Joseph Addai was born and raised in Houston, Texas. He is one of four children with two brothers and one sister. In high school, Addai was a option quarterback. As a senior, he completed 37 of 91 pass attempts for 425 yards. He rushed for 1,429 yards on 159 attempts that season. Joseph also returned 8 kicks for an average of 47.5 yards per return. The high school all-American was also a first team all-state, all-district, and all-county selection. After his senior season, Addai accepted a scholarship to play for LSU. He carried the ball just 8 times as a true freshman before tearing the ACL in his right knee, effectively ending his season. He was granted a medical redshirt by the NCAA for the 2001 season. In 2002 Addai was the team’s third string tailback the majority of the season, although he get a start at fullback against Virginia Tech. He finished the season with 438 rushing yards and 4 touchdowns on 80 attempts. Addai earned the starting running back job as a sophomore before injuring his MCL against Florida. He missed two games and lost his starting job to freshman Justin Vincent, but still managed 520 rushing yards on the year. He led all LSU running backs in receiving despite only starting six games on the season. Addai split time with Alley Broussard and Justin Vincent in 2004, but still put up career highs in rushing yards (680), receptions (26), receiving yards (294), and receiving touchdowns (4). His four receiving touchdowns were the most by an LSU running back in a single season in 15 years. Joseph Addai became the team’s starting running back as a senior after a season ending injury to Alley Broussard. He came through in a big way with 933 yards and 9 rushing touchdowns on the year. He also caught 20 passes for 180 yards. He played big in the big games including 130 yards rushing and two total touchdowns in a Peach Bowl victory over Miami.

Joseph Addai is a very versatile running back who does a lot of things well. Despite just average size, he hits the hole hard and runs well between the tackles. He is a strong player who can be difficult to bring down. He fights for extra yards and runs through arm tackles. He has good balance and excellent vision. Although he does most of his damage between the tackles, Addai also has the speed to get outside and turn the corner. His speed allows him to break long runs but he isn’t very elusive in the open field. Joseph does all the little things well. He is a very good receiver out of the backfield with sure hands and he is also an excellent blocker. He has the ability to split out wide and play receiver and has experience returning kicks. He split time in college so he never had a chance to prove that he can carry the load by himself over the course of a full season. The good thing is with less than 500 carries in his 5 years at LSU; he hasn’t had as much wear and tear on his body as some featured backs do. Durability will be a concern when scouts look at Addai. He had a torn ACL that ended his 2001 season and he also injured his MCL in 2003 causing him to miss some time and lose his starting position. Joseph Addai is a intelligent player who works hard and has good leadership qualities. He has all the intangibles you could want and is one of the most versatile backs available in the 2006 NFL draft. He should be selected in the first two rounds in April.