A. J. Green facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

For the basketball player, see A. J. Green (basketball). For the American football defensive back, see A. J. Green (defensive back).

Quick facts for kids
A. J. Green

Green with the Cincinnati Bengals in 2020

No. 18

Position:

Wide receiver

Personal information

Born:

July 31, 1988 (age 37)
Summerville, South Carolina, U.S.

Height:

6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)

Weight:

207 lb (94 kg)

Career information

High school:

Summerville

College:

Georgia (2008–2010)

NFL Draft:

2011 / Round: 1 / Pick: 4

Career history

Cincinnati Bengals (2011)
Arizona Cardinals (2021)

Career highlights and awards

2× Second-team All-Pro (2012, 2013)
7× Pro Bowl (2011–2017)
PFWA NFL All-Rookie Team (2011)
2× First-team All-American (2009, 2010)
2× First-team All-SEC (2008, 2009)
Second-team All-SEC (2010)
SEC Freshman of the Year (2008)

Career NFL statistics

Receptions:	727
Receiving yards:	10,514
Receiving touchdowns:	70

Player stats at PFR

Adriel Jeremiah "AJ" Green (born July 31, 1988) is a former professional football player. He was a wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL) for twelve seasons. He played most of his career with the Cincinnati Bengals.

Green played college football for the Georgia Bulldogs. He was named an All-American before being chosen by the Bengals. He was the fourth overall pick in the 2011 NFL draft. Many people think he was one of the best wide receivers of the 2010s.

In his first season with the Bengals, Green was picked for the 2012 Pro Bowl. He was the first rookie receiver in eight years to make the Pro Bowl. He went on to play in seven Pro Bowls during his career. From 2011 to 2013, Green caught more passes than any other player in their first three NFL seasons. He had six seasons where he gained over 1,000 receiving yards.

Green joined the Arizona Cardinals in 2021. He finished his time with the Bengals ranked second in the team's history for receiving yards, touchdowns, and catches. On September 16, 2023, Green signed a special one-day contract with the Bengals. This allowed him to officially retire as a player for the team where he spent most of his career.

Early Life and High School

When A. J. Green was four years old, his older brother died in a car accident. Green was part of his elementary school's juggling team. He said he learned to juggle in second grade. He believed this skill helped him develop his amazing hand-eye coordination.

Green went to Summerville High School in Summerville, South Carolina. He was a talented athlete who played football, basketball, and ran track. He played as a wide receiver for the Summerville Green Wave football team. Many experts thought he was one of the best young football players in the country for his age group.

Green was named All-State four times. He was the only junior to be picked for the USA Today All-American first-team in 2006. In his junior year, he caught 75 passes for 1,422 yards and 16 touchdowns. He also had great stats in his freshman and sophomore years.

Green's total of 5,373 receiving yards in high school ranks second all-time. His 279 career catches rank fourth in high school history. Sports Illustrated magazine even featured him as a future star. They compared him to famous NFL receiver Randy Moss. Green also competed in track and field, doing the long jump and triple jump.

Green was also on the Summerville High basketball team. They won the South Carolina state championship in 2008.

College Football Career

Green decided to play college football at the University of Georgia. He officially joined the Georgia Bulldogs football team in February 2008. He played for the Bulldogs from 2008 to 2010.

Freshman Season (2008)

Green had a strong first year with the Georgia Bulldogs in 2008. He quickly became an important player for the team. In one game against Arizona State, he caught eight passes for 159 yards and a touchdown. This earned him the SEC Player of the Week award.

He finished his freshman season with 56 catches for 963 yards and eight touchdowns. These were all new records for a freshman at the University of Georgia. He also led the SEC conference in receiving yards. He was named second-team All-SEC and the SEC Freshman of the Year.

Sophomore Season (2009)

As a sophomore, Green became the main receiver for Georgia. He continued to have great performances. In a game against Arkansas, he caught seven passes for 137 yards and two touchdowns. In the next game, he had eight catches for 153 yards and a touchdown against Arizona State.

He missed some games due to a left shoulder injury later in the season. However, he returned for the 2009 Independence Bowl. He finished the 2009 season leading his team with 53 catches for 808 yards and six touchdowns. He was named to the All-SEC First-team by many sports groups.

Junior Season (2010)

Green's junior year started with a challenge. He was suspended for the first four games. This was because he sold his 2009 Independence Bowl jersey for $1,000. He had to pay this money back to a charity as part of his punishment.

He returned to play on October 2. In his first game back, he had seven catches for 119 yards and two touchdowns. He continued to play well, including a game against Auburn where he had nine catches for 164 yards and two touchdowns. Green finished the 2010 season with 57 catches for 848 yards and nine touchdowns.

On January 9, 2011, Green decided to enter the 2011 NFL draft. He ended his college career at Georgia with 166 catches for 2,619 yards and 23 touchdowns.

College Statistics

Season	Team	GP	Rec	Yds	TD
2008	Georgia	13	56	963	8
2009	Georgia	10	53	808	6
2010	Georgia	9	57	848	9
Total		32	166	2,619	23

Professional NFL Career

A. J. Green was chosen by the Cincinnati Bengals as the fourth overall pick in the 2011 NFL Draft. This made him the highest-drafted wide receiver ever from the University of Georgia. On July 28, 2011, he signed a four-year contract with the Bengals.

Green playing in 2011

Cincinnati Bengals (2011–2020)

2011 Season: Rookie Success

Green's first NFL catch was a 41-yard touchdown. This happened in the Bengals' first game of the 2011 season against the Cleveland Browns. In his next game, he had his first 100-yard receiving game with 10 catches for 124 yards.

By the end of his rookie year, Green had four games with over 100 receiving yards. He led all NFL rookies in catches (65) and receiving yards (1,057) in 15 games. His seven touchdown catches were second among rookies. Green and fellow rookie quarterback Andy Dalton set a new NFL record for yards and catches by a rookie quarterback/receiver team. Green also broke the Bengals' record for most receiving yards by a rookie. He was chosen for the Pro Bowl and named to the NFL All-Rookie Team.

2012 Season: Pro Bowl Again

In 2012, Green continued to shine. In Week 3, he caught nine passes for a career-high 183 yards against the Washington Redskins. He was named the AFC Offensive Player of the Month for September. He had a touchdown streak of nine consecutive games, which was the second-longest ever.

Green had over 100 receiving yards in five different games. He was selected for his second Pro Bowl. He finished the season with 97 catches for 1,350 yards and 11 touchdowns.

2013 Season: Setting Records

Green playing against the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2013

Green started the 2013 season strong with nine catches for 162 yards and two touchdowns. In Week 7, he scored on a career-long 82-yard touchdown catch. He set a Bengals record with five straight games of at least 100 receiving yards.

Green set new career highs in 2013 with 98 catches and 1,426 receiving yards. He also scored 11 touchdowns. His 260 career catches set an NFL record for the most catches in a player's first three seasons. He was named to his third Pro Bowl. The Bengals finished with an 11–5 record and won their division.

2014 Season: Injuries and Milestones

In 2014, Green caught six passes for 131 yards in Week 1, including a 77-yard touchdown. He suffered a ligament injury in Week 2, which was his first NFL game without a catch. He returned but later re-injured his toe and missed three games.

Despite missing time, Green still reached 1,000 receiving yards for his fourth straight season. He finished with 69 catches for 1,041 yards and six touchdowns. A concussion kept him from playing in the playoffs that year.

2015 Season: More 1,000-Yard Seasons

Green helped the Bengals tie a team record with 12 wins in 2015. In Week 3, he caught 10 passes for a career-high 227 yards and two touchdowns. His 227 yards were the second-highest in Bengals history for a single game.

He finished the 2015 season with 86 catches, 1,297 yards, and 10 touchdowns. This was his fifth straight season with over 1,000 receiving yards. He joined Randy Moss as only the second player in NFL history to achieve this feat. He earned his fifth straight Pro Bowl selection.

2016 Season: Hamstring Injury

In the 2016 season opener, Green had 12 catches for 180 yards and a touchdown. He continued to have strong games, including 10 catches for 173 yards and a touchdown against the Miami Dolphins.

On November 20, Green tore his hamstring. This injury caused him to miss the rest of the season. He finished the 2016 season with 66 catches, 964 receiving yards, and four touchdowns in 10 games. This was the first time he did not reach 1,000 receiving yards. Despite the injury, he was named to his sixth straight Pro Bowl.

2017 Season: Leading the Bengals

In 2017, Green had 10 catches for 111 yards and a touchdown against the Green Bay Packers. In Week 9, he got into a fight with another player and was ejected from the game. He was later fined for this.

He finished the 2017 season with 75 catches for 1,078 receiving yards and eight touchdowns. This was his seventh straight season leading the Bengals in receiving yards, breaking a team record. He was named to his seventh straight Pro Bowl.

2018 Season: Three Touchdowns in a Half

On September 13, 2018, Green had the first three-touchdown game of his career against the Baltimore Ravens. He scored all three in the first half. In Week 4, he caught a game-winning 13-yard pass with only 12 seconds left. He also set a Bengals record with his 32nd game of over 100 receiving yards.

He suffered a toe injury in Week 8 and missed three games. He returned but re-injured his toe and was placed on injured reserve in December. He finished the 2018 season with 46 catches for 694 yards and six touchdowns. This ended his streak of seven Pro Bowl selections.

2019 Season: Missing the Year

During training camp in 2019, Green tore ligaments in his ankle. He was expected to miss only a few games, but the injury kept him out for the entire season.

2020 Season: Return from Injury

On March 16, 2020, the Bengals used the "franchise tag" on Green, meaning he signed a one-year contract. He returned to play in the Bengals' first game of the 2020 season. He scored his first touchdown since 2018 in Week 11. He finished the 2020 season with 47 catches for 523 yards and two touchdowns. He ended his Bengals career second only to Chad Johnson in team history for catches, receiving yards, and receiving touchdowns.

Arizona Cardinals (2021–2022)

2021 Season: New Team

Green signed a one-year contract with the Arizona Cardinals on March 17, 2021. He became a starting receiver for the team. In Week 3, he had five catches for 112 yards, his first 100-yard game since 2018. In Week 14, Green reached over 10,000 career receiving yards. He finished the season with 54 catches for 848 yards and three touchdowns.

2022 Season: Final Season

On April 14, 2022, Green signed another one-year contract with the Cardinals. In his final career game against the San Francisco 49ers, Green had three catches for 91 yards, including a 77-yard touchdown. In the 2022 season, Green played in 15 games and started 10. He finished with 24 catches for 236 yards and two touchdowns.

Retirement

On February 6, 2023, A. J. Green announced on Instagram that he was retiring from football. He finished his NFL career with 10,514 total receiving yards. On September 16, 2023, he signed a special one-day contract with the Cincinnati Bengals. This allowed him to officially retire as a Bengal, the team he played for the longest.

NFL Career Statistics

Career best in bold

Regular season

Year	Team	Games		Receiving					Rushing					Fumbles
Year	Team	GP	GS	Rec	Yds	Avg	Lng	TD	Att	Yds	Avg	Lng	TD	Fum	Lost
2011	CIN	15	15	65	1,057	16.3	58	7	5	53	10.6	22	0	1	0
2012	CIN	16	16	97	1,350	13.9	73	11	4	38	9.5	20	0	2	1
2013	CIN	16	16	98	1,426	14.6	82	11	—	—	—	—	—	1	0
2014	CIN	13	13	69	1,041	15.1	81	6	2	2	1.0	5	0	3	2
2015	CIN	16	16	86	1,297	15.1	80	10	—	—	—	—	—	1	1
2016	CIN	10	10	66	964	14.6	54	4	—	—	—	—	—	0	0
2017	CIN	16	16	75	1,078	14.4	77T	8	—	—	—	—	—	2	2
2018	CIN	9	9	46	694	15.1	38T	6	—	—	—	—	—	2	1
2019	CIN	did not play due to injury
2020	CIN	16	14	47	523	11.1	33	2	—	—	—	—	—	0	0
2021	ARI	16	9	54	848	15.7	42	3	—	—	—	—	—	0	0
2022	ARI	15	10	24	236	9.8	77	2	—	—	—	—	—	0	0
Career		158	144	727	10,514	14.5	82	11	93	8.5	22	0	12	7

Postseason

Year	Team	Games		Receiving					Fumbles
Year	Team	GP	GS	Rec	Yds	Avg	Lng	TD	Fum	Lost
2011	CIN	1	1	5	47	9.4	21	0	0	0
2012	CIN	1	1	5	80	16.0	45	0	0	0
2013	CIN	1	1	3	34	11.3	14	0	0	0
2014	CIN	did not play due to injury
2015	CIN	1	1	5	71	14.2	25	1	0	0
2021	ARI	1	1	0	0	0.0	0	0	0	0
Career		5	5	18	232	12.9	45	1	0	0

Personal Life and Community Work

On March 21, 2015, A. J. Green married his college sweetheart, Miranda Brooke. She is an actress and singer. They have two sons together.

Green has given back to his community in several ways. In 2015, he created three scholarships at the University of Georgia. One helps a student-athlete on the football team, and two help students who need financial support.

In 2018, Green participated in the NFL's "My Cause, My Cleats" program. He chose to support "Hope Road Nicaragua," an organization that helps improve the lives of children in Nicaragua. In 2019, Green also donated money to elementary school teachers in his hometown of Summerville.