Check out our NFL All-Initials Team

The NFL has an abundance of players who choose to go by initials instead of their given names, from A.J. Green to B.J. Raji, so Extra Mustard has rounded them up to create an All-Initials Team.

Author:
Extra Mustard
Publish date:
Dec 22, 2014

The NFL has an abundance of players who choose to go by initials instead of their given names, from A.J. Green to B.J. Raji, so Extra Mustard has rounded them up to create an All-Initials Team.

This abbreviated squad may not make the Super Bowl, but their fans will definitely appreciate how easy it is to spell their favorite players names.

GALLERY: THE ALL-INITIALS NFL TEAM

The All-Initials NFL Team

Defensive end: J.J. Watt

Greg Nelson/SI, Text by: Andrew Doughty/Next Impulse

The J.J. stands for Justin James, but it'll be a shame if his Hall of Fame bust says anything more than J.J. Swat.

Defensive tackle: B.J. Raji

Al Tielemans/SI, Text by: Andrew Doughty/Next Impulse

Busari Alumu Raji Jr. has a fantastic given name. Despite an above-average career since his debut in 2009, Raji is best known for his NFC title game dance of 2010. He remains one of the most entertaining mic'd-up players in the league.

Defensive tackle: C.J. Mosley

You may remember Calvin Michael Mosley Jr. as the Detroit Lion who got sent home early from the team's 2014 game in London after officials found marijuana in his hotel room. It seems someone disconnected C.J.'s smoke detector.

Defensive end: C.J. Wilson

Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images, Text by: Andrew Doughty/Next Impulse

Clifford James Wilson is best known for his four years in Green Bay, where he was a member of a very uninspiring 3-4 defensive line. He joined the Raiders in 2014, still aspiring to kick butt.

Linebacker: A.J. Hawk

Robert Beck/SI, Text by: Andrew Doughty/Next Impulse

Aaron James Hawk is nearing the end of a decent career with the Packers after being selected fifth overall in the 2006 draft. He's also married to Brady Quinn's sister, Laura.

Linebacker: D.J. Williams

D.J.-Williams.jpg — David Banks/Getty Images, Text by: Andrew Doughty/Next Impulse

Genos Derwin Williams Jr. has had a fine career as a bruising linebacker with the Broncos (2004-2012) and Bears (2013-present), but he'll be forever known as the guy accused of manipulating three different urine tests. Among those three was the infamous second bottle incident of 2012.

Linebacker: K.J. Wright

John W. McDonough/SI, Text by: Andrew Doughty/Next Impulse

Remember Aaron Curry, the Wake Forest linebacker taken with the 4th overall pick by the Seahawks in 2009? Kenneth Bernard Wright Jr. is the guy that officially replaced him.

Cornerback: D.J. Hayden

Derek Sherrard Hayden Jr. has one of the most amazing stories on the All-Initials team. During his senior year at Houston, Hayden's chest collided with a teammate's knee, tearing his heart's interior vena cava. This is an injury with an extremely high fatality rate, but Hayden recovered and went on to be selected 12th overall in the draft.

Safety: T.J. Ward

Terrell Ray Ward Jr. got the Broncos' attention by quickly becoming one of the best safeties in the NFL with the Cleveland Browns, after which John Elway scooped him up as part of his 2014 free-agency frenzy.

Safety: D.J. Swearinger

Yes, Dayarlo Jamal is the man that drew a preseason taunting penalty from Peyton Manning.

Cornerback: C.J. Spillman

Tom Gannam/AP, Text by: Andrew Doughty/Next Impulse

An undrafted All-Initial Team member, Claude Norman Spillman Jr. has played for the Chargers, Niners and Cowboys during his six-year NFL career, mostly making an impact as a solid special teamer.

Quarterback: E.J. Manuel

E.J.-Manuel.jpg — Vaughn Ridley/Getty Images, Text by: Andrew Doughty/Next Impulse

The Buffalo Bills surprised some by selecting Erik Rodriguez Manuel Jr. with the the 16th overall pick in the 2013 NFL Draft following his four up-and-down years at Florida State. The second-year man lost his starting job to the eccentric Kyle Orton following Week 4 of the 2014 season.

Running back: C.J. Anderson

Cortrelle Javon Anderson was an undrafted free agent out of Cal in 2013. After a seven-carry rookie season, he has been a major beneficiary of injuries to Denver running backs in 2014, helping lead a powerful Broncos offense.

Running back: C.J. Spiller

C.J.-Spiller.jpg — Rick Stewart/Getty Images, Text by: Andrew Doughty/Next Impulse

Although Clifford Spiller Jr. has appeared in 62 games over his first four seasons, he has routinely been forced to play with injuries. He remains a dynamic back with a 5.0 yards per carry average for his career.

Wide Receiver: A.J. Green

Like Anderson, A.J. Green has a significantly more exciting given name: Adriel Jeremiah. Green has been on a superstar path since he was dominating helpless DBs at Summerville (Ga.) High.

T.Y. Hilton

His given name is Eugene Marquis Hilton, but T.Y. is so much cooler. It traces to friends calling his father Ty (short for Tyrone) and then referring to the son as little T.Y. He's not little any longer -- making quite the impression as a receiver for the Colts.

Tight end: C.J. Fiedorowicz

Justin Edmonds/Getty Images, Text by: Andrew Doughty/Next Impulse

Colton Johnson Fiedorowicz isn't a household name outside of diehard NFL circles, but the 6'6" 260-pounder is a beast of a man. The rookie tight end only has two catches in 2014, but watch for the Crystal Lake, Iowa, native to make a serious impact in years to come.

Tackle: D.J. Fluker

Orlando Ramirez/ Icon SMI, Text by: Andrew Doughty/Next Impulse

A Hurricane Katrina transplant, Daniel Lee Jesus is a behemoth offensive tackle with a bright future. He's been on the radar of NFL scouts since his days as a 5-star recruit at Foley (Ala.) High and appears headed for a long NFL career.

Guard: T.J. Lang

Thomas John Lang has quietly become one of the most reliable interior lineman in the game since slithering onto the scene as a little-known fourth-rounder out of Eastern Michigan in 2009. He continues to anchor a suddenly stout Packers offensive line in 2014.

Center: J.D. Walton

Zach Bolinger/Icon SMI, Text by: Andrew Doughty/Next Impulse

Justin Daniel has played for three teams during his five-year career, one that started as a Denver Broncos third-round pick in 2010. He managed to overcome a potentially career-threatening dislocated ankle in 2012 before moving on to the Redskins (2013) and Giants this season.

Guard: J.R. Sweezy

Justin Ross Sweezy was selected by the Seahawks in the 7th round of the 2012 NFL Draft out of North Carolina State, and has been a pleasant surprise for head coach Pete Carroll over the last two seasons.

Tackle: J.C. Tretter

J.C.-Tretter.jpg — Morry Gash/AP, Text by: Andrew Doughty/Next Impulse

Joseph Carl Tretter was slotted to take over the Packers starting center position in 2014 after the departure of Evan Dietrich-Smith to free agency, but following a training camp knee injury, the job was given to rookie Corey Linsley. Tretter played tackle in college and is the listed backup for left tackle David Bakhtiari.

Long Snapper: L.P. Ladouceur

Ray Carlin/Icon SMI, Text by: Andrew Doughty/Next Impulse

Louise-Philippe Ladouceur is a Montreal native and long snapper for the Cowboys. He played college ball at Cal and was selected in the 2004 CFL Draft before ultimately deciding to to return to school for his senior season, after which he landed in the NFL.