Algiers Jameal William Dillon Jr. (born May 2, 1998), nicknamed "Quadzilla", is an American professional

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...

running back A running back (RB) is a member of the offensive backfield in gridiron football. The primary roles of a running back are to receive American football plays#Offensive terminology, handoffs from the quarterback to Rush (American football)#Offense ...

for the

Philadelphia Eagles The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia. The Eagles compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. The team plays its ...

of the

National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a Professional gridiron football, professional American football league in the United States. Composed of 32 teams, it is divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National ...

(NFL). He played

college football College football is gridiron football that is played by teams of amateur Student athlete, student-athletes at universities and colleges. It was through collegiate competition that gridiron football American football in the United States, firs ...

for the

Boston College Eagles The Boston College Eagles are the athletic teams that represent Boston College, located in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts. They compete as a member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I level ( Football Bowl Subdivis ...

, with whom he became the school's all-time rushing yards leader with 4,382 yards.

Early life

Dillon grew up in

Connecticut Connecticut ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York (state), New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south. ...

. While on the high school football team at New London High School as a freshman, Dillon played sparingly. At that point, he was recruited to Lawrence Academy in

Groton, Massachusetts Groton is a town in northwestern Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States, within the Greater Boston metropolitan area. The population was 11,315 at the 2020 census. An affluent bedroom community roughly 45 miles from Boston, Groton has a ...

, a private boarding school. Dillon played four years at Lawrence and was clearly the focus of the team's offense by his second year when he rushed for 1321 yards and 21 touchdowns while also starting at linebacker. As a junior, he rushed for 1,887 yards and 26

touchdowns A touchdown (abbreviated as TD) is a scoring play in gridiron football. Scoring a touchdown grants the team that scored it 6 points. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchd ...

. As a senior, he played in only four games due to a broken leg but still rushed for 635 yards with 12 touchdowns. He ran a 4.56 40-yard dash and was named MVP of

Nike Nike often refers to: * Nike, Inc., a major American producer of athletic shoes, apparel, and sports equipment * Nike (mythology), a Greek goddess who personifies victory Nike may also refer to: People * Nike (name), a surname and feminine giv ...

's Opening. Dillon originally committed to the

University of Michigan The University of Michigan (U-M, U of M, or Michigan) is a public university, public research university in Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States. Founded in 1817, it is the oldest institution of higher education in the state. The University of Mi ...

to play

but eventually flipped his commitment and signed with

Boston College Boston College (BC) is a private university, private Catholic Jesuits, Jesuit research university in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, United States. Founded in 1863 by the Society of Jesus, a Catholic Religious order (Catholic), religious order, t ...

College career

2017 season

In his collegiate debut, Dillon rushed five times for 20 yards against

Northern Illinois Northern Illinois is a region generally covering the northern third of the U.S. state of Illinois. The region is by far the most populous of Illinois, with nearly 9.7 million residents as of 2010. Economics Northern Illinois is dominated by ...

. In the Eagles' fourth game, Dillon had his first collegiate touchdown against Clemson on the road. In the following game, against

Central Michigan Central Michigan, also called Mid Michigan, is a region in the Lower Peninsula of Michigan, Lower Peninsula of the United States, U.S. state of Michigan. As its name implies, it is the middle area of the Lower Peninsula. Lower Michigan is said t ...

, he had 25 carries for 120 rushing yards and one touchdown. On October 14, in a road victory over

Louisville Louisville is the most populous city in the Commonwealth of Kentucky, sixth-most populous city in the Southeast, and the 27th-most-populous city in the United States. By land area, it is the country's 24th-largest city; however, by populatio ...

, he had a breakout game with 29 carries for 272 rushing yards and four rushing touchdowns. On October 27, in a win over

Florida State Florida State University (FSU or Florida State) is a Public university, public research university in Tallahassee, Florida, United States. It is a senior member of the State University System of Florida and a preeminent university in the s ...

, he had 33 carries for 149 yards and a touchdown. In the following game, against

North Carolina State North Carolina State University (NC State, North Carolina State, NC State University, or NCSU) is a public land-grant research university in Raleigh, North Carolina, United States. Founded in 1887 and part of the University of North Carolina sy ...

, he had 36 carries for 196 yards and one touchdown. One week later, he had 24 carries for 200 yards and two touchdowns against

. In the following game, in a road victory over

Syracuse Syracuse most commonly refers to: * Syracuse, Sicily, Italy; in the province of Syracuse * Syracuse, New York, USA; in the Syracuse metropolitan area Syracuse may also refer to: Places * Syracuse railway station (disambiguation) Italy * Provi ...

, he had 23 carries for 193 yards and three touchdowns. In the

Pinstripe Bowl The Pinstripe Bowl is a National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) college football bowl game held annually since 2010 at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx, New York City. Through 2025 it is affiliated ...

against

Iowa Iowa ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the upper Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders the Mississippi River to the east and the Missouri River and Big Sioux River to the west; Wisconsin to the northeast, Ill ...

, he had 32 carries for 157 yards and a touchdown in the 27–20 loss. As a freshman at Boston College in 2017, Dillon played in all 13 games and rushed for a freshman school record 1,589 yards on 300 carries with 14 touchdowns. He was named the

Atlantic Coast Conference The Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) is a collegiate List of NCAA conferences, athletic conference in the United States. Headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, the ACC's eighteen member universities compete in the National Collegiate Athlet ...

(ACC) Rookie of the Year.

2018 season

In the Eagles' second game, against

Holy Cross Holy Cross or Saint Cross may refer to: * the instrument of the crucifixion of Jesus * Christian cross, a frequently used religious symbol of Christianity * True Cross, supposed remnants of the actual cross upon which Jesus was crucified * Feast o ...

, Dillon had 149 yards and three touchdowns on only six carries. In the following game, he had 33 carries for 185 yards and one touchdown in a road victory over Wake Forest. Against

Temple A temple (from the Latin ) is a place of worship, a building used for spiritual rituals and activities such as prayer and sacrifice. By convention, the specially built places of worship of some religions are commonly called "temples" in Engli ...

on September 29, he had 28 carries for 161 yards and two touchdowns but suffered an ankle injury. Nearly a month later, he returned and had 32 carries for 149 yards and a touchdown against

Miami Miami is a East Coast of the United States, coastal city in the U.S. state of Florida and the county seat of Miami-Dade County, Florida, Miami-Dade County in South Florida. It is the core of the Miami metropolitan area, which, with a populat ...

. On November 17, on the road against

, he had 37 carries for 116 yards and two touchdowns. Despite being somewhat limited due to the ankle injury he suffered against Temple, Dillon still recorded 1,149 total yards and 11 touchdowns, making him the first player in Boston College history to post back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons. The Eagles officially did not make the postseason, as the

First Responder Bowl The First Responder Bowl is an NCAA post-season college football bowl game played annually in the Dallas, Dallas, Texas, area. The bowl was first held on January 1, 2011, and since 2014 has been contested in late December. The bowl was held at t ...

against

Boise State Boise State University (BSU) is a public research university in Boise, Idaho, United States. Founded in 1932 by the Episcopal Church, it became an independent junior college in 1934 and has been awarding baccalaureate and master's degrees It ...

was declared a no-contest after lightning early in the game.

2019 season

On September 7, against

Richmond Richmond most often refers to: * Richmond, British Columbia, a city in Canada * Richmond, California, a city in the United States * Richmond, London, a town in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, England * Richmond, North Yorkshire, a town ...

in the Eagles' second game, Dillon had two rushing touchdowns and a receiving touchdown in the victory. He had 27 carries for 151 yards and a touchdown in the next game against

Kansas Kansas ( ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Nebraska to the north; Missouri to the east; Oklahoma to the south; and Colorado to the west. Kansas is named a ...

. In the next game, a road victory over

Rutgers Rutgers University ( ), officially Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, is a public land-grant research university consisting of three campuses in New Jersey. Chartered in 1766, Rutgers was originally called Queen's College and was aff ...

, he had 32 carries for 150 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns. One week later, he had 23 carries for 159 rushing yards against Wake Forest. One week later, against

, he had 22 carries for 118 yards and a 36-yard reception in the road loss. Two weeks later, against

, he had 34 carries for 223 yards and three touchdowns. In a game against Clemson on October 26, Dillon scored his 34th touchdown at Boston College with a 9-yard rush in the second quarter that tied him with Keith Barnette for Eagles' career rushing touchdowns record. In the third quarter, Dillon rushed for another 9 yards for 3,739 career rushing yards that tied him with Andre Williams' record set in 2013. On November 2, in a road game against

, he had 35 carries for 242 yards and three touchdowns. One week later, he had 40 carries for 165 yards against

. On November 30, in a road victory over Pitt, he had 32 carries for 178 yards and a touchdown. His 1,685 rushing yards led the ACC. On December 10, 2019, Dillon gave up his senior year eligibility at Boston College and declared for the

2020 NFL draft The 2020 NFL draft was the 85th annual meeting of National Football League (NFL) franchises to select newly eligible players for the 2020 NFL season. The first round was held on April 23, followed by the second and third rounds on April 24. The ...

. Dillon holds the program's all-time rushing record with 4,382 yards in three seasons and is 220 yards short of the

career rushing record. His 38 career rushing touchdowns, 40 total touchdowns and 4,618 all-purpose yards are also program records.

College statistics

Professional career

Green Bay Packers

2020

Dillon was selected by the

Green Bay Packers The Green Bay Packers are a professional American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Packers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. They ar ...

with the 62nd pick in the second round of the

. He signed his four-year rookie contract on July 1, 2020, worth $5.3 million, with a signing bonus of $1.4 million. Head coach

Matt LaFleur Matthew Robert LaFleur ( ; born November 3, 1979) is an American professional American football, football coach who is the head coach for the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League (NFL). He has served as the quarterback coach of the W ...

named Dillon the third running back on the Packers' depth chart to begin the season, behind veterans Aaron Jones and

Jamaal Williams Jamaal Malik Williams (born April 3, 1995) is an American professional football running back. He played college football for the BYU Cougars and was selected by the Green Bay Packers in the fourth round of the 2017 NFL draft. Early life William ...

. He saw his first NFL action on September 13, 2020, during a Week 1 victory over the

Minnesota Vikings The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis. The Vikings compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. Founded in 1960 as ...

, logging two carries for 14 yards in his NFL debut. Over the next six games, Dillon had a limited role with a few carries per game. The Packers placed Dillon on the reserve/

COVID-19 Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. In January 2020, the disease spread worldwide, resulting in the COVID-19 pandemic. The symptoms of COVID‑19 can vary but often include fever ...

list on November 2, 2020, where he missed five games. He was activated from the list on December 10, 2020, ahead of the Packers' Week 14 game versus the Lions, but Dillon did not record any stats in that game. On December 27, 2020, Dillon scored his first two NFL touchdowns during a Week 16 game against the

Tennessee Titans The Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee. The Titans compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division. They play the ...

on '' Sunday Night Football'', totaling 124 rushing yards on 21 carries during the 40–14 win. During the Packers' Divisional Round game against the

Los Angeles Rams The Los Angeles Rams are a professional American football team based in the Greater Los Angeles, Greater Los Angeles area. The Rams compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC West, West ...

, Dillon rushed six times for 27 yards as Green Bay won 32–18, and had a fumble recovered by quarterback

Aaron Rodgers Aaron Charles Rodgers (born December 2, 1983) is an American professional American football, football quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the California Golden Bears foo ...

. The following week against the

Tampa Bay Buccaneers The Tampa Bay Buccaneers (colloquially known as the Bucs) are a professional American football team based in Tampa, Florida. The Buccaneers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC S ...

, Dillon rushed three times for 17 yards, and added one catch for 13 yards, as the Packers lost 31–26 in the

NFC Championship The NFC Championship Game is the annual championship game of the National Football Conference (NFC) and one of the two semifinal playoff games of the National Football League (NFL), the largest professional American football league in the world. ...

. In total, Dillon had 46 carries for 242 yards (an average of 5.3 yards per carry) and 2 touchdowns during his rookie season.

2021

After teammate Jamaal Williams left in free agency, Dillon was named the second-string running back to begin the season. Dillon had a slow start to the season, averaging just five carries a game through the first three weeks of the season. He saw his first significant action in a Week 4 victory over the

Pittsburgh Steelers The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional American football team based in Pittsburgh. The Steelers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. Founded in 1933 P ...

, tallying 15 carries for 81 yards, and catching one pass for 16 yards, as the Packers won 27–17. The following week versus the

Cincinnati Bengals The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional American football team based in Cincinnati. The Bengals compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. The team plays its h ...

, Dillon saw 30 rushing yards on eight carries, and added four catches for 49 yards and a touchdown. The Packers won 25–22 in overtime. Dillon tied a career-high 21 carries for 66 yards and two rushing touchdowns in a Week 10 victory over the

Seattle Seahawks The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle. The Seahawks compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC West, West division. The club entered the NFL a ...

. In that same game, teammate Aaron Jones went down with an MCL injury. Dillon started the Packers' Week 11 game against the Vikings, notching 11 carries for 53 yards, and adding 6 catches for 44 yards, as the Packers lost 34–31. Dillon carried the ball 20 times for 69 yards against the Rams the following week, and caught 5 passes for 21 yards, as the Packers won 36–28. He recorded a 2-touchdown performance for the third time in his career in a 37–10 Week 16 victory over the Vikings, carrying the ball 14 times for 63 yards and adding two catches for 20 yards. In the 2021 season, Dillon had 187 carries for 803 rushing yards and five rushing touchdowns to go along with 34 receptions for 313 receiving yards and two receiving touchdowns in 17 games and two starts. In the Packers' Divisional Round loss to the San Francisco 49ers, Dillon had a rushing touchdown.

2022

In the 2022 season, Dillon appeared in all 17 games and started three. He finished with 186 carries for 770 rushing yards and seven rushing touchdowns to go along with 28 receptions for 206 receiving yards.

2023

Dillon played in 15 games with six starts in 2023, recording 613 rushing yards and two touchdowns, along with 22 catches for 223 yards.

2024

Dillon re-signed with the Packers on March 15, 2024 on a one-year qualifying offer, worth up to $2.575 million, but valued at just $1.125 million against the salary cap. On August 27, he was placed on injured reserve with a neck injury, officially ending his 2024 season.

Philadelphia Eagles

2025

On March 13, 2025, Dillon was signed to a one-year contract by the

NFL career statistics

Regular season

Postseason

Personal life

Dillon is African-American and Jewish. His grandfather, Thom Gatewood, was an All-American college football player at the

University of Notre Dame The University of Notre Dame du Lac (known simply as Notre Dame; ; ND) is a Private university, private Catholic research university in Notre Dame, Indiana, United States. Founded in 1842 by members of the Congregation of Holy Cross, a Cathol ...

and the captain of the 1972 team as well as a member of the

College Football Hall of Fame The College Football Hall of Fame is a hall of fame and interactive Tourist attraction, attraction devoted to college football, college American football. The National Football Foundation (NFF) founded the Hall in 1951 to immortalize the players ...

. Dillon has co-hosted the "Toonen to Dillon"

podcast A podcast is a Radio program, program made available in digital format for download over the Internet. Typically, a podcast is an Episode, episodic series of digital audio Computer file, files that users can download to a personal device or str ...

with Will Toonen from December 2021 to April 2022. He married Toonen's sister Gabrielle on June 25, 2022. Dillon is an avid promoter of

Door County, Wisconsin Door County is the easternmost county in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of the 2020 census, its population was 30,066. Its seat of government is Sturgeon Bay. It is named after the strait between the Door Peninsula and Washington Island. ...

, having first visited there after he started playing in Green Bay. In November 2021 he was given the key to Door County by Destination Door County, being the only person to receive the honor. Dillon married his wife, Gabrielle, on June 25, 2022, in Door County. On May 2, 2023, his wife gave birth to their first child, who shares the same birthday as Dillon.

References

External links

Philadelphia Eagles bioBoston College Eagles bio
{{DEFAULTSORT:Dillon, AJ Living people 1998 births Players of American football from Baltimore American football running backs Boston College Eagles football players Green Bay Packers players Philadelphia Eagles players Jewish American players of American football Players of American football from New London County, Connecticut