DeVante Parker facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
DeVante Parker

Parker at Louisville in 2013
No. 11, 1
Position:	Wide receiver
Personal information
Born:	(1993-01-20) January 20, 1993 (age 32) Louisville, Kentucky, U.S.
Height:	6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
Weight:	215 lb (98 kg)
Career information
High school:	Ballard (Louisville)
College:	Louisville (2011–2014)
NFL Draft:	2015 / Round: 1 / Pick: 14
Career history
Miami Dolphins (2015) New England Patriots (2022) Philadelphia Eagles (2024)*
Career highlights and awards
First-team All-AAC (2013) First-team All-Big East (2012) Second-team All-ACC (2014)
Career NFL statistics
Receptions: 402 Receiving yards: 5,660 Receiving touchdowns: 27
Player stats at PFR

DeVante Parker (born January 20, 1993) is an American former professional football player. He played as a wide receiver for nine seasons in the National Football League (NFL). DeVante played college football for the Louisville Cardinals. The Miami Dolphins picked him in the first round of the 2015 NFL draft. He was the 14th player chosen overall. He also played for the New England Patriots and briefly signed with the Philadelphia Eagles before retiring.

Growing Up and High School Sports

DeVante Parker grew up in Louisville, Kentucky. His dad, Anthony Shelman, was also a football player for Louisville. DeVante went to Ballard High School. He was a talented athlete in three different sports: football, track, and basketball.

In football, he was named All-State twice. During his junior year, he caught 73 passes for 1,438 yards. He also scored 12 touchdowns. As a senior, he had an amazing 1,793 receiving yards and 19 touchdowns. This was one of the best seasons in Kentucky high school history. He finished his high school career as one of the state's top wide receivers. He won the Paul Hornung Award as the best player in Kentucky.

DeVante also ran track for four years. He was a fast sprinter. He finished third in the 100-meter dash at one meet. He also helped his relay teams do very well.

Experts thought DeVante was one of the best wide receivers in the country. He decided to play college football at Louisville. He chose Louisville over other schools like Kentucky and Indiana.

College Football Career

DeVante Parker played for the Louisville Cardinals from 2011 to 2014.

Freshman Year (2011)

As a new player, DeVante played in 11 games. He caught 18 passes for 291 yards. He led his team with six touchdowns. He had two touchdowns in a game against USF. He also made a great 39-yard touchdown catch in his first game.

Sophomore Year (2012)

In his second year, DeVante played in all 13 games. He led the team with 744 receiving yards. He also scored 10 touchdowns. This was the most touchdowns by a Louisville player since 1998. He scored a touchdown in six games in a row. He had two games where he gained over 100 yards receiving.

Junior Year (2013)

DeVante played in 12 games during his junior season. He caught 55 passes for 885 yards. He set a school record with 12 touchdowns. His 12 touchdowns were among the best in the country. He had three games where he gained over 100 yards. He had a career-best nine catches for 142 yards in a bowl game win.

Senior Year (2014)

DeVante missed the first seven games of his senior year because of an injury. But when he returned, he played very well. In just six games, he caught 43 passes for 855 yards. He also scored five touchdowns.

College statistics

Professional Football Career

Miami Dolphins

The Miami Dolphins chose DeVante Parker in the first round of the 2015 NFL draft. He was the 14th player picked overall.

As a rookie in 2015, he played in 15 games. He scored his first professional touchdown against the New York Jets. In his last game of the season, he had 106 receiving yards and another touchdown. He finished his first year with 26 catches for 494 yards and three touchdowns.

In 2016, DeVante started strong with 106 receiving yards in Week 2. He ended the season with 56 catches for 744 yards and four touchdowns. He also played in his first NFL playoff game.

In 2017, he played in 13 games. He caught 57 passes for 670 yards and one touchdown.

The Dolphins kept DeVante for another year in 2018. He had a career-high 134 receiving yards in one game. He finished the season with 24 catches for 309 yards and one touchdown.

In 2019, DeVante signed a new contract with the Dolphins. This was his best season yet! He caught 72 passes for 1,202 yards and nine touchdowns. All of these were career-highs for him. He had several games with over 100 receiving yards.

In 2020, DeVante continued to play well. He had 10 catches for 110 yards in one game. He also caught the first touchdown pass thrown by rookie quarterback Tua Tagovailoa. He finished the season with 63 catches for 793 yards and four touchdowns.

In 2021, DeVante had a hamstring injury. He played in 10 games, catching 40 passes for 515 yards and two touchdowns.

New England Patriots

In April 2022, DeVante was traded to the New England Patriots. In Week 3, he had 156 receiving yards in a game. The next week, he scored his first touchdown as a Patriot. He finished the 2022 season with 31 catches for 539 yards and three touchdowns.

He signed a contract extension with the Patriots in 2023. He played in 13 games that season. He caught 33 passes for 394 yards. The Patriots released him in March 2024.

Philadelphia Eagles

DeVante signed a one-year contract with the Philadelphia Eagles in March 2024. However, in May, he announced that he was retiring from football after nine seasons.

NFL career statistics

Regular season

Postseason