Joseph Addai was born in Houston, Texas on May 3, 1983 and he was raised in one the largest areas for High School football in the United States. Addai kicked off his high school career in a way that would shock most NFL fans, as he was an option style quarterback for Sharpstown High School, and had an arm which would have made Peyton Manning proud. During his senior year at Sharpstown, Addai rushed for 1,429 yards on 159 carries and also completed 37 passes for 425 yards, a stat which obviously shows Addai’s talents when it comes to the running game specifically. Addai was chosen for the 5A All-State first team in Texas during his senior season, which was a very impressive feat. On top of this, Addai was also chosen as an All-American and was a top 100 recruit heading into college, leaving him quite a few options on potential schools.

Addai made his final decision about which school to attend, and went with Louisiana State University (LSU). This was the beginning of a very successful college career which started off a bit rocky. His freshman season ended quickly with Addai being granted a medical redshirt after only two games of the season. The following season brought a bit more success for Addai, as he carried the ball 80 times for 438 yards, and 4 touchdowns. His sophomore and senior seasons were considered the highlights of his college career. During his sophomore year he was a huge part of LSU’s BCS National Championship season, as he rushed 114 times for 520 yards. His senior season was his most impressive season in terms of stats, as Addai finally earned the starting running back role for the Tigers. He gained 911 rushing yards on 187 carries, and also scored 9 touchdowns throughout the season, and was officially on the radar of NFL teams. His college career came to an end with Addai being he ranked fifth all-time in rushing yards at LSU, with a total of 2,577 yards.

Addai went on to enter his name into the 2006 NFL Draft and was selected 30th overall in the first round by the Indianapolis Colts, instantly putting him on a strong team team with quarterback Peyton Manning and wide receiver Reggie Wayne. Addai’s career couldn’t have gotten off to a much better start as he led all rookie running backs with 1,081 rushing yards and also became the first player in NFL history to rush for 1,000 yards without starting a single game throughout the year. Addai was great during the regular season, but he even more impressive during the Colts playoff run, as he helped lead the Colts to a victory in Super Bowl 41 over the Chicago Bears. In 2007, Addai was named to his first Pro Bowl after earning 15 total touchdowns between rushing and receiving in the regular season.