Deji Karim life and biography

Abdul-Gafar Olatokumbo Ayodeji Lamar "Deji" Karim is an American football player who currently plays running back for the Jacksonville Jaguars. He played running back for Southern Illinois and Northeastern Oklahoma A&M College.

Shifty, compact running back … Solid receiver who will also compete for role at kick returner … Excelled in two seasons at Southern Illinois, rushing for 2,080 yards and 26 TDs, averaging 6.6 yards per carry … Played in Texas vs. The Nation all-star game … Named conference offensive player of the year as a senior, leading the nation with 1,694 rushing yards … High school teammate of 2010 first-overall pick Sam Bradford … Second player from Southern Illinois drafted by the Jaguars in franchise history (TE Damon Jones, 1997).

COLLEGE

Played two seasons at Southern Illinois after transferring from Northeast Oklahoma A&M Junior College … Finished with 2,080 rushing yards and 26 TDs in two seasons at Southern Illinois on 316 attempts … Played in 27 games and averaged 77.0 rushing yards per game … Averaged 6.6 yards per carry … Recorded 10 career 100-yard rushing games including nine as a senior … Fumbled only once in 351 career rushes … Led the FCS in rushing as a senior with 1,694 yards and finished with 20 total TDs, earning Missouri Valley Football Conference Offensive Player of the Year honors … Had two TD runs of 90-plus yards as a senior, the only player in all of Division I (FBS and FCS) to accomplish the feat in a year in the past seven seasons … Ranked third in nation in 2009 with 130.3 rushing yards per game … Scored 25 rushing TDs in two seasons at junior college … Majored in recreation …

2009
Started all 14 games as a senior … Led the FCS with 1,694 rushing yards, the third-most in school history, on 240 carries … Scored 20 total TDs (18 rushing, one receiving, one kickoff return), the second-most in the FCS … Half of his 18 rushing TDs were from 20-plus yards … Set school record with 2,339 all-purpose yards … Had 17 receptions for 212 yards with one TD and 14 kickoff returns for 433 yards and one TD … Recorded two TD runs of 90-plus yards (93 and 92) and four of 70-plus yards ... Named first-team All-America by four different services … Selected as 2009 Missouri Valley Football Conference (MVFC) Offensive Player of the Year … Led team to 11-2 record, the conference championship, a number one ranking for three weeks and the quarterfinals of the FCS playoffs … Finished third in voting for Walter Payton Award, given to the most outstanding player in the FCS … First-team All-MVFC as a RB and second-team as return specialist … Posted nine 100-yard rushing games including a streak of five consecutive games … Averaged 7.1 yards per rush … Ranked third in nation with 130.3 rushing yards per game … Reached 1,000 yards on his 132nd carry of the season, the third-fastest in league history … Had 24 plays (21 rush, three receiving) that went for 20-plus yards and three kickoff returns of 50-plus yards … Recorded 273 rushing yards against Illinois State, the most rushing yards in the FCS and third-most in school history … One of only three players in FCS to record two 200-plus rushing games including 210 yards against Southwest Baptist, averaging school-record 21.0 yards per rush on 10 carries … Registered games of 310, 290, 282 and 218 all-purpose yards …

2008
Redshirted and missed the entire season with a knee injury …

2007
Finished with 386 yards on 76 carries (5.1 avg.) in first season at Southern Illinois … Added four receptions for 17 yards … Led team with eight rushing TDs … Scored two TDs on 12 carries at Southern Utah in first career start … Registered season-high 101 yards and scored two TDs on 11 rushes at Indiana State … Recorded nine rushes of 10-plus yards …

2006
Rushed for 978 yards on 170 carries and 10 TDs as a sophomore at Northeast Oklahoma A&M Junior College … Added 12 receptions for 93 yards … Recorded six 100-yard rushing games … Earned honorable-mention All-SWJCFC (Southwest Junior College Football Conference) honors …

2005
Finished with 994 rushing yards on 158 carries for 15 TDs as a true freshman … Added 15 receptions for 222 yards and one TD … Named honorable-mention All-America and earned second-team All-SWJCFC honors … Ran for a career-high 210 yards and three TDs against Trinity Valley.

HIGH SCHOOL

Attended Putnam City (Ok.) North High School … Was teammate of former Oklahoma QB and 2010 first round pick Sam Bradford … Rushed for more than 2,000 yards and scored 28 TDs as a senior.

PERSONAL

Single … Resides in Oklahoma City, Ok. … Son of Lanre and Tai Karim … Was given six names at birth … Abdul-Gafar Olatokumbo Ayodeji Lamar Karim was shortened to Deji which means “pure happiness” .

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