T.J. Houshmandzadeh name pronunciation: A guide to say the former NFL wide receiver, current analyst's name

Bryan Murphy

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T.J. Houshmandzadeh name pronunciation: A guide to say the former NFL wide receiver, current analyst's name image

Each NFL Draft class differs from year to year, but one that remains constant about each group of prospects — there's always going to be unique names. 

No matter who the top prospects are, sometimes the biggest takeaways from fans are the obscure first and last names of the newest members of the NFL. This year's class has yet to disappoint, with fun combinations such as Olu Fashanu, Laiatu Latu and Chop Robinson going in the first round, and others like Kool-Aid McKinstry and Ladd McConkey expected to go on Day 2. 

While these names may stand out, none can hold a candle to a former Bengals wide receiver with one of the best titles around — T.J. Houshmandzadeh. 

The one-time Pro Bowl receiver is currently an analyst on FS1, but he has a bigger role for the 2024 NFL Draft than just breaking down film. 

Houshmandzadeh is going to be announcing two of Cincinnati's picks on Day 2 — No. 80 and No. 97, both in the third round. It is common for teams to delegate a celebrity or former player to deliver the news of their selection, and this year, Bengals fans will be treated to the receiver, who played for the team from 2001 to 2008. 

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Houshmandzadeh is one of the longer names you will find on a jersey, and also a tough one to pronounce. Here is more on how to say the former receiver's name. 

T.J. Houshmandzadeh name pronunciation

The correct pronunciation of the wide receiver's name is "hoosh-mihn-ZAH-dah", according to Pro Football Reference. 

Those four syllables were uttered that way numerous times on NFL broadcasts. The longtime Bengals wide receiver was one of Carson Palmer's go-to targets in the mid-2000s, playing for eight seasons with Cincinnati. 

Longest names in NFL history

Houshmandzadeh is a mouthful, and it shouldn't come as a surprise that it is one of the longest names in NFL history. 

If you consider hyphenated last names, then the receiver's falls short of being the longest. Running back Chris Fuamatu-Ma'afala and offensive tackle Greg Robinson-Randall share that record, with 16 characters each in their surname, including the hyphens and apostrophe. 

However, if you go by non-hyphenated last names only, then Houshmandzadeh is tied with quarterback Ben Roethlisberger and running back Ryan Christopherson with the longest, each having 14 letters. 

T.J. Houshmandzadeh stats

Season Team Games Targets Receptions Yards Yards/R TDs
2001 Cincinnati Bengals 12 42 21 228 10.9 0
2002 Cincinnati Bengals 16 69 41 492 12.0 1
2003 Cincinnati Bengals 2 0 0 0 0 0
2004 Cincinnati Bengals 16 108 73 978 13.4 4
2005 Cincinnati Bengals 14 115 78 956 12.3 7
2006 Cincinnati Bengals 14 132 90 1,081 12.0 9
2007 Cincinnati Bengals 16 169 112 1,143 10.2 12
2008 Cincinnati Bengals 15 137 92 904 9.8 4
2009 Seattle Seahawks 16 135 79 911 11.5 3
2010 Baltimore Ravens 16 57 30 398 13.3 3
2011 Oakland Raiders 9 19 11 146 13.3 1
Totals   146 983 627 7,237 11.5 44

 

Bryan Murphy

Bryan Murphy Photo

Bryan Murphy joined The Sporting News in 2022 as the NHL/Canada content producer. Previously he worked for NBC Sports on their national news desk reporting on breaking news for the NFL, MLB, NBA and NHL, in addition to covering the 2020 and 2022 Olympic Games. A graduate of Quinnipiac University, he spent time in college as a beat reporter covering the men’s ice hockey team.