Quinn Ojinnaka
Encyclopedia
Quinn Ojinnaka is an American football
offensive lineman for the Indianapolis Colts
of the National Football League
. He was selected in the fifth round of the 2006 NFL Draft
. He played college football
at Syracuse
.
He has also been a member of the New England Patriots
and St. Louis Rams
.
in Hyattsville, Maryland
, where he earned All-Prince George County offensive lineman honors as a senior
, when his team had an 11-0 season that included the Washington Catholic Athletic Conference
championship.
, where he played in 44 games with 23 starts in four years.
In 2005
, Ojinnaka started all 12 games as a junior. He was part of an offensive line that blocked for the first Syracuse duo to each run for 800 yards (Damien Rhodes and Walter Reyes) since 1979
. The team allowed only 19 sacks, the second-fewest in the Big East Conference
. In 2006
, Ojinnaka played in the 2006 Las Vegas All-American Classic
for the East squad after starting all 11 games as a senior.
by the Atlanta Falcons
. As a rookie in 2006
, he played in 11 games. He saw playing time on special teams in Weeks 1–4 and 8–13. He played on the offensive line for the first time in his professional career when he replaced Wayne Gandy
who had been injured against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
.
In 2007, Ojinnaka played in 11 games, and had seven starts at left tackle. His first career NFL start at left tackle was against the San Francisco 49ers
. He played in eight games in 2008
, all as a reserve. In 2009
, Ojinnaka played in nine games, and started the final five games at right guard in place of an injured Harvey Dahl
.
On May 29, 2009, Ojinnaka was arrested for simple battery at his home in Suwanee, Georgia
after he fought with his wife and spat at her during an argument over a female friend of his on the social networking website Facebook
, according to a police report. Ojinnaka told to the police his wife tried to stab him with a pen, and she said he threw her on some stairs before tossing her out of the house, the police report said. He was later suspended by the NFL for the first game of the 2010 regular season.
. After serving his one-game suspension in Week 1, Ojinnaka was inactive for the team's next two games. He was released on September 30, 2010. The Patriots re-signed Ojinnaka on October 7, 2010. In total, he was active for eight games in 2010, all as a reserve.
on August 6, 2011. He was released on September 3.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
offensive lineman for the Indianapolis Colts
Indianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League ....
of the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
. He was selected in the fifth round of the 2006 NFL Draft
2006 NFL Draft
The 2006 National Football League Draft, the 71st in league history, took place in New York City at Radio City Music Hall on April 29 and April 30, 2006. For the 27th consecutive year, the draft was telecast on ESPN and ESPN2, with additional coverage offered by ESPNU and, for the first time, by...
. He played college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
at Syracuse
Syracuse Orange football
The Syracuse Orange football program is a college football team that represents Syracuse University. The team is a member of the Big East Conference, which is a National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I conference that is part of the Football Bowl Subdivision...
.
He has also been a member of the New England Patriots
New England Patriots
The New England Patriots, commonly called the "Pats", are a professional football team based in the Greater Boston area, playing their home games in the town of Foxborough, Massachusetts at Gillette Stadium. The team is part of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National...
and St. Louis Rams
St. Louis Rams
The St. Louis Rams are a professional American football team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are currently members of the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Rams have won three NFL Championships .The Rams began playing in 1936 in Cleveland,...
.
Early years
Ojinnaka attended DeMatha Catholic High SchoolDeMatha Catholic High School
DeMatha Catholic High School, named after Saint John of Matha, is a four-year Catholic high school for young men located in Hyattsville, Maryland, USA. DeMatha is known for academic achievement, music, arts, service and athletics...
in Hyattsville, Maryland
Hyattsville, Maryland
Hyattsville is a city in Prince George's County, Maryland, United States. The population was 17,557 at the 2000 census.- History :The city was named for its founder, Christopher Clark Hyatt. He purchased his first parcel of land in the area in March 1845...
, where he earned All-Prince George County offensive lineman honors as a senior
Twelfth grade
Twelfth grade or Senior year, or Grade Twelve, are the North American names for the final year of secondary school. In most countries students then graduate at age 17 or 18. In some countries, there is a thirteenth grade, while other countries do not have a 12th grade/year at all...
, when his team had an 11-0 season that included the Washington Catholic Athletic Conference
Washington Catholic Athletic Conference
The Washington Catholic Athletic Conference or WCAC is a major high school athletic league for boys, girls, and co-ed Catholic high schools located around and in Washington, DC, USA...
championship.
College career
Ojinnaka attended Syracuse UniversitySyracuse University
Syracuse University is a private research university located in Syracuse, New York, United States. Its roots can be traced back to Genesee Wesleyan Seminary, founded by the Methodist Episcopal Church in 1832, which also later founded Genesee College...
, where he played in 44 games with 23 starts in four years.
In 2005
2005 NCAA Division I-A football season
The 2005 NCAA Division I-A football season ended with the least amount of controversy surrounding the Bowl Championship Series title game in many years.To an extent it was a return to classic football...
, Ojinnaka started all 12 games as a junior. He was part of an offensive line that blocked for the first Syracuse duo to each run for 800 yards (Damien Rhodes and Walter Reyes) since 1979
1979 NCAA Division I-A football season
The 1979 NCAA Division I-A football season saw the Alabama Crimson Tide bring home a national title with a perfect 12-0 season. The title was Alabama's 11th claimed, though the number is disputed. It was their 6th Associated Press awarded title....
. The team allowed only 19 sacks, the second-fewest in the Big East Conference
Big East Conference
The Big East Conference is a collegiate athletics conference consisting of sixteen universities in the eastern half of the United States. The conference's 17 members participate in 24 NCAA sports...
. In 2006
2006 NCAA Division I-A football season
The 2006 NCAA Division I FBS football season, or the college football season, began on August 31, 2006 and, aside from all-star exhibition games that followed, concluded with the Bowl Championship Series National Championship Game on January 8, 2007 in Glendale, Arizona, where the #2 Florida...
, Ojinnaka played in the 2006 Las Vegas All-American Classic
Las Vegas All-American Classic
The North-South All-American Game is an annual post-season college football all-star game that was played each January or February from 2002 to 2006 , and then took 2 years off due to lack of sponsorship...
for the East squad after starting all 11 games as a senior.
Atlanta Falcons
Ojinnaka was selected in the fifth round (139th overall) of the 2006 NFL Draft2006 NFL Draft
The 2006 National Football League Draft, the 71st in league history, took place in New York City at Radio City Music Hall on April 29 and April 30, 2006. For the 27th consecutive year, the draft was telecast on ESPN and ESPN2, with additional coverage offered by ESPNU and, for the first time, by...
by the Atlanta Falcons
Atlanta Falcons
The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta, Georgia. They are a member of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
. As a rookie in 2006
2006 Atlanta Falcons season
-Roster:-Schedule:-Week 1: at Carolina Panthers:at Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina The Falcons opened the regular season on the road against the Carolina Panthers on September 10...
, he played in 11 games. He saw playing time on special teams in Weeks 1–4 and 8–13. He played on the offensive line for the first time in his professional career when he replaced Wayne Gandy
Wayne Gandy
Wayne Gandy is an American football offensive tackle for the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Los Angeles Rams 15th overall in the 1994 NFL Draft...
who had been injured against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football franchise based in Tampa, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the Southern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League – they are the only team in the division not to come from the old NFC West...
.
In 2007, Ojinnaka played in 11 games, and had seven starts at left tackle. His first career NFL start at left tackle was against the San Francisco 49ers
San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers are a professional American football team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team was founded in 1946 as a charter member of the All-America Football Conference and...
. He played in eight games in 2008
2008 Atlanta Falcons season
The 2008 Atlanta Falcons season was the 43rd season for the team in the National Football League. Overcoming a disappointing 4-12 record, quarterback Michael Vick's dog fighting scandal and head coach Bobby Petrino's abrupt resignation in 2007, the Falcons, who were expected to be in a rebuilding...
, all as a reserve. In 2009
2009 Atlanta Falcons season
The 2009 Atlanta Falcons season was the 44th season for the team in the National Football League. The team looked to match or improve upon their 11–5 record from 2008 and return to the playoffs, however the Falcons were eliminated from contention in Week 15...
, Ojinnaka played in nine games, and started the final five games at right guard in place of an injured Harvey Dahl
Harvey Dahl
Harvey Dahl is an American football guard for the St. Louis Rams of the National Football League. He was signed by the Dallas Cowboys as an undrafted free agent in 2005...
.
On May 29, 2009, Ojinnaka was arrested for simple battery at his home in Suwanee, Georgia
Suwanee, Georgia
As of 2010 Suwanee had a population of 15,355. The racial and ethnic composition of the population was 67.4% white, 10.8% black or African American, 0.1% Native American, 18.0% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 1.3% reporting some other race and 2.3% reporting two or more races...
after he fought with his wife and spat at her during an argument over a female friend of his on the social networking website Facebook
Facebook
Facebook is a social networking service and website launched in February 2004, operated and privately owned by Facebook, Inc. , Facebook has more than 800 million active users. Users must register before using the site, after which they may create a personal profile, add other users as...
, according to a police report. Ojinnaka told to the police his wife tried to stab him with a pen, and she said he threw her on some stairs before tossing her out of the house, the police report said. He was later suspended by the NFL for the first game of the 2010 regular season.
New England Patriots
On August 23, 2010, Ojinnaka was traded to the New England Patriots for an seventh round pick in the 2011 NFL Draft2011 NFL Draft
The 2011 NFL Draft was the 76th installment of the annual NFL Draft, where the franchises of the National Football League select newly eligible football players...
. After serving his one-game suspension in Week 1, Ojinnaka was inactive for the team's next two games. He was released on September 30, 2010. The Patriots re-signed Ojinnaka on October 7, 2010. In total, he was active for eight games in 2010, all as a reserve.
St. Louis Rams
Ojinnaka signed with the St. Louis RamsSt. Louis Rams
The St. Louis Rams are a professional American football team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are currently members of the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Rams have won three NFL Championships .The Rams began playing in 1936 in Cleveland,...
on August 6, 2011. He was released on September 3.