N'Keal Harry facts for kids

N'Keal Harry (born December 17, 1997) is a professional American football player. He plays as a wide receiver, which means he catches passes from the quarterback. N'Keal was born in Canada and later moved to the United States. He played college football for the Arizona State Sun Devils. He was so good that he was picked in the first round of the 2019 NFL draft by the New England Patriots. Since then, he has also played for the Chicago Bears, Minnesota Vikings, and Seattle Seahawks.

Early Life and High School Football

N'Keal Harry was born in Toronto, Canada. When he was a baby, his family moved to Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. Later, his grandmother brought him to the Phoenix area in the United States. This move was to give him more chances in life.

As a kid, N'Keal tried many sports, including soccer, football, and basketball. His grandmother hoped he would pick a less dangerous sport. But she agreed to let him play football. He became a star player at Chandler High School. Many experts said he was one of the best wide receiver recruits in the country. In his junior year, he caught 13 touchdown passes.

College Football Career

N'Keal decided to stay close to home for college. He chose to play for Arizona State University. He turned down offers from other big schools like Texas A&M and Oregon.

Freshman Year Success

In 2016, N'Keal made history in his first college game. He was one of only nine true freshmen to start a season opener for Arizona State. During his first year, he caught 58 passes for 659 yards and five touchdowns. He also ran for 69 yards and scored two rushing touchdowns. Because of his great performance, he was named a Freshman All-American.

Sophomore and Junior Years

In his second year (2017), N'Keal continued to shine. He had 82 catches for 1,142 yards and 8 touchdowns. This earned him a spot on the First-team All-Pac-12 Conference team.

His junior season in 2018 started with high expectations. He was even named to the preseason All-American team. During this year, he made some incredible catches. One amazing one-handed catch helped his team win against the USC Trojans. The next week, he scored three touchdowns in a big win over the #15 Utah Utes. After the season, N'Keal announced he would leave college early to enter the 2019 NFL draft.

College Statistics Overview

Here's a look at N'Keal Harry's college football stats:

Professional Football Career

Before the NFL Draft, players go through tests to show their skills. Here are some of N'Keal Harry's results:

New England Patriots (2019–2021)

2019 Season: Draft and Rookie Year

The New England Patriots picked N'Keal Harry as the 32nd player in the 2019 NFL Draft. This made him the last pick of the first round. He was the second wide receiver chosen that year. He also became the first wide receiver picked in the first round by Patriots coach Bill Belichick. In May 2019, Harry signed a four-year contract with the Patriots.

He started his rookie season on injured reserve due to an ankle injury. He was activated in November 2019. On November 24, he caught his first career touchdown pass from legendary quarterback Tom Brady. In another game, he seemed to score a touchdown, but the referees ruled him out of bounds. He finished his rookie year playing in seven games. He had 12 catches for 105 yards and two touchdowns.

2020 and 2021 Seasons

In the 2020 season opener, Harry had 5 catches for 39 yards. In Week 2, he had a career-high 8 catches for 72 yards. He scored his first touchdown of the year in Week 4.

Before the 2021 season, N'Keal Harry asked to be traded from the Patriots. He felt a fresh start would be best for him. He suffered a shoulder injury in the preseason and was placed on injured reserve. He returned to play in October. In Week 10, he caught a 26-yard pass in a big win. However, in Week 17, he was benched and did not play. The Patriots decided not to extend his contract after the 2022 season.

Chicago Bears (2022)

On July 12, 2022, N'Keal Harry was traded to the Chicago Bears. He was placed on injured reserve with an ankle injury in September. He was activated in October and made his first appearance for the Bears against his old team, the Patriots.

Minnesota Vikings (2023–2024)

Harry signed with the Minnesota Vikings in August 2023. He was released later that month but re-signed to their practice squad. He was then signed to the active roster in October. He was released again in November and re-signed to the practice squad in December.

In January 2024, the Vikings signed him to a new contract. In June, the Vikings coach announced that N'Keal Harry would try playing a new position: tight end. He was waived in August and re-signed to the practice squad, but was released again in October.

Seattle Seahawks (2024)

On November 11, 2024, the Seattle Seahawks signed N'Keal Harry to their practice squad. He was released by the team on December 3.

NFL Career Statistics

Regular Season Stats

Here are N'Keal Harry's regular season stats in the NFL:

Playoff Stats

Here are N'Keal Harry's playoff stats in the NFL: