Michael Jefferson (American football)

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Michael Jefferson
Personal information
Born: (1999-12-21) December 21, 1999 (age 24)
Mobile, Alabama, U.S.
Height:6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)
Weight:205 lb (93 kg)
Career information
High school:Murphy (AL)
College:Alabama State (2018–2020)
Louisiana (2021–2022)
Position:Wide receiver
Undrafted:2023
Career highlights and awards
  • Third-team All-Sun Belt (2022)

Michael Jefferson (born December 21, 1999) is an American football wide receiver. He played college football at Alabama State and Louisiana.

Early life[edit]

Jefferson was born in Mobile, Alabama, on December 21, 1999.[1][2] He attended Murphy High School and posted 35 receptions for 628 yards and ten touchdowns as a senior, and overall recorded 52 catches for 968 yards and 14 scores at the school.[1] He did not receive a star rating from the major recruiting services, but committed to play college football for the FCS Alabama State Hornets, among the only teams to give him an offer.[1][3]

College career[edit]

As a true freshman at Alabama State in 2018, Jefferson posted 12 receptions for 115 yards and four touchdowns, leading the team in the latter category.[4] The following year, he posted 49 receptions for 767 yards and 12 touchdowns; his touchdown total tied a team record.[5][6] In the COVID-19-shortened 2020 season, Jefferson tallied a team-leading 24 catches for 234 yards and two touchdowns.[5] After the year, he transferred to Louisiana.[5]

In his first year at Louisiana, Jefferson recorded a team-leading 481 receiving yards despite only placing sixth on the team with 18 catches, scoring four touchdowns on the season and being named honorable mention all-conference.[1][6] In the 2022 season, he posted 51 catches for 810 yards and seven scores.[7]

Professional career[edit]

Pre-draft measurables
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 3+34 in
(1.92 m)
199 lb
(90 kg)
32+12 in
(0.83 m)
9+58 in
(0.24 m)
4.56 s 1.52 s 2.60 s 4.43 s 6.94 s 37.0 in
(0.94 m)
11 ft 1 in
(3.38 m)
16 reps
Sources:[8][9]

Jefferson had been projected as a potential middle-round selection in the 2023 NFL draft.[7] On April 11, 2023, he was severely injured in a car crash that killed another driver and needed multiple surgeries.[10][11] He was released from the hospital on April 19 and is slated to miss the entire season as a result of the crash.[12]

On September 14, 2023, the San Francisco 49ers hosted Jefferson for a workout.[13] The next day, Jefferson was hosted for a visit with the Seattle Seahawks.[14]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c d "NFL Draft Profile: Michael Jefferson, Wide Receiver, Louisiana-Lafayette Ragin Cajuns". Sports Illustrated. December 2, 2022.
  2. ^ "Michael Jefferson". ESPN.
  3. ^ Foote, Kevin (November 24, 2021). "Alabama State transfer WR Michael Jefferson emerging as Cajuns' deep-ball threat". The Advocate.
  4. ^ Darrington, Kamarri (November 23, 2018). "Moving on up: ASU's Michael Jefferson closes freshman season strong". Montgomery Advertiser.
  5. ^ a b c Buckley, Tim (June 2, 2021). "Why Billy Napier added Alabama State transfer Michael Jefferson to Cajuns receivers corps". The Daily Advertiser.
  6. ^ a b Cummings, Ian (February 28, 2023). "Michael Jefferson, WR, Louisiana | NFL Draft Scouting Report". Pro Football Network.
  7. ^ a b Gardner, Steve (April 12, 2023). "Louisiana-Lafayette WR Michael Jefferson injured in fatal head-on car crash". USA Today.
  8. ^ "Michael Jefferson Draft and Combine Prospect Profile". NFL.com. Retrieved May 6, 2023.
  9. ^ "2023 NFL Draft Scout Michael Jefferson College Football Profile". DraftScout.com. Retrieved May 6, 2023.
  10. ^ Dye, Natasha (April 12, 2023). "NFL Draft Prospect Michael Jefferson Severely Injured in Fatal Alabama Car Accident". People.
  11. ^ Thompson, Scott (April 11, 2023). "NFL Draft prospect Michael Jefferson undergoes multiple surgeries after involvement in fatal car crash". Fox News.
  12. ^ Young, Ryan (April 19, 2023). "NFL Draft: WR prospect Michael Jefferson to miss 2023 season after fatal crash, multiple surgeries". Yahoo!.
  13. ^ "San Francisco 49ers Show Interest In Wide Receiver". yardbarker.com. Retrieved September 17, 2023.
  14. ^ "Free agent WR Michael Jefferson visited Seahawks and 49ers". seahawkswire.usatoday.com. Retrieved September 17, 2023.

Further reading[edit]