Craig Yeast facts for kids
| No. 3, 84, 5 | |
| Born: | November 20, 1976 Danville, Kentucky, U.S. |
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| Career information | |
| Position(s) | Wide receiver, kick returner |
| College | Kentucky |
| NFL draft | 1999 / Round: 4 / Pick: 98 |
| Drafted by | Cincinnati Bengals |
| Career history | |
| As player | |
| 1999–2000 | Cincinnati Bengals |
| 2001 | New York Jets |
| 2002–2006 | Hamilton Tiger-Cats |
| 2006 | Saskatchewan Roughriders |
| Career highlights and awards | |
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Craig Nelson Yeast (born November 20, 1976) is an American football coach and former player. He is currently the head football coach at Mercer County Senior High School in Kentucky. Before this, he was the head coach at Kentucky Wesleyan College.
Yeast played professionally as a wide receiver and kick returner. He played in the National Football League (NFL) for the Cincinnati Bengals and New York Jets. He also played in the Canadian Football League (CFL) for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats and Saskatchewan Roughriders. He played college football for the Kentucky Wildcats.
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Early Life and High School Football
Craig Yeast grew up in Harrodsburg, Kentucky. He played football at Harrodsburg High School. During his time there, he played as a quarterback and a running back. In 2006, his high school joined with another to become Mercer County Senior High School.
College Football Career
Yeast played college football for the University of Kentucky. He was a star player from 1995 to 1998. When he finished college, he held an amazing record. He had the most career catches in the history of the Southeastern Conference. He made 208 catches in total. He was also second in career receiving yards with 2,899 yards.
In 1998, his senior year, he was incredible at returning kicks. He returned three kickoffs for touchdowns. He also returned one punt for a touchdown. That year, he was named a third-team All-American. He was also chosen for the All-Southeastern Conference first-team. He was even a semi-finalist for the Fred Biletnikoff Award. This award goes to the best wide receiver in college football. Yeast was also a member of the Phi Beta Sigma fraternity.
Professional Football Career
Craig Yeast was chosen in the 1999 NFL draft. The Cincinnati Bengals picked him as the third player in the fourth round. He played for the Bengals and later for the New York Jets. His best season in the NFL was in 2000 with the Bengals. He caught 24 passes for 301 yards. He also had one rushing play for 15 yards.
After his time in the NFL, Yeast moved to the Canadian Football League (CFL). He played four seasons with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. During his time there, he caught 158 passes. These catches gained him 2,706 yards and 13 touchdowns. In 2004, he had a fantastic season. He made 59 catches for 1,184 yards and 8 touchdowns. The next year, 2005, he had 65 catches for 1,010 yards and three touchdowns. In 2006, the Tiger-Cats released him. After that, he played a short time for the Saskatchewan Roughriders.
Coaching Career
After his playing days, Craig Yeast became a football coach. In 2009, he was the offensive coordinator for Marion County High School. He helped lead them to their first state semifinal game. Later, he was the head coach at Bryan Station High School in Kentucky for one season.
He then became the wide receiver coach at Tiffin University in Ohio. On March 3, 2014, he took on a new role. He became the head football coach at Fremont Ross High School in Ohio. In December 2018, Yeast was hired as the head coach at Kentucky Wesleyan College. He coached there until February 2022. He then resigned to become the head coach at Mercer County High School. This school is in his hometown.
