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 (born November 23, 1992) is a former professional American football player. He played as a tight end in the NFL. Hakeem played college football for the Monmouth Hawks and later signed with the Arizona Cardinals in 2016.
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Early Life and High School Football
Hakeem Valles was born in Sicklerville, New Jersey. He grew up in the Winslow Township area.
He went to Peddie School in Hightstown, New Jersey. There, he played high school football as a wide receiver. In his junior year, he was named First-team All-New Jersey Prep, which means he was one of the best players in the state for private schools. He also played a bit as a quarterback and defensive back.
College Football Career
Hakeem played college football at Monmouth University for the Monmouth Hawks. He was part of the team from 2012 to 2015. In 2011, he was redshirted. This means he practiced with the team but didn't play in any games, so he could save a year of his playing eligibility.
He started his college career as a wide receiver. He played in four games in 2012 and 12 games in 2013.
In 2014, Hakeem changed his position to tight end during training camp. He played in 11 games that season, starting nine of them. He caught 18 passes for 255 yards and scored three touchdowns.
In his final year, 2015, he played in 11 games and started all of them. He caught 22 passes for 236 yards. He was also chosen as a team captain, showing his leadership skills.
Overall, during his college career, Hakeem played in 38 games, starting 20. He finished with 40 catches for 491 yards and three touchdowns. He studied Business Administration at Monmouth.
Professional Football Journey
After college, Hakeem Valles was considered a good prospect for the 2016 NFL draft. Experts thought he might be picked in the later rounds or signed as a free agent. Lance Zierlein from NFL.com said Hakeem was an "intriguing prospect" because of his size and speed. He also noted that Hakeem was willing to block, which is important for a tight end.
Arizona Cardinals Experience
Hakeem was not chosen in the 2016 NFL Draft. However, the Arizona Cardinals signed him on May 2, 2016, as an undrafted free agent. This means a team still wanted him even though he wasn't drafted.
He was released by the Cardinals on September 3, 2016. But he was quickly signed to their practice squad the very next day. A practice squad is where players train with the team but don't usually play in games.
On October 6, 2016, Hakeem was moved to the Cardinals' main 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, and made three tackles.
The Cardinals later waived him on September 2, 2017.
Time with the Detroit Lions
On September 6, 2017, Hakeem joined the Detroit Lions' practice squad. He was later promoted to the Lions' active roster on December 26, 2017.
He was waived by the Lions on October 6, 2018, but then re-signed to their practice squad. He was released again on November 7, 2018.
New York Giants Opportunity
On November 27, 2018, Hakeem Valles was signed to the New York Giants practice squad.
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 a podcast called "Bigger Pockets Real Estate" in February 2021.
