LISTEN IN… Catching Up With Joe Addai

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Indianapolis Colts running back Joseph Addai stops by The Tiger Rag Radio Show

by Matt Deville
Tiger Rag Senior Editor

(At left) Joseph Addai is in his fourth season with the Indianapolis Colts. (Photo courtesy of JosephAddai.info)

When you think of the biggest stars to don purple and gold for LSU over the last decade, there are some pretty obvious names that come to mind.

Rohan Davey. Josh Reed. Michael Clayton. Marcus Spears. LaRon Landry. JaMarcus Russell. Glenn Dorsey.

And that’s just to name a few.

The Tigers have boasted nine, first-round draft picks over the last six seasons and has had at least one first rounder in each of the last six straight years. Of those Tigers taken in the first round over the last half dozen, the most successful player on the NFL level is without a doubt, the most unassuming, softest spoken and most underrated.

Joseph Addai came to LSU almost 10 years ago. As part of Nick Saban’s heralded 2001 signing class, it took the Houston native two years to see any significant action. It wasn’t until his redshirt junior season of 2004 that he elevated to a starting position.

But by the time he ended his LSU career, Addai ranked as one of the greatest all-time backs in Tiger football history.

Addai closed out his tenure as a Tiger fifth on the all-time rushing list (2,577 yards), is eighth all-time in career carries (490) and his career 5.26 yards per carry is second all-time only to Kevin Faulk.

Addai was taken with the 30th pick in the first round of the 2006 NFL Draft. And while he was among the nation’s top running backs in 2005, Addai’s draft stock rose because of something other than his ability to gain yards between the tackles.

The 5-11, 214-pound running back ranks fifth all-time in LSU history with 66 receptions by a running back. His ability to catch the ball out of the backfield was what caught the attention of the Indianapolis Colts, who drafted his as a perfect compliment to the power running style of tailback Edgerrin James.

In his first season with the Colts, Addai ranked among the league’s top rookies as the Colts marched to a Super Bowl title. A year later, with James having been traded to Arizona, Addai became Indy’s featured tailback and the former LSU Tigers earned All-Pro honors.

Addai’s third season with the Colts was cut short with an injury in the 12th week of the regular season. He is back for a fourth year with Indianapolis and carried twice for 11 yards in the Colts 23-15 win over Philadelphia on Thursday night in the first preseason game of the year.

Tuesday night, Addai joined the guys on the Tiger Rag Radio Show to catch everyone up on what the former All-SEC runner is up to these days.

CLICK HERE to listen in the conversation with Joseph Addai, as heard on The Tiger Rag Radio Show.

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