LaDaris Vann facts for kids

LaDaris Tremaine Vann (born October 7, 1980) is an American former professional football player. He played as a wide receiver in the Canadian Football League (CFL) for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. LaDaris also played college football at the University of Cincinnati. Later, he played for the Frankfurt Galaxy in NFL Europe.

Early Life and High School Sports

LaDaris Vann grew up playing many sports. He went to Fort Pierce Central High School. As a sophomore, he did not play football. But in his junior year, he became the starting quarterback. He was also good at baseball and basketball.

In his senior year (1998), LaDaris transferred to Spanish River Community High School. There, he again became the starting quarterback. He played alongside future professional football players Lance Frazier and Jason Geathers. However, he only played in the first four games. This was because of rules about transferring schools.

LaDaris was also very talented in baseball. The Atlanta Braves, a professional baseball team, were interested in him. But he chose to go to college to play football instead.

College Football Career

LaDaris Vann received a football scholarship to the University of Cincinnati. When he started college, he changed his position from quarterback to wide receiver.

Freshman Year Success

As a freshman, LaDaris played in 11 games. He quickly became an important player. He caught 37 passes for 547 yards. He also scored 4 touchdowns, which was the most on his team.

Sophomore and Junior Seasons

In his sophomore year, LaDaris played in 10 games. He had 26 catches for 332 yards and 2 touchdowns. As a junior, he became a full-time starter at wide receiver. He led his team with 73 catches for 902 yards. He also scored 3 touchdowns. In one game against Purdue University, he had 9 catches for 102 yards and 2 touchdowns. He also had a career-high 12 catches in a game against Army.

Senior Year and College Records

In his senior year, LaDaris continued to excel. He caught 71 passes for 844 yards and 5 touchdowns. He tied his career-high with 12 catches in a game against the University of Tulane.

LaDaris finished his college career with amazing records. He played in 46 games and started 33 of them. He set school records for:

• Most catches (207)
• Most receiving yards (2,625)
• Longest streak of games with a reception (46 straight games)

He also had eight games where he gained over 100 receiving yards. This was the second-highest in school history. Besides football, he also played as an outfielder for the school's baseball team during his junior year.

Professional Football Journey

After college, LaDaris Vann began his professional football career.

Canadian Football League Debut

On May 16, 2003, LaDaris signed with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in the Canadian Football League (CFL). He played in 10 games for them. He caught 21 passes for 324 yards and scored 2 touchdowns. He also returned punts and kickoffs. He was released by the team on September 30, 2003.

Arena Football and NFL Europe

After the CFL, LaDaris signed with the Indiana Firebirds in the Arena Football League on November 6, 2003.

In 2005, he signed with the Buffalo Bills of the National Football League (NFL). He was sent to play in NFL Europe. He first went to the Berlin Thunder, but then moved to the Frankfurt Galaxy. He played in 2 games for the Galaxy. He had one catch for 12 yards and one kickoff return. He was later placed on the injured list and was released by the Bills in April 2006.

Return to the CFL

On May 10, 2007, LaDaris signed with the B.C. Lions of the Canadian Football League. However, he was dealing with an injury and was released before the season started.