Jaylen Waddle facts for kids

Jaylen Waddle was born on November 25, 1998. He is an American professional football player. He plays as a wide receiver for the Miami Dolphins. This team is part of the National Football League (NFL). Before joining the NFL, he played college football for the Alabama Crimson Tide. The Dolphins chose him as the sixth player overall in the 2021 NFL draft.

Early Life and High School Football

Jaylen Waddle grew up in Houston, Texas. He went to Episcopal High School in Bellaire, Texas. When he was a senior, he was chosen to play in the U.S. Army All-American Game. This is a special game for top high school football players.

After high school, Jaylen decided to play college football at the University of Alabama. He chose Alabama over other big schools like Texas and Florida State. He made his choice on National Signing Day in 2018.

College Football Career

Jaylen Waddle played for the Alabama Crimson Tide from 2018 to 2020. He quickly became a star player.

Freshman Year (2018)

In his first year at Alabama, Jaylen was amazing. He caught 45 passes for 848 yards and scored seven touchdowns. He also returned punts, which means he caught kicks from the other team and ran them back. He returned 16 punts for 233 yards and scored one touchdown. Because of his great play, he was named the SEC Freshman of the Year. The SEC is a very tough college football league.

Sophomore Year (2019)

Jaylen continued to shine in his second year. He caught 33 passes for 560 yards and scored six touchdowns. He was also a fantastic return specialist. He returned a punt 77 yards for a touchdown against LSU. He also returned a kickoff 98 yards for a touchdown against Auburn. He was named the SEC Special Teams Player of the Year. This award recognized him as the best player in the league at returning kicks. He led the whole NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association) in punt return yards that year.

Junior Year (2020)

The 2020 season was shorter because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Even so, Jaylen started strong. In his first four games, he gained at least 120 receiving yards in each game. In one game against Georgia, he caught six passes for 161 yards and a touchdown.

However, on October 24, Jaylen broke his right ankle. This happened while he was returning a kickoff in a game against Tennessee. He worked hard to recover and even returned for the National Championship game. Alabama won the championship that year! After the season, Jaylen decided to enter the NFL draft. He chose to skip his final year of college.

College Statistics Overview

Here is a look at Jaylen Waddle's stats during his college career:

Professional NFL Career

Jaylen Waddle was a highly sought-after player in the 2021 NFL Draft.

Joining the Miami Dolphins (2021)

The Miami Dolphins picked Jaylen Waddle as the sixth player overall in the 2021 NFL draft. This was exciting because he got to play with his college quarterback, Tua Tagovailoa, again. On May 14, 2021, Jaylen signed a big contract with the Dolphins.

In his very first NFL game, Jaylen caught his first NFL touchdown pass. He quickly became known for his fun "waddling" celebrations after scoring touchdowns. This was a playful nod to his last name.

Jaylen had an amazing rookie season. He set a new NFL record for the most catches by a rookie in a single season, with 104 receptions. He finished his first year with 1,015 receiving yards and seven touchdowns. He was also named to the PFWA All-Rookie Team.

Continued Success (2022)

In 2022, Jaylen continued to improve. In one exciting game against the Baltimore Ravens, he had a career-high 11 catches for 171 yards and two touchdowns. One of those touchdowns was the game-winning score! He helped the Dolphins come back from a big deficit to win.

He also set a record for the longest play in an NFL Christmas game with an 84-yard touchdown catch. Jaylen finished the 2022 season with 75 catches, a career-high 1,356 receiving yards, and 8 touchdowns. He also led the entire league with an average of 18.1 yards per catch. This means he gained a lot of yards every time he caught the ball.

Recent Seasons (2023-2024)

In 2023, Jaylen had another strong season. He had 72 catches for 1,014 yards and four touchdowns in 14 games. In 2024, the Dolphins showed how much they value Jaylen. They signed him to a new, long-term contract extension worth over $84 million. This means he will be a key player for the Dolphins for many years to come.

NFL Career Statistics

Here are Jaylen Waddle's statistics from his regular season NFL career:

Regular Season Stats

Postseason Stats

Here are Jaylen Waddle's statistics from his NFL playoff career:

See also

In Spanish: Jaylen Waddle para niños