Doug Baldwin facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Doug Baldwin

Baldwin with the Seattle Seahawks in 2012
No. 15, 89
Position:	Wide receiver
Personal information
Born:	(1988-09-21) September 21, 1988 (age 36) Gulf Breeze, Florida, U.S.
Height:	5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)
Weight:	192 lb (87 kg)
Career information
High school:	Gulf Breeze
College:	Stanford (2007–2010)
Undrafted:	2011
Career history
Seattle Seahawks (2011–2018)
Career highlights and awards
Super Bowl champion (XLVIII) 2× Pro Bowl (2016, 2017) NFL receiving touchdowns co-leader (2015) Second-team All-Pac-10 (2010)
Career NFL statistics
Receptions: 493 Receiving yards: 6,563 Receiving touchdowns: 49
Player stats at PFR

Douglas Dewayne Baldwin Jr. (born September 21, 1988) is a former professional football player. He played his entire eight-year career as a wide receiver for the Seattle Seahawks in the National Football League (NFL).

Baldwin played college football at Stanford University. He joined the Seahawks in 2011 as an undrafted free agent. This means he wasn't chosen in the NFL draft but was signed by a team afterward. He became one of the Seahawks' best receivers. He is third in team history for catches and receiving yards. He is second in receiving touchdowns. Baldwin was chosen for the Pro Bowl twice. He also won Super Bowl XLVIII with the Seahawks.

Early Life and Sports

Doug Baldwin grew up in Gulf Breeze, Florida. He played youth football and ran track in Pensacola. He played football for the Gulf Breeze High School Dolphins. In his senior year, he had 42 catches for 682 yards and six touchdowns.

He was also good at track & field. He competed in jumping events. He had top jumps of 1.94 meters in the high jump and 6.65 meters in the long jump.

College Football Career

Baldwin played college football at Stanford University from 2007 to 2010. He was a wide receiver and also returned kicks. In his senior year, he led the Cardinal team in receiving yards and touchdowns. His head coach at Stanford for all four seasons was Jim Harbaugh.

Professional Football Career

Doug Baldwin was not picked in the 2011 NFL draft. However, he signed with the Seattle Seahawks as an undrafted free agent. He signed a three-year contract worth $1.4 million.

First NFL Season (2011)

Baldwin caught his first NFL touchdown in Week 1 of the 2011 NFL season. It was a 55-yard catch from quarterback Tarvaris Jackson. This game was against the San Francisco 49ers, coached by Jim Harbaugh, his former college coach. Baldwin finished his rookie season strong. He was fourth among all rookies in receiving yards. He led the Seahawks in both receiving yards and catches. He was recognized as a talented player who had good numbers but did not make the Pro Bowl. He was the first undrafted rookie free agent to lead his team in catches and receiving yards since the AFL and NFL merged.

Second Season (2012)

For the 2012 NFL season, Baldwin changed his jersey number from #15 to #89. This allowed new quarterback Matt Flynn to wear #15. Baldwin faced some injuries during this season. He had dental surgery after diving for a pass. He also had a shoulder injury and an ankle sprain. These injuries caused him to miss some games.

In the 2012 regular season, Baldwin had 29 catches for 336 yards and three touchdowns. This was his first season playing with quarterback Russell Wilson. The Seahawks made the playoffs that year. In the Wild Card Round, they beat the Washington Redskins 24–14. Baldwin had two catches for 39 yards. In the next round, the Divisional Round, they lost to the Atlanta Falcons 30–28. Baldwin had one catch for six yards in that game.

Baldwin playing against the St. Louis Rams in 2013.

Super Bowl Run (2013 Season)

The 2013 season was very successful for Baldwin and the Seahawks. Baldwin caught a career-high five touchdowns that year. In the first game against the Carolina Panthers, he had seven catches for 91 yards. Two weeks later, he scored his first touchdown of the season. This was a 35-yard pass from Tarvaris Jackson against the Jacksonville Jaguars. In Week 9, he had six catches for 75 yards and a touchdown against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Seahawks won that game 27–24. For the 2013 regular season, he had 50 catches for 778 yards and five touchdowns. He was second on the team in catches and yards.

Playoffs and Super Bowl XLVIII

The Seahawks had a great regular season record of 13–3. This earned them a first-round break in the playoffs. In the Divisional Round, they beat the New Orleans Saints 23–15. Baldwin had two catches for 30 yards. In the NFC Championship game, they faced the San Francisco 49ers. Baldwin had six catches for 106 yards in their 23–17 victory.

Baldwin before Super Bowl XLVIII.

In Super Bowl XLVIII, the Seahawks played against the Denver Broncos. Baldwin was a key player for the Seahawks' wide receivers. He had five catches for 66 yards and scored a touchdown. The Seahawks won the Super Bowl with a score of 43–8.

Before the Super Bowl, a former NFL player named Cris Carter had said that the Seahawks' receivers were "average." After the Super Bowl win, Doug Baldwin spoke out. He said that he respected Carter's playing career but that his opinions about receivers were wrong. Baldwin proudly mentioned his Super Bowl ring.

Return to the Super Bowl (2014 Season)

In March 2014, the Seahawks offered Baldwin a one-year contract. However, he signed a new two-year, $13 million contract in May. This made his total contract extension three years. Baldwin became the main receiver for the Seahawks after Percy Harvin was traded.

Regular Season Highlights

In the first game of the season against the Green Bay Packers, Baldwin had three catches for 14 yards. In Week 7, he had his second career game with over 100 receiving yards. He caught seven passes for 123 yards and a touchdown against the St. Louis Rams. In Week 14, he had five catches for 97 yards and a touchdown against the Philadelphia Eagles. In Week 16, he had seven catches for 113 yards against the Arizona Cardinals. Baldwin's 66 catches and 825 receiving yards were both career highs for him that season. He also had three receiving touchdowns.

Playoff Journey

In the Divisional Round of the playoffs, Baldwin caught a 16-yard touchdown pass against the Carolina Panthers. This was the first score of the game, and the Seahawks won 31–17. In the NFC Championship game against the Green Bay Packers, Baldwin had six catches for 106 yards. This included a 35-yard catch in overtime. This play happened right before Jermaine Kearse scored the game-winning touchdown.

In Super Bowl XLIX, Baldwin had one catch for three yards. He scored Seattle's last touchdown of the season. However, the Seahawks lost 28–24 to the New England Patriots.

Amazing 2015 Season

Before the 2015 season, the Seahawks added new offensive players. They got tight end Jimmy Graham and drafted wide receiver Tyler Lockett. Baldwin was expected to be the top receiver for Seattle.

In Week 9, Baldwin had seven catches for 134 yards and a touchdown against the Arizona Cardinals. In Week 12 against the Pittsburgh Steelers, Baldwin had a huge game. He caught six passes for 145 yards and three touchdowns. One of these touchdowns was an 80-yard catch, his longest ever. This play helped the Seahawks win 39–30. This was Baldwin's first game with three touchdowns.

In Week 13, Baldwin had another great game against the Minnesota Vikings. He had five catches for 94 yards and two touchdowns in a 38–7 win. The next week, he had six catches for 82 yards and three touchdowns against the Baltimore Ravens. In Week 15, he had four catches for 45 yards and two touchdowns against the Cleveland Browns. After this game, Baldwin joined Hall of Famer Jerry Rice as one of the only players in NFL history with at least 10 receiving touchdowns in a four-game period. He also caught at least two touchdowns in four straight games. Only Calvin Johnson and Hall of Famer Cris Carter had done this since 1960.

In Week 16 against the Rams, Baldwin had 10 catches for 118 yards and a touchdown. Even though the Seahawks lost, Baldwin set a team record for touchdown catches in a single season with 14. This broke the old record of 13. He also became the first Seahawks receiver since 2007 to have over 1,000 receiving yards. By the end of the season, his totals were 78 catches, 1,069 yards, and 14 touchdowns. All of these were career highs. His 14 touchdowns led the entire league for the 2015 season.

In the Wild Card Round of the playoffs, Baldwin had five catches for 42 yards and the only touchdown in the game. The Seahawks won 10–9 against the Minnesota Vikings. Their season ended the next week in the Divisional Round. They lost 31–24 to the Carolina Panthers. Baldwin had eight catches for 82 yards in that game. Baldwin was ranked as the 72nd best player in the NFL by other players in 2016.

Strong 2016 Season

Baldwin and the Seahawks agreed to a new four-year contract. It was worth $46 million, with $24.25 million guaranteed. At that time, Baldwin became the sixth-highest paid wide receiver in the NFL.

He started the 2016 season with nine catches for 92 yards against the Miami Dolphins. This included a three-yard touchdown catch that helped the Seahawks win 12–10. Two weeks later, he had eight catches for a career-high 164 receiving yards and a touchdown against the San Francisco 49ers. In Week 10, he caught six passes for 59 yards and three touchdowns against the New England Patriots. This tied his career high for touchdowns in a game. The next week, he caught four passes for 104 yards. He also threw his first career touchdown pass to Russell Wilson. Against the Arizona Cardinals in Week 16, he had 13 catches for another career-high of 171 receiving yards and a touchdown.

Baldwin had another strong season in 2016. He finished with 94 catches, 1,128 yards, and seven touchdowns. In the playoffs, he continued to play well. In the Wild Card Round, he had 11 catches for 104 yards and a touchdown. The Seahawks beat the Detroit Lions 26–6. In the Divisional Round, Baldwin had five catches for 80 yards and a touchdown against the Atlanta Falcons. However, the Seahawks lost 36–20, and their season ended. In January 2017, Baldwin was chosen for his first Pro Bowl. He was also ranked 88th by other players in the NFL.

2017 Season

During the 2017 season, Baldwin caught 75 passes for 991 yards and eight touchdowns. He had two games where he gained over 100 yards. In Week 3, he had 10 catches for 105 yards and a touchdown against Tennessee. In Week 8, he had seven catches for 108 yards and a touchdown against Washington. He scored two receiving touchdowns in the last game of the regular season against the Arizona Cardinals. He was named to the 2018 Pro Bowl. He was ranked 99th by his fellow players in the NFL.

Final Season (2018)

Baldwin suffered an elbow injury early in Week 1 of the 2018 season. This limited him to only six catches for 42 yards through the first five weeks. In Week 6, he had six catches for 91 yards in a win over Oakland. However, he hurt his elbow again. In Week 15, he had two receiving touchdowns against the San Francisco 49ers. In the next game against the Kansas City Chiefs, he had seven catches for 126 receiving yards and a touchdown.

He finished the 2018 season with 50 catches for 618 receiving yards and five touchdowns. The Seahawks made the playoffs and played against the Dallas Cowboys in the Wild Card Round. In that game, Baldwin had three catches for 32 yards. This was his final game in the NFL. On May 9, 2019, the Seahawks released Baldwin. On May 12, 2019, Baldwin announced his retirement on Twitter.

NFL Career Statistics

Life Outside Football

Baldwin has a video series on YouTube called "Fresh Files." In this series, he answers questions from fans. He also talks about his life and interviews other NFL players. Many of them are fellow Seahawks or Stanford alumni.

On November 17, 2013, Baldwin carried the flag of the Philippines onto CenturyLink Field. He did this to honor victims of Typhoon Haiyan. His grandmother is Filipina and is from Tacloban City. Baldwin is a Christian and often shares about his faith on Twitter. He now runs his own investment firm. He also advises many organizations in the Seattle area.

Community Work

Doug Baldwin has done a lot of work to help his community. In 2016, he spoke to a task force in Washington State. He supported changing laws to make police officers more responsible for how they use force.

On April 30, 2018, Baldwin received the Martin Luther King Jr. Medal of Distinguished Service. This award honors people who have made a big difference in communities. It is given out every year by the King County Council.

After retiring from the NFL in 2019, Baldwin joined the board of Valor Worldwide. This company provides resources to the military community. He is also the CEO and managing director of Vault89, a company in Renton, Washington. He has also worked to create the Family First Community Center in Renton, WA.

Baldwin helped start and is a board member for the Players Coalition. This group of NFL players works for changes in criminal justice and education. Washington State Governor Jay Inslee also appointed Baldwin to serve on the state's Clemency and Pardons Board. This board reviews criminal cases and makes recommendations about parole.

In September 2021, Baldwin became the CEO of Ventrk. This company creates software to help people make better decisions for healthier lives.

For all his community work in the Pacific Northwest, Baldwin received the Paul G. Allen Humanitarian Award in February 2023.

Images for kids

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  Baldwin with the Seattle Seahawks in 2012

See also

In Spanish: Doug Baldwin para niños