Joseph Addai

Addai is a versatile athlete who has not only performed capably in the backfield, but can also line out wide at receiver. Unlike most featured backs, he displays solid blocking technique. After playing mostly as a third-down runner most of his career, Addai showed in 2005 that he is more than ready to handle the brunt of the rushing load. At Sharpstown High School, Addai earned All-American honors from ESPN and Fox Sports. ESPN's Tom Lemming rated him among the top 100 players in the nation and he was also a member of the Houston Chronicle Top 100 list. He garnered first-team Class 5A All-State honors, as well as first-team All-District and All-County accolades. As a senior quarterback, Addai completed 37-of-91 passes for 425 yards and rushed for 1,429 yards on 159 carries (8.9 avg) with 26 touchdowns. He also returned eight kickoffs for 380 yards (47.5 avg). He excelled in track as a sprinter and was clocked at 10.7 seconds in the 100 meters and 22.1 in the 200 meters. As a true freshman at Louisiana State in 2001, Addai only saw brief action vs. Tulane and Kentucky before being granted a redshirt year. He gained 27 yards on eight runs during his first college campaign. He was used mostly as a third-down back in 2002, appearing in twelve contests. He finished third on the team with 438 yards and four touchdowns on 80 carries (5.5 avg) and caught six passes for 81 yards (13.5 avg). In 2003, Joseph started six contests. He totaled 520 yards on 114 rushing attempts with two scores and snared fourteen passes for 86 yards (6.1 avg) and a touchdown. Addai then followed with 101 carries for 680 yards (6.7 avg) and three scores in 2004, ranking second on the squad, despite not starting any games. He also amassed 175 yards on ten kickoff returns and caught 26 passes for 294 yards (11.3 avg). He had four touchdown grabs while also seeing action at receiver in several contests. When Alley Broussard was injured during 2005 preseason drills, Addai was finally given an opportunity to be the team's full-time starter. He led the team with a career-high 911 yards and nine touchdowns on 187 attempts (4.9 avg), but was bothered most of the second half of the season by a nagging ankle sprain. He made 20 catches for 180 yards (9.0 avg) and a score while totaling 60 points. In 51 games with the Tigers, Addai started 19 times. He rushed 490 times for 2,576 yards (5.3 avg) and 18 touchdowns, the fifth-best career total in school history. He grabbed 66 passes for 641 yards (9.7 avg) and six scores, adding 187 yards on eleven kickoff returns (17.0 avg). He produced 144 points and recorded six tackles (4 solos) on special teams. His 3,404 all-purpose yards rank ninth on the school's all-time record list.

positives

Powerful runner with above average quickness and acceleration...Has a compact, yet muscular frame with good balance and loose hips...Gets to top speed quickly and despite that quickness, he shows good patience waiting for his blocks to develop...Has a good feel for the cutback lanes and is a good downhill runner with a knack for squeezing through tight spaces...Shows that extra gear needed to elude in the open and does a good job of securing the ball before attacking the line of scrimmage...Crisp route runner with such a good feel for zone coverages, that he can also line out wide at receiver...Has natural hands and does a good job of catching away from the frame...Very aggressive cut blocker who is effective at chipping and landing on pass rushers...Has a good work ethic and spends the additional hours in the film room preparing for his next opponent...His low pad level and leg drives makes it very hard for him to be brought down by initial contact.

while he has a good straight-line burst to the outside, he is more of a one-cut runner who can get caught from behind, as he tends to gather before making the cut. he needs to let the toss develop and then burst through the seam in order to be effective here. he can separate in one-on-one foot races and can generate that extra gear to elude.

Addai will generally secure the ball well before attacking the line of scrimmage and has no fumble issues. He is a very effective route runner who has the vision to find the soft spot in zone coverage. He is effective on dump-offs, but has also shown good ability running up-field routes and has lined up at receiver in the past. He is a solid hands catcher who is quite effective on screens and does a decent job of extending to catch outside his frame.

negatives

Has good acceleration and change of direction skills, but is more of a one-cut runner who can get caught up in the trash when moving in space...Even with his speed, he needs some room to operate in order to be effective (sometimes gathers before cutting)... Will usually run at a good pad level, but when he gets high in his stance, he struggles to shake free and fails to create much on his own...Physical blocker, but will get his base a bit narrow, causing him to slip off some initial blocks...More slippery than elusive as a runner and despite his power and ability to break tackles, he can get contained when trying to push the pile...Has good field instincts, but his low Wonderlic test score (10) could pose problems digesting a complicated playbook.

addai is a well-built athlete with a solid frame that has room to carry additional bulk. he has a thick chest, broad shoulders, big bubble and defined thighs and calves. he is built more in the lines of a compact fullback, but generates rare speed for his position. he is an explosive open field runner who shows above average balance and lateral agility. he shows good pick and slide agility and generates that second gear needed to break free from the pile to gain positive yardage in the second level.

Addai is a physical inside runner who excels as a cut blocker. He shows good determination executing chip blocks on the down linemen and is alert to pick up the blitz. He can be pushed back sometimes when trying to provide the quarterback pass protection due to his size, but he works hard to get a piece of the pass rusher. He squares to target and strikes with force when locating linebackers in the second level. Even when giving up considerable bulk, he does not hesitate to step up with aggression to face up or cut.

despite his above average quickness, he is a patient runner who can generate a second gear to explode through the pile. he hits the holes with good body lean, showing the foot movement to fluidly change direction. he has a good feel for the rush lanes and cutback lanes, using his blocks effectively to set up for a long gain. you can see on film the bounce in his step when cutting back and the avoidance skills he displays in the open field.

While he has the speed to get to the corners, he is also an effective inside runner. He has good knee lift to step over trash and a sudden burst to squeeze through tight quarters. He has the body lean and pick and slide ability to power through arm tackles and can jump cut through the small creases. His balance and low pad level makes it hard to bring him down in isolated coverage and he does a good job of falling forward upon contact.

2002: Sat out the Mississippi game (11/23) with a right knee anterior cruciate ligament sprain. 2003: Underwent arthroscopic right knee surgery in June...Re-injured his right knee vs. Florida (10/11), sitting out the South Carolina and Auburn games and saw limited action vs. Louisiana Tech. 2005: Suffered a left ankle sprain in the first quarter vs. North Texas (10/29), missing the rest of the game...Returned the following week vs. Appalachian State (11/05), but again left in the first quarter when he re-injured his left ankle. The injury would continue to limit him the rest of the year.

Campus: 4.43 in the 40-yard dash

385-pound bench press

550-pound squat

352-pound power clean

32 ½-inch arm length

9 5/8-inch hands

Left-handed

10/24 Wonderlic score.

Attended Sharpstown (Houston, Tex.) High School, playing football for head coach Charles Perridon

Earned All-American honors from ESPN and Fox Sports

ESPN's Tom Lemming rated him among the top 100 players in the nation and he was also a member of the Houston Chronicle Top 100 list

Garnered first-team Class 5A All-State honors, as well as first-team All-District and All-County accolades

As a senior quarterback, Addai completed 37-of-91 passes for 425 yards and rushed for 1,429 yards on 159 carries (8.9 avg) with 26 touchdowns

Also returned eight kickoffs for 380 yards (47.5 avg)

Excelled in track as a sprinter

Clocked at 10.7 seconds in the 100 meters and 22.1 in the 200 meters.

General Studies major

Son of Joyce Addai

Born 5/03/83 in Houston, Texas.