Jaelon Darden facts for kids

Jaelon Darden (born January 14, 1999) is an American professional football player. He plays as a wide receiver and a return specialist. He played college football for the North Texas Mean Green. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers picked him in the fourth round of the 2021 NFL draft.

Early Life and High School Football

Jaelon Darden grew up in Houston, Texas. He went to Eisenhower High School. In 2015, he played quarterback and earned special honors for his skills.

When he finished high school, experts thought he was a very good wide receiver. He decided to play college football at the University of North Texas. He chose North Texas over several other universities in 2017.

College Football Career

Jaelon played for North Texas from 2017 to 2020. During his time there, he set a school record! He caught 230 passes for 2,782 yards and scored 38 touchdowns.

In his last year, 2020, he was named the Most Valuable Player (MVP) for Conference USA. He was also chosen as an All-American by ESPN and USA Today. That year, he had 74 catches for 1,190 yards and 19 touchdowns. He was also a finalist for the Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award, which honors top college players from Texas.

College Statistics: How Jaelon Performed

Here's a look at Jaelon Darden's performance during his college career:

Professional Football Journey

Jaelon Darden started his professional career in the NFL.

Playing for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers picked Jaelon Darden in the fourth round of the 2021 NFL Draft. He was the 129th player chosen overall. He signed his first professional contract with the Buccaneers in May 2021. He played for them until December 2022.

Time with the Cleveland Browns

After leaving the Buccaneers, Jaelon was picked up by the Cleveland Browns in December 2022. He played for the Browns for a while. In August 2023, he was waived but then re-signed to their practice squad. He signed a new contract with the Browns in January 2024.

He was waived again in August 2024 but rejoined the practice squad. He was briefly promoted to the main team in September 2024, but then waived again. He re-signed with the practice squad later that month. He was promoted to the active roster again in October 2024, but then waived in December 2024.

Joining the Seattle Seahawks

On December 5, 2024, Jaelon Darden was claimed by the Seattle Seahawks. This means the Seahawks picked him up to join their team after he was waived by the Browns.