Clive Walford

Last updated

Clive Walford
Clive Walford.JPG
Walford with the Oakland Raiders in 2015
No. 87, 88
Position: Tight end
Personal information
Born: (1991-10-21) October 21, 1991 (age 32)
Miami, Florida, U.S.
Height:6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)
Weight:252 lb (114 kg)
Career information
High school: Glades Central
(Belle Glade, Florida)
College: Miami (FL)
NFL draft: 2015  / round: 3 / pick: 68
Career history
 * Offseason and/or practice squad member only
Career highlights and awards
Career NFL statistics
Receptions:74
Receiving yards:825
Receiving touchdowns:6
Player stats at PFR

Clive Walford (born October 21, 1991) [1] is an American former professional football player who was a tight end in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Miami Hurricanes and was selected by the Oakland Raiders in the third round of the 2015 NFL draft.

Contents

Early life

Walford attended Glades Central High School in Belle Glade, Florida, where he was a 3-sport star in football, basketball, and track. One of his teammates on the Glades Central football team was Buffalo Bills' wide receiver Kelvin Benjamin. [2] He was rated by Rivals.com as a three-star recruit. [3] In July 2009, he committed to the University of Miami to play college football for the Hurricanes football team. [4] Walford also competed in track & field, posting personal-bests of 1.88 meters (6–2) in the high jump and 6.08 meters (19–11) in the long jump. [5]

College career

After he was redshirted as a true freshman in 2010, Walford played in all 12 games with eight starts as a redshirt freshman in 2011. He finished his freshman season with 18 receptions for 172 yards and a touchdown. [6] As a sophomore in 2012, Walford had 25 receptions for 451 yards and four touchdowns over 12 games, of which he started five. As a junior in 2013, he started 12 of 13 games, recording 34 receptions for 454 yards and two touchdowns. [7] Walford returned as a starter his senior season. [8] [9]

Professional career

Pre-draft

On January 2, 2015, it was announced that Walford had accepted his invitation to play in the 2016 Senior Bowl. [10] Throughout the week leading up to the Senior Bowl, Walford had impressive practices and displayed his pass catching and blocking for NFL scouts. [11] He routinely beat linebackers and safeties and coverage and was commended by NFL analysts Daniel Jeremiah, Chase Goodbread, and Mike Mayock. [12] Mayock claimed Walford was, "the most explosive tight end in this year's draft." and, "All he did (this week) was enhance his value." Mayock also stated Walford was pressing Maxx Williams to be the first tight end selected in the upcoming draft. [13] On January 24, 2017, Walford caught one pass for a ten-yard gain as the South lost to the North 13–34. [14] He was one of 19 tight ends to be invited to the NFL combine and he completed all of the required combine and positional drills. His performance at the combine was described by analysts as "mediocre" and his 40-yard dash time was called "pedestrian". [15] On April 1, 2015, Walford opted to participate at the Miami Hurricanes pro day, along with Phillip Dorsett, Duke Johnson, Ereck Flowers, Anthony Chickillo, Denzel Perryman, Jon Feliciano, Shane McDermott, Thurston Armbrister, Olsen Pierre, Ladarius Gunter, Jake Heaps, and three other teammates. Due to a hamstring injury, Walford chose to only perform positional drills for the team representatives and scouts from all 32 NFL teams, that included head coaches Todd Bowles (New York Jets), Sean Payton (New Orleans Saints), and Mike Tomlin (Pittsburgh Steelers). During the pre-draft process, he had private visit and workouts with the Miami Dolphins, Buffalo Bills, Kansas City Chiefs, Pittsburgh Steelers, Atlanta Falcons, and Green Bay Packers. [16] He had private visits or workouts with a few teams, including the Chiefs. [2] At the conclusion of the pre-draft process, Walford was projected to be a second or third round pick. He was ranked the second best tight end prospect in the draft by NFL analysts Charles Davis, Mike Mayock, Lance Zierlein, NFLDraftScout.com, and Sports Illustrated . [17] [18] [19] [20] [21]

Pre-draft measurables
HeightWeightArm lengthHand span 40-yard dash 10-yard split20-yard split 20-yard shuttle Three-cone drill Vertical jump Broad jump Bench press
6 ft 4 in
(1.93 m)		251 lb
(114 kg)		34 in
(0.86 m)		10+1⁄4 in
(0.26 m)		4.79 s1.72 s2.84 s4.57 s7.32 s35 in
(0.89 m)		10 ft 0 in
(3.05 m)		20 reps
All values from NFL Combine [22]

Oakland Raiders

2015 season

The Oakland Raiders selected Walford in the third round (68th overall) of the 2015 NFL draft. [23] He was the second tight end selected in the draft behind Maxx Williams (second round, 55th overall). The Raiders also selected his Miami Hurricanes' teammate Jon Feliciano in the fourth round (128th overall). [24]

On June 16, 2015, the Raiders signed Walford to a four-year, $3.34 million contract that includes a signing bonus of $795,504. [25]

Throughout his first training camp with the Raiders, Walford competed with Mychal Rivera, Lee Smith, Brian Leonhardt, and Gabe Holmes for the job as the starting tight end. He had an impressive performance during the Raiders' organized team activities and mini camp, but missed the beginning of training camp with a hamstring injury. [26] [27] Walford missed the Raiders' last three preseason games after he suffered a knee injury. [28] Head coach Jack Del Rio named Walford the third tight end on the Raiders' depth chart to begin the season, behind Smith and Rivera. [29] [30]

Walford made his NFL debut in the season-opener against the Cincinnati Bengals and caught his first NFL reception on a one-yard pass from Derek Carr during the 33–13 loss. [31] During Week 5 against the Denver Broncos, Walford caught a 33-yard pass in a 16–10 loss. The 33-yard reception was the longest of his rookie season. On October 25, 2015, Walford earned his first NFL start and made two receptions for 42 yards as the Raiders defeated the San Diego Chargers by a score 37–29. He also scored his first NFL touchdown while being covered by Chargers' cornerback Jimmy Wilson, catching a 23-yard pass from Carr in the second quarter. [32] On December 6, 2015, he caught a season-high five passes for a season-high 53 receiving yards during a 34–20 loss to the Chiefs.

Walford finished his rookie season with a total of 28 receptions for 329 yards and three touchdowns in 16 games and two starts. [33] Walford played 702 offensive snaps and was targeted 52 times, catching 63% of them in 2016. [34]

2016 season

Entering training camp, Walford was expected to be the starting tight end. Although he surpassed Rivera on the depth chart, he was named the backup to Smith. [35] Smith remained the starting tight end due to his superior blocking ability.

On September 18, 2016, Walford caught a season-high six passes for 58 yards and scored a 31-yard touchdown during a 35–28 loss to the Falcons. During a Week 4 matchup at the Baltimore Ravens, he made his first start of the season and caught two receptions for 23 yards in a narrow 28–27 victory. Unfortunately, Walford left the game after suffering a knee injury and missed the Raiders' Week 5 matchup against the Chargers. [36] During the game, Smith suffered a fracture to his lower leg and was placed on injured reserve for the rest of the season on October 5, 2016, which expanded Walford's role. [37] On November 27, 2016, Walford caught three passes for 43 yards and a touchdown as the Raiders defeated the Carolina Panthers 35–32. His touchdown reception was on a 12-yard pass from Carr to tie the game in the fourth quarter. [38]

Walford finished the 2016 season with 33 receptions for 359 receiving yards and 3 touchdowns in eight starts and 15 games. [39]

2017 season

During the offseason, the Raiders and offensive coordinator Bill Musgrave mutually parted ways and he was replaced by Todd Downing. Walford competed with Jared Cook, Smith, Holmes, Ryan O'Malley, Cooper Helfet, and Pharaoh Brown throughout training camp for a job as the starting tight end. [40] Del Rio named Walford the Raiders' third tight end behind Cook and Smith to start the regular season.

Through the first 12 games, Walford was limited to three receptions for 10 yards. On December 3, 2017, he caught four passes for 57 receiving yards during the Raiders' 24–17 win over the New York Giants. [41] He suffered a concussion in Week 14 and was placed on injured reserve on December 23, 2017. [42] Walford completed the 2017 season with nine receptions for 80 yards and no touchdowns. [43]

On March 27, 2018, Walford was released by the Raiders. [44]

New York Jets (first stint)

On April 2, 2018, the New York Jets claimed Walford off waivers. [45] On September 1, 2018, the Jets released Walford. [46]

Indianapolis Colts

On November 28, 2018, Walford was signed by the Indianapolis Colts. [47] On December 7, the Colts released Walford. [48]

New York Jets (second stint)

On December 27, 2018, Walford was signed by the Jets. [49] He appeared in one game for the Jets in the 2018 season. [50]

Miami Dolphins

On March 13, 2019, Walford signed a one-year contract with the Miami Dolphins. [51] He was released on August 27, 2019. [52] He was re-signed on October 30, 2019. [53] He appeared in seven games and started three for the Dolphins in the 2019 season. He totaled four receptions for 57 yards. [54]

NFL statistics

Regular season

SeasonTeamGamesReceivingRushingFumbles
GPGSRecYdsAvgLngTDAttYdsAvgLngTDFumLost
2015 OAK 1622828311.8333000.00000
2016 OAK 1583335910.9313000.00000
2017 OAK 1309808.9260000.00000
2018 NYJ 11000.000000.00000
2019 MIA 32188.080000.00000
Career 48137177610.9336000.00000

Postseason

SeasonTeamGamesReceivingRushingFumbles
GPGSRecYdsAvgLngTDAttYdsAvgLngTDFumLost
2016 OAK 112168.090000.00000
Career 112168.090000.00000

Personal life

On May 3, 2016, it was reported that Walford suffered a knee injury in an ATV accident. He was unable to participate in spring practices and rejoined the team during the start of training camp. [55]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anthony Fasano</span> American football player (born 1984)

Anthony Joseph Fasano is a former American football tight end. He was selected by the Dallas Cowboys in the second round of the 2006 NFL draft. He played college football at Notre Dame. Fasano also played for the Kansas City Chiefs, Tennessee Titans, and Miami Dolphins.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jared Cook</span> American football player (born 1987)

Jared Alan Cook is an American former professional football player who was a tight end in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the South Carolina Gamecocks and was selected by the Tennessee Titans in the third round of the 2009 NFL draft. He also played for the St. Louis Rams, Green Bay Packers, Oakland Raiders, New Orleans Saints and Los Angeles Chargers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Julius Thomas</span> American football player (born 1988)

Julius Dewayne Thomas is an American former professional football player who was a tight end in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football and basketball at Portland State, and was drafted by the Denver Broncos in the fourth round of the 2011 NFL draft. He also played for the Jacksonville Jaguars and Miami Dolphins.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mychal Rivera</span> American football player (born 1990)

Mychal Rashawn Rivera is a former American football tight end. He played college football for the Tennessee Volunteers and was selected by the Oakland Raiders in the sixth round of the 2013 NFL draft.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eric Ebron</span> American football player (born 1993)

Eric Ebron is an American former professional football player who was a 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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nick O'Leary</span> American football player (born 1992)

Nicklaus O'Leary is an American former professional football player who was a tight end in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Florida State Seminoles, earning consensus All-American honors in 2014. He was selected by the Buffalo Bills in the sixth round of the 2015 NFL draft.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Maxx Williams</span> American football player (born 1994)

Maxx Williams is an American football tight end who is a free agent. He played college football for the Minnesota Golden Gophers, earning first-team All-American honors in 2014. He was selected by the Baltimore Ravens in the second round of the 2015 NFL draft.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tyler Kroft</span> American football player (born 1992)

Tyler Kroft is an American football tight end who is a free agent. He played college football at Rutgers. He was drafted in the third round, 85th overall, in the 2015 NFL draft by the Cincinnati Bengals. He has also played for the Buffalo Bills, New York Jets and San Francisco 49ers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jesse James (tight end)</span> American football player (born 1994)

Jesse Dylan James is an American football tight end who is a free agent. He played college football at Penn State, and was selected by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the fifth round of the 2015 NFL draft. He has also been a member of the Detroit Lions, Chicago Bears, Cleveland Browns, New Orleans Saints and Las Vegas Raiders.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">O. J. Howard</span> American football player (born 1994)

Oterrius Jabari "O. J." Howard is an American professional football tight end who is a free agent. He played college football for the Alabama Crimson Tide, and was selected by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the first round of the 2017 NFL draft.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Darren Waller</span> American football player (born 1992)

Darren Charles Waller is an American former professional football tight end who played in the National Football League (NFL) for nine seasons. He played college football for the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets and was selected by the Baltimore Ravens in the sixth round of the 2015 NFL draft. He is a great-grandson of composer and jazz pianist Fats Waller.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">A. J. Derby</span> American football player (born 1991)

Alexander John Derby is an American former professional football tight end. He played college football at Iowa (2010–11), Coffeyville Community College (2012), and Arkansas (2013–14).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Evan Engram</span> American football player (born 1994)

Evan Michael Engram is an American professional football tight end for the Jacksonville Jaguars of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Ole Miss Rebels, earning first-team All-American honors in 2016. He was selected by the New York Giants with the 23rd pick in the first round of the 2017 NFL draft.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Austin Hooper</span> American football player (born 1994)

Austin Manuel Hooper is an American professional football tight end for the New England Patriots of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Stanford, and was selected by the Atlanta Falcons in the third round of the 2016 NFL draft.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">David Njoku</span> American football player (born 1996)

David Njoku is an American professional football tight end for the Cleveland Browns of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Miami (FL). He was selected by the Browns in the first round of the 2017 NFL draft.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Adam Shaheen</span> American football player (born 1994)

Adam Shaheen is an American football tight end who is a free agent. He played college football at Ashland, and was drafted by the Chicago Bears in the second round of the 2017 NFL draft. He is the highest draft pick from Ashland in the modern era of the NFL.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jonnu Smith</span> American football player (born 1995)

Jonnu Andre Smith is an American professional football tight end for the Miami Dolphins of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at FIU and was selected by the Tennessee Titans in the third round of the 2017 NFL draft. After four seasons with the Titans, he joined the New England Patriots in 2021, and was later traded to the Atlanta Falcons in 2023.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eric Saubert</span> American football player (born 1994)

Eric Saubert is an American professional football tight end for the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Drake, and was drafted by the Atlanta Falcons in the fifth round of the 2017 NFL draft.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mark Andrews (American football)</span> American football player (born 1995)

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.

Christopher Herndon IV is an American professional football tight end who is a free agent. He played college football for the Miami Hurricanes and was selected by the New York Jets in the fourth round of the 2018 NFL draft.

References

  1. ↑ "Clive Walford Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Draft, College". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved October 10, 2023.
  2. 1 2 Thurman, Joel (April 1, 2015). "Chiefs meeting with Clive Walford, one of the 2015 NFL Draft's top tight ends". Arrowhead Pride. Retrieved December 5, 2017.
  3. ↑ "Clive Walford, 2010 Tight End, Miami (FL)". Rivals.com. Retrieved October 10, 2023.
  4. ↑ Hays, Chris (July 21, 2009). "Belle Glade TE/DE Clive Walford commits to Miami Hurricanes for football, though he stars in basketball". Orlando Sentinel. Retrieved October 9, 2023.
  5. ↑ "Clive Walford – Stats". flrunners.com.
  6. ↑ Milian, Jorge (September 13, 2012). "Glades Central grad Clive Walford a bright spot at TE for 'Canes". Palm Beach Post. Retrieved September 24, 2024.
  7. ↑ Degnan, Susan Miller (August 11, 2014). "University of Miami tight end Clive Walford knows future depends on 'giving my all'". Miami Herald. Retrieved September 24, 2024.
  8. ↑ "Clive Walford, having a breakout season, named Mackey Award TE of the week – Canes Watch".
  9. ↑ "Tight end transformation: Miami's Clive Walford becomes one of nation's best – Canes Watch".
  10. ↑ Christy Cabrera Chirinos (January 5, 2015). "Al-Quadin Muhammad back with Hurricanes, Walford gets Senior Bowl invite". sun-sentinel.com. Retrieved December 3, 2017.
  11. ↑ Bryan Fischer (January 21, 2017). "Miami's Clive Walford among Day 2 standouts at Senior Bowl". NFL.com. Retrieved December 3, 2017.
  12. ↑ Gary Laney (January 21, 2015). "Senior Bowl standouts: TE Clive Walford wows NFL coaches, while a pair of RBs show off pro form". Cleveland.com. Retrieved December 3, 2017.
  13. ↑ Mike Huguenin (January 21, 2015). "Mayock: Clive Walford 'most explosive tight end' in 2015 draft". NFL.com. Archived from the original on December 4, 2017. Retrieved December 3, 2017.
  14. ↑ "2015 Senior Bowl: North vs. South". profootballfocus.com. Retrieved December 4, 2017.
  15. ↑ "Did Clive Walford Hurt His Draft Stock At The Combine?". Procanes.com. February 22, 2015. Retrieved December 3, 2017.
  16. ↑ Matt Porter (April 2, 2015). "Who impressed at Miami Hurricanes pro day, and which NFL personnel attended". caneswatch.blog.palmbeachpost.com. Retrieved December 3, 2017.
  17. ↑ "Clive Walford, DS #2 TE, Miami". nfldraftscout.com. Retrieved December 3, 2017.
  18. ↑ Charles Davis (April 1, 2015). "2015 NFL Draft prospect rankings by position". NFL.com. Retrieved December 3, 2017.
  19. ↑ Mike Mayock (April 28, 2015). "Mike Mayock's 2015 NFL Draft position rankings 5". NFL.com. Retrieved December 3, 2017.
  20. ↑ Chris Burke (April 8, 2015). "2015 NFL draft positional rankings: Tight end". si.com. Retrieved December 3, 2017.
  21. ↑ Lance Zierlein (March 19, 2015). "2015 NFL Draft: Lance Zierlein's top 10 tight ends". NFL.com. Retrieved December 4, 2017.
  22. ↑ "Clive Walford – Miami (FL), TE : 2015 NFL Draft Scout Player Profile". www.nfldraftscout.com.
  23. ↑ "Raiders Take Miami TE Clive Walford in 3rd Round". Raiders.com. May 1, 2015. Archived from the original on December 4, 2017. Retrieved June 25, 2017.
  24. ↑ "2015 NFL Draft Listing". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved May 15, 2023.
  25. ↑ "Spotrac.com: Clive Walford contract". spotrac.com. Retrieved December 4, 2017.
  26. ↑ Bill Williamson (August 11, 2015). "Clive Walford practices after missing first nine days of camp". ESPN.com. Retrieved December 5, 2017.
  27. ↑ Levi Damien (August 3, 2015). "Mychal Rivera impressing while Clive Walford missing Raiders training camp". silverandblackpride.com. Retrieved December 5, 2017.
  28. ↑ "NFL". Sacramento.cbslocal.com. September 11, 2015. Retrieved December 5, 2017.
  29. ↑ Levi Damien (September 8, 2015). "Raiders release depth chart for 2015 regular season opener". silverandblackpride.com. Retrieved December 5, 2017.
  30. ↑ Shawn Jonas (September 8, 2015). "Raider's Week 1 Depth Chart". onthefieldreport.com. Retrieved December 5, 2017.
  31. ↑ "Cincinnati Bengals at Oakland Raiders - September 13th, 2015". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved October 10, 2023.
  32. ↑ "NFL Game Center: Week 7-2015: Oakland Raiders @ San Diego Chargers". NFL.com. Retrieved December 5, 2017.
  33. ↑ "NFL Player stats: Clive Walford (2015)". NFL.com. Retrieved December 4, 2017.
  34. ↑ "Raiders Re-Sign or Realign: Mychal Rivera proved he can compete with Clive Walford". blackholebanter.com. Retrieved December 5, 2017.
  35. ↑ Orlando Ledbetter (September 9, 2016). "Raiders release 'official' depth chart for the Falcons' game". AtlantaFalcons.blog.ajc.com. Archived from the original on December 6, 2017. Retrieved December 5, 2017.
  36. ↑ Rob Goldberg (October 6, 2016). "Clive Walford Injury: Updates on Raiders TE's Knee and Return". bleacherreport.com. Retrieved December 5, 2017.[ permanent dead link ]
  37. ↑ "Raiders' Lee Smith: Suffers season-threatening injury Sunday". CBSSports.com. October 3, 2016. Retrieved September 24, 2024.
  38. ↑ "NFL Game Center: Carolina Panthers @ Oakland Raiders". NFL.com. Retrieved December 5, 2017.
  39. ↑ "Clive Walford 2016 Game Log". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved October 10, 2023.
  40. ↑ "Ourlads.com: Oakland Raiders' depth chart: 07/01/2017". Ourlads.com. Retrieved December 5, 2017.
  41. ↑ "NFL Player stats: Clive Walford (2017)". NFL.com. Retrieved December 5, 2017.
  42. ↑ "Raiders Sign Brown, Place Walford On IR". Raiders.com. December 23, 2017. Retrieved October 9, 2023.
  43. ↑ "Clive Walford 2017 Game Log". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved October 10, 2023.
  44. ↑ Damien, Levi (March 27, 2018). "Raiders to release former third round pick Clive Walford". SilverAndBlackPride.com. Retrieved October 9, 2023.
  45. ↑ Shook, Nick (April 2, 2018). "Jets claim ex-Raiders TE Clive Walford via waivers". NFL.com. Archived from the original on April 3, 2018.
  46. ↑ Lange, Randy (September 1, 2018). "Final Cutdown: Jets Reach 53-Player Active Roster". NewYorkJets.com.
  47. ↑ "Roster Move: Colts Sign Free Agent TE Clive Walford". Colts.com. November 28, 2018. Retrieved November 26, 2019.
  48. ↑ Williams, Charean (December 7, 2018). "Colts promote Daurice Fountain, waive Clive Walford". Pro Football Talk . NBC Sports . Retrieved December 8, 2018.
  49. ↑ "Jets Place TE Tomlinson on IR, Bring Back TE Walford". NewYorkJets.com. December 27, 2018. Retrieved November 26, 2019.
  50. ↑ "Clive Walford 2018 Game Log". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved October 10, 2023.
  51. ↑ "Dolphins Sign CB Eric Rowe & TE Clive Walford". MiamiDolphins.com. March 14, 2019. Retrieved November 26, 2019.
  52. ↑ "Dolphins Release Jordan Mills & Clive Walford". MiamiDolphins.com. August 27, 2019. Retrieved November 26, 2019.
  53. ↑ "Dolphins Sign Clive Walford, Place Xavien Howard On IR". MiamiDolphins.com. October 30, 2019. Retrieved November 26, 2019.
  54. ↑ "Clive Walford 2019 Game Log". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved October 10, 2023.
  55. ↑ Patra, Kevin (May 3, 2016). "Report: Raiders TE Clive Walford injured knee in ATV crash". NFL.com. Archived from the original on May 5, 2016. Retrieved December 4, 2017.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.