Jaelon Darden facts for kids
| No. 1 – Seattle Seahawks | |||||||
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| Position: | Wide receiver | ||||||
| Personal information | |||||||
| Born: | January 14, 1999 Houston, Texas, U.S. |
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| Height: | 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m) | ||||||
| Weight: | 175 lb (79 kg) | ||||||
| Career information | |||||||
| High school: | Eisenhower (Houston, Texas) |
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| College: | North Texas (2017–2020) | ||||||
| NFL Draft: | 2021 / Round: 4 / Pick: 129 | ||||||
| Career history | |||||||
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| Roster status: | Active | ||||||
| Career highlights and awards | |||||||
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| Career NFL statistics as of Week 7, 2024 | |||||||
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| Player stats at PFR | |||||||
Jaelon Darden, born on January 14, 1999, is an American professional football player. He plays as a wide receiver for the Seattle Seahawks in the National Football League (NFL). Before joining the NFL, he played college football at North Texas. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers picked him in the fourth round of the 2021 NFL draft.
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Early Life and High School Football
Jaelon Darden grew up in Houston, Texas. He went to Eisenhower High School. In 2015, he played as a quarterback and earned special honors for his skills. Experts saw him as a promising wide receiver. After high school, he decided to play college football at the University of North Texas. He chose North Texas over several other universities in February 2017.
College Football Career
Darden played college football for the North Texas Mean Green from 2017 to 2020. During his time there, he set new school records. He caught the ball 230 times for 2,782 yards and scored 38 touchdowns.
In his final year, 2020, Darden had an amazing season. He was named the Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the Conference USA. He was also recognized as an All-American by major sports news outlets like ESPN and USA Today. That year, he caught 74 passes for 1,190 yards and scored 19 touchdowns. He was also a finalist for the Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award, which honors top college football players from Texas.
College Statistics: How Jaelon Darden Performed
| Year | Team | Games Played | Receiving | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Receptions | Yards | Touchdowns | |||
| 2017 | North Texas | 13 | 32 | 281 | 3 |
| 2018 | North Texas | 13 | 48 | 575 | 4 |
| 2019 | North Texas | 12 | 76 | 736 | 12 |
| 2020 | North Texas | 9 | 74 | 1,190 | 19 |
| Career Totals | 47 | 230 | 2,782 | 38 | |
Professional Football Career
Jaelon Darden entered the National Football League (NFL) after a successful college career.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers picked Darden in the fourth round of the 2021 NFL draft. He was the 129th player chosen overall. He signed a four-year contract with the Buccaneers on May 19, 2021. Darden played for the Buccaneers until December 6, 2022, when he was waived.
Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns then claimed Darden on December 7, 2022. This means they picked him up after he was waived by the Buccaneers.
On August 29, 2023, the Browns waived Darden again. However, they re-signed him to their practice squad. A practice squad is a group of players who train with the team but are not on the main roster. On January 15, 2024, he signed a special contract to stay with the team for the future.
Darden was waived by the Browns once more on August 27, 2024, and then re-signed to the practice squad. He was briefly moved to the active roster on September 7, but waived a week later. He rejoined the practice squad on September 17. On October 29, he was promoted to the active roster again, but was waived on December 4.
Seattle Seahawks
On December 5, 2024, Jaelon Darden was claimed off waivers by the Seattle Seahawks. He joined the team as a wide receiver.
