Jaylen Waddle facts for kids
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Waddle with the Miami Dolphins in 2024
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| No. 17 – Miami Dolphins | |||||||
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| Position: | Wide receiver | ||||||
| Personal information | |||||||
| Born: | November 25, 1998 Houston, Texas, U.S. |
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| Height: | 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) | ||||||
| Weight: | 185 lb (84 kg) | ||||||
| Career information | |||||||
| High school: | Episcopal (Bellaire, Texas) | ||||||
| College: | Alabama (2018–2020) | ||||||
| NFL Draft: | 2021 / Round: 1 / Pick: 6 | ||||||
| Career history | |||||||
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| Roster status: | Active | ||||||
| Career highlights and awards | |||||||
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| Career NFL statistics as of 2024 | |||||||
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| Player stats at PFR | |||||||
Jaylen Waddle (born November 25, 1998) is an American professional football player. He is a wide receiver for the Miami Dolphins in the National Football League (NFL). Jaylen played college football for the Alabama Crimson Tide. The Dolphins chose him as the sixth overall pick in the 2021 NFL draft.
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Early Life and High School Football
Jaylen Waddle grew up in Houston, Texas. He went to Episcopal High School in Bellaire, Texas. During his senior year, he was a top player. He even played in the special U.S. Army All-American Game. After high school, Jaylen decided to play college football at the University of Alabama. He chose Alabama over many other big schools in 2018.
College Career Highlights
Jaylen Waddle played college football for the Alabama Crimson Tide from 2018 to 2020. He quickly became a star player.
Freshman Year Success (2018)
In 2018, as a freshman, Jaylen had an amazing season. He caught 45 passes for 848 yards and scored seven touchdowns. In one game against Louisiana, he had 138 receiving yards and two touchdowns. He also returned a punt for a touchdown. Because of his great performance, he was named the SEC Freshman of the Year.
Sophomore Season Achievements (2019)
Jaylen continued to shine in his sophomore year (2019). 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 recognized as the SEC Special Teams Player of the Year. He led the entire NCAA in punt return yards that year.
Overcoming Injury in Junior Year (2020)
The 2020 season was shorter due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Jaylen started strong, getting over 120 receiving yards in each of his first four games. He had big games against Missouri, Texas A&M, Ole Miss, and Georgia. However, in October 2020, he broke his right ankle while returning a kickoff. Many thought his season was over. But Jaylen worked hard and made a surprising return. He played in the National Championship game against Ohio State. After the season, in January 2021, Jaylen decided to enter the NFL draft.
Professional Football Career
Jaylen Waddle began his professional career in the NFL in 2021.
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 it reunited him with his college quarterback, Tua Tagovailoa. Jaylen signed his first NFL contract in May 2021.
In his very first NFL game, Jaylen played against the New England Patriots. He caught his first NFL touchdown pass from Tua Tagovailoa. Later in the season, in Week 12, he had a huge game against the Carolina Panthers, gaining 137 receiving yards. Jaylen became known for his fun "waddling" celebration after scoring touchdowns.
Jaylen had a record-breaking rookie season. He caught 104 passes, which was a new NFL record for a rookie at the time. 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 a thrilling game against the Baltimore Ravens, he had a career-best 11 catches for 171 yards and two touchdowns. One of his touchdowns was the game-winner, helping the Dolphins come back from a big deficit. In Week 16, he scored an 84-yard touchdown against the Green Bay Packers. This was the longest play ever in an NFL Christmas game.
Jaylen finished the 2022 season with 75 catches, 1,356 receiving yards, and 8 touchdowns. These were all new career highs for him. He also led the entire league with an average of 18.1 yards per catch.
Recent Seasons (2023-2024)
In 2023, Jaylen played in 14 games. He had 72 catches for 1,014 yards and four touchdowns. He missed some time due to a concussion early in the season. Despite that, he still reached over 1,000 receiving yards for the second year in a row.
Before the 2024 season, the Dolphins showed their commitment to Jaylen. In April 2024, they picked up an option for his contract. Then, in May, they signed him to a new three-year contract extension. In Week 12 of the 2024 season, he had eight catches for 144 yards and a touchdown in a win against the Patriots. He finished the 2024 season with 54 receptions for 700 yards and two touchdowns.
NFL Career Statistics
Jaylen Waddle has played in 61 regular season games as of the end of the 2024 season. He has caught 305 passes for 4,085 yards and scored 20 receiving touchdowns. He has also had 11 rushes for 47 yards and one rushing touchdown.
In the playoffs, he has played in two games. He has caught 5 passes for 75 yards.
See also
In Spanish: Jaylen Waddle para niños
