Vidal Hazelton facts for kids
Hazelton after a 2008 USC fall practice
|
|||||||||
| No. 17 | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Position: | Wide receiver | ||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||
| Born: | January 29, 1988 New York, New York, U.S. |
||||||||
| Height: | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | ||||||||
| Weight: | 220 lb (100 kg) | ||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||
| High school: | Staten Island (NY) Moore | ||||||||
| College: |
|
||||||||
| Undrafted: | 2011 | ||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||
|
|||||||||
| CFL status: | International | ||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||
|
|||||||||
| Career CFL statistics | |||||||||
|
|||||||||
| Player stats at CFL.ca | |||||||||
Vidal Hazelton, born on January 29, 1988, is an American former professional football player. He played as a wide receiver. Vidal started his professional journey when the San Diego Chargers signed him in 2011. Before that, he played college football for the USC Trojans and the Cincinnati Bearcats.
Contents
Vidal Hazelton's Early Football Days
Vidal Hazelton showed great talent in high school. In 2005, as a junior at Moore Catholic High School in Staten Island, New York, he caught 39 passes. These catches gained 784 yards and led to 17 touchdowns. He also ran for 240 yards and scored 4 times. On defense, he made 38 tackles, 3 sacks, and had 2 interceptions that he returned for touchdowns.
Later, he transferred to Hargrave Military Academy for his senior year. There, he had 41 catches for 942 yards and 13 touchdowns in 2005. Vidal was chosen to play in the 2006 U.S. Army All-American Bowl. This is a special game for the best high school football players in the country.
Vidal Hazelton's College Football Journey
Playing for USC
Vidal Hazelton joined the USC team as one of the top young players in the nation. In his first year, he played in only two games. The USC Trojans had a great season, winning the 2007 Rose Bowl against Michigan. Vidal was a backup to two excellent receivers, Dwayne Jarrett and Steve Smith. He made one catch for eight yards and had a seven-yard run.
In the 2007 season, Vidal was expected to be a starting player. He impressed everyone during practice. In USC's first game against Idaho, he made an amazing one-handed touchdown catch. He finished the season as USC's top wide receiver. He caught 50 passes and scored four touchdowns.
The 2008 season was tougher for Vidal. After catching five passes in the first game, he hurt his ankle. When he recovered, it was hard for him to get back into the starting lineup. Other talented players, like Damian Williams, Patrick Turner, and Ronald Johnson, were playing well. Also, Vidal's grandfather faced health challenges, and Vidal wanted to be closer to his family in Georgia. So, in December 2008, he decided to transfer to another school. He later said that USC was a great place with many athletes. He understood that if a player wasn't 100% ready, the coaches had to choose someone else.
Moving to Cincinnati
After leaving USC, Vidal Hazelton decided to transfer to the University of Cincinnati. He joined the Cincinnati Bearcats team to continue his college football career.
Vidal Hazelton's Professional Football Career
Starting in the NFL
After college, Vidal Hazelton was not chosen in the 2011 NFL draft. However, the San Diego Chargers signed him on July 26, 2011. He was later released by the Chargers. He then joined the practice squad of the Cincinnati Bengals in December 2011. He was released by the Bengals in August 2012.
Vidal then signed with the practice squad of the Tennessee Titans in September 2012. In January 2013, the New York Jets signed him. He was released by the Jets in August 2013 after an injury. He was then placed on the team's injured reserve list.
Success in the CFL
Toronto Argonauts
Vidal Hazelton signed with the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League (CFL) on March 18, 2015. In his first year in the CFL, he played in 16 games. He caught 70 passes for 803 yards and scored 6 touchdowns. He was also named the runner-up for the CFL Rookie of the Year award in 2015.
Vidal started the 2016 CFL season as a main wide receiver for the Argonauts. He was the first Argonaut to score a touchdown at their new home stadium, BMO Field. He played in 8 games that season, missing 6 due to injuries. Later, the Argonauts released Vidal and three other wide receivers. Reports suggested there were some team chemistry issues. In his 8 games for the Argonauts in 2016, Vidal caught 27 passes for 361 yards and 3 touchdowns.
Edmonton Eskimos
Vidal Hazelton signed with the Edmonton Eskimos (CFL) on October 18, 2016. He did not play in any games for the Eskimos during the 2016 season. On January 16, 2017, the Eskimos re-signed him. In his first full season with Edmonton, Vidal caught 55 passes for 709 yards and four touchdowns. He also had a strong performance in the team's two playoff games. On February 5, 2018, the Eskimos re-signed Vidal Hazelton for another year.
