Brandon LaFell
Encyclopedia
Brandon LaFell is a wide receiver
for the Carolina Panthers
of the NFL. He was selected with the 78th pick in the 2010 NFL Draft
. LaFell is considered one of the best wide receivers in his class, and draws comparisons to Dwayne Bowe
.
Considered a three-star recruit by Rivals.com
, LaFell was listed as the No. 32 wide receiver prospect in the nation.
his initial year at LSU, LaFell saw action in 11 of the Tigers’ 13 games in 2006. His first career play was a 58-yard touchdown reception against Louisiana-Lafayette
in week one. On the year, LaFell caught five passes that went for 140 yards and two touchdowns. He received Freshman All-SEC honors by the coaches.
In 2007, LaFell played in all 14 games with nine starts. He ranked first on team in receiving yards (656) and second in receptions (50), while catching four TD passes and averaging 13.1 yards a reception. LaFell helped LSU to win the BCS National Championship
that year.
As a junior, LaFell emerged as one of the top receivers in the country, as he caught 63 passes for 929 yards and eight touchdowns. He ranked No. 2 in the SEC in yards per game with 71.5 per contest and was No. 3 in the league with 4.8 receptions per contest. LaFell subsequently earned First-Team All-SEC honors by the Associated Press
.
, he gradually gained playing time, eventually taking the #3 slot at receiver. He recorded his first NFL touchdown in Week 8 against the St. Louis Rams, a 17 yard pass from Matt Moore
.
He finished the season with 38 catches for 468 yards; his longest catch was of 44 yards. He also gained 60 additional yards on the ground, all of which came on a single end-around
play in week 17 against the Atlanta Falcons
, his longest gain of the season.
Wide receiver
A wide receiver is an offensive position in American and Canadian football, and is the key player in most of the passing plays. Only players in the backfield or the ends on the line are eligible to catch a forward pass. The two players who begin play at the ends of the offensive line are eligible...
for the Carolina Panthers
Carolina Panthers
The Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. They are currently members of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Panthers, along with the Jacksonville Jaguars, joined the NFL as expansion...
of the NFL. He was selected with the 78th pick in the 2010 NFL Draft
2010 NFL Draft
The 2010 NFL Draft was the 75th annual meeting of National Football League franchises to select newly eligible football players. Unlike previous years, the 2010 draft took place over three days, at Radio City Music Hall in New York City, with the first round on Thursday, April 22, 2010, at 7:30 pm...
. LaFell is considered one of the best wide receivers in his class, and draws comparisons to Dwayne Bowe
Dwayne Bowe
-2007:On August 5, 2007, Bowe signed a five-year contract with the Chiefs, after holding out the first week of practice at training camp.Bowe scored his first NFL touchdown on a pass from Damon Huard in the first half of the Chiefs' game against the Chicago Bears on September 16, 2007.In his rookie...
.
High school career
LaFell attended Lamar High School in Houston, where he caught 46 passes for 1,116 yards and 16 touchdowns as a senior. Also starring on special teams, he returned punts of 65 and 58 yards for touchdowns. LaFell was a member of the Houston Chronicle Top 100 and named first-team All-Greater Houston Area in 2004.Considered a three-star recruit by Rivals.com
Rivals.com
Rivals.com is a network of websites that focus mainly on college football and basketball recruiting. The network was started in 1996 and currently employs more than 300 personnel.-Schools:The individual collegiate sites can be found...
, LaFell was listed as the No. 32 wide receiver prospect in the nation.
College career
After redshirtingRedshirt (college sports)
Redshirt is a term used in American college athletics that refers to a delay or suspension of an athlete's participation in order to lengthen his or her period of eligibility...
his initial year at LSU, LaFell saw action in 11 of the Tigers’ 13 games in 2006. His first career play was a 58-yard touchdown reception against Louisiana-Lafayette
University of Louisiana at Lafayette
The University of Louisiana at Lafayette, or UL Lafayette, is a coeducational, public research university located in Lafayette, Louisiana, in the heart of Acadiana...
in week one. On the year, LaFell caught five passes that went for 140 yards and two touchdowns. He received Freshman All-SEC honors by the coaches.
In 2007, LaFell played in all 14 games with nine starts. He ranked first on team in receiving yards (656) and second in receptions (50), while catching four TD passes and averaging 13.1 yards a reception. LaFell helped LSU to win the BCS National Championship
NCAA Division I FBS National Football Championship
A college football national championship in the highest level of collegiate play in the United States, currently the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Football Bowl Subdivision , is a designation awarded annually by various third-party organizations to their selection of the best...
that year.
As a junior, LaFell emerged as one of the top receivers in the country, as he caught 63 passes for 929 yards and eight touchdowns. He ranked No. 2 in the SEC in yards per game with 71.5 per contest and was No. 3 in the league with 4.8 receptions per contest. LaFell subsequently earned First-Team All-SEC honors by the Associated Press
Associated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
.
2010 NFL Draft
On April 23, 2010, LaFell was selected by the Carolina Panthers in the third round, 78th overall. Despite not starting over Steve Smith and David GettisDavid Gettis
David Gettis is an American football wide receiver for the Carolina Panthers of the National Football League. He played College football for Baylor University.-High School career:...
, he gradually gained playing time, eventually taking the #3 slot at receiver. He recorded his first NFL touchdown in Week 8 against the St. Louis Rams, a 17 yard pass from Matt Moore
Matt Moore (American football)
Matthew Erickson Moore is an American Football quarterback for the Miami Dolphins of the National Football League.He played college football at UCLA and Oregon State...
.
He finished the season with 38 catches for 468 yards; his longest catch was of 44 yards. He also gained 60 additional yards on the ground, all of which came on a single end-around
End-around
The end-around is a play in American football in which a wide receiver crosses the backfield towards the opposite end of the line and receives a handoff directly from the quarterback. The receiver then may proceed to do one of two things: he either runs the ball towards the line of scrimmage in...
play in week 17 against the Atlanta Falcons
Atlanta Falcons
The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta, Georgia. They are a member of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
, his longest gain of the season.
Career Statistics
| Regular Season | Receiving | Rushing | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Team | GP | GS | Rec | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | Att | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD |
| 2010 2010 Carolina Panthers season -Coaching staff:-Preseason:The Panthers preseason schedule was announced on March 31, 2010.-Regular season:-Week 1: at New York Giants:The Panthers began their season at New Meadowlands Stadium for an NFC duel with the New York Giants. In the first quarter, Carolina got the stadium's very first... |
Carolina Panthers | 14 | 2 | 38 | 468 | 12.3 | 44 | 1 | 1 | 60 | 60.0 | 60 | 0 |
| Totals | 14 | 2 | 38 | 468 | 12.3 | 44 | 1 | 1 | 60 | 60.0 | 60 | 0 | |