B. J. Raji
Encyclopedia
Green Bay Packers
Raji was selected ninth overall by the Green Bay PackersGreen Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers are an American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Packers are the current NFL champions...
in the 2009 NFL Draft
2009 NFL Draft
The 2009 NFL Draft was the seventy-fourth annual meeting of National Football League franchises to select newly eligible football players. The draft took place at Radio City Music Hall in New York City on April 25 and 26, 2009. The draft consisted of two rounds on the first day starting at 4:00...
. He was worked into defensive coordinator Dom Capers
Dom Capers
Ernest Dominic "Dom" Capers is an American football coach, the current defensive coordinator of the Green Bay Packers, and the only man to serve two different National Football League expansion teams as their inaugural head coach....
' brand new 3-4 scheme during the start of the Packers 2009 season, and was regarded as a defensive corner. 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 only managed 25 tackles and 1 sack.
Fully healed and expected to fully contribute for the 2010 season, Raji earned the starting position at nose tackle in Capers' defense, moving previous starter Ryan Pickett
Ryan Pickett
-St. Louis Rams:Pickett was selected with the 29th pick of the first round in the 2001 NFL Draft by the St. Louis Rams. On July 28, 2001, Pickett signed a five-year, $5.995 million contract with the Rams. Pickett's contract includes a $2.615 million signing bonuses...
to defensive end. 2010 was a breakout season: starting 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
William Perry (American football)
William Perry is a former professional American football player. He is best known for his years as a defensive lineman for the Chicago Bears. In reference to his large size, he was popularly known as "The Refrigerator" or, abbreviated, "The Fridge".-Life and athletic career:Perry was born in...
, who played for the Bears and was nicknamed "The Fridge". On January 23, 2011, in the fourth quarter of the NFC Championship Game
NFC Championship Game
The National Football Conference Championship Game is one of the two semi-final playoff matches of the National Football League, the largest professional American football league in the United States. The game is played on the penultimate Sunday in January and determines the champion of the...
at Soldier Field
Soldier Field
Soldier Field is located on Lake Shore Drive in Chicago, Illinois, United States, in the Near South Side. It is home to the NFL's Chicago Bears...
in Chicago, Raji intercepted a pass from Bears third-string quarterback Caleb Hanie
Caleb Hanie
Caleb Jeffrey Hanie is an American football quarterback for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League. He was signed by the Bears as an undrafted free agent in 2008. He played high school football for Forney High School in Forney, Texas and led his team to consecutive top 3 finishes in...
and returned it 18 yards to the end zone, marking Raji's first career interception and touchdown. It also broke William Perry
William Perry (American football)
William Perry is a former professional American football player. He is best known for his years as a defensive lineman for the Chicago Bears. In reference to his large size, he was popularly known as "The Refrigerator" or, abbreviated, "The Fridge".-Life and athletic career:Perry was born in...
's NFL record for the heaviest player to score a post-season touchdown at 337 pounds. The touchdown proved to be the decisive factor as the Packers advanced to Super Bowl XLV
Super Bowl XLV
Super Bowl XLV was an American football game between the American Football Conference champion Pittsburgh Steelers and the National Football Conference champion Green Bay Packers to decide the National Football League champion for the 2010 season. The game was held at Cowboys Stadium in...
, where they defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team currently belongs to the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Founded in , the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC...
31-25.
In the 2011 offseason, Raji was ranked #81 by his peers on on NFL Network's Top 100 Greatest Players of 2011, where he was presented by New York Giants center Shaun O'Hara
Shaun O'Hara
Shaun O'Hara is an American football center in the National Football League who is currently a free agent. He played college football at Rutgers University, and has been in the NFL since 2000, having begun his pro career as a free agent with the Cleveland Browns...
.
In early August of 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, WI near Green Bay.
During a week 11 matchup against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football franchise based in Tampa, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the Southern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League – they are the only team in the division not to come from the old NFC West...
on November 20, Raji scored a rushing touchdown. He was only the fourth defensive lineman to score a rushing touchdown since the NFL/AFL
American Football League
The American Football League was a major American Professional Football league that operated from 1960 until 1969, when the established National Football League merged with it. The upstart AFL operated in direct competition with the more established NFL throughout its existence...
merger.
Personal
B. J. Raji is the oldest of Mamie and Busari Raji, Sr.'s three children. His youngest brother, Ade, is currently a sophomore at Westwood Regional Jr./Sr. High School in Bergen County, New Jersey. His younger brother, Corey, is a senior forward on the Boston College basketball teamBoston College Eagles men's basketball
The Boston College Eagles are a Division I college basketball program that represents Boston College in Chestnut Hill, MA. The team has competed in the ACC since 2005, having previously played in the Big East. Home games have been played at the Conte Forum since 1988, having previously been played...
. Busari Raji's father immigrated to the U.S. from Nigeria
Nigeria
Nigeria , officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal constitutional republic comprising 36 states and its Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The country is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in...
. Both his parents are Pentecostal ministers.
B. J. is the first cousin of rhythm and blues singer Rahsaan Patterson
Rahsaan Patterson
Rahsaan Patterson is an American singer and actor, best known for portraying "The Kid" on the popular 1980s television show Kids Incorporated. He is a native of The Bronx, New York. He was named after '60s jazz saxophonist Rahsaan Roland Kirk...
.