44 NAJEH DAVENPORT

 

2006 (13/0): Signed with the team on Sept. 8…saw action in the final 13 games and finished second on the team in rushing with 221 yards with one touchdown…used primarily on third downs…9/18 at Jacksonville: Dressed but did not play…9/24 vs. Cincinnati: Dressed but did not play…10/8 at San Diego: Saw his first action as a Steeler…caught a 32-yard pass, the longest catch of his career…10/15 vs. Kansas City: Rushed 12 times for 78 yards (6.5 avg.) with a TD and a long of 48…48-yard run tied a Heinz Field record for longest running play by Pittsburgh (Jerome Bettis, 10/7/01 vs. Cincinnati) at the time…bulled his way in for a one-yard score on fourth-and-goal…10/22 at Atlanta: Rushed once for minus-(-1) yard…saw action as a kick returner but did not record a return…10/29 at Oakland: Returned two kickoffs for 40 yards (20.0 avg.) and a long of 25…rushed four times for one yard with a long of four…11/5 vs. Denver: Rushed twice for 17 yards with a long of nine…recorded new career game highs with five receptions for 57 yards (11.4 avg.) and a long of 19…returned one kickoff for 23 yards…also recorded one solo special teams tackle…11/12 vs. New Orleans: Accounted for 104 total yards…returned four kickoffs for 97 yards (24.3), including a 40-yarder…rushed twice for three yards and caught one pass for four yards…11/19 at Cleveland: Rushed twice for 11 yards with a long of eight…caught two passes for 16 yards (8.0 avg.) and a long of nine…had two kick returns for 40 yards with a long of 20…had a 48-yard return but it was called back because of a penalty…left the game with a groin injury and did not return…11/26 at Baltimore: Returned four kickoffs for 60 yards (15.0 avg.) and a long of 27…caught one pass for 10 yards…12/3 vs. Tampa Bay: Rushed six times for eight yards (1.3 avg.) with a long of six…caught two passes for 22 yards with a long of 14…returned one kickoff for 21 yards…12/7 vs. Cleveland: Rushed 14 times for 62 yards (4.4 avg.) and a long of 14…caught one pass for 21 yards…12/17 at Carolina: Rushed 11 times for 14 yards (1.3 avg.) with a long of six…caught two passes for 31 yards with a long of 18…caught a screen pass and raced 13 yards for a touchdown late in the first half to give the Steelers a 17-0 lead, his first career receiving touchdown…returned one kickoff for 21 yards…added three special teams tackles (one solo)…12/24 vs. Baltimore: Rushed once for one yard…returned three kickoffs for 85 yards (28.3 avg.) with a game long of 32…added one solo special teams tackle…12/31 at Cincinnati: Rushed three times for 27 yards (9.0 avg.), with a long of 20…returned two kickoffs for 35 yards.

2005 (5-1): Started the year as Green Bay's No. 2 running back before suffering a broken ankle vs. New Orleans (Oct. 9)…was placed on injured reserve the next day, after having surgery earlier that morning…wound up playing in five games with one start…finished with 30 carries for 105 yards and two touchdowns, two catches for three yards, and 10 kickoff returns for 189 yards (18.9-yard avg.)…reported to training camp after shedding more than 20 pounds using a combination of YMCA basketball and an offseason Jenny Craig program…9/18 vs. Cleveland: Carried eight times for 36 yards and returned three kickoffs for 54 yards…picked up first downs on two third-and-one situations, each time gaining 5 yards…9/25 vs. Tampa Bay: Became the 38th player in team history to gain 1,000 yards rushing in a Packers uniform, joining a list that includes Hall of Famers Clarke Hinkle, Jim Taylor, Tony Canadeo, Bart Starr and Paul Hornung…10/3 at Carolina: Had four rushes for 10 yards and caught one pass for one yard…took over for Ahman Green when the starter left with a knee injury in the third quarter…also matched his career high with four kickoff returns for 86 yards in Panthers contest, and ran for four yards and an important first down on a fourth-quarter touchdown drive, as Green Bay battled back in an eventual 32-29 loss…10/9 vs. New Orleans: Made his second career start, at running back for an inactive Green (knee/quadricep)…carried 12 times in Saints contest for a season-high 54 yards and two touchdowns, the first two-TD game of his pro career…also caught one pass for two yards…punched in a one-yard touchdown for the Packers' first points and their first 2005 rushing touchdown…his early 24-yard run, in which he burst through the hole and broke S Dwight Smith's tackle to gain extra yards, was the Packers' longest carry since the previous Dec. 19…three plays later, ran off right tackle and scored a four-yard touchdown, wrestling past DE Charles Grant for the final push into the end zone…ran for a 10-yard gain in the second quarter, stiff-arming CB Mike McKenzie and getting around the edge for the first down…just before halftime after catching his only pass, suffered a season-ending broken ankle when he got his right leg caught underneath him during LB Courtney Watson's tackle.

2004 (11-1/1-0): Though limited by several different injuries over the course of the year, still finished second on the team in rushing with 359 yards and two touchdowns on 71 carries (5.1 avg.) as the primary backup…also returned kickoffs, averaging 20.4 yards on 14 runbacks, and made four receptions for 33 yards…played in 11 regular-season games, starting once…was inactive for the other five contests…also saw action in NFC Wild Card battle with Minnesota (Jan. 9)…contributed three special teams tackles in the regular season…9/13 at Carolina: In the opening game, a Monday night matchup, aggravated a training camp pull of his right hamstring while returning a second-quarter kickoff…initially pulled the muscle in practice Aug. 24…subsequently was inactive for contests against Chicago (Sept. 19), at Indianapolis (Sept. 26) and vs. the N.Y. Giants (Oct. 3)…10/11 vs. Tennessee: Limited to special teams duty…returned to the field for Monday night game, bulldozing a pair of Titan defenders on Antonio Chatman's 35-yard kickoff return up the right sideline…10/17 at Detroit: Barreled into the line 10 times for 62 yards (6.2 avg.)…production included a 13-yard TD run around left end late in the third quarter that gave Green Bay a 31-10 lead in its eventual 38-10 victory…11/14 vs. Minnesota: Exited in the first half with a left hamstring injury (opposite of the one injured earlier in the year), causing him to be inactive for ensuing contest at Houston (Nov. 21)…11/29 vs. St. Louis: With Ahman Green (rib cartilage) sidelined, returned to the field for Monday night start, enjoying the top performance of his professional career…ran 19 times for 178 yards and a touchdown…output ranked as the NFL's third-highest total over the last 21 years for a player in his first league start, in addition to being the fifth-highest one-game total in Packers history…broke several long runs in the Packers' 45-17 victory over St. Louis, including 37 yards on a third-quarter counter play to put himself over 100 yards on the night, breaking a pair of tackles in the process…on a fourth-and-one late in Rams contest, darted through the St. Louis defensive line, broke away from one defender and cruised in for a 40-yard TD run…earlier, had picked up 31 yards on a second-quarter run to the left side…gains of 31 and 37 yards each set up Green Bay touchdowns…12/24 at Minnesota: In division-clinching triumph had 11 carries for 40 yards as well as one kickoff return for 13 yards…1/2 at Chicago: Was listed as inactive, resting left shoulder injury initially suffered vs. St. Louis and that later would require arthroscopic surgery during the offseason (March 11, 2005)…NFC Wild Card Game 1/9 vs. Minnesota: Had a one-yard TD run among 14 yards on five carries…also returned three kickoffs for 69 yards in third meeting with the Vikings.

2003 (15-0/2-0): Healthy for most of his second season after having his rookie year cut short by an eye injury…served as a valuable and productive backup to Ahman Green, who set the Packers' single-season rushing record with 1,883 yards…saw reserve action in 15 regular-season games…was inactive for the other contest (Sept. 29 at Chicago) with wrist and hamstring injuries suffered eight days earlier at Arizona…played in both postseason games…finished second on the team in rushing with a career-high 420 yards and two touchdowns on 77 carries…enjoyed the second-best rushing average (5.45 yards per carry) among the NFL's top 59 running backs, being edged out by Portis (5.49), a 1,591-yard rusher that season…made six receptions for 38 yards…became the Packers' primary kickoff returner beginning with the 10th game, averaging an impressive 31.6 yards per runback, including four returns of over 40 yards…31.6-yard average (third highest in Green Bay history) would have topped the NFL, but his 16 returns (for 505 yards) fell four shy of the 20 necessary for qualification…was a regular on the coverage units, ranking fourth among Packers with 15 special teams tackles…during the postseason, carried 16 times for 63 yards, returned seven kickoffs for 139 yards, and added a pair of coverage stops…10/12 vs. Kansas City: Recorded a 18-yard touchdown on a draw over left guard…10/19 at St. Louis: Had a career-long 76-yard touchdown run down the left sideline late in game at St. Louis (Oct. 19), giving him a season high 74 yards rushing…11/2 at Minnesota: Posted two coverage stops…11/10 vs. Philadelphia: Had recorded a career-best three special teams tackles in Monday night game…11/16 at Tampa Bay: Played a pivotal role in the Packers' 17-play, 98-yard drive for the game-winning touchdown (9:42 elapsed) in 20-13 triumph…picked up 46 yards on five carries during the drive, including a 27-yard run to the Bucs' 36 and a five-yard burst up the middle on fourth-and-one at the Bucs' 16…totaled 70 yards on 13 rushes…sparked a field goal with a 56-yard kickoff return in which he avoided five tacklers…11/23 vs. San Francisco: Averaged a season-best 5.6 yards per carry (min. 10 att.), running 11 times for 62 of the Packers' 243 yards on the ground…11/27 at Detroit: Averaged a career-best 34.0 yards per return (min. 3 att.) on Thanksgiving Day, returning three kickoffs for 102 yards, including a 57-yarder midway through the fourth quarter in which he bounced off the Lions' Wali Rainer…12/7 vs. Chicago: Ran through Cameron Worrell to collar Pro Bowl kick returner Jerry Azumah at the 19-yard line in win over the Bears…12/14 at San Diego: Provided a huge momentum swing in key 38-21 victory…posted career highs for kickoff returns (four) and kickoff return yards (125)…12/22 at Oakland: Had career-long 60-yard kickoff return to open the second half eight days later, following a 32-yard runback in the first quarter of win over Raiders…Wild Card Game 1/4 vs. Seattle: Registered two coverage tackles.

2002 (8-0): Emerged early in the regular season as the backup to Ahman Green at halfback after beginning the year as the Packers' reserve fullback…rushed for 184 yards (third on team) and one touchdown on 39 carries – for an impressive 4.7-yard average…also was an occasional deep man on kickoffs, returning six for a 21.7-yard average, before his season ended prematurely due to an eye injury…additionally made five receptions for 33 yards and four special teams tackles prior to being hurt…enjoyed his top two games of the year against Detroit…9/22 at Detroit: With Green (quadriceps) inactive, saw his first significant action as a pro when he split time at halfback with Rondell Mealey in Ford Field's dedication…ran for a season-best 84 yards (on a career-high 22 carries) and had career highs in both receptions (four) and receiving yards (31) in a 37-31 victory…11/10 vs. Detroit: Had a team-high 73 yards rushing – including a season-long 43-yard run up the right sideline – on just 10 attempts (7.3 avg.) in relief of Green, who had been forced out in the second quarter by a mild concussion…also posted a season-high two coverage stops before going out himself late in the third period, when he suffered a right ankle strain after being bent backward over a pile…11/17 at Minnesota: Returned to the field the next week for game, but his health was short-lived…fractured his left eye socket while covering the opening kickoff, an injury that occurred when he laid a heavy hit on Vikings return man Nick Davis…With surgery necessary (Nov. 20), was placed on injured reserve the same day…finished rookie year with eight games played as a reserve…also was inactive for two contests (Oct. 13 at New England and Oct. 20 vs. Washington) after initially pulling his right hamstring in an Oct. 3 practice, then aggravating the injury four days later in Monday night win over Chicago at Champaign, Ill. (Oct. 7)…9/8 vs. Atlanta: Had carries of five and three yards on consecutive plays immediately prior to Ryan Longwell's game-winning field goal in 37-34, overtime triumph over Atlanta in the season opener, having entered the game with Green (cramps) and Mealey (hamstring) sidelined…missed roughly three weeks of practice near the start of training camp due to lingering pain and soreness associated with the left foot surgery required following his final collegiate season.

COLLEGE: Was a four-time letterman (1998-2001) at the University of Miami (Fla.) following a redshirt season in 1997…a highly recruited tailback coming out of high school, initially split time with future high NFL draft choices Edgerrin James (Colts, first round in '99), James Jackson (Browns, third round in '01) and Clinton Portis (Broncos, second round in '02) before moving to fullback on a permanent basis for the last year-and-a-half of his career…averaged 5.3 yards per carry, rushing 156 times for 830 yards and 13 touchdowns…also made 35 receptions for 381 yards and three TDs, in addition to returning 14 kickoffs for 346 yards (24.7 avg.)…played in 32 games with 16 starts, including 11 as a senior…served as a captain on Miami's 12-0, national championship team in 2001, though he was forced to miss the blowout of Nebraska in the Rose Bowl after breaking the fifth metatarsal bone in his left foot during a Dec. 21 practice…playing fullback on a full-time basis for the first time in '01, he helped to pave the way for Portis' 1,200 yards rushing and was honored following the season with the school's 'Unsung Hero' award in recognition of his willingness to put team success ahead of individual goals. 2000: Had rotated between tailback and fullback for much of his junior season, making a career-best 15 receptions (for 149 yards and one touchdown) to go along with his 308 yards and four TDs rushing…scored twice in 37-20 victory over Florida in the Nokia Sugar Bowl to cap '00 campaign…received the school's 'Jessie Armstead Comeback Player of the Year' award in 2000, recognizing his return from knee injury that limited his '99 season to one game. 1999: Rushed for 81 yards on 13 carries (6.2 avg.) in 1999 Kickoff Classic vs. Ohio State at the Meadowlands before tearing the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee. 1998: Enjoyed career highs in yards rushing (387) and rushing TDs (six) as a redshirt freshman, leading all UM backs with an average of 7.0 yards per carry…ran for a career-best 92 yards in consecutive weeks, vs. East Tennessee State and at Cincinnati, to open the '98 campaign…later started Miami on its comeback from a 17-point, second-half deficit in 49-45 triumph over No. 3 UCLA at the Orange Bowl, scampering 23 yards for a score that pulled the Hurricanes to within 38-28 in the final seconds of the third quarter…set a Big East record with 208 kickoff return yards (on seven runbacks) in 1998 contest at Syracuse. 1997: Worked with the scout team during redshirt season…also won four letters (1998-2001) as a sprinter on the Miami track team, competing in the 100-meter dash and 4x100 relay…was a member of the Hurricanes' 4x100 relay team that was the 1999 Big East champion…earned a B.A. degree in theatre, with a minor in education.

PERSONAL: Born in Raleigh, N.C.…has two sons, Najeh Jr., (3), and Ali, (1), and one daughter, Nailah, (2)…was a highly recruited tailback coming out of Miami (Fla.) Central High School…rushed for 1,098 yards and 15 touchdowns in just five games as a senior, including 200-plus yards in four of those contests…named All-Dade (County) by the Miami Herald…had carried 100 times for 622 yards and seven TDs during his junior season…won four letters each in football (also playing strong safety) and track…additionally received All-Dade recognition as a track athlete…putting his undergraduate degree to practical use in the offseason, in March of 2003 he spent one week in Los Angeles as an actor in the movie Full Clip, starring Busta Rhymes, that was released on DVD in August 2004…originally was set to appear in the movie as a henchman, but he received a bigger role following his audition…ended up playing a nightclub owner who is getting extorted…would like to do additional work as an actor in the future…in the past two years alone, he has given time to the American Red Cross (taping a pair of public service announcements, including one for 'Super Donor Days'), the Brown County PALS program (taking part in the organization's Halloween party), the Epilepsy Foundation of Western Wisconsin (taping a PSA as well as playing with 60 kids at an organizational event), the Good Shepherd Nursing Home in Seymour, Wis. (playing bingo with residents), March of Dimes (signing autographs as a fundraiser), St. Vincent Hospital (taking part in the Families of Children with Cancer Holiday Party) and the 'Shop with a Jock' program…earlier in his career, also lent an effort to the Salvation Army (ringing the bell for the organization's Christmas kettle at an area grocery store), the NFL Hometown Huddle (doing landscaping and painting at the Green Bay west-side Boys & Girls Club), Children's Miracle Network (by signing autographs at the Fox River Mall in Appleton, Wis., for donations to the organization) and the Better Business Bureau (through the taping of a PSA)…began work on a master's degree in 2001…off-the-field interests include watching cartoons, playing video games and paintball, as well as operating remote control airplanes and cars…held a variety of jobs while in college: sold Cutco brand cutlery during the summer of 2001 (receiving an award as salesperson of the year) after having worked as a paralegal assistant at the Miami law firm of McDermott, Will & Emery (handling filing and other paperwork) the prior summer…also sold pagers for a short time while in college through his own company, 'Big Boy Inc.'…boyhood friends included fellow NFL players Santana Moss (Redskins), Nate Webster (Broncos) and Marvin 'Snoop' Minnis (formerly of the Chiefs and Dolphins)…nicknamed 'Big Boy'…Full name: Najeh Trenadious Monté Davenport.