Hakeem Valles facts for kids
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| Position: | Tight end | ||||
| Personal information | |||||
| Born: | November 23, 1992 Sicklerville, New Jersey, U.S. |
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| Height: | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) | ||||
| Weight: | 260 lb (118 kg) | ||||
| Career information | |||||
| High school: | Hightstown (NJ) Peddie | ||||
| College: | Monmouth | ||||
| Undrafted: | 2016 | ||||
| Career history | |||||
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| Career NFL statistics | |||||
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| Player stats at PFR | |||||
Hakeem Valles was born on November 23, 1992. He is a former American football player who played as a tight end. He played college football at Monmouth. Later, he joined the Arizona Cardinals in 2016 as a player who was not chosen in the main draft.
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Early Life and High School Football
Hakeem Valles grew up in Sicklerville, New Jersey. He went to Peddie School in Hightstown, New Jersey. In high school, he played wide receiver. He was so good that he was named First-team All-New Jersey Prep during his junior year. He also played a bit as a quarterback and defensive back.
College Football Career
Hakeem played for the Monmouth Hawks at Monmouth University. He was part of the team from 2012 to 2015. He took a "redshirt" year in 2011, which means he practiced but did not play in games. He studied Business Administration in college.
Playing as a Wide Receiver
From 2011 to 2013, Hakeem played as a wide receiver. In 2012, he played in four games. The next year, in 2013, he played in 12 games.
Switching to Tight End
In 2014, Hakeem changed his position to tight end during training camp. That year, he played in 11 games and started nine of them. He caught 18 passes for 255 yards and scored three touchdowns. In his final year, 2015, he started all 11 games. He caught 22 passes for 236 yards. He was also chosen as a team captain.
Overall, Hakeem played in 38 college games, starting 20 of them. He finished his college career with 40 catches for 491 yards and three touchdowns.
Professional Football Journey
After college, experts thought Hakeem Valles was one of the top tight ends for the 2016 NFL draft. Some believed he might be picked in the later rounds or signed as a free agent. They noted his good size and speed, and his willingness to block.
| Height | Weight | 40-yard dash | 10-yard split | 20-yard split | 20-yard shuttle | Three-cone drill | Vertical jump | Broad jump | Bench press | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) |
242 lb (110 kg) |
4.69 s | 1.64 s | 2.62 s | 4.46 s | 7.28 s | 33+1⁄2 in (0.85 m) |
9 ft 10 in (3.00 m) |
15 reps | |||
| All values from Monmouth Pro Day | ||||||||||||
Time with the Arizona Cardinals
Hakeem signed with the Arizona Cardinals on May 2, 2016. He was not drafted by any team, so he joined as a free agent. The Cardinals released him on September 3, 2016. However, they signed him to their practice squad the very next day. On October 6, 2016, he was moved to the main team roster. He played his first NFL game and made his first start in Week 5 against the San Francisco 49ers. During the 2016 season, he played in 11 games, starting one. He made three tackles.
The Cardinals waived Hakeem on September 2, 2017.
Playing for the Detroit Lions
On September 6, 2017, Hakeem joined the Detroit Lions' practice squad. He was moved to the active roster on December 26, 2017.
On October 6, 2018, the Lions waived Hakeem again. He was then re-signed to their practice squad. He was released from the practice squad on November 7, 2018.
With the New York Giants
Hakeem Valles was signed to the New York Giants practice squad on November 27, 2018.
Life After Football
Hakeem's younger brother, Max, also played in the NFL. After his football career, Hakeem Valles started investing in real estate. He even shared his experiences on the "Bigger Pockets Real Estate" podcast in February 2021.
