AJ Dillon Bio
Algiers Jameal William Dillon Jr. (born May 2, 1998), nicknamed “Quadzilla,” is an American professional football running back for the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League (NFL). A physical, between-the-tackles runner built at six feet tall and roughly 247 pounds, Dillon established himself as one of the most productive rushers in Boston College history before turning pro. He currently plays for the Philadelphia Eagles, where he signed a one-year contract in March 2025 after spending his first five NFL seasons with the Green Bay Packers.
Dillon played college football for the Boston College Eagles from 2017 through 2019, finishing as the program’s all-time leader in rushing yards with 4,382, along with 38 career rushing touchdowns and 40 total touchdowns. Selected by the Green Bay Packers in the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft, he developed into a reliable complementary back behind Aaron Jones and helped the Packers to multiple NFC Championship and Divisional Round appearances.
Early Life and Background
Algiers Jameal William Dillon Jr. was born on May 2, 1998, in Baltimore, Maryland, and grew up in Connecticut. He comes from a strong athletic family; his grandfather, Thom Gatewood, was an All-American college football player at the University of Notre Dame, served as captain of the 1972 Fighting Irish team, and is a member of the College Football Hall of Fame. That family pedigree helped shape Dillon’s early interest in the sport.
Dillon attended New London High School in Connecticut, where he played sparingly as a freshman on the football team. He was then recruited to Lawrence Academy, a private boarding school in Groton, Massachusetts, where he played four seasons and matured into one of the top prep running backs in the region. He ran a 4.56 40-yard dash and was named MVP of Nike’s The Opening, a marquee high school showcase.
By his second year at Lawrence Academy, Dillon was clearly the focus of the offense, rushing for 1,321 yards and 21 touchdowns while also starting at linebacker. As a junior, he piled up 1,887 yards and 26 touchdowns, and as a senior he played in only four games because of a broken leg but still managed 635 yards and 12 scores. Originally committed to the University of Michigan, Dillon later flipped his pledge and signed with Boston College.
Path to American Football
Dillon’s path to the college level began at Lawrence Academy, where his combination of size, balance, and finishing power made him a priority recruit. His MVP performance at Nike’s The Opening helped him land early offers from Power Five programs, and he ultimately chose Boston College over Michigan because of the program’s tradition of featuring a workhorse back.
He arrived in Chestnut Hill in 2017 and immediately slotted into a featured role. As a true freshman, Dillon played in all 13 games and rushed for a Boston College freshman-record 1,589 yards on 300 carries with 14 touchdowns. He was named the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) Rookie of the Year and ACC Offensive Rookie of the Year, signaling that he had arrived as one of the conference’s premier young backs.
Dillon followed that debut with two more 1,000-yard seasons in 2018 and 2019, becoming the first player in Boston College history to post back-to-back 1,000-yard campaigns. He earned First-team All-ACC honors in each of his three varsity seasons, was named a Third-team All-American in 2019, and left school as the Eagles’ all-time leader in rushing yards, rushing touchdowns, total touchdowns, and all-purpose yards before declaring for the 2020 NFL Draft.
AJ Dillon Career
Early Career (2017–2019 at Boston College)
Dillon’s first collegiate season in 2017 set the tone for his entire career. He opened with five carries for 20 yards against Northern Illinois, then scored his first collegiate touchdown on the road at Clemson. A breakout 272-yard, four-touchdown performance came at Louisville, and he added 200-yard games against North Carolina State and Connecticut on his way to the freshman school record of 1,589 rushing yards.
In 2018, he posted 149 yards and three touchdowns on just six carries against Holy Cross, and turned in another strong game at Wake Forest. An ankle injury suffered against Temple in late September limited him for a stretch, but he returned to log 149 yards and a touchdown against Miami and 116 yards and two scores at Florida State. His 1,149 total yards and 11 touchdowns made him the first Boston College back ever to post back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons.
Boston College Career (2017–2019) and Draft
Dillon’s junior year in 2019 was his most decorated. He opened with two rushing touchdowns and a receiving score against Richmond, rolled up 151 yards and a score versus Kansas, and added 150 yards and two scores at Rutgers. He gashed North Carolina State for 223 yards and three touchdowns, posted 242 yards and three scores at Syracuse, and finished the regular season with 1,685 rushing yards, the most in the ACC that year. He also tied Andre Williams’ Boston College career rushing yards record and matched Keith Barnette’s career rushing touchdowns mark during the Clemson game.
On December 10, 2019, Dillon gave up his senior year of eligibility and declared for the 2020 NFL Draft. He exited Boston College as the program’s all-time leader in rushing yards (4,382), rushing touchdowns (38), total touchdowns (40), and all-purpose yards (4,618), and he left just 220 yards shy of the ACC career rushing record. He was selected by the Green Bay Packers with the 62nd overall pick in the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft and signed a four-year rookie contract worth $5.3 million, including a $1.4 million signing bonus, on July 1, 2020.
Green Bay Packers Era (2020–2024)
Dillon began his rookie season as the third running back on the Green Bay depth chart behind Aaron Jones and Jamaal Williams, under head coach Matt LaFleur. He made his NFL debut on September 13, 2020, against the Minnesota Vikings, carrying twice for 14 yards, and his role expanded gradually before a stint on the reserve/COVID-19 list in November cost him five games. He returned in mid-December and announced his arrival with a 124-yard, two-touchdown performance on 21 carries in a 40-14 Sunday Night Football win over the Tennessee Titans.
In the 2020 playoffs, Dillon rushed six times for 27 yards in a Divisional Round win over the Los Angeles Rams and added three carries for 17 yards and a 13-yard catch in an NFC Championship loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He finished his rookie year with 46 carries for 242 yards (5.3 yards per carry) and two touchdowns. With Jamaal Williams gone in free agency, Dillon moved into the No. 2 role in 2021 and turned in a 15-carry, 81-yard performance against the Pittsburgh Steelers, a 49-yard receiving touchdown against the Cincinnati Bengals, and a two-touchdown game versus the Seattle Seahawks. He closed the year with 187 carries for 803 rushing yards and five rushing scores, plus 34 receptions for 313 yards and two receiving touchdowns in 17 games and two starts, and added a rushing touchdown in a Divisional Round loss to the San Francisco 49ers.
Dillon played all 17 games with three starts in 2022, finishing with 186 carries for 770 yards and seven rushing touchdowns to go along with 28 catches for 206 yards. In 2023, he played 15 games with six starts and recorded 613 rushing yards and two touchdowns on the ground and 22 receptions for 223 yards. After the 2023 season, Dillon re-signed with Green Bay on March 15, 2024, on a one-year qualifying offer worth up to $2.575 million, but a neck injury landed him on injured reserve on August 27, 2024, officially ending his season.
Philadelphia Eagles Era (2025–Present)
On March 13, 2025, Dillon signed a one-year contract with the Philadelphia Eagles, beginning a new chapter after five seasons in Green Bay. The move reunited him with a contending roster in the NFC and gave the Eagles another physical, short-yardage and goal-line option in their backfield. He entered Philadelphia’s running back room as a veteran presence whose role is expected to complement the team’s existing lead backs rather than serve as a full-time bell cow.
Driving Style and Strengths
Dillon is best known for his power running style, leg drive, and ability to break tackles in tight quarters. At roughly 247 pounds with a thick lower body, he excels between the tackles, in short-yardage and goal-line situations, and as a pass protector in blitz pickup. He has shown the hands and route-running polish to contribute as a complementary receiver out of the backfield, and his experience in Green Bay’s outside-zone and power schemes should translate well to Philadelphia’s run game.
Notable Events and Milestones
Signature moments include his 272-yard, four-touchdown breakout at Louisville as a freshman, his 124-yard, two-touchdown NFL coming-out party against the Tennessee Titans in 2020, and his tying of Andre Williams’ Boston College career rushing yards record. He also set the program record for career rushing touchdowns (38) and became the first Boston College back ever to record back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons.
AJ Dillon Career Wins
Wins and team success have been a steady part of Dillon’s career at every level. He helped Boston College to a Pinstripe Bowl appearance in 2017, was part of three Packers playoff teams from 2020 through 2023, and joined a Philadelphia Eagles roster in 2025 that was coming off a Super Bowl appearance. While his individual win totals by series are not fully verifiable, his career has consistently featured postseason football and late-season pushes.
Green Bay Packers Highlights
Dillon’s most memorable Packers win came on December 27, 2020, when he exploded for 124 rushing yards and his first two NFL touchdowns in a 40-14 rout of the Tennessee Titans on Sunday Night Football. He also helped Green Bay to a Divisional Round victory over the Los Angeles Rams that postseason and was part of Packers teams that won 13 regular-season games in both 2020 and 2021.
Other Wins and Performances
At Boston College, Dillon was the offensive engine behind signature victories over Louisville, Florida State, Syracuse, and Pitt, and he earned three First-team All-ACC selections as a result. His late-career move to Philadelphia put him on a contender with designs on another deep postseason run.
AJ Dillon Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Family and athletic heritage are central to Dillon’s story. His maternal grandfather, Thom Gatewood, starred at wide receiver for the University of Notre Dame, was an All-American, served as captain of the 1972 Fighting Irish squad, and was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame. Dillon has cited that lineage as a meaningful influence on his approach to the game.
Personal Life
Dillon is African-American and Jewish, and he has spoken openly about how those parts of his identity shape who he is. He married Gabrielle Toonen, sister of his close friend and former co-host Will Toonen, on June 25, 2022, in Door County, Wisconsin, where the couple had developed strong ties. On May 2, 2023, the couple welcomed their first child, a son who shares Dillon’s birthday. From December 2021 to April 2022, Dillon co-hosted the “Toonen to Dillon” podcast with his brother-in-law.
2025 Season Performance
Dillon heads into the 2025 season as a Philadelphia Eagles running back after signing a one-year contract in March 2025. With a defined short-yardage and goal-line role, he provides the Eagles with a physical complement to their primary backs and a trusted pass protector on early downs. His prior success in cold-weather, power-run schemes with Green Bay should mesh well with Philadelphia’s identity.
The biggest storyline is whether Dillon can stay healthy after a 2024 season ended by a neck injury, and how quickly he can carve out a consistent role in the Eagles’ backfield rotation. If he holds up, his blend of downhill running, receiving ability, and veteran experience makes him a logical fit in short-yardage, two-minute, and playoff football.
Looking ahead, Dillon’s outlook depends on health and the development of Philadelphia’s younger backs. A productive 2025 would not only extend his career but also reinforce his reputation as one of the more reliable complementary power backs in the NFL.