Xavier Adibi
Encyclopedia
Xavier Oyekola Adibi is an American football
linebacker
for the Minnesota Vikings
of the National Football League
. He was drafted by the Houston Texans
in the fourth round of the 2008 NFL Draft
. He played college football
at Virginia Tech
.
at Phoebus High School
in Hampton, Virginia
, and graduated in 2003.
He helped the Phantoms win their first state championship. Phoebus' first undefeated season came during Adibi's senior year where the Phantoms won their second consecutive state championship. Adibi rushed for 155 yards and four touchdown
s in the 2002 state football game, while playing fullback
, with future college teammate, D. J. Parker, as the quarterback
.
Following his high school career, Adibi played in the 2003 U.S. Army All-American Bowl
.
Adibi played college football
at Virginia Tech
. As a redshirt freshman
in 2004
, Adibi backed up Mikal Baquee. He was injured during the first game against USC
and returned for a Thursday night game against Georgia Tech
in Atlanta. Against Georgia Tech, Adibi had a prolific game, making eight tackles
, including two sacks
. He had a key game-saving sack on a Georgia Tech fourth quarter scoring drive. Georgia Tech had an opportunity to ice the game away, but Adibi's sack of Reggie Ball
forced a field goal
and kept it a one-score game, which Virginia Tech would ultimately rally to win.
Adibi earned the starting inside linebacker spot before the 2005
season and has held that position ever since.
In 2006
, Adibi finished second on the team in tackles with 82. Following a 17-0 shutout
of Virginia
, he was honored as the ACC
defensive lineman of the week for his performance, which included a forced fumble
to set up the first (and winning) touchdown.
by the Houston Texans
. On September 5, 2011, Adibi was claimed off waivers by the Minnesota Vikings
.
, was a standout defensive end
for the Hokies. Their father, Abiodun Adibi, was a college soccer
player at Oklahoma State
and is a professor at Hampton University
.
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...
linebacker
Linebacker
A linebacker is a position in American football that was invented by football coach Fielding H. Yost of the University of Michigan. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up approximately three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage, behind the defensive linemen...
for the Minnesota Vikings
Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Vikings joined the National Football League as an expansion team in 1960...
of the National Football League
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...
. He was drafted by the Houston Texans
Houston Texans
The Houston Texans are a professional American football team based in Houston, Texas. The team is currently a member of the Southern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
in the fourth round of the 2008 NFL Draft
2008 NFL Draft
The 2008 NFL Draft took place at Radio City Music Hall in New York City on April 26 and April 27, 2008. For the 29th consecutive year, ESPN televised the draft; the NFL Network also broadcast the event, its third year doing so...
. He played college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
at Virginia Tech
Virginia Tech Hokies football
The Virginia Tech Hokies football team is a college football program that competes in NCAA Division I-FBS, in the Coastal Division of the Atlantic Coast Conference. They have more wins in team history than any other program in the ACC. Their home games are played at Lane Stadium which seats over...
.
Early years
Adibi attended and played high school footballHigh school football
High school football, in North America, refers to the game of football as it is played in the United States and Canada. It ranks among the most popular interscholastic sports in both of these nations....
at Phoebus High School
Phoebus High School
Phoebus High School is a public high school located in Hampton, Virginia. Named after the nearby neighborhood and former township of Phoebus, it is the newest of the four high schools in the city. Considered unique for its excellent technology, and Video Media and Design...
in Hampton, Virginia
Hampton, Virginia
Hampton is an independent city that is not part of any county in Southeast Virginia. Its population is 137,436. As one of the seven major cities that compose the Hampton Roads metropolitan area, it is on the southeastern end of the Virginia Peninsula. Located on the Hampton Roads Beltway, it hosts...
, and graduated in 2003.
He helped the Phantoms win their first state championship. Phoebus' first undefeated season came during Adibi's senior year where the Phantoms won their second consecutive state championship. Adibi rushed for 155 yards and four touchdown
Touchdown
A touchdown is a means of scoring in American and Canadian football. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchdown by advancing the ball into the opponent's end zone.-Description:...
s in the 2002 state football game, while playing fullback
Fullback (American football)
A fullback is a position in the offensive backfield in American and Canadian football, and is one of the two running back positions along with the halfback...
, with future college teammate, D. J. Parker, as the quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
.
Following his high school career, Adibi played in the 2003 U.S. Army All-American Bowl
U.S. Army All-American Bowl
The U.S. Army All-American Bowl is a high school football all-star game held in early January in San Antonio, Texas. Currently played in the Alamodome, the game brings 90 of the nation's top high school football players in an East versus West matchup. In addition to the Bowl game, there is the U.S...
.
College career
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
at Virginia Tech
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, popularly known as Virginia Tech , is a public land-grant university with the main campus in Blacksburg, Virginia with other research and educational centers throughout the Commonwealth of Virginia, United States, and internationally.Founded in...
. As a redshirt freshman
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 2004
2004 Virginia Tech Hokies football team
The 2004 Virginia Tech Hokies football team won the Atlantic Coast Conference Championship in its inaugural year in the conference, running off a streak of eight straight wins to end the regular season after a 2-2 start. Tech finished 10th in the final Associated Press poll with a 10-3 record...
, Adibi backed up Mikal Baquee. He was injured during the first game against USC
2004 USC Trojans football team
The 2004 USC Trojans football team represented the University of Southern California in the 2004-2005 NCAA Division I-A college football season. Although now vacated for breaking NCAA rules, the team won the 2004 BCS National Championship by winning the 2005 Orange Bowl, that year's BCS National...
and returned for a Thursday night game against Georgia Tech
Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets football
The Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets football team represents the Georgia Institute of Technology in collegiate level football. While the team is officially designated as the Yellow Jackets, it is also referred to as the Ramblin' Wreck. The Yellow Jackets are a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference...
in Atlanta. Against Georgia Tech, Adibi had a prolific game, making eight tackles
Tackle (football move)
Most forms of football have a move known as a tackle. The primary purposes of tackling is to disposses an opponent of the ball, to stop the player from gaining ground towards goal or to stop them from carrying out what they intend....
, including two sacks
Quarterback sack
In American football and Canadian football, a sack occurs when the quarterback is tackled behind the line of scrimmage before he can throw a forward pass, or when the quarterback is tackled behind the line of scrimmage in the "pocket" and the intent of what he was going to do is unclear...
. He had a key game-saving sack on a Georgia Tech fourth quarter scoring drive. Georgia Tech had an opportunity to ice the game away, but Adibi's sack of Reggie Ball
Reggie Ball
Reginald Lewis Ball is an American football Quarterback who currently plays for the Bricktown Brawlers of the Indoor Football League He was originally signed by the Lions as an undrafted free agent in 2007...
forced a field goal
Field goal (football)
A field goal in American football and Canadian football is a goal that may be scored during general play . Field goals may be scored by a placekick or the now practically extinct drop kick.The drop kick fell out of favor in 1934 when the shape of the ball was changed...
and kept it a one-score game, which Virginia Tech would ultimately rally to win.
Adibi earned the starting inside linebacker spot before the 2005
2005 Virginia Tech Hokies football team
The 2005 Virginia Tech Hokies football team represented Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University during the 2005 NCAA Division I-A football season...
season and has held that position ever since.
In 2006
2006 Virginia Tech Hokies football team
The 2006 Virginia Tech Hokies football team represented Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University during the 2006 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The team's head coach was Frank Beamer...
, Adibi finished second on the team in tackles with 82. Following a 17-0 shutout
Shutout
In team sports, a shutout refers to a game in which one team prevents the opposing team from scoring. While possible in most major sports, they are highly improbable in some sports, such as basketball....
of Virginia
2006 Virginia Cavaliers football team
The 2006 Virginia Cavaliers football team represented the University of Virginia in the 2006 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The team's coach was coach Al Groh...
, he was honored as the ACC
Atlantic Coast Conference
The Atlantic Coast Conference is a collegiate athletic league in the United States. Founded in 1953 in Greensboro, North Carolina, the ACC sanctions competition in twenty-five sports in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association for its twelve member universities...
defensive lineman of the week for his performance, which included a forced fumble
Fumble
A fumble in American and Canadian football occurs when a player, who has possession and control of the ball loses it before being downed or scoring. By rule, it is any act other than passing, kicking or successful handing that results in loss of player possession...
to set up the first (and winning) touchdown.
Professional Career
Adibi was drafted in the fourth round of the 2008 NFL Draft2008 NFL Draft
The 2008 NFL Draft took place at Radio City Music Hall in New York City on April 26 and April 27, 2008. For the 29th consecutive year, ESPN televised the draft; the NFL Network also broadcast the event, its third year doing so...
by the Houston Texans
Houston Texans
The Houston Texans are a professional American football team based in Houston, Texas. The team is currently a member of the Southern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
. On September 5, 2011, Adibi was claimed off waivers by the Minnesota Vikings
Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Vikings joined the National Football League as an expansion team in 1960...
.
Personal
Adibi's older brother, Nathaniel AdibiNathaniel Adibi
Nathaniel Adibi is an American football defensive end and currently a free agent.He has never played an NFL down, but he has been on the roster for the Pittsburgh Steelers, Buffalo Bills, Indianapolis Colts, Jacksonville Jaguars, and the Tennessee Titans.-Personal:His younger brother, Xavier...
, was a standout defensive end
Defensive end
Defensive end is the name of a defensive position in the sport of American and Canadian football.This position has designated the players at each end of the defensive line, but changes in formations have substantially changed how the position is played over the years...
for the Hokies. Their father, Abiodun Adibi, was a college soccer
College soccer
College soccer is a term used to describe association football played by teams who are operated by colleges and universities as opposed to a professional league operated for exclusively financial purposes...
player at Oklahoma State
Oklahoma State Cowboys
Oklahoma State Cowboys are the athletic teams that represent Oklahoma State University. Their mascot is a cowboy named Pistol Pete. Oklahoma State participates in the NCAA's Division I-A and in the Big 12 Conference's South Division. The university's current athletic director is Mike Holder...
and is a professor at Hampton University
Hampton University
Hampton University is a historically black university located in Hampton, Virginia, United States. It was founded by black and white leaders of the American Missionary Association after the American Civil War to provide education to freedmen.-History:...
.