Malik Jefferson facts for kids
| Position: | Linebacker | ||
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| Personal information | |||
| Born: | November 15, 1996 Mesquite, Texas, U.S. |
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| Height: | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | ||
| Weight: | 235 lb (107 kg) | ||
| Career information | |||
| High school: | Poteet (Mesquite, Texas) | ||
| College: | Texas (2015–2017) | ||
| NFL Draft: | 2018 / Round: 3 / Pick: 78 | ||
| Career history | |||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||
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| Career NFL statistics | |||
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| Player stats at PFR | |||
Malik Terrell Jefferson (born November 15, 1996) is an American professional football player. He plays as a linebacker, which is a key defensive position. Malik played college football at the University of Texas. While in high school, he won the 2014 Butkus Award. This award goes to the best high school linebacker in the nation. Malik has played for several teams in the National Football League (NFL). These include the Cincinnati Bengals, Cleveland Browns, Los Angeles Chargers, and Tennessee Titans.
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Malik's Early Life and High School Football
Malik Jefferson grew up in Mesquite, Texas. He went to Poteet High School. There, he was a talented athlete, playing football and baseball. He also competed in track and field events.
High School Achievements
As a sophomore in 2012, Malik played defensive back. He made 105 tackles and had seven sacks. He also forced five fumbles and blocked four kicks. His team, Poteet, had a great season with 11 wins. Malik was named Sophomore of the Year for his district. He also earned first-team All-Area honors.
In his junior year, Malik mostly played linebacker. His team's defense was very strong. They held many opponents to low scores. Malik had 93 tackles and 14 sacks. He was chosen as the Defensive MVP for his district. Poteet finished the season with 12 wins. Malik was also recognized on the 4A All-State team.
Before his senior year, Malik was named preseason Defensive Player of the Year. This was by Dave Campbell's Texas Football. Even though he missed some games due to injury, he still had 81 tackles. He also had six sacks and four blocked kicks. Poteet had an undefeated district season. Malik was named first-team All-American by Parade and USA Today. He also won the High School Butkus Award. This award recognizes the top linebacker in the country. After his senior season, he played in the 2015 Under Armour All-America Game.
Choosing a College
Malik was considered a top player by recruiting experts. He was ranked as the number one outside linebacker in his class. Many major college football programs wanted him to play for them. He chose to play football at the University of Texas at Austin. He joined the team early in January 2015.
College Football Career
Malik started playing for Texas as a true freshman. This means he played in his first year of college. He quickly showed how talented he was.
College Awards and Recognition
Malik was named a Freshman All-American by Sporting News and USA Today. He also won the Big 12 Conference Freshman Defensive Player of the Year award in 2015. On December 31, 2017, Malik decided to leave college early. He announced he would enter the 2018 NFL draft. This meant he would try to become a professional football player.
Professional Football Career
Before the NFL Draft, players go through a special process. This helps NFL teams decide who to pick.
Pre-Draft Process
Malik attended the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis. At the Combine, players do various drills. These drills test their speed, strength, and agility. Malik performed well in most of the drills. He also participated in Texas's pro day. This is another event where players show off their skills to scouts. Experts believed Malik would be a high draft pick.
| 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 2+1⁄4 in (1.89 m) |
236 lb (107 kg) |
32 in (0.81 m) |
9+5⁄8 in (0.24 m) |
4.52 s | 1.59 s | 2.67 s | 4.18 s | 7.12 s | 36 in (0.91 m) |
10 ft 5 in (3.18 m) |
27 reps | |
| All values from NFL Combine | ||||||||||||
Playing in the NFL
The Cincinnati Bengals picked Malik Jefferson in the third round of the 2018 NFL draft. He was the 78th player chosen overall. He signed a four-year contract with the Bengals. He played in 10 games during his first season. However, he was placed on injured reserve in December 2018 due to a foot injury. He was later released by the Bengals in August 2019.
The Cleveland Browns then claimed Malik in September 2019. This means they picked him up after the Bengals released him. He played for the Browns for a short time before being waived in November 2019.
Malik then joined the Los Angeles Chargers practice squad in November 2019. A practice squad is a group of players who train with the team but are not on the main roster. He signed a futures contract with the Chargers in December 2019. This meant he would be with the team for the next season. He was waived by the Chargers in September 2020.
He briefly joined the Tennessee Titans practice squad in September 2020. However, he was released just five days later.
Malik returned to the Los Angeles Chargers practice squad in September 2020. He was promoted to the active roster later that month. He was placed on injured reserve in January 2021 and then waived in March 2021.
In May 2021, Malik signed with the Indianapolis Colts. He was waived in August but re-signed to their practice squad. He was promoted to the active roster in December. He was released in May 2022.
Malik signed with the Dallas Cowboys in July 2022. He was waived and then signed to their practice squad. He was released by the Cowboys in December 2022. He signed with them again in December 2022 and January 2023. He was released again in August 2023.
Most recently, Malik signed with the Detroit Lions in July 2024. He was placed on injured reserve in August and later released.
