NajehTrenadiousMonteDavenportwasborninRaleigh,NCwhilehismother

CarolynHowardattendedNorthCarolinaState.Hisfatherwasmurderedin

Novemberof1978whenhismotherwasfivemonthspregnant.Najehgrewup

playingstreetfootballonweekendsbecausehewastoobigforhisagegrouptoplay

PopWarner.

”Playingwiththeolderguysgavemeadvantages.TheoneyearIdidplay

PopWarnerfootball,IplayedfortheFtMyersRebels.Inthepeeweeleague

theirweightlimitrestrictionwas140andIweighedabout145attheageof

11.Iremembersittinginmycoach’struckwiththeheateronfullblastanda

garbagebagontodroptheextraweight.”‐NAJEH

NajehonlyplayedoneyearofPopWarnerbecauseoftheweight

requirementsandcontinuedplayingbaseballandstreetfootballuntilhismother

movedtoMiamiin1994.Inanewcityandanewschool,Najehfounddifferent

restraintswhenitcametoplayingfootballagain.

“ThiskidtoldmeIcouldn’tplaybecauseIwastoobig.Theyplayedevery

morningbeforeschool.Imeantheywerebiggamestoo.Iwasalready

alienatedfrommostofthepeopleIwalkedtoschoolwithbecauseofmy

honorclasses.Notbeingable

toplayjustmademework

thatmuchharder.”‐NAJEH

Heplayeddespitebeingthe

youngestpersononhisstreet

teamandcontinuedtoplay

andcompetewithguysin

highschoolorolder.His

streetteamwouldplay

againstotherneighborhoods,

sometimescatchingthebustoNajehDavenportSr.yearagainstMiamiNorland

someofMiami’sroughestneighborhoodsjusttoplaytacklefootball.

Oncehegottohighschoolplayingorganizedfootballbecameasecond

thought.

“Ireallydidn’twanttoplay,IhadbeentoldIcouldn’tforthelastfouryears.”

Afterplayinginstreetgamesandgettingnotorietyforhisplay,hewastoldby

MichaelDaniels,afriendandclassmatethatheshouldcomeplayJV.Afterone

practiceNajehquicklyrosetostardom,playingfourgamesofJuniorVarsityand

thenfinishingtheseasononVarsity.

“WhenImoveduptoVarsity,Iwasnervous,butexcited.Playinganything

justtogetonthefieldwasmymentality.”

Najeh’shighschoolcareerwasfilledwithaccolades,rewardsandtriumphsthat

contributedtobringingMiamiCentralbacktoit’sglory,rangingfroma0‐10season

asafreshmentoa9‐1senioryear.Rushingforover3000yardsand30touchdowns,

which1200yardsand12touchdownscamehissenioryear.

Graduatinghighschoolwitha3.9NajehchosetheUniversityofMiami,ahometown

favoriteoverFloridaState,FloridaU,NewMexicoandIllonios.

“IknewIwasgoingtoMiamiwhencoachDavisandcoachShannoncameto

recruitme.ButNewMexicoaggies

toldmetheywereinterestedinallof

us.Someandmyteammnatestooka

tripouttoNewMexico.Butthedeal

fellthroughwhenoneofthemdidn’t

passtheA.C.T.andtheotherone

decidedtogotoadivisontwoschool.”

CoachShannon,athenMiami

Universitylinebackercoach,was

classmates withwithNajeh’sgod

motherNancyClayton.In1997,

Miamihadover6backsontheir

rosterandNajehwaschallengedtobe

betterbyretiredrunningbackcoach

DonSodlinger.

“Hetoldme,andIqouteinhiswords,‘Heybro,youcomehereyougon’have

tofuckingcompetebro!’Andmanwasitachallenge.Ihadotherchoicesbut

thatconversationmademecometoMiami.IcouldhavewenttoFlorida

State,andthatyear,RockPrestonhadgottensuspendedandWarrickDunn

hadjustgraduatedsotherewerenobacksontheroster.”

Najehwasred‐shirtedhisfreshmenyear,ashewatchedfellowfreshemen

SantannaMoss,DanMorgan,andReggieWanye.

“Myred‐shirtfreshmenyear,myfirstcarrywillbeoneIwillrememberfor

alongtime.EJ(EdgerrinJames)toldmethatcoachSodwantedmetogoin.I

grabbedmyhelmetandranonthefield.JamesJacksonwasalreadyinthe

gamesotheypulledhimout.Myfirstcarrywasa12leadthatIbroketwo

tacklesandcutbackforabout15or20yards.CoachSodmetmeonthe

sidelinewhereIranoutofbounds.Itseemedhewasmoremadatmefor

runningoutofboundsthangoinginwhenIwasn’tsupposeto.Iguesshe

lookedatthatasmechompingatthebait!”

Thatyearnajehfinishedthirdonhighestinrushingyardswithanaverageof

5.7ypc.

NajehwentontochallengeJamesJacksonforthestartingspotthenextyear,

andhadwonuntilhetorehisACLandLCLintheKICKOFFCLASSICagainstOhio

State.Finishingthatgameinthethirdquarterwith13carriesand84yards.

Spendingtherestoftheseasonathome,Najeh’sworkeffortgrewtremendously.

“Ipushedmyselftothelimitsthreetimesaday:Irehabedinthemorning,

workedoutatlunch,andrehabedoncemoreduringpractice.Ineededto

comebackstrongerandfaster.”

NajehfinishupatMiamiwithacomebackplayerofyearaward,andTeamCaptain

ofthe2001NationalChampion.Despiteplayinginthenatioanlchamptionship

game.Duetoaninjurythatincuredtwoweeksearlier.

Najehfoundhisstockhadfell,becauseoftheinjury.Butcontinuedtoworkon

honinghisskillbeingdrafted,asafullbackandplayingfullbackaretwodifferent

things.Najehsays“IwasdraftedasafullbacktotheGreenBayPackersinthe4th

roundIwillneverforgetthat

phonecallfromCoach

Sherman.Theylinedmeup

atfullbackonMondayand

WednesdayIwasaswing

backplayingbothhalfback

andfullback.Thatfollowing

MondayIwascompletingfor

thenumbertwospotat

tailbackbehindAhman

Green.“Makingthebestout

ofeverysituationNajehtook

theopportunitytoplaytail

backagain.Asasecond

chanceatgloryrushingfor

84yardson12carriesinhis

rookieyear.Helatershared

aMondaynighthorsetrailer

withBrettFarve200thgameandNajeh’simpressive178yardson19carries.In

2003najehfoundhimself4returnsshortofaProbowlappearanceaveraging31.6

yardson16returns.

FinishinghiscontractinGreenbay,NajehsignwiththePittsburghSteelersin

2006.OnhisfirstcarrierasaPittsburghSteelershetookaleadplay48yards.Finish

thatgamewith12carries77yards.Najehbestseasonasaprocamein2007where

herushedfor499yards,over200yardsreceivingand10touchdowns.