Kenny Golladay is one of the top wideouts playing in the NFL right now, but considering everything he went through in his pre-NFL career, this type of output was something no one saw coming. Kenny never lost hope when he showed some abysmal numbers during the combine, and now he is the main target in the Lions’ team.
The Lions wide receiver was born on 3 November 1993 in Chicago, Illinois, and growing up in the Northern part of the US, where so many legendary NFL teams are located, football was always of peak interest for the athlete. He did play other sports in high school, but the athlete knew football was for him and utilized all his talent to get to where he is now.
Source: ESPN
After all the trials and disappointments, Kenny is still in the NFL and making a name for himself by playing like another Lions legend Calvin Johnson. Plucking balls from the air while defenders are draped all over him is something Detroit fans are getting used to. So, here are the top five facts you should know about the WR from Chicago who plays for Detroit.
5. Golladay Started His Career at St. Rita High School
Though the football team in Chicago is legendary and their defense in the 80s is considered to be one of the best, but in terms of achievement, Chicago could not get over the hump and win the Super Bowl. After Kenny was born, the Chicago basketball team was the best in the country, which is why if the massive receiver chose basketball over football, no one would’ve blamed him.
But it was never much of choice for the player who grew up loving the severe contact sport of football. After he enrolled in the St. Rita High School, the player quickly took to the football team and started playing for the team, which was the start of his career in football.
4. North Dakota; the Next Destination in His Career
After shinning bright during his high school stint, the still-growing wide receiver took his talents to the University of North Dakota. He chose the college after multiple offers on the table from various other universities in 2012.
The freshman year was not so massive for the athlete who snagged just 30 balls for a total of 429 yards and one touchdown. But then he came up big during his sophomore year gathering 69 catches for 884 yards and eight touchdowns. This was not enough though to keep the player in Dakota as he transferred soon after.
3. Kenny Needed to Sit Out a Season After His Transfer to Northern Illinois
The second season with North Dakota was over, and Kenny wanted to get more opportunities for himself, which is why he decided to move on Northern Illinois in 2014, and due to the NCAA transfer rules, the player was not allowed to play a season for the team.
But the move itself seems fruitful for the player in hindsight considering he recorded the school’s first 1,000 yards in two consecutive years possible. He recorded 73 catches for 1,129 yards and ten touchdowns in his first season there and then added another 87 catches for a total of 1,156 yards with eight touchdowns in his final year with the college. Same way Randy Moss' son is making a name for himself in college playing like his father.
2. Not of Great Combine Numbers and Getting Drafted Ahead of the Projected Position
2016 was his last season as a college athlete, and he announced his intention to enter the 2017 NFL draft. Before the draft, Combine was held like every other year, and Kenny was one of the 50+ receivers who were present at the Combine.
At the end of the day, he was ranked 20 among all the receivers after posting not so great numbers of 4.50 40-yard dash. The player was projected to go in the 5th or 6th round of the NFL Draft. Instead, he was picked in the 3rd round by the Detroit Lions, and he was the 12th WR off the board, way ahead than where he was projected to go.
1. Kenny Golladay’s Relationship with Girlfriend Araina Jay
Araina Jay is from Kansas City, where she worked as a lash technician and also worked for the Snyder Insurance Company. The two are in love with each other and make frequent appearances in each other’s Instagram pages. The couple does not appear to be married, and they are also most likely not engaged.
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