American former professional football player who was a linebacker for fifteen seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Virginia Cavaliers. He played with the New York Jets and the Pittsburgh Steelers, and earned two Super Bowl rings with the Steelers.
Derrick Dewan Brooks is an American former football linebacker who played for his entire 14-year career in the National Football League (NFL) with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Brooks played college football for the Florida State Seminoles, earning consensus All-American honors twice. He was selected by the Buccaneers in the first round of the 1995 NFL draft. An 11-time Pro Bowl selection and five-time first-team All-Pro, Brooks was the NFL Defensive Player of the Year in 2002 en route to winning the franchise's first Super Bowl title in Super Bowl XXXVII. Following his retirement, Brooks served as co-owner and president of the Tampa Bay Storm in the Arena Football League (AFL) from 2011 to 2017. He was inducted to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2014 and the College Football Hall of Fame in 2016.
Jeffrey Chad Clifton is an American former professional football player who was an offensive tackle for 12 seasons with the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Tennessee Volunteers and was selected by the Packers in the second round of the 2000 NFL draft. During his career, he was named to two Pro Bowls and was part of the team that won Super Bowl XLV over the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Nicholas Cordell Collins is an American former professional football safety for seven seasons for the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Bethune-Cookman Wildcats, and was selected by the Packers in the second round of the 2005 NFL draft. Collins led the league in interceptions returned for touchdowns and interception return yards in the 2008 season. In Super Bowl XLV, he intercepted Ben Roethlisberger for a touchdown as the Packers beat the Pittsburgh Steelers, 31–25.
Cullen Darome Jenkins is a former American football defensive end. He was signed by the Green Bay Packers as an undrafted free agent in 2003. In his last year as a Packer, he won Super Bowl XLV over the Pittsburgh Steelers. He played college football at Central Michigan University. He has also played for the Philadelphia Eagles, New York Giants, and Washington Redskins.
Aaron James Hawk is an American sports analyst and former football linebacker who played for 11 seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He was selected by the Green Bay Packers fifth overall in the 2006 NFL draft and he later won Super Bowl XLV with the team. He was also a member of the Cincinnati Bengals and Atlanta Falcons. He played college football for the Ohio State Buckeyes, where he earned All-American honors twice and won the Lombardi Award as a senior. He won the BCS National Championship Game with the Buckeyes as a freshman.
Ryan Lamonte Pickett Sr. is an American former professional football player who was a nose tackle for 14 seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Ohio State Buckeyes. Pickett was selected with the 29th pick of the first round in the 2001 NFL Draft by the St. Louis Rams. He also played for the Green Bay Packers and Houston Texans. With the Packers, he beat the Pittsburgh Steelers in Super Bowl XLV.
Brett Keisel is an American former professional football player who was a defensive end for 13 seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the BYU Cougars. He was selected by the Steelers in the seventh round of the 2002 NFL Draft.
Ted Thompson was an American professional football player and executive in the National Football League (NFL). He was the general manager of the Green Bay Packers from 2005 to 2017. Thompson had a 10-year playing career in the NFL as a linebacker and special teams player with the Houston Oilers from 1975 to 1984.
LaMarr Dewayne Woodley is an American former professional football player who was a linebacker in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at the University of Michigan, earning unanimous All-American honors. He was selected by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the second round of the 2007 NFL draft. In his second season, he won Super Bowl XLIII over the Arizona Cardinals as a member of the Steelers. Woodley also played for the Cardinals and the Oakland Raiders.
Justin Tyrell Harrell is an American former professional football player who was a defensive tackle in the National Football League (NFL). He was selected by the Green Bay Packers 16th overall in the 2007 NFL draft and was part of their Super Bowl XLV championship against the Pittsburgh Steelers. He played college football for the Tennessee Volunteers.
Matthew Wilhelm is a former American college and professional football player and a current radio/TV football analyst.
Desmond Lamont Bishop is a former American football linebacker. He played college football for the University of California, Berkeley, and was selected by the Green Bay Packers in the sixth round of the 2007 NFL Draft and later won Super Bowl XLV with the team over the Pittsburgh Steelers. Bishop also played for the Minnesota Vikings and San Francisco 49ers.
Howard Green Jr. is a former American football nose tackle who played professionally in the National Football League (NFL). He was selected by the Houston Texans in the sixth round of the 2002 NFL Draft. He played college football at Louisiana State University for the LSU Tigers football team.
Erik Lashawn Walden is a former American football linebacker. He played college football at Middle Tennessee State and was selected by the Dallas Cowboys in the sixth round of the 2008 NFL Draft. He was also a member of the Kansas City Chiefs, Miami Dolphins, Green Bay Packers, Indianapolis Colts, Tennessee Titans, and Seattle Seahawks. With the Packers, he won Super Bowl XLV in 2010.
William Clay Matthews III, primarily known as just Clay Matthews, is an American former professional football player who was a linebacker in the National Football League (NFL). The six-time Pro Bowl selection and two-time All-Pro played primarily with the Green Bay Packers. He is the all-time official sack leader for the Green Bay Packers.
Bradley Edward Jones is a former American football linebacker. He was selected by the Green Bay Packers in the seventh round of the 2009 NFL Draft, and played college football at Colorado. With the Packers, he was part of their Super Bowl XLV team that beat the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Bryan Joseph Bulaga is an American former professional football player who was a offensive tackle in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Iowa Hawkeyes. Bulaga was selected by the Green Bay Packers in the first round of the 2010 NFL draft. He won Super Bowl XLV with the team over the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Samuel George Shields III is an American former professional football player who was a cornerback in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Miami Hurricanes. Shields was signed by the Green Bay Packers as an undrafted free agent in 2010. He won Super Bowl XLV with the team over the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Devin Marcel White is an American football linebacker for the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at LSU, and was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers fifth overall in the 2019 NFL draft. He spent five seasons with the Buccaneers and won a Super Bowl championship with the team in Super Bowl LV.