Andre Caldwell facts for kids
Caldwell with the Denver Broncos in 2012
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| Position: | Wide receiver | ||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||
| Born: | April 15, 1985 Tampa, Florida, U.S. |
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| Height: | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) | ||||||||
| Weight: | 200 lb (91 kg) | ||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||
| High school: | Thomas Jefferson (Tampa, Florida) |
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| College: | Florida (2003–2007) | ||||||||
| NFL Draft: | 2008 / Round: 3 / Pick: 97 | ||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||
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| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||
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| Player stats at PFR | |||||||||
Andre Jerome "Bubba" Caldwell (born April 15, 1985) is a former American professional football player. He was a wide receiver and kickoff returner in the National Football League (NFL). A wide receiver catches passes from the quarterback. A kickoff returner catches the ball after a kickoff and tries to run it back for yards.
Caldwell played college football for the Florida Gators. He was part of a team that won a national championship. He was picked in the third round of the 2008 NFL draft. He played for the Cincinnati Bengals and Denver Broncos. With the Broncos, he won Super Bowl 50 in 2016.
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Early Life and High School
Andre Caldwell was born in Tampa, Florida, in 1985. He went to Jefferson High School in Tampa. There, he played football and ran track.
In high school football, he played quarterback, receiver, and returned punts. In his final year, he became the starting quarterback. He gained over 2,220 yards and scored 38 touchdowns. He led his team to the Florida Class 4A state championship game. He was named the Hillsborough County Player of the Year. He was also chosen as an All-American by Parade and USA Today. He played in the 2003 U.S. Army All-American Bowl.
Experts like Rivals.com thought Caldwell was a top player. They listed him as the best wide receiver in the country in 2003.
Caldwell was also a great track athlete. In 2002, he ran the 100 meters in 10.39 seconds. He also ran the 200 meters in 21.71 seconds. Later, at the University of Florida, he joined the track team.
College Football Career
Caldwell received a scholarship to play for the University of Florida. He played for coaches Ron Zook and Urban Meyer from 2003 to 2007. He chose Florida partly because his brother, Reche Caldwell, also played there. He was also friends with Florida's quarterback, Chris Leak.
As a freshman in 2003, he had 19 catches for 174 yards. In 2004, his performance improved. He made 43 catches and scored three touchdowns. He also ran the ball twice for 66 yards and one touchdown.
In 2005, he got a medical redshirt. This meant he could play another year because he broke his leg early in the season. This happened during a game against the Tennessee Volunteers.
In 2006, he became the team's second-best receiver. He had 57 catches for 577 yards and six touchdowns. He even threw a touchdown pass in the 2006 SEC Championship Game. Four weeks later, his team won the BCS Championship Game. This was Florida's second national championship.
After winning the championship, Caldwell decided to return for his senior year. In 2007, he was a team captain. He had his best year with 761 yards and seven touchdowns on 56 catches. He also ran for 58 yards and a touchdown. He won the Gators' Fergie Ferguson Award for his leadership and courage. He had four games with over 100 receiving yards that season. Caldwell finished his college career with 185 catches. This is still the most catches in Gators history.
He earned his degree in sociology from the University of Florida in December 2007.
Professional Football Career
| Height | Weight | Arm length | Hand size | 40-yard dash | 10-yard split | 20-yard split | 20-yard shuttle | Three-cone drill | Vertical jump | Broad jump | Bench press | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 ft 0+1⁄4 in (1.84 m) |
204 lb (93 kg) |
32+3⁄4 in (0.83 m) |
9+1⁄8 in (0.23 m) |
4.37 s | 1.55 s | 2.55 s | 4.11 s | 6.75 s | 36.5 in (0.93 m) |
10 ft 4 in (3.15 m) |
18 reps | |
| All values from NFL Combine/Pro Day | ||||||||||||
Cincinnati Bengals
The Cincinnati Bengals picked Caldwell in the third round of the 2008 NFL draft. He played for the Bengals for four seasons, from 2008 to 2011. In his first year, he helped as a receiver and kickoff returner. He had 11 catches for 78 yards. He also averaged 26 yards on 13 kickoff returns.
In 2009, Caldwell caught his first career touchdown. It was a game-winning touchdown against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Later that season, he caught another game-winning touchdown against the Baltimore Ravens. He finished 2009 with 51 catches for 432 yards and three touchdowns. In 2010, he had 25 catches for 345 yards. In 2011, he made 37 catches for 317 yards and three touchdowns.
Denver Broncos
Caldwell signed a two-year contract with the Denver Broncos in March 2012. He played in eight games during the 2012 season. In 2013, he had 16 catches for 200 yards and three touchdowns.
The Broncos re-signed Caldwell for another two years in March 2014. In 2014, he played in 16 games and had five catches for 47 yards. In 2015, he had 10 catches for 72 yards and two touchdowns. On February 7, 2016, Caldwell and the Broncos won Super Bowl 50. They beat the Carolina Panthers 24–10. Caldwell had one catch for 22 yards in the Super Bowl. This catch helped the Broncos get into position to score a field goal.
Detroit Lions
On May 4, 2016, the Detroit Lions signed Caldwell to a one-year contract. However, he was released by the Lions on August 22, 2016.
Personal Life
Andre Caldwell is the younger brother of Reche Caldwell (1979–2020). Reche was also a former NFL wide receiver and a star player for the Florida Gators.
See also
- History of the Cincinnati Bengals
- List of Florida Gators in the NFL draft
- List of University of Florida alumni
