Najeh Davenport
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| Najeh Davenport | |
|---|---|
| Date of birth | February 8, 1979 (age 28) |
| Place of birth |  Raleigh, NC |
| Position(s) | Running back |
| College | University of Miami |
| NFL Draft | 2002 / Round 4/ Pick 135 |
| Statistics | |
| Team(s) | |
| 2002-2005 2006-present |
Green Bay Packers Pittsburgh Steelers |
Najeh Trenadious Monté Davenport (born February 8, 1979 in Raleigh, North Carolina) is an American football running back who plays for the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Davenport was cut by the Green Bay Packers on September 2, 2006, following a four-year affiliation with the Packers. Eight days later, he was picked by the Steelers, following the 2006 season opener. With the Steelers, Davenport quickly earned the nickname "The Dump Truck", building on the legacy of former Steeler Jerome Bettis, who was known as "The Bus", a reference to Bettis' power-oriented running style. The nickname also pays homage to an incident where Davenport defecated in a Barry University female student's closet.
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[edit] University of Miami
Davenport attended the University of Miami, where he played primarily as a fullback. He won a NCAA Division I-A national football championship as a member of the Hurricanes in 2001. He was chosen by the Packers in the fourth round of the 2002 NFL Draft with the 135th overall pick.
[edit] Green Bay Packers
Since entering the NFL, Davenport has struggled with fumbles when playing and with injuries that have kept him off the playing field.
[edit] Injuries
Davenport's abilities exceed a fourth round selection, but to the accord of many scout's predictions, Davenport has been plagued by injuries throughout his career. In his rookie campaign, Davenport rushed for a respectable 4.7 yards per carry average before fracturing his left eye socket.
[edit] 2003 and 2004 seasons
In 2003, injuries were minimal and he rushed for 5.45 yards per carry, good for the second highest in the NFL, and 30.1 yards per kick return. However, in 2004, Davenport started the season with a lingering hamstring injury that kept him out of for a month. On November 29, 2004, Davenport, in his first NFL start, rushed for 178 yards, third highest debut start yardage in the NFL for the past 20 years. Later that year, Davenport broke his ribs, resulting in playing at far less than 100 percent.
[edit] 2005 season
In 2005, after Green went down with a quadriceps injury, Davenport took over as starter. In what would be his only start of the season, versus the New Orleans Saints, Davenport scored two first-half touchdowns before breaking his ankle. He was subsequently placed on injured reserve, effectively ending his season.
[edit] 2006 season
Davenport was released by the Packers on September 2, 2006, when NFL rosters were reduced to 53 players. Six days later, on September 8, 2006, however, Davenport was signed to the roster of the Pittsburgh Steelers. His best game as of yet with the Steelers came on 10/15/06 in a win against the Kansas City Chiefs, He had 12 carries for 78 yards as well as one touchdown. The Steelers went on to win the game 45-7.
[edit] 2002 criminal charges in Miami
Prior to entering the NFL, Davenport achieved a small measure of infamy after he allegedly defecated in the shoes of a Barry University woman in her dorm room on April 1, 2002. In a plea bargain, his felony charge of second-degree burglary and misdemeanor count of criminal mischief were dropped in exchange for his completing 100 hours of community service.
