Jaylen Waddle (born November 25, 1998)[1] is an American football wide receiver for the Miami Dolphins of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Alabama and was drafted sixth overall by the Dolphins in the 2021 NFL Draft.
| No. 17 – Miami Dolphins | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Position: | Wide receiver | ||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||
| Born: | November 25, 1998 Houston, Texas | ||||||||
| Height: | 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) | ||||||||
| Weight: | 182 lb (83 kg) | ||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||
| High school: | Episcopal (Bellaire, Texas) | ||||||||
| College: | Alabama (2018–2020) | ||||||||
| NFL draft: | 2021 / Round: 1 / Pick: 6 | ||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||
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| Roster status: | Active | ||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||
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| Career NFL statistics as of Week 7, 2021 | |||||||||
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| Player stats at PFR | |||||||||
High school career
Waddle attended Episcopal High School in Bellaire, Texas. As a senior, he played in the U.S. Army All-American Game.[2] He committed to the University of Alabama to play college football.[3][4][5] He made the selection on National Signing Day of 2018 and chose the Crimson Tide over Texas, Texas A&M, Florida State, TCU, and Oregon.[4]
College career
2018
As a true freshman at Alabama in 2018, Waddle was named the SEC Freshman of the Year after recording 45 receptions for 848 yards and seven touchdowns.[6][7] As a punt returner, he also returned 16 punts for 233 yards and a touchdown.[7]
2019
Waddle returned to the Crimson Tide for his sophomore season in 2019.[8] He recorded 33 receptions for 560 yards and scored six receiving touchdowns. He also returned a punt 77 yards for a touchdown against LSU and a kickoff 98 yards for a touchdown against Auburn. He was named first team All-SEC as a return specialist and was named SEC Special Teams Player of the Year.[9]
2020
On October 24, 2020, Waddle broke his right ankle when he was tackled while returning the opening kickoff in a game against Tennessee.[10] Waddle returned for the National Championship game against Ohio State. On January 14, 2021, Waddle announced that he would forgo his senior season and enter the 2021 NFL Draft.
Statistics
| Season | Receiving | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rec | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | |
| 2018 | 45 | 848 | 18.8 | 94 | 7 |
| 2019 | 33 | 560 | 17.0 | 58 | 6 |
| 2020 | 28 | 591 | 21.1 | 90 | 4 |
| Career | 106 | 1,999 | 18.9 | 94 | 17 |
Professional career
Waddle was drafted sixth overall in the 2021 NFL Draft by the Miami Dolphins, reuniting him with his college quarterback Tua Tagovailoa.[11] On May 14, 2021, Waddle signed with the Dolphins on a $27.1 million deal.[12] In his first game on September 12, 2021, Waddle faced off against former Alabama teammate QB Mac Jones and the New England Patriots in week 1 of the 2021 NFL Season. Waddle caught 4-6 of his targets for 61 receiving yards and also caught his first NFL touchdown on a 3-yard pass from QB Tua Tagovailoa in the 17-16 win against the New England Patriots.
References
- ^ https://twitter.com/TheKingJmike/status/1199098307299155968
- ^ Smith, Cam (November 7, 2017). "Four-star WR Jaylen Waddle receives U.S. Army All-American Bowl jersey, talks importance of Texas". USA Today. Gannett. Retrieved September 17, 2019.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ Zenitz, Matt (February 21, 2018). "4-star freshman 'a little different' than Alabama's other receivers". AL.com. Advance Publications. Retrieved September 17, 2019.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ a b Coleman, Adam (February 7, 2018). "Episcopal's Jaylen Waddle signs with Alabama". Houston Chronicle. Hearst Communications. Retrieved September 17, 2019.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ Sabin, Rainer (June 7, 2018). "Can Alabama's new slot WR still dazzle in the SEC like he did in the SPC?". AL.com. Advance Publications. Retrieved September 17, 2019.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ Byington, Alex (September 29, 2018). "Waddle turning into Alabama's most explosive weapon". Montgomery Advertiser. Gannett. Retrieved September 17, 2019.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ a b Lamb, Clint (June 12, 2019). "ESPN predicts breakout campaign from Jaylen Waddle". USA Today. Gannett. Retrieved September 17, 2019.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ Byington, Alex (August 23, 2019). "Speedy Alabama WR Jaylen Waddle wants to be even faster in sophomore season". Montgomery Advertiser. Gannett. Retrieved September 17, 2019.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ "2019 All-SEC Football Team announced". SECSports.com. December 11, 2019. Retrieved May 24, 2020.
- ^ "Alabama Football Defeats Tennessee 48-17, Extends Streak to 14 Straight". si.com. October 24, 2020. Retrieved October 31, 2020.
- ^ "Jaylen Waddle Draft and Combine Prospect Profile". NFL.com. Retrieved April 30, 2021.
- ^ "Dolphins Sign Jaylen Waddle". Pro Football Rumors. Retrieved May 18, 2021.