Personal information | |||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Born: | Chicago, Illinois, U.S. | November 3, 1993||||||||
Height: | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) | ||||||||
Weight: | 214 lb (97 kg) | ||||||||
Career information | |||||||||
High school: | St. Rita (Chicago) | ||||||||
College: | North Dakota (2012–2013) Northern Illinois (2014–2016) | ||||||||
Position: | Wide receiver | ||||||||
NFL draft: | 2017 / round: 3 / pick: 96 | ||||||||
Career history | |||||||||
Career highlights and awards | |||||||||
Career NFL statistics | |||||||||
|
Kenneth Golladay (born November 3, 1993) is an American professional football wide receiver who is a free agent. He has previously played in the National Football League (NFL) for the Detroit Lions and the New York Giants. He played college football for the North Dakota Fighting Hawks and Northern Illinois Huskies and was selected by the Lions in the third round of the 2017 NFL draft. He led the NFL in receiving touchdowns with the Lions in 2019.
Golladay attended and played high school football at Chicago's St. Rita High School. [1] [2] He earned first-team Blue Division All-Catholic League honors for his senior season. [3]
Golladay began his collegiate career at North Dakota in 2012. As a freshman, Golladay had 30 catches for 429 yards and a touchdown. [4] In his sophomore season in 2013, Golladay had a breakout year with a team-high 69 catches for 884 yards and eight touchdowns. [5]
After two seasons at North Dakota, Golladay transferred to Northern Illinois in 2014. His transfer coincided with North Dakota's firing of head coach Chris Mussman. He had to sit out one season per NCAA transfer rules. As a junior, Golladay had 73 catches for 1,129 yards and 10 touchdowns in 2015. [6]
In his final collegiate season, Golladay had 87 catches for 1,156 yards and eight touchdowns in 2016. [7] [8]
Northern Illinois Huskies | |||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Season | Team | GP | Receiving | ||||||||||||
Rec | Yds | Avg | TD | ||||||||||||
2015 | Northern Illinois | 14 | 73 | 1,129 | 15.5 | 10 | |||||||||
2016 | Northern Illinois | 12 | 87 | 1,156 | 13.3 | 8 | |||||||||
Career | 26 | 160 | 2,285 | 14.3 | 18 |
On December 23, 2016, it was announced that Golladay had accepted his invitation to play in the 2017 East–West Shrine Game [9] but was not able to play after he suffered an elbow injury during Senior Bowl practice. [10] [11] He was one of 58 collegiate wide receivers to attend the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis, Indiana. Golladay had a mediocre performance as he finished 20th among all wide receivers in the 40-yard dash and 26th in the three-cone drill. [12] On March 10, 2017, Golladay attended Northern Illinois' pro day, but opted to stand on his combine numbers and only performed positional drills. He performed well and caught every pass as scouts and team representatives from 18 NFL teams attended. Although 13 other prospects attended, Golladay was the featured prospect at the Huskies' pro day. [13] He attended private workouts and visits with the Green Bay Packers, Detroit Lions, Pittsburgh Steelers, and New Orleans Saints. [14] [15] [16] At the conclusion of the pre-draft process, Golladay was projected to be a fourth or fifth round pick by NFL draft experts and scouts. He was ranked the 21st best wide receiver in the draft by NFLDraftScout.com. [17]
Height | Weight | Arm length | Hand span | 40-yard dash | 10-yard split | 20-yard split | 20-yard shuttle | Three-cone drill | Vertical jump | Broad jump | Bench press | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) | 218 lb (99 kg) | 32 in (0.81 m) | 9+3⁄4 in (0.25 m) | 4.50 s | 1.58 s | 2.64 s | 4.15 s | 7.00 s | 35+1⁄2 in (0.90 m) | 10 ft 0 in (3.05 m) | 18 reps | |
All values from NFL Combine [18] |
Golladay was selected in the 2017 NFL draft by the Lions with in the third round with the 96th overall pick. [19] On June 19, 2017, Golladay was signed to a four-year, $3.19 million contract that included a signing bonus of $718,824. [20]
Throughout training camp, Golladay competed against T. J. Jones, Keshawn Martin, Jared Abbrederis, and Ryan Spadola for the third wide receiver role. [21] Golladay made his NFL debut in the Lions' first preseason game at the Indianapolis Colts and caught three passes for 53 receiving yards and two touchdowns in their 24–10 victory. His first preseason touchdown came on a 23-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Jake Rudock in the first quarter. [22] Head coach Jim Caldwell named Golladay the third wide receiver on the depth chart, behind Golden Tate and Marvin Jones. [23]
He made his professional regular season debut in the Lions' season-opener against the Arizona Cardinals and made four receptions for 69 yards and two touchdowns in the Lions' 35–23 victory. His first career touchdown came on a 10-yard pass from Matthew Stafford in the fourth quarter and he also caught a 45-yard reception to seal the game. [24] Golladay missed five games (Weeks 3–9) after suffering a strained hamstring. [25] On December 3, 2017, Golladay earned his first career start and caught two passes for 44 yards in the Lions' 44–20 loss at the Baltimore Ravens. [26] In Week 17, Golladay caught two passes for a season-high 80 yards and scored a 54-yard touchdown during a 35–11 victory at the Packers. [27] Golladay finished the 2017 season with 28 receptions for 477 receiving yards and three touchdown receptions in 11 games and five starts. [28] The Lions finished second in the NFC North with a 9–7 record and fired head coach Jim Caldwell at the end of the season. [29] [30]
With new head coach Matt Patricia, Golladay started his second professional season off strong with seven receptions for 114 yards in a losing effort to the New York Jets in the season opener on Monday Night Football . [31] After the loss to the Jets, he scored a receiving touchdown in three of the following four games. [32] [33] [34] In Week 11, against the Carolina Panthers, he had eight receptions for 113 yards and a touchdown in the 20–19 victory. [35] In Week 15, against the Buffalo Bills, he had seven receptions for 146 yards in the 14–13 loss. [36] He finished the season as the Lions' leading receiver with 70 receptions for 1,063 yards and five touchdowns. [37] [38]
In Week 2 against the Los Angeles Chargers, Golladay caught eight passes for 117 yards and a touchdown as the Lions won 13–10. [39] In Week 4 against the Kansas City Chiefs, Golladay caught five passes for 67 yards and two touchdowns in the 34–30 loss. [40] In Week 6 against the Packers, Golladay caught five passes for 121 yards in the 23–22 loss. [41] In Week 8 against the New York Giants, Golladay caught six passes for 123 yards and two touchdowns in the 31–26 win. [42] In Week 9 against the Oakland Raiders, Golladay caught four passes for a season high 132 yards and a touchdown in the 31–24 loss. [43] During the Thanksgiving Series against the Chicago Bears in Week 13, Golladay finished with 158 receiving yards on only four receptions, with one of them being a 75-yard touchdown. The Lions lost 24–20. [44] Golladay was selected to his first Pro Bowl at the end of the season. [45] He finished the 2019 season with 65 receptions for 1,190 receiving yards and a league-leading 11 receiving touchdowns. [46]
Golladay was placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list by the Lions on July 29, 2020, [47] and was activated a week later. [48]
Golladay missed the first two games due to a hamstring injury. [49] He made his return in Week 3 against the Cardinals. During the game, Golladay caught six passes for 57 yards and his first receiving touchdown of the season during the 26–23 win. [50] In Week 6 against the Jacksonville Jaguars, he had four receptions for 105 receiving yards in the 34–16 victory. [51] In Week 7 against the Atlanta Falcons, Golladay recorded six catches for 114 yards during the 23–22 win. [52] Golladay suffered a hip injury in the Week 8 game against Indianapolis that kept him out of the rest of the 2020 season . [53] [54] He finished the 2020 season with 20 receptions for 338 receiving yards and two receiving touchdowns. [55]
On March 20, 2021, Golladay signed a four-year, $72 million contract with the New York Giants. [56] In Week 4, against the Saints, he had six receptions for 116 receiving yards in the 27–21 overtime victory. [57] Golladay finished his first season with the Giants totaling 37 receptions for 521 yards and no touchdowns in 14 games played. [58]
In the 2022 season, Golladay was criticized for a lack of production, including having drops in games against the Dallas Cowboys, [59] and Houston Texans, [60] and missing four games due to injury. [61] Through Week 13, Golladay only had four catches for 51 yards, and had fallen out of favor for Isaiah Hodgins and Marcus Johnson. [62] [63] In Week 18 against the Philadelphia Eagles, Golladay recorded his first touchdown of the season on a 25–yard pass from Davis Webb. [64]
Many NFL analysts have ranked Golladay's contract one of the NFL's worst free agent signings. [65] On March 15, 2023, the Giants released Golladay. [66]
On October 8, 2024, Golladay was arrested in Elmhurst, Illinois and charged with driving under the influence, stopping in the roadway, improper lane usage, speeding, and possession of open alcohol by a driver. [67]
Legend | |
---|---|
Led the league | |
Bold | Career high |
Year | Team | Games | Receiving | Rushing | Fumbles | |||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
GP | GS | Tgt | Rec | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | Att | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | Fum | Lost | ||
2017 | DET | 11 | 5 | 48 | 28 | 477 | 17.0 | 54 | 3 | 1 | 9 | 9.0 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
2018 | DET | 15 | 13 | 119 | 70 | 1,063 | 15.2 | 60T | 5 | 1 | 8 | 8.0 | 8 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
2019 | DET | 16 | 16 | 116 | 65 | 1,190 | 18.3 | 75T | 11 | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 1 |
2020 | DET | 5 | 5 | 32 | 20 | 338 | 16.9 | 48 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | 0 | 0 |
2021 | NYG | 14 | 14 | 76 | 37 | 521 | 14.1 | 36 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | 0 | 0 |
2022 | NYG | 12 | 4 | 17 | 6 | 81 | 13.5 | 25 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | 0 | 0 |
Total | 73 | 57 | 408 | 226 | 3,670 | 16.2 | 75T | 22 | 2 | 17 | 8.5 | 9 | 0 | 2 | 1 |
Calvin Johnson Jr. is an American former professional football wide receiver who played in the National Football League (NFL) for nine seasons with the Detroit Lions. Nicknamed "Megatron" after the Transformers character of the same name, he is regarded as one of the greatest wide receivers of all time. He played college football for the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, winning the Fred Biletnikoff Award as a junior, and was selected by the Lions second overall in the 2007 NFL draft.
Jordy Ray Nelson is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL) for 11 seasons with the Green Bay Packers and the Oakland Raiders. He played college football for the Kansas State Wildcats, receiving consensus All-American honors in 2007. He was selected by Green Bay in the second round of the 2008 NFL draft. During his tenure with the Packers, he won Super Bowl XLV with the team over the Pittsburgh Steelers in the 2010 season. After spending 10 seasons in Green Bay, he played one year with the Raiders before announcing his retirement. In 2023, he was inducted into the Packers Hall of Fame.
Kenneth Lawrence Britt is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Rutgers Scarlet Knights and was selected by the Tennessee Titans with the 30th overall pick in the 2009 NFL draft. He has also played for the St. Louis / LA Rams, Cleveland Browns and New England Patriots.
Golden Herman Tate III is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, earning unanimous All-American honors and winning the Fred Biletnikoff Award in 2009. Tate was selected by the Seattle Seahawks in the second round of the 2010 NFL draft. He later played for the Detroit Lions, with whom he made a Pro Bowl appearance. He also played a season for the Philadelphia Eagles and two seasons for the New York Giants. After his football career, Tate played baseball as a center fielder for the Port Angeles Lefties of the West Coast League (WCL) in 2022 after not playing the sport since 2009.
Mohamed Sanu Sr. is a former American professional football wide receiver. He played college football for the Rutgers Scarlet Knights and was selected by the Cincinnati Bengals in the third round of the 2012 NFL draft. Sanu has also been a member of the Atlanta Falcons, New England Patriots, Detroit Lions, San Francisco 49ers, and the Miami Dolphins.
Marvin Lewis Jones Jr. is an American football wide receiver who is a free agent. He was selected by the Cincinnati Bengals in the fifth round of the 2012 NFL draft and has also played for the Detroit Lions and Jacksonville Jaguars. He played college football at California.
Allen Bernard Robinson II is an American professional football wide receiver for the Detroit Lions of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Penn State Nittany Lions, earning first-team All-American honors in 2013. Robinson was selected by the Jacksonville Jaguars of the National Football League (NFL) in the second round of the 2014 NFL draft. He played for the Jaguars for four seasons, before signing with the Chicago Bears in 2018. Robinson has also played for the Los Angeles Rams and Pittsburgh Steelers.
Theo Riddick is a former American football running back of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Notre Dame and was selected by the Detroit Lions in the sixth round of the 2013 NFL draft. He has also played for the Denver Broncos.
Adam John Thielen is an American professional football wide receiver for the Carolina Panthers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Minnesota State Mavericks and signed with the Minnesota Vikings as an undrafted free agent in 2013, playing for them for ten seasons. Thielen holds several NFL records, including eight straight games over 100+ yards receiving, and 74 receptions in the first half of a season.
Eric Ebron is an American former professional football tight end in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the North Carolina Tar Heels, and was selected by the Detroit Lions in the first round of the 2014 NFL draft. He also played for the Indianapolis Colts and Pittsburgh Steelers.
Davante Lavell Adams is an American professional football wide receiver for the New York Jets of the National Football League (NFL). Born in East Palo Alto, California, Adams attended Palo Alto High School where he played football and basketball. He played two seasons of college football for the Fresno State Bulldogs and was named a second-team All-American in 2013 before being selected in the second round of the 2014 NFL draft by the Green Bay Packers.
William Vincent Fuller V is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, earning second-team All-American honors in 2015. Fuller was drafted by the Houston Texans in the first round of the 2016 NFL draft. He also played for the Miami Dolphins.
Sterling Clay Shepard is an American professional football wide receiver for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Oklahoma Sooners. Shepard was selected by the New York Giants in the second round of the 2016 NFL draft.
Kalif Raymond is an American professional football wide receiver and punt returner for the Detroit Lions of the National Football League (NFL).
Mark Andrews is an American professional football tight end for the Baltimore Ravens of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Oklahoma and was selected by the Ravens in the third round of the 2018 NFL draft. Andrews has been elected to the Pro Bowl three times and was named to the 2021 All-Pro Team after setting the Ravens' single-season record for receptions and receiving yards.
Darrell Demont "D. J." Chark Jr. is an American professional football wide receiver for the Los Angeles Chargers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the LSU Tigers.
Brandon Powell is an American professional football wide receiver and punt returner for the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Florida. He has been a member of the Detroit Lions, Atlanta Falcons, Buffalo Bills, Miami Dolphins, and the Los Angeles Rams.
Amon-Ra Julian Heru John St. Brown is a German-American professional football wide receiver for the Detroit Lions of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the USC Trojans and was selected by the Lions in the fourth round of the 2021 NFL draft. St. Brown was voted to the Pro Bowl in 2022 and 2023, along with being named first-team All-Pro in 2023. He is the younger brother of New Orleans Saints wide receiver Equanimeous St. Brown.
The 2019 season was the Detroit Lions' 90th in the National Football League (NFL) and their second year under head coach Matt Patricia. The Lions had a promising start to the season with a 2–0–1 record. However, they lost 12 of their last 13 games, with 8 of those 12 losses being decided by a touchdown or less, and were mathematically eliminated from postseason contention following a Thanksgiving Day loss to the Chicago Bears in week 13. After franchise quarterback Matthew Stafford broke his backbone in a Week 9 loss to the Oakland Raiders, the Lions were forced to turn to former Cincinnati Bengals backup quarterback Jeff Driskel and later undrafted free agent David Blough, neither of whom was able to lead the Lions to a single win. The Lions failed to improve on their 6–10 record from last season, finishing the season with a 3–12–1 record and nine consecutive losses. This resulted in the 3rd pick of the 2020 NFL Draft. They also posted consecutive losing seasons for the first time since 2012–2013. Not only that, they also got swept by their division rivals for the first time since 2012.
Thomas James Hockenson is an American professional football tight end for the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League (NFL). He was selected in the first round of the 2019 NFL draft by the Detroit Lions. He played college football for the Iowa Hawkeyes, where he earned the John Mackey Award, as the nation's top tight end in college football.