Keith Joseph (American football player)
Encyclopedia
Keith Joseph is a former professional American football
running back
in the NFL
for the New Orleans Saints
.
in Houston, Texas
. He was named the Houston Touchdown Club Offensive Player of the Year after rushing for 1,648 yards and 25 touchdowns as a senior. He was injured and did not play as a junior, but earned first-team all-district honors as a sophomore after rushing for 1,237 yards and 17 touchdowns, and was the district's freshman of the year.
Joseph signed with Texas A&M
and redshirted
in 2000. He started three games in 2001 and finished the season as the team's second leading rusher. Joseph started three games at fullback in 2002, and eight games in 2003, and all 12 as a senior in 2004.
He finished his senior season with 207 yards and three touchdowns on 58 carries. He also had four receptions for 17 yards. At A&M, he was known for his workmanlike style and his rare combination of size, speed, and strength. He stood at 6'2" 256 lb (116.1 kg). and broke the Texas A&M running back record for the bench press with an amazing lift of 465 lb (210.9 kg). At the 2005 NFL Combine
, he topped all fullbacks when he ran the 40-yard dash in 4.69 (the only fullback under 4.8) and did 27 bench press repetitions with 225 lb (102.1 kg).
, he was signed as an undrafted free agent by the New Orleans Saints
on April 27, 2005. He was released after the preseason, but immediately signed to the Saints' practice squad, where he spent the entire season.
Joseph was re-signed by the Saints to a one-year contract in January and began the season as the backup to starting fullback Mike Karney
, but suffered a right MCL sprain in his knee during the first game of the season. He was placed on the injured reserve
on Sep 13, 2006, ending his 2006 season. He was cut from the Saints in March 2007.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
running back
Running back
A running back is a gridiron football position, who is typically lined up in the offensive backfield. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback for a rushing play, to catch passes from out of the backfield, and to block.There are usually one or two running...
in the NFL
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
for the New Orleans Saints
New Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans, Louisiana. They are members of the South Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League ....
.
High School and College
Joseph attended Lamar High SchoolLamar High School (Houston)
Mirabeau B. Lamar Senior High School is a secondary school located at 3325 Westheimer Road in Houston, Texas, United States, with a zip code of 77098...
in Houston, Texas
Houston, Texas
Houston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ...
. He was named the Houston Touchdown Club Offensive Player of the Year after rushing for 1,648 yards and 25 touchdowns as a senior. He was injured and did not play as a junior, but earned first-team all-district honors as a sophomore after rushing for 1,237 yards and 17 touchdowns, and was the district's freshman of the year.
Joseph signed with Texas A&M
Texas A&M Aggies
Texas A&M Aggies refers to the students, graduates, and sports teams of Texas A&M University. The nickname "Aggie" is common at land-grant or "Ag" schools in many states. The teams compete in Division I of NCAA sports...
and redshirted
Redshirt (college sports)
Redshirt is a term used in American college athletics that refers to a delay or suspension of an athlete's participation in order to lengthen his or her period of eligibility...
in 2000. He started three games in 2001 and finished the season as the team's second leading rusher. Joseph started three games at fullback in 2002, and eight games in 2003, and all 12 as a senior in 2004.
He finished his senior season with 207 yards and three touchdowns on 58 carries. He also had four receptions for 17 yards. At A&M, he was known for his workmanlike style and his rare combination of size, speed, and strength. He stood at 6'2" 256 lb (116.1 kg). and broke the Texas A&M running back record for the bench press with an amazing lift of 465 lb (210.9 kg). At the 2005 NFL Combine
NFL Combine
The National Invitational Camp or NFL Scouting Combine, as it is more widely known, is a week-long showcase, occurring every February in Indianapolis, Indiana's Lucas Oil Stadium , where college football players perform physical and mental tests in front of National Football League coaches, general...
, he topped all fullbacks when he ran the 40-yard dash in 4.69 (the only fullback under 4.8) and did 27 bench press repetitions with 225 lb (102.1 kg).
NFL
Although Joseph went undrafted in the 2005 NFL Draft2005 NFL Draft
The 2005 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 23–24, 2005. The league also held an supplemental draft that year, which was held after...
, he was signed as an undrafted free agent by the New Orleans Saints
New Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans, Louisiana. They are members of the South Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League ....
on April 27, 2005. He was released after the preseason, but immediately signed to the Saints' practice squad, where he spent the entire season.
Joseph was re-signed by the Saints to a one-year contract in January and began the season as the backup to starting fullback Mike Karney
Mike Karney
Michael John Mario Karney is an American football fullback who is currently a free agent of the National Football League. He was drafted by the New Orleans Saints in the fifth round of the 2004 NFL Draft...
, but suffered a right MCL sprain in his knee during the first game of the season. He was placed on the injured reserve
Injured reserve
The injured reserve list is a list of reserved players who are injured and unable to play for a period of time, used most prominently in the National Hockey League and National Football League . It is used because these leagues have a maximum number of players on the team roster, so placing a...
on Sep 13, 2006, ending his 2006 season. He was cut from the Saints in March 2007.