Charles Clay (American football) facts for kids
Clay with the Buffalo Bills in 2015
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| Position: | Tight end | ||||||
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| Born: | February 13, 1989 Little Rock, Arkansas, U.S. |
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| Height: | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) | ||||||
| Weight: | 246 lb (112 kg) | ||||||
| Career information | |||||||
| High school: | Little Rock Central (Little Rock, Arkansas) | ||||||
| College: | Tulsa (2007–2010) | ||||||
| NFL Draft: | 2011 / Round: 6 / Pick: 174 | ||||||
| Career history | |||||||
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| Career NFL statistics | |||||||
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| Player stats at PFR | |||||||
Charles Clay (born February 13, 1989) is an American former professional football player. He played as a tight end, which is a player who can block like a lineman and catch passes like a receiver. Charles played college football at Tulsa. He was chosen by the Miami Dolphins in the 2011 NFL draft. He also played for the Buffalo Bills and Arizona Cardinals.
Clay started his career as a fullback, a player who blocks for the running back. He often lined up in different positions on the field.
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Early Life and High School Football
Charles Clay grew up in Little Rock, Arkansas. He went to Little Rock Central High School. During his senior year, experts like Rivals.com (a website that ranks young athletes) said he was one of the top football players in Arkansas.
In his final year of high school, Charles ran for 891 yards and scored 11 touchdowns. He also caught passes for four more touchdowns. He was considered a "three-star recruit," which means he was a highly-rated player ready for college football.
College Career at Tulsa
After high school, Charles went to the University of Tulsa. He studied business and played football from 2007 to 2010. He played both halfback and fullback.
In his first year (2007), he played in 14 games. He caught 69 passes for 1,024 yards and seven touchdowns. This was one of the best receiving performances ever for a freshman at Tulsa. He also ran for 304 yards and one touchdown. He was recognized as one of the best freshmen in his conference.
As a sophomore in 2008, he played in 14 games. He caught 38 passes for 464 yards and nine touchdowns. He also ran the ball 25 times for 145 yards and two touchdowns. In 2009, he caught 39 passes for 530 yards and five touchdowns. He also rushed for 236 yards and seven touchdowns. In his senior year (2010), he caught 43 passes for 526 yards and seven touchdowns. He also ran for 226 yards.
During his college career, Charles Clay ran for a total of 685 yards and scored 10 rushing touchdowns. He also caught passes for over 2,000 yards and scored 21 receiving touchdowns.
Professional Football Career
Before the NFL draft, Charles Clay showed off his skills at the NFL Scouting Combine. This is where college players perform drills for NFL teams. Scouts said he was an "athletic fullback" who was good at catching the ball. They also noted he was strong and could break tackles.
Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins picked Charles Clay in the sixth round of the 2011 NFL draft. He signed a four-year contract with the team.
He made his first professional catch in October 2011. In November, he scored his first touchdown against the Buffalo Bills. In his first two seasons (2011 and 2012), he mainly played as a fullback. He caught 16 passes for 233 yards and three touchdowns in 2011. In 2012, he had 18 catches for 212 yards and two touchdowns.
In 2013, Charles became the starting tight end for the Dolphins. This happened after the team's main tight end got injured. In his second game as a starter, he scored his first rushing touchdown and had 109 receiving yards. He had a great season, catching 69 passes for 759 yards and six touchdowns. He was even ranked among the top 100 NFL players that year!
In the 2014 season, he started 14 games. He missed two games due to an injury. In one game, he had a career-high 114 receiving yards. For the season, he caught 58 passes for 605 yards and three touchdowns.
Buffalo Bills
On March 19, 2015, Charles Clay signed a five-year contract with the Buffalo Bills. The Dolphins decided not to offer him a matching contract.
In 2015, his first year with the Bills, he started 13 games. He had a career-best nine catches in two different games. He finished the season with 51 catches for 528 yards and three touchdowns.
He played all 16 games in 2016. He scored four touchdowns in three games towards the end of the season.
In 2017, Charles caught four passes for 53 yards and a touchdown in the first game of the season. He played a big part in a win against the undefeated Atlanta Falcons, catching passes for 112 yards.
In 2018, Charles had 21 catches for 184 yards, but no touchdowns. On February 15, 2019, the Bills released him from the team.
Buffalo Bills Records
Charles Clay set some records for the Buffalo Bills tight ends:
- He was the first Bills tight end to have two seasons in a row with over 50 catches and 500 receiving yards.
- He tied the record for most consecutive games with at least one receiving touchdown by a Bills tight end (3 games).
Arizona Cardinals
On February 19, 2019, Charles Clay signed a one-year contract with the Arizona Cardinals. He played 15 games for them, starting 10. He caught 18 passes for 237 yards and one touchdown.
In 2021, the Baltimore Ravens invited Charles Clay for a workout, but he did not sign with them.
Overall NFL Career
Throughout his NFL career, Charles Clay played in 127 games and started 110 of them. He caught a total of 357 passes for 3,868 receiving yards and 24 touchdowns. He also had 7 rushing attempts for 15 yards and 1 rushing touchdown.
Personal Life
Charles Clay is the son of Charles and Jerrilyn Clay. His father also played college football at Arkansas. Charles was a member of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, a group that helps athletes share their faith.
