PRESEASON EditiON - Detroit Lions
PRESEASON EditiON - Detroit Lions
PRESEASON EditiON - Detroit Lions
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DominiC raioLa<br />
Center<br />
Nebraska<br />
12th Year<br />
Ht: 6-1 Wt: 295<br />
Born: 12/30/78 Honolulu, Hawaii<br />
Draft: ‘01, R2 (50)-Det<br />
PLayer ProfiLes<br />
<strong>Detroit</strong>lions.com<br />
Media.<strong>Detroit</strong>lions.com<br />
Complete biographical information available on <strong>Detroit</strong>lions.com.<br />
MANE FACTS<br />
‣ Donated home game tickets to the Children’s Center through CaTs<br />
(Caring athletes Ticket service) for Kids program.<br />
‣ regularly attends annual <strong>Detroit</strong> lions Courage House Dinner to help<br />
benefit HaVeN, oakland County’s premier center for the prevention<br />
and treatment of domestic violence, sexual assault and child abuse.<br />
‣ a big fan of al Pacino, he owns most of the movies the actor is in<br />
including his favorite, Scarface, which he has watched repeatedly.<br />
TRANSACTIONS<br />
‣ re-signed by the <strong>Detroit</strong> lions June 25, 2009 to a four-year contract<br />
extension (through 2013).<br />
‣ re-signed by the <strong>Detroit</strong> lions March 13, 2005 to a five-year contract<br />
extension.<br />
‣ Drafted by the <strong>Detroit</strong> lions in the second round (50th overall) in the<br />
2001 Nfl Draft.<br />
PRO<br />
raiola is in his 12th season in the Nfl with the <strong>Detroit</strong> lions, and his 11th<br />
as the starting center. Utilizes tremendous quickness, tenacity and intelligence<br />
to anchor the team’s offensive front.<br />
‣ Named team captain six-straight seasons (2006-11).<br />
‣ Has played in 172 career games (156 starts). He is the 10th player in<br />
lions history to play 170 games for the club. He joins K Jason Hanson<br />
(311) and T Jeff Backus (176) as players on the lions current roster<br />
who have each played 170 career games for the club.<br />
‣ in 2008, a hand injury forced him to miss his first career game and start<br />
vs. Jacksonville (11/9/08).<br />
‣ He had the second most consecutive starts (104) behind Denver C<br />
Casey Wiegman (120) and atlanta C Todd McClure (120) since 2001.<br />
‣ in 2006, raiola emerged as one of the most effective all-around centers<br />
in the league with his ability to get outside and block on the perimeter<br />
and to get to the second level.<br />
‣ in 2004, he centered an offensive line that developed into one of the<br />
top run-blocking lines in the Nfl as the offensive line led the way for<br />
a rushing attack that ranked second in the Nfl over the final seven<br />
games of the season.<br />
2011: Team’s starting center and offensive captain for sixth consecutive<br />
year. offense was 10th in Nfl in sacks per pass play (5.1 pct) yielding 36<br />
sacks on 702 pass plays.<br />
‣ Centered offensive line that allowed no sacks and garnered 126 rushing<br />
yards in the team’s opening day win at Tampa Bay (9/11).<br />
‣ The lions’ season opener at Tampa Bay marked the first time since<br />
1981-82 that the lions have started the same offensive line (same<br />
personnel at same positions) in consecutive years on opening day.<br />
raiola, lT Jeff Backus, lB rob sims, G stephen Peterman and T Gosder<br />
Cherilus was the team’s regular starting offensive line last year for the<br />
lions, including on opening day. The last offensive group to start in<br />
consecutive years was lT Karl Baldischeiler, lG Homer elias, C amos<br />
fowler, rG russ Bolinger and rT Keith Dorne. That group started on<br />
opening day in that lineup three consecutive years (1980-92).<br />
‣ in the home opener vs. Kansas City (9/18), was part of an offensive line<br />
that allowed no sacks for the second consecutive game. The lions offense<br />
generated 48 points in the victory over the Chiefs, the most points<br />
scored by the lions since they garnered 55 points in a Thanksgiving<br />
Day 55-20 win over Chicago (11/27/97). That game was also the last<br />
time the team scored 6 offensive touchdowns (rushing and receiving) in<br />
a single game. The last time the lions scored 6 offensive touchdowns<br />
in a game of which at least 4 were via the pass was a 48-17 win over<br />
Chicago (10/19/81).<br />
‣ Part of an offensive line that did not allow a sack at Dallas (10/2) in the<br />
team’s 24-point comeback 34-30 win.<br />
‣ offensive line was instrumental in the lions 24-13 win over Chicago<br />
on Monday Night football as the line paved the way for 181 rushing<br />
yards, including 163 from rB Jahvid Best. raiola opened a huge seem<br />
in the middle on Best’s 88-yard rushing touchdown in the third quarter,<br />
which was the second longest in team history.<br />
‣ Helped allow 104 yards rushing vs. atlanta (10/23) whose defense is<br />
ranked sixth in the league in rushing yards per game. Maurice Morris<br />
finished with 9 carries for 50 yards (5.6 avg) and Keiland Williams finished<br />
with 9 carries for 44 yards (4.9 avg).<br />
‣ Helped protect Matthew stafford in order for him to set a new franchise<br />
record 63 passing attempts vs. Chicago (11/13).<br />
‣ He made his 150th career start at center for the lions game vs. Carolina<br />
(11/20). With the start he started 150-of-154 games dating back to the<br />
beginning of the 2002 season. overall, he reach 166 games played, which<br />
is 12th most in team history.<br />
‣ in his 150th career start, he was part of an offensive line that paved<br />
the way for running back Kevin smith to rush for 140 yards vs. Carolina<br />
(11/20). They also gave QB Matthew stafford enough time to throw<br />
5 touchdown passes in the game. offensive line helped produce 169<br />
rushing yards, second-highest total on the season, and 495 total yards,<br />
the most for the lions since 1997.<br />
COLLEGE<br />
Turned pro after playing three seasons at Nebraska, but was a four-year<br />
collegian (redshirted in 1997).<br />
‣ Cornhuskers’ first freshman offensive lineman to start a game since<br />
rob Zatechka in 1991.<br />
‣ The two-time Nebraska lifter of the year finalist set a school record<br />
with 140 knockdown blocks (11.67 per game) as a sophomore in 1999,<br />
only to better that mark as a junior in 2000 with 145 (13.2 per game).<br />
‣ Besides on-field accolades, he garnered academic all-Big 12 Conference<br />
honors the last two years while making the conference’s honor<br />
roll three times.<br />
‣ in 2000, he was an all-american first-team selection by the football<br />
Writers association, Walter Camp, associated Press and american<br />
football Coaches association, rated the best center in the country<br />
by The sports Xchange, a finalist for both the outland Trophy and the<br />
lombardi award, given to the nation’s top lineman and a consensus<br />
all-Big 12 first-team selection.<br />
‣ Junior year was first full year as starter and was named a consensus<br />
all-Big 12 first-team selection, the first sophomore Nebraska offensive<br />
lineman to earn such honors since Dave rimington in 1980 and was a<br />
member of sports illustrated’s all-Bowl Team.<br />
PERSONAL<br />
Three-year starter on the offensive line for st. louis High school in Honolulu.<br />
‣ Team went undefeated in each of his last three years and ranked<br />
15th nationally in 1996, winning its 11th straight state championship.<br />
‣ earned first-team all-state honors as a junior in 1995 and as a senior<br />
in 1996.<br />
‣ also a National Honor society member, a three-year scholar-athlete<br />
and ranked sixth in his class of 180.<br />
RAIOLA' S CAREER STATISTICS<br />
Year Tm G S<br />
2001 Det 16 0<br />
2002 Det 16 16<br />
2003 Det 16 16<br />
2004 Det 16 16<br />
2005 Det 16 16<br />
2006 Det 16 16<br />
2007 Det 16 16<br />
2008 Det 12 12<br />
2009 Det 16 16<br />
2010 Det 16 16<br />
2011 Det 16 16<br />
Totals 172 156<br />
POSTSEASON<br />
Year Tm G S<br />
2011 Det 1 1<br />
Totals 1 1