Josh Ali
| No. 80 – Atlanta Falcons | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Position: | Wide receiver | ||||
| Personal information | |||||
| Born: | March 3, 1999 Miami, Florida, U.S. | ||||
| Height: | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) | ||||
| Weight: | 200 lb (91 kg) | ||||
| Career information | |||||
| High school: | Chaminade-Madonna (FL) | ||||
| College: | Kentucky | ||||
| Undrafted: | 2022 | ||||
| Career history | |||||
| |||||
| Roster status: | Injured reserve | ||||
| Career NFL statistics as of Week 4, 2023 | |||||
| |||||
Josh Ali (born March 3, 1999) is an American football wide receiver for the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Kentucky and was signed by the Falcons as an undrafted free agent in 2022.
Early life and education
Ali was born on March 3, 1999, in Miami, Florida.[1] He attended Chaminade-Madonna College Preparatory School and was a four-year starter in football, recording as a senior 43 receptions for 805 yards and five touchdowns.[2] An all-state selection, Ali was a three-star recruit and elected to play college football at Kentucky over offers from UCF and Utah, as well as several other schools.[2][3]
As a true freshman at Kentucky in 2017, Ali appeared in nine games and recorded five receptions for 25 yards.[2] The following season, he caught 10 passes for 115 yards and scored his first collegiate touchdown.[4] As a junior, Ali started 13 games and recorded 23 catches for 233 yards and three touchdowns.[2] That season, he played a key role in the Wildcats' victory in the Belk Bowl, making a crucial fourth down reception and later scoring the game-winning touchdown with 15 seconds to play.[5][6]
In the 2020 season, Ali appeared in 11 games and recorded 473 receiving yards and a touchdown off of 54 receptions.[2][4] After being given an extra year of eligibility due to the COVID-19 pandemic, he opted to return to the team in 2021 for a fifth season.[7] That year, he posted 601 receiving yards and three touchdowns on 41 catches while appearing in 10 games.[2][8] Ali missed the final game of the season, the Citrus Bowl, after being involved in a car accident.[9]
Professional career
| Height | Weight | Arm length | Hand span | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 ft 11+3⁄8 in (1.81 m) |
191 lb (87 kg) |
31 in (0.79 m) |
8+3⁄8 in (0.21 m) | |||||||||
| All values from Pro Day[10] | ||||||||||||
After going unselected in the 2022 NFL Draft, Ali was invited to the rookie minicamp of the Atlanta Falcons, but was not initially signed.[11] He received a tryout on August 25, and six days later was signed to the practice squad.[12] Ali was elevated to the active roster for the Falcons' Week 17 game with the Arizona Cardinals,[13] and made his NFL debut in the game.[14] He signed a reserve/future contract on January 9, 2023.[15]
Ali made the team's final roster in 2023.[16] He was placed on injured reserve on October 4, 2023.[17]
Personal life
Ali's father, Faheem, played college football at Louisiana Tech and later was in the Arena Football League (AFL).[2][7] Ali began writing a children's book series in 2021.[18]
References
- ^ "Josh Ali Stats". ESPN.com. Retrieved March 4, 2023.
- ^ a b c d e f g "Josh Ali". Kentucky Wildcats. August 10, 2017. Retrieved March 4, 2023.
- ^ Hale, Jon (June 27, 2016). "Three-star 2017 wide receiver commits to UK". The Courier-Journal. Retrieved March 4, 2023.
- ^ a b Geoghegan, Zack (August 28, 2022). "Kentucky Football Countdown: No. 6 Josh Ali". On3. Retrieved March 4, 2023.
- ^ Hale, Jon (October 30, 2021). "What to know about Kentucky wide receiver Josh Ali as he returns from injury". The Courier-Journal. Retrieved March 4, 2023.
- ^ Story, Mark (April 3, 2020). "UK wide receiver Ali aims to build off Belk Bowl star turn". Lexington Herald-Leader. p. B1, B8 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b Moore, Josh (August 9, 2021). "Receiver Josh Ali eager to lead Wildcats on offense". Lexington Herald-Leader. p. B1, B4 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Moore, Josh (April 24, 2022). "From prospects to pros: NFL Draft résumé for UK wide receiver Ali". Lexington Herald-Leader. p. B8 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Hale, Jon (December 20, 2021). "Two Kentucky football wide receivers to miss Citrus Bowl after car accident". The Courier-Journal.
- ^ "2022 NFL Draft Scout Josh Ali College Football Profile". DraftScout.com. Retrieved September 26, 2023.
- ^ Deighton, John (May 12, 2022). "Falcons announce 2022 rookie minicamp roster". Atlanta Falcons. Retrieved March 4, 2023.
- ^ Pilgrim, Jack (August 31, 2022). "Jon Toth, Josh Ali earn NFL practice squad opportunities". On3. Retrieved March 4, 2023.
- ^ "Falcons' Josh Ali: Moves up to active roster". CBS Sports. RotoWire. December 31, 2022. Retrieved March 4, 2023.
- ^ "Josh Ali Stats". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved March 4, 2023.
- ^ Deighton, John (January 9, 2023). "Falcons sign 18 players to Reserve/Future contracts". AtlantaFalcons.com. Retrieved March 4, 2023.
- ^ Sheppard, Riley (August 29, 2023). "Why Falcons WR Josh Ali Made 53-Man Roster". Sports Illustrated.
- ^ McElhaney, Tori (October 4, 2023). "Falcons sign defensive lineman, place receiver on injured reserve". AtlantaFalcons.com.
- ^ "UK football star Josh Ali writing children's book series". WKYT-TV. April 1, 2022. Retrieved March 4, 2023.
