# Jay Ajayi
**Jay Ajayi** (born 1993 in London, United Kingdom) is a former [American football](https://www.edgepedia.org/american-football) running back who played five seasons in the NFL for the [Miami Dolphins](https://www.edgepedia.org/miami-dolphins) and the [Philadelphia Eagles](https://www.edgepedia.org/philadelphia-eagles), earned one Pro Bowl, and won a Super Bowl with the Eagles.[1](https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/A/AjayJa00.htm) His peak came in 2016, when he rushed for 1,272 yards and became one of only four players in NFL history with three 200-yard rushing games in a single season.[2](https://static.clubs.nfl.com/image/upload/eagles/kmy1hgtcxdgngplvzij2.pdf) • [3](https://static.clubs.nfl.com/image/upload/eagles/daytwsoie64cw7cxr5uq.pdf)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | 1993, London, United Kingdom; 6-0, 223 lb (183 cm, 101 kg)[1](https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/A/AjayJa00.htm) |
| College | Boise State; redshirted 2011, lettered 2012–2014[4](https://www.profootballarchives.com/players/a/ajay00200.html) |
| Draft | 5th round (149th overall), 2015 NFL Draft, Miami Dolphins[1](https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/A/AjayJa00.htm) |
| 2016 season | Career highs of 260 attempts, 1,272 rushing yards, 4.89 average, and 8 touchdowns; first Pro Bowl[2](https://static.clubs.nfl.com/image/upload/eagles/kmy1hgtcxdgngplvzij2.pdf) |
| 200-yard games | One of four players in NFL history with three 200+ yard rushing games in one season, and with back-to-back 200-yard games (Weeks 6 and 7, 2016)[3](https://static.clubs.nfl.com/image/upload/eagles/daytwsoie64cw7cxr5uq.pdf) • [5](https://static.www.nfl.com/image/upload/league/apps/league-site/media-guides/2023/MIA.pdf) |
| Super Bowl | Champion with the 2017 Philadelphia Eagles[1](https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/A/AjayJa00.htm) |
| Career totals | 45 games, 572 carries, 2,546 rushing yards, 4.5 average, 13 touchdowns; 63 receptions, 419 yards[6](https://www.nfl.com/players/jay-ajayi/stats/career) |
## Early life and college
Ajayi was born in London and played high school football at Liberty High School in [Frisco, Texas](https://www.edgepedia.org/frisco-texas). As a senior he was named second-team all-state and voted a Parade All-American after recording 225 carries for 2,240 yards (10.0 per carry) and 35 touchdowns.[7](https://static.clubs.nfl.com/image/upload/v1576252885/patriots/ltlrkntnph9tnysxei7p.pdf)
At Boise State he redshirted in 2011 and then lettered three seasons. As a freshman in 2012 he ran 82 times for 548 yards (6.7 per attempt) with 4 touchdowns.[8](https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/players/jay-ajayi-1.html) In his final college season he became the only player in FBS history with 1,800 rushing yards and 500 receiving yards in a single season, a production line that made him a projected early pick despite the volume.[9](https://www.nfl.com/news/miami-dolphins-select-rb-jay-ajayi-in-fifth-round-0ap3000000490466)
## Draft slide and Miami years
Concerns about the cartilage in his knee followed Ajayi through the pre-draft process, and his slide ended only in the fifth round, when Miami selected him 149th overall.[9](https://www.nfl.com/news/miami-dolphins-select-rb-jay-ajayi-in-fifth-round-0ap3000000490466) He signed on May 8, 2015, went to injured reserve on September 7, and was activated on November 7, finishing his rookie year with 49 carries for 187 yards and a touchdown in 9 games.[4](https://www.profootballarchives.com/players/a/ajay00200.html) • [6](https://www.nfl.com/players/jay-ajayi/stats/career)
**The 2016 breakout.** After 0, 5, 7, and 6 attempts in his first four games, Ajayi took over the lead role in Week 6 against [Pittsburgh](https://www.edgepedia.org/pittsburgh) and rushed for 200 yards, the first 200-yard rushing game of the 2016 season.[10](https://www.nfl.com/news/jay-ajayi-s-rise-explained-nfl-execs-on-cam-newton-s-criticism-0ap3000000733644) • [11](https://www.nfl.com/news/dolphins-zone-chips-away-hits-home-run-with-ajayi-0ap3000000728036) He topped 200 yards again in Week 7, becoming one of four players in NFL history with back-to-back 200-yard rushing performances, alongside Pro Football Hall of Famers O.J. Simpson, [Earl Campbell](https://www.edgepedia.org/earl-campbell), and [Tiki Barber](https://www.edgepedia.org/tiki-barber).[5](https://static.www.nfl.com/image/upload/league/apps/league-site/media-guides/2023/MIA.pdf) • [12](https://operations.nfl.com/media/2380/week-9-preview.pdf) His one-cut style fit Miami's zone-heavy running scheme, and he finished the season with career highs of 260 attempts, 1,272 yards, a 4.89 average, and 8 touchdowns, earning his first Pro Bowl.[11](https://www.nfl.com/news/dolphins-zone-chips-away-hits-home-run-with-ajayi-0ap3000000728036) • [2](https://static.clubs.nfl.com/image/upload/eagles/kmy1hgtcxdgngplvzij2.pdf) The 1,272 yards ranked fourth in the NFL, behind Ezekiel Elliott, Jordan Howard, and DeMarco Murray.[13](https://www.huddle.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/gr_conf_2017_phi.pdf) Pro Football Focus, which grades every play, rated him its highest-graded regular-season running back of 2016 and noted that he led the league in yards after contact and missed tackles forced.[14](https://www.pff.com/news/fantasy-football-metrics-that-matter-jay-ajayis-productive-2016)
## Philadelphia and the Super Bowl season
Miami traded Ajayi to Philadelphia on October 31, 2017, the league's trade deadline, for a fourth-round pick.[4](https://www.profootballarchives.com/players/a/ajay00200.html) • [15](https://as.com/us/us/2018/09/22/nfl/1537645193_962948.html) Split between the two clubs, he played 14 games that season, rushing 70 times for 408 yards (5.8 per attempt) and a touchdown for the Eagles while adding a 71-yard run, his career long, in a 37-9 win at Dallas on November 19.[6](https://www.nfl.com/players/jay-ajayi/stats/career) • [2](https://static.clubs.nfl.com/image/upload/eagles/kmy1hgtcxdgngplvzij2.pdf) In the playoffs he became the first Eagle with 50+ rushing yards and 40+ receiving yards in a postseason game since [Brian Westbrook](https://www.edgepedia.org/brian-westbrook) on January 16, 2005.[7](https://static.clubs.nfl.com/image/upload/v1576252885/patriots/ltlrkntnph9tnysxei7p.pdf) Philadelphia won the [Super Bowl](https://www.edgepedia.org/super-bowl) that season, making Ajayi a champion in his first year with the team.[1](https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/A/AjayJa00.htm)
## Injuries and final seasons
Ajayi opened 2018 as Philadelphia's lead back, rushing for 62 yards and two touchdowns in the season opener against Atlanta, but tore his ACL in a Week 5 loss to Minnesota and was placed on injured reserve on October 8, 2018.[15](https://as.com/us/us/2018/09/22/nfl/1537645193_962948.html) • [16](https://www.nfl.com/players/jay-ajayi/) • [4](https://www.profootballarchives.com/players/a/ajay00200.html) He re-signed with the Eagles on November 16, 2019, played 3 games with 10 carries for 30 yards, and was released on December 24, 2019, his last NFL action.[4](https://www.profootballarchives.com/players/a/ajay00200.html) • [6](https://www.nfl.com/players/jay-ajayi/stats/career)
The knee problems that pushed him down the 2015 draft board shaped the arc of his career: a fifth-round pick who produced a [Pro Bowl](https://www.edgepedia.org/pro-bowl) season and a championship, but who played only 45 games and 23 starts across five seasons, with 572 carries for 2,546 yards and 13 rushing touchdowns.[9](https://www.nfl.com/news/miami-dolphins-select-rb-jay-ajayi-in-fifth-round-0ap3000000490466) • [1](https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/A/AjayJa00.htm) • [6](https://www.nfl.com/players/jay-ajayi/stats/career)
## References
1. [Jay Ajayi Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Draft, College, Pro-Football-Reference.com](https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/A/AjayJa00.htm)
2. [RB Jay Ajayi 26, Philadelphia Eagles media guide (PDF)](https://static.clubs.nfl.com/image/upload/eagles/kmy1hgtcxdgngplvzij2.pdf)
3. [RB Jay Ajayi 26, Philadelphia Eagles media guide (PDF)](https://static.clubs.nfl.com/image/upload/eagles/daytwsoie64cw7cxr5uq.pdf)
4. [Jay Ajayi Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Draft, College, Pro Football Archives](https://www.profootballarchives.com/players/a/ajay00200.html)
5. [Miami Dolphins 2023 media guide, postseason section (PDF)](https://static.www.nfl.com/image/upload/league/apps/league-site/media-guides/2023/MIA.pdf)
6. [Jay Ajayi Career Stats, NFL.com](https://www.nfl.com/players/jay-ajayi/stats/career)
7. [RB Jay Ajayi 36, Philadelphia Eagles media guide (PDF)](https://static.clubs.nfl.com/image/upload/v1576252885/patriots/ltlrkntnph9tnysxei7p.pdf)
8. [Jay Ajayi College Stats, Sports-Reference.com](https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/players/jay-ajayi-1.html)
9. [Miami Dolphins select RB Jay Ajayi in fifth round, NFL.com](https://www.nfl.com/news/miami-dolphins-select-rb-jay-ajayi-in-fifth-round-0ap3000000490466)
10. [Jay Ajayi's rise explained; NFL execs on Cam Newton's criticism, NFL.com](https://www.nfl.com/news/jay-ajayi-s-rise-explained-nfl-execs-on-cam-newton-s-criticism-0ap3000000733644)
11. [Dolphins' zone chips away, hits home run with Ajayi, NFL.com](https://www.nfl.com/news/dolphins-zone-chips-away-hits-home-run-with-ajayi-0ap3000000728036)
12. [Week 9 Preview, NFL Operations (PDF)](https://operations.nfl.com/media/2380/week-9-preview.pdf)
13. [RB Jay Ajayi 36, Philadelphia Eagles 2017 media guide (PDF)](https://www.huddle.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/gr_conf_2017_phi.pdf)
14. [Metrics that Matter: Jay Ajayi's productive 2016, Pro Football Focus](https://www.pff.com/news/fantasy-football-metrics-that-matter-jay-ajayis-productive-2016)
15. [Doug Pederson no podrá contar con Jay Ajayi para la Semana 3, AS.com](https://as.com/us/us/2018/09/22/nfl/1537645193_962948.html)
16. [Jay Ajayi Stats, News and Video, NFL.com](https://www.nfl.com/players/jay-ajayi/)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Sports, games, and recreation › Other team and ball sports › Rugby and other football codes › American football players, coaches, and executives › Running backs › Retired NFL running backs › NFL running backs of the 2010s*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 17, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Edited: Oct 12, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Last review: Oct 21, 2026*
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License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license