Troy Niklas

Last updated

Troy Niklas
Troy Niklas.JPG
Niklas with the Arizona Cardinals in 2014
No. 87
Position: Tight end
Personal information
Born: (1992-09-18) September 18, 1992 (age 31)
Fullerton, California, U.S.
Height:6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)
Weight:270 lb (122 kg)
Career information
High school: Servite (Anaheim, California)
College: Notre Dame (2011–2013)
NFL draft: 2014  / Round: 2 / Pick: 52
Career history
 * Offseason and/or practice squad member only
Career NFL statistics
Receptions:19
Receiving yards:203
Receiving touchdowns:3
Player stats at PFR

Troy Niklas (born September 18, 1992) is a former American football tight end. He was drafted by the Arizona Cardinals in the second round of the 2014 NFL draft. He played college football at Notre Dame.

Contents

Early life

Niklas attended Servite High School in Anaheim, California. He was a two-way standout as both an offensive and defensive lineman. He helped lead Servite to 14–1 record in 2010, a second straight CIF Southern Section Pac-5 Division title and runner-up in state playoffs. He was named the Los Angeles Times lineman of the year as a senior in 2010. [1]

Also a standout athlete, Niklas was one of the state's top performers in the discus throw (top throw of 54.10 meters as a senior). [2]

Considered a four-star recruit by Rivals.com , he was rated the 24th-best offensive tackle prospect in the nation. [3] He accepted a scholarship from Notre Dame over offers from Stanford and USC. [4]

College career

Niklas attended the University of Notre Dame from 2011 to 2013. As a freshman, he played as a linebacker, appearing in 12 games with one start against Michigan State. He was moved to tight end as a sophomore. [5] Playing behind Tyler Eifert, he caught 5 passes for 75 yards and one touchdown. As a junior, he hauled in 32 receptions for 498 yards with five touchdowns.

On January 9, 2014, Niklas announced his intentions to forgo his remaining eligibility and enter the 2014 NFL draft. [6]

Professional career

Pre-draft measurables
HeightWeightArm lengthHand span 40-yard dash 20-yard shuttle Three-cone drill Vertical jump Broad jump Bench press
6 ft 6 in
(1.98 m)		270 lb
(122 kg)		34+1⁄8 in
(0.87 m)		10 in
(0.25 m)		4.84 s4.55 s7.57 s32 in
(0.81 m)		9 ft 4 in
(2.84 m)		27 reps
All values from NFL Combine [7]

Arizona Cardinals

Niklas was drafted by the Arizona Cardinals in the second round (52nd overall) of the 2014 NFL draft. [8] He was the fourth tight end selected in 2014. [9]

Niklas progress as a rookie was slowed due to his inability to participate in organized team activities after recovering from a hernia surgery in February. [10]

On September 27, 2016, Niklas was placed on injured reserve. [11]

In 2017, Niklas played in 15 games with 11 starts, recording 11 catches for 132 yards and one touchdown.

New England Patriots

On April 4, 2018, Niklas signed with the New England Patriots. [12] On July 27, Niklas was released by the team. [13]

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

On July 24, 2019, Niklas signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. [14] On July 29, 2019, Niklas was waived/injured by the Buccaneers and placed on injured reserve. [15] He was released on August 6.

Personal life

Niklas' uncle, Bruce Matthews, played at USC, was ninth overall pick in 1983 NFL Draft, earned Pro Bowl honors 14 times while playing with NFL Houston Oilers/Tennessee Titans from 1983–2001 and was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2007. [16]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alex Smith (tight end)</span> American football player (born 1982)

Edwin Alexander Smith, is a former American football tight end. He played college football at Stanford and was selected by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the third round of the 2005 NFL Draft. Smith was also a member of the New England Patriots, Philadelphia Eagles, Cleveland Browns, and Cincinnati Bengals, New Orleans Saints, and Washington Redskins.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Servite High School</span> Private, all-boys school in Anaheim, Orange County, California, United States

Servite High School is a private, Catholic, all-boys college preparatory high school in Anaheim, California founded in 1958.

<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">Jimmy Clausen</span> American football player (born 1987)

James Richard Clausen is an American former professional football player who was a quarterback in the National Football League (NFL) from 2010 to 2015. He played college football for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish and was selected by the Carolina Panthers in the second round of the 2010 NFL draft.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Matt Kalil</span> American football player (born 1989)

Matthew Francis Kalil is an American former professional football player who was an offensive tackle in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the USC Trojans and was selected by the Minnesota Vikings fourth overall in the 2012 NFL draft. He was also a member of the Carolina Panthers and Houston Texans.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tiquan Underwood</span> American football player and coach (born 1987)

Tiquan Underwood is an American football coach and former wide receiver who is the assistant wide receivers coach for the New England Patriots of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Rutgers and was selected by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the seventh round of the 2009 NFL draft.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Michael Floyd</span> American football player (born 1989)

Michael Floyd Jr. 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 from 2008 to 2011, finishing with 271 catches for 3,686 yards and 37 touchdowns, all school records. He was selected by the Arizona Cardinals in the first round of the 2012 NFL draft, but was dismissed from the Cardinals during the 2016 season, after he was arrested on drinking and driving charges. He has also played for the New England Patriots, Minnesota Vikings, New Orleans Saints, Washington Redskins, and Baltimore Ravens.

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

Robert Anthony McCoy is a former American football tight end. He was selected by Seattle in the sixth round of the 2010 NFL Draft. He played college football at USC.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kyle Rudolph</span> American football player (born 1989)

Kyle Daniel Rudolph is an American former football tight end who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 12 seasons, primarily with the Minnesota Vikings. He played college football for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish and was selected by the Vikings in the second round of the 2011 NFL draft. He has been selected to two Pro Bowls. He also played for the New York Giants and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Robert Hughes (American football)</span> American football player (born 1989)

Robert Hughes is a former American football fullback. He played college football for University of Notre Dame, where he ran for 1,392 yards on 321 attempts, as well as catching 43 passes for 370 yards. He was signed by the Chicago Bears as undrafted free agent in 2011.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Austin Seferian-Jenkins</span> American football player (born 1992)

Austin Edward Seferian-Jenkins is a former American football tight end. He was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the second round of the 2014 NFL draft. He played college football at Washington. He also played for the New York Jets and Jacksonville Jaguars.

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

Joseph Jules Fauria is a former American football tight end. He was signed by the Detroit Lions as an undrafted free agent in 2013. He played college football at Notre Dame and UCLA. He also played for the Arizona Cardinals and the New England Patriots.

Michael Williams is a former American football tight end. He was selected the Detroit Lions in the seventh round in the 2013 NFL Draft. He played college football at Alabama.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Darren Fells</span> American football player (born 1986)

Darren Andre Fells is a former American football tight end. He did not play college football, instead playing college basketball at the University of California, Irvine. Prior to his NFL career, Fells played professional basketball in several countries and was then signed by the Seattle Seahawks. He has also played for the Arizona Cardinals, Cleveland Browns, and Houston Texans. He is the brother of former NFL tight end Daniel Fells.

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

Calvin "C. J." Prosise Jr. is an American former professional football player who was a running back in the National Football League (NFL). He was selected by the Seattle Seahawks in the third round of the 2016 NFL draft. He played college football for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish.

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

Austin Manuel Hooper is an American 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.

The 2018 USC Trojans football team represented the University of Southern California in the 2018 NCAA Division I FBS football season. They played their home games at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum and competed as members of the South Division of the Pac-12 Conference. They were led by third-year head coach Clay Helton.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Equanimeous St. Brown</span> German-American football player (born 1996)

Equanimeous Tristan Imhotep J. St. Brown is an American football wide receiver for the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Notre Dame and was drafted by the Green Bay Packers in the sixth round of the 2018 NFL Draft. He is the older brother of Lions receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown.

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

Jack Cichy is a former American football linebacker. He played college football at Wisconsin. He was selected in the sixth round of the 2018 NFL Draft by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Amon-Ra St. Brown</span> American football player (born 1999)

Amon-Ra Julian Heru John St. Brown is an American football wide receiver for the Detroit Lions of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at USC and was drafted 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.

References

  1. ↑ "Servite's Troy Niklas is selected The Times' lineman of the year". Los Angeles Times . Archived from the original on January 10, 2014. Retrieved January 10, 2014.
  2. ↑ "Football Talent Advisors". footballtalentadvisors.com. Archived from the original on October 8, 2014. Retrieved October 17, 2014.
  3. ↑ "Troy Niklas". yahoo.com. Archived from the original on April 2, 2015. Retrieved March 8, 2015.
  4. ↑ Andy Hutchins. "Troy Niklas Commits To Notre Dame Over USC On National Signing Day". SBNation.com. Vox Media. Archived from the original on June 12, 2024. Retrieved December 7, 2017.
  5. ↑ "Chicago Sun-Times – Chicago : News : Politics : Things To Do : Sports". Chicago.
  6. ↑ "2014 NFL draft – Troy Niklas of Notre Dame Fighting Irish forgoing final year of eligibility". ESPN.com. Archived from the original on January 26, 2014. Retrieved January 10, 2014.
  7. ↑ "NFL Draft Profile: Troy Niklas". NFL.com. Archived from the original on June 12, 2024. Retrieved February 26, 2018.
  8. ↑ "Cardinals select Notre Dame tight end Troy Niklas with No. 52 pick in 2014 NFL Draft". Arizona Sports. May 10, 2014. Archived from the original on May 12, 2014. Retrieved May 10, 2014.
  9. ↑ "2014 NFL Draft Listing". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Archived from the original on September 21, 2018. Retrieved May 15, 2023.
  10. ↑ "Hernia surgery sidelines Niklas". espn.com. May 20, 2014. Archived from the original on June 12, 2024. Retrieved February 26, 2018.
  11. ↑ Urban, Darren. "Troy Niklas To IR; Cardinals Cut Canaday". AZCardinals.com. Archived from the original on April 8, 2018. Retrieved September 27, 2016.
  12. ↑ "Patriots trade Brandin Cooks to LA Rams; Sign OL Luke Bowanko and TE Troy Niklas". Patriots.com. April 4, 2018. Archived from the original on June 12, 2024. Retrieved November 28, 2018.
  13. ↑ "Patriots Sign WR Paul Turner; Release TE Troy Niklas". Patriots.com. July 27, 2018.
  14. ↑ Smith, Scott (July 24, 2019). "Bucs Add USF CB Mazzi Wilkins, TE Troy Niklas". Buccaneers.com. Archived from the original on June 12, 2024. Retrieved July 24, 2019.
  15. ↑ "Troy Niklas: Waived with injury designation". cbssports.com. July 29, 2019. Archived from the original on June 12, 2024. Retrieved July 29, 2019.
  16. ↑ Feldman, Bruce (July 14, 2015). "The next Matthews brother is 15 and already 6-foot-4, 320 pounds". Fox Sports. Retrieved November 30, 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.