T. J. Yeldon facts for kids
Yeldon in 2011
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| Position: | Running back | ||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||
| Born: | October 2, 1993 Daphne, Alabama, U.S. |
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| Height: | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | ||||||||||||
| Weight: | 223 lb (101 kg) | ||||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||||
| High school: | Daphne | ||||||||||||
| College: | Alabama (2012–2014) | ||||||||||||
| NFL Draft: | 2015 / Round: 2 / Pick: 36 | ||||||||||||
| 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 | |||||||||||||
Timothy Antonio "T. J." Yeldon Jr. (born October 2, 1993) is an American former professional football player. He played as a running back in the National Football League (NFL). T. J. Yeldon was chosen by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the 2015 NFL Draft. Before joining the NFL, he played college football for the Alabama Crimson Tide.
Contents
Early Life and High School Football
T. J. Yeldon grew up in Daphne, Alabama. He went to Daphne High School where he played both football and ran track.
Starting High School Football
Yeldon started playing varsity football as a freshman in 2008. He played as a slot receiver and helped out on special teams. In his first year, he gained 227 rushing yards and scored one touchdown. He also caught passes for 131 yards and another score.
As a sophomore, Yeldon ran for 1,121 yards on 201 carries. He also caught 34 passes for 361 yards and one touchdown. He helped his team win a playoff game by rushing for 148 yards and scoring twice.
Winning a State Championship
In his junior year, Yeldon rushed for 1,112 yards and 18 touchdowns. He also caught 34 passes for 504 yards and five touchdowns. His team, Daphne, had a perfect 15–0 record. They won the 2010 Alabama 6A State Championship. They beat the defending champions, Hoover Buccaneers, who had won 21 games in a row. Yeldon scored the winning touchdown with a one-yard run.
Senior Year Success
During his senior year, Yeldon rushed for 2,193 yards and 31 touchdowns. He won the Alabama Mr. Football Award. He was the first running back to win this award since 2000. Yeldon was also named a first-team All-State player. Daphne finished his senior season with a 10–2 record.
Track and Field Achievements
Besides football, Yeldon was also on the school's track team. He competed in sprinting and jumping events. He ran his fastest 100-meter race in 11.35 seconds. He also had a personal best long jump of 6.08 meters.
Choosing a College Team
Many top college football teams wanted Yeldon to play for them. He was considered one of the best running back prospects in his class. In June 2011, he first decided to play for Auburn. However, after his senior season, he changed his mind. He decided to go to Auburn's rival, Alabama. He enrolled at Alabama in January 2012.
College Football Career
T. J. Yeldon played for the Alabama Crimson Tide from 2012 to 2014.
Freshman Season (2012)
As a freshman in 2012, Yeldon played in all 14 games. He shared playing time with another running back, Eddie Lacy. In his very first college game, Yeldon rushed for 111 yards and scored a touchdown. He had his best game of the season against Georgia, rushing for 153 yards. Alabama won the 2013 BCS Championship Game against Notre Dame. In that game, Yeldon ran for 110 yards and scored one touchdown. He finished his freshman season with 1,108 rushing yards and 12 touchdowns. His rushing yards set a new record for an Alabama freshman. His 12 touchdowns tied the freshman touchdown record.
Sophomore Season (2013)
After Eddie Lacy went to the NFL, Yeldon became Alabama's main starting running back in 2013. He started 11 out of 12 games, missing one due to an injury. Yeldon led the team with 1,235 rushing yards and 14 touchdowns. He was named a first-team All-Southeastern Conference (SEC) player.
Junior Season (2014)
In his junior season in 2014, Yeldon shared carries with Derrick Henry. He played in 13 games. He rushed for 979 yards and scored 11 touchdowns. After this season, Yeldon decided to leave college early and enter the NFL Draft.
College Statistics Overview
Here are T. J. Yeldon's college football statistics:
| Season | Team | Rushing | Receiving | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Att | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | Rec | Yds | TD | ||
| 2012 | Alabama | 175 | 1,108 | 6.3 | 43 | 12 | 11 | 131 | 1 |
| 2013 | Alabama | 207 | 1,235 | 6.0 | 68 | 14 | 20 | 183 | 0 |
| 2014 | Alabama | 194 | 979 | 5.0 | 31 | 11 | 15 | 180 | 1 |
| Career | 576 | 3,322 | 5.8 | 68 | 37 | 46 | 494 | 2 | |
Professional Football Career
T. J. Yeldon was drafted into the NFL in 2015.
Jacksonville Jaguars (2015–2018)
The Jacksonville Jaguars picked Yeldon in the second round of the 2015 NFL Draft. He was the third running back chosen that year.
2015 Season Highlights
The Jaguars' coach named Yeldon the starting running back for the 2015 season. In his first NFL game, he carried the ball 15 times for 51 yards. He also caught three passes for 16 yards. In a game against the Miami Dolphins, Yeldon had a season-high 25 carries for 70 yards. On October 11, 2015, he scored his first NFL touchdown by catching a pass. He also rushed for 115 yards and scored his first rushing touchdown in a game against the Buffalo Bills.
2016 Season Overview
Yeldon continued to play an important role for the Jaguars in 2016. In the first game of the season, he rushed for 39 yards and scored a touchdown. For the season, he had 465 rushing yards and one rushing touchdown. He also caught 50 passes for 312 receiving yards and one receiving touchdown.
2017 Season and Playoffs
In 2017, Yeldon had a standout game against the Indianapolis Colts. He rushed for 122 yards, including an exciting 58-yard touchdown run. He finished the regular season with 253 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns. He also had 30 catches for 224 receiving yards. The Jacksonville Jaguars won their division and made it to the playoffs. In the playoffs, he scored a rushing touchdown against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
2018 Season and Departure
Yeldon started the 2018 season well, scoring a receiving touchdown in the first game. He had a bigger role early in the season because another player, Leonard Fournette, was injured. In Week 4, he scored both a rushing and a receiving touchdown against the New York Jets. In the next game, he gained 122 total yards and scored another receiving touchdown. By the end of the 2018 season, Yeldon had 414 rushing yards and one rushing touchdown. He also had 55 catches for 487 receiving yards and four receiving touchdowns.
Buffalo Bills (2019–2020)
On April 22, 2019, Yeldon signed a two-year contract with the Buffalo Bills. In the 2019 season, he played in six games. He rushed for 63 yards and caught passes for 124 yards. In 2020, Yeldon played in three games for the Bills. He rushed for 70 yards and scored a 22-yard receiving touchdown.
NFL Career Statistics
Here are T. J. Yeldon's NFL career statistics:
| Year | Team | Games | Rushing | Receiving | Fumbles | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Att | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | Rec | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | Fum | Lost | ||
| 2015 | JAX | 12 | 12 | 182 | 740 | 4.1 | 45 | 2 | 36 | 279 | 7.8 | 67 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 2016 | JAX | 15 | 13 | 130 | 465 | 3.6 | 16 | 1 | 50 | 312 | 6.2 | 17 | 1 | 2 | 1 |
| 2017 | JAX | 10 | 0 | 49 | 253 | 5.2 | 58T | 2 | 30 | 224 | 7.5 | 20 | 0 | 2 | 1 |
| 2018 | JAX | 14 | 5 | 104 | 414 | 4.0 | 20 | 1 | 55 | 487 | 8.9 | 37 | 4 | 1 | 1 |
| 2019 | BUF | 6 | 17 | 63 | 3.7 | 12 | 0 | 13 | 124 | 9.5 | 37 | 0 | 1 | 1 | |
| 2020 | BUF | 3 | 0 | 10 | 70 | 7.0 | 34 | 0 | 1 | 22 | 22.0 | 22 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Career | 60 | 30 | 492 | 2,005 | 4.1 | 58 | 6 | 185 | 1,448 | 7.8 | 67 | 7 | 7 | 4 | |
