 Raji with the Green Bay Packers in 2011 | |||||||||||||||
| No. 90 | |||||||||||||||
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| Position: | Defensive tackle | ||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||
| Born: | (1986-07-11)July 11, 1986 (age 38) New York, New York, U.S. | ||||||||||||||
| 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: 1st round, 9th pick | ||||||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||||||
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| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||||||||
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Busari Alamu Raji Jr. (born July 11, 1986) is an American former professionalfootball player who was adefensive tackle for theGreen Bay Packers of theNational Football League (NFL). He playedcollege football for theBoston College Eagles. Raji was selected by theGreen Bay Packers with the ninth overall pick in the2009 NFL draft. He wonSuper Bowl XLV with the Packers against thePittsburgh 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 atWestwood 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 inNew Jersey andNew York.
Considered a two-star recruit byRivals.com, Raji was not ranked among the top defensive tackle prospects of the Class of 2004, which also includedDeMario Pressley,Frank Okam, andGlenn Dorsey.[1] Raji chose to attend Boston College overRutgers andWisconsin.[2]
Raji made the Boston College Eagles as a true freshman in 2004, playing in a rotation behind seniorTim Bulman. He made his college debut in the home opener againstPenn 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 againstBoise State in theMPC 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 theMeineke Car Care Bowl againstNavy.
Raji missed the 2007 season due to academic reasons. Returning to the team in 2008, he started on a defense that includedRon Brace,Kevin Akins,Mark Herzlich,Robert Francois, andBrian Toal, anchoring the defense to a berth in the2008 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 ft1+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 fromNFL Combine[6][7] | ||||||||||||
Raji was selected in the first round with the ninth overall pick by theGreen Bay Packers in the2009 NFL draft.[8] He was worked into defensive coordinatorDom Capers' brand new3-4 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 starterRyan 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 toWilliam Perry, who played for the Bears and was nicknamed "The Fridge".[9][10] On January 23, 2011, in the fourth quarter of theNFC Championship Game atSoldier Field inChicago, Raji intercepted a pass from Bears backup quarterbackCaleb Hanie and returned it 18 yards to the end zone, marking Raji's first careerinterception and touchdown.[9] The 337-pound Raji performed a memorablehula dance after the touchdown, an incident that was parodied in aState Farm Insurance commercial featuring Raji andAaron Rodgers.[11] The play also brokeWilliam 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 toSuper Bowl XLV, where they defeated thePittsburgh Steelers by a score of 31–25.[13] He was ranked 81st by his fellow players on theNFL 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 inKimberly near Green Bay.
During a Week 11 matchup against theTampa 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 firstPro 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 anNFC North pennant, but lost to theNew York Giants 20–37 in the divisional round.
Raji played in 14 games in the 2012 season, making 26 tackles and defended two passes.[17]
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.[18]
On August 22, 2014, in apreseason game against theOakland Raiders, Raji suffered a torn rightbiceps. He was subsequently placed oninjured reserve, and missed the entire2014 NFL season.[19]
On March 30, 2015, Raji signed a one-year, $3.5 million deal with the Packers.[20] In the2015 season, Raji totaled 22 tackles and half a sack.[21]
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".[22] However, as of 2025, 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 | |
