Oday Aboushi
Oday Aboushi (born June 5, 1991) is a Palestinian-American American football offensive guard who is currently a free agent. He played college football for the University of Virginia and was selected by the New York Jets in the fifth round of the 2013 NFL Draft. He has also played for the Houston Texans, Seattle Seahawks, Oakland Raiders, Arizona Cardinals, and Detroit Lions. Early years. Aboushi was born in Brooklyn, New York. He attended Xaverian High School in Brooklyn, where he was a member of the Xaverian high school football team. College career. Aboushi attended the University of  Virginia, where he played for the Virginia Cavaliers football team from 2009 to 2012. During his college career, he started 37 of 43 games in which he appeared. As a senior in 2012, he was a first-team All-Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) selection. Professional career. New York Jets. The New York Jets selected Aboushi in the fifth round, with the 141st overall pick, of the 2013 NFL Draft. The Jets signed him to a four-year rookie contract on May 10, 2013; financial terms were not disclosed. Aboushi was inactive in 2013 for all 16 regular season games with  the Jets. In 2014, he started 10 games after the starter was injured. Aboushi was suspended without pay (about $34,400) for the first game of the 2015 season for violating the NFL Policy and Program for Substances of Abuse, in August 2015. Aboushi was released by the Jets on September 15, 2015, one day after his suspension for violating the NFL's substance abuse policy ended. Houston Texans. The Houston Texans claimed Aboushi off of waivers on September 16, 2015. Seattle Seahawks. On March 17, 2017, Aboushi signed with the Seattle Seahawks. He started eight games at right guard  before suffering a dislocated shoulder injury in Week 15. He was placed on injured reserve on December 13, 2017. Oakland Raiders. On July 28, 2018, Aboushi signed with the Oakland Raiders reuniting him with his previous year offensive line coach Tom Cable. He was released on September 1, 2018. Arizona Cardinals. On October 23, 2018, Aboushi signed with the Arizona Cardinals. Detroit Lions. On March 14, 2019, Aboushi signed a one-year, $2 million contract with the Detroit Lions. On March 27, 2020, he re-signed with the Lions. He was released during final roster cuts on September 5 , 2020, but re-signed with the team the next day. He was fined $5,221 by the NFL for unnecessary roughness in Week 2. Los Angeles Chargers. On March 20, 2021, Aboushi signed with the Los Angeles Chargers. He was named the Chargers starting right guard for the 2021 season. However, he suffered a torn ACL in Week 5 and was placed on season-ending injured reserve on October 12, 2021. Personal life. Aboushi is the ninth of ten children born to Palestinian parents who immigrated to New York from Beit Hanina, a Palestinian neighborhood in East Jerusalem. He is  the brother of civil rights lawyer and Democratic candidate for Manhattan District Attorney Tahanie Aboushi. He speaks English and Arabic. His father Ahmad Aboushi was convicted in 1999 following a jury trial of 17 charges related to the hijacking and robbing of tractor-trailers transporting cigarettes and other commodities between 1991 and 1998. The charges against his father included conspiracy to rob truck drivers, conspiracy to possess, transport, and sell stolen vehicles and goods, theft from interstate shipment, and transportation of a stolen vehicle. He was subsequently sentenced to 22 years in federal prison. The United States Court of Appeals  for the Second Circuit affirmed his conviction in 2002. He was released from prison in 2018. He is a practicing Muslim, one of few in the NFL. During Ramadan, which fell during training camp season at Virginia, he fasted from dawn to sunset most days. He was one of about a dozen Muslim athletes honored by the U.S. Department of State for contributions in 2011. He is one of the first Palestinian players in the NFL. On July 12, 2013, the Jewish NGO the Anti-Defamation League issued a press release defending Aboushi after an article circulating online claimed he  was a 'Muslim extremist'. The ADL defended Aboushi's right to take 'pride in his Palestinian heritage' and emphatically stated that being pro-Palestinian is in no way equivalent to being anti-Semitic or a Muslim extremist.