Determined Raji turning NFL heads

BC defender a force at Senior Bowl

B.J. RAJI: Likely first-round pick

MOBILE, Ala. - The questions were much tougher to get around than any opposing blocker Boston College defensive tackle B.J. Raji had faced at the Senior Bowl.

"It doesn't look like you're giving the centers much of a chance; anybody impress you?" asked one straight-faced media member of Raji, who seemed stunned, then mentioned what tough competitors teammates Alex Mack (University of California) and Max Unger (Oregon) were.

Unsatisfied with Raji's diplomatic response, the questioner replied, "You pretty much abused them today."

In truth, Raji didn't give the offensive linemen on the North team much of a chance to make a positive impression on the legion of scouts and decision-makers that descended upon Ladd-Peebles Stadium to watch NFL prospects practice for the Senior Bowl, which will be played tonight at 6.

Raji turned the week of practices leading up to the college all-star game/NFL job fair into his personal coming-out party. The 6-foot-1-inch, 323-pound anchor of BC's defense has put himself in position to be a first-round pick in April's NFL draft and possibly the highest BC defensive pick since defensive end Mike Mamula went seventh overall in 1995.

"In Mobile, he set himself higher than everybody else. I think he turned a lot of heads this week," said one AFC scout, who said Raji could be selected in the middle of the first round.

If there is one place for an NFL prospect to turn heads, it's the Senior Bowl, which is the gridiron grit to the glorified field day glamour of the NFL Combine. Senior Bowl practices are conducted by NFL coaching staffs - this year it's the Cincinnati Bengals (North) and the Jacksonville Jaguars (South) - giving talent evaluators the opportunity to see how senior prospects fare in an NFL environment.

"It doesn't surprise me the way he's played down here," said former BC coach Jeff Jagodzinski, who spent eight seasons as an NFL assistant. "We couldn't block him in practice. Nobody in the ACC could block him."

Raji, whose given name is Busari, seemed unfazed by the buzz.

After all, he starred at BC, a school that won back-to-back division titles in the Atlantic Coast Conference, a conference that has an automatic BCS bowl bid.

Raji led BC in tackles for a loss (16) and sacks (eight) in 2008 and was a first-team All-Atlantic Coast Conference selection and an Associated Press third-team All-American.

"South of the Mason-Dixon Line, if you come from the North they don't think you can play any football, but it's fine," said the 22-year-old Raji. "Like I said, the film speaks for itself and this is another opportunity, and I showed people what I can do. I continue to improve. I plan on improving and I plan on getting better as time goes by."

The scout said Raji has increased value because he could play nose tackle for a 3-4 team such as the Patriots, or be an interior lineman for a 4-3 defense.

"I think he can be an impact player in either [scheme]," said the scout.

Raji said he has no preference. That's reflected in his choice of defensive lineman role models. His favorites are Chicago Bears defensive tackle Tommie Harris, who plays more of an upfield style in the Bears' 4-3, and New York Jets nose tackle Kris Jenkins, who often faces double teams as a 3-4 nose tackle.

What Raji wasn't equivocal on was his academic issue at BC. Raji missed the 2007 season after he was declared academically ineligible before the season opener against Wake Forest.

"In '06, the end of the fall semester I did mess up. I didn't finish as strong as I needed to," said Raji. "That kind of put me in a bind coming into the next semester. They put me on an academic schedule, telling me that if I did everything they asked me to do, I'd be ready for the '07 season.

"In the summer I met with the dean of my school and he told me I needed to take two classes to be eligible and in reality I needed three. My coaches were furious. I've never seen them that mad before. I guess it was a blessing in disguise. It was a tough time for me."

Raji, who earned second-team All-ACC honors in 2006, was relegated to the scout team in 2007.

Raji said he'll never forget the night Jagodzinski told him he was academically ineligible.

"I went to my locker and I took everything off," said Raji. "I was just sitting there and Matt Ryan and Gosder Cherilus came up and were like, 'Hey, man, you got to get ready to go. We're going to be late.' I was like, 'Man, I can't play,' and I just broke down in tears. In that moment, I decided that I wouldn't let that defeat me. I would get back on the horse, get my body ready and my mind right, and come back in '08 and do the best I can."

The scout said the academic slipup shouldn't damage Raji's draft stock, pointing out BC's high academic standards.

"The only reason I'd see him falling to the second round would be because there was something else for missing a year or character concerns," said the scout. "That would be the only reason why I would see him not being a first-rounder."

Despite the presence of former BC defensive linemen and first-round picks Chris Hovan and Mathias Kiwanuka in the NFL, the Eagles are known more for offensive linemen.

Raji and his friend, teammate, and fellow defensive tackle Ron Brace, who is also on the Senior Bowl North team, might be about to change that.

"I hope we can start a new tradition," Raji said.

Christopher L. Gasper can be reached at cgasper@globe.com.