Kalen Ballage facts for kids
Ballage with the Colorado Falcons in 2014
|
|||||||||||
| Arlington Renegades | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Position: | Running back | ||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||
| Born: | December 22, 1995 Peyton, Colorado, U.S. |
||||||||||
| Height: | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | ||||||||||
| Weight: | 227 lb (103 kg) | ||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||
| High school: | Falcon (Falcon, Colorado) | ||||||||||
| College: | Arizona State (2014–2017) | ||||||||||
| NFL Draft: | 2018 / Round: 4 / Pick: 131 | ||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||
|
|||||||||||
| Roster status: | Active | ||||||||||
| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||||
|
|||||||||||
| Player stats at PFR | |||||||||||
Kalen Ballage (born December 22, 1995) is an American professional football player. He plays as a running back for the Arlington Renegades in the United Football League (UFL).
Kalen played college football for the Arizona State Sun Devils. The Miami Dolphins picked him in the fourth round of the 2018 NFL draft. He has also played for other NFL teams like the New York Jets, Pittsburgh Steelers, and Los Angeles Chargers.
Contents
Early Life and High School Football
Kalen Ballage grew up in Peyton, Colorado. He went to Falcon High School in Falcon, Colorado. During his time there, he was a very successful high school football player.
He played on the varsity team for three years. Kalen ran for 2,690 yards and scored 35 touchdowns. He also caught passes for 671 yards and scored 12 receiving touchdowns. Many top college teams wanted him to play for them. He chose to go to Arizona State University in 2013.
College Football Career
Kalen started playing for the Arizona State Sun Devils in 2014. In his first year, he gained 202 yards running and receiving. He also scored four touchdowns.
During his second year, he ran for over 100 yards in a game for the first time. This was against the Oregon Ducks. In his junior year, Kalen made history. He scored eight touchdowns in one game against Texas Tech on September 10, 2016. This tied a record for the most touchdowns in a single college football game. He also sometimes played as a quarterback in a special offense called the "Sparky Package." Kalen is known for being both fast and strong on the field.
College Statistics Overview
Here's a look at Kalen Ballage's performance during his college years at Arizona State:
| Year | School | Conf | Class | Pos | G | Rushing | Receiving | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Att | Yds | Avg | TD | Rec | Yds | Avg | TD | ||||||
| 2014 | Arizona State | Pac-12 | FR | RB | 11 | 42 | 126 | 3.0 | 3 | 6 | 64 | 10.7 | 1 |
| 2015 | Arizona State | Pac-12 | SO | RB | 10 | 125 | 653 | 5.2 | 4 | 12 | 60 | 5.0 | 0 |
| 2016 | Arizona State | Pac-12 | JR | RB | 12 | 126 | 536 | 4.3 | 14 | 44 | 469 | 10.7 | 1 |
| 2017 | Arizona State | Pac-12 | SR | RB | 13 | 157 | 669 | 4.3 | 6 | 20 | 91 | 4.6 | 0 |
| Career | Arizona State | 46 | 450 | 1,984 | 4.4 | 27 | 82 | 684 | 8.3 | 2 | |||
Professional Football Journey
Before joining the NFL, Kalen Ballage showed his skills at the NFL Combine. This event helps teams evaluate college players.
| Height | Weight | Arm length | Hand size | 40-yard dash | 10-yard split | 20-yard split | 20-yard shuttle | Three-cone drill | Vertical jump | Broad jump | Bench press | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 ft 1+1⁄2 in (1.87 m) |
228 lb (103 kg) |
32+3⁄4 in (0.83 m) |
9+1⁄2 in (0.24 m) |
4.46 s | 1.54 s | 2.61 s | 4.35 s | 6.91 s | 33.5 in (0.85 m) |
10 ft 2 in (3.10 m) |
15 reps | |
| All values from NFL Combine | ||||||||||||
Miami Dolphins (2018–2019)
The Miami Dolphins picked Kalen in the fourth round of the 2018 NFL draft. He was the 131st player chosen overall. He played his first NFL game in Week 4 against the New England Patriots. In Week 15, he had a great game against the Minnesota Vikings. He ran for 123 yards and scored a touchdown. He finished his first season with 191 rushing yards and one touchdown.
In 2019, Kalen was the second-string running back for the Dolphins. He played in 12 games and started six. He gained 135 rushing yards and scored three touchdowns. He also caught 14 passes for 63 yards.
New York Jets (2020)
In September 2020, Kalen signed with the New York Jets. He was with the team for a short time before being waived in October.
Los Angeles Chargers (2020)
Later in 2020, Kalen joined the Los Angeles Chargers practice squad. He was moved to the main team in November. He played in 11 games for the Chargers, starting two of them. He ran for 303 yards and scored three touchdowns. He also caught 29 passes for 166 yards.
Pittsburgh Steelers (2021)
Kalen signed a one-year contract with the Pittsburgh Steelers in March 2021. He played in all 17 games during the 2021 season. He was mostly used on special teams, which are plays like kickoffs and punts.
San Antonio Brahmas (2023)
In 2023, Kalen was chosen by the San Antonio Brahmas in the 2023 XFL Draft. The XFL is another professional football league. He was later placed on the team's reserve list.
Arlington Renegades (2025–present)
On January 17, 2025, Kalen Ballage signed with the Arlington Renegades. This team is part of the United Football League (UFL).
