Caleb King
Encyclopedia
Caleb King is an American football
running back
, who plays for the Minnesota Vikings
of the National Football League
. He was signed by the Vikings as an undrafted free agent in 2011, and then was cut on September 3. He was re-signed to the Minnesota Vikings practice squad on September 5. He played college football
at the University of Georgia
.
. He attended Parkview High School
in Lilburn, Georgia
. He wore the #4 jersey at Georgia and Parkview High School for his first three years. As a sophomore in 2004, he had 936 rushing yards, 397 receiving yards, and returned three kickoffs for touchdowns. The following season, King recorded 2,768 rushing yards, the most for a junior in state history. He also ran for 19 touchdowns, and caught nine receptions for 188 yards and a touchdown. That season, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
named him a Class 5A All-State player.
For his senior year, he transferred to the Greater Atlanta Christian School
. That season, he recorded 939 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns before suffering a broken tibia
. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution named King a Class 2A All-State honorable mention and its "Super Southern 100". The Macon Telegraph included him in its Top 50. Rivals.com
rated him the eighth-ranked running back in the nation and the first-ranked player in the state of Georgia, while Scout.com
rated him the fourth-ranked running back and the 25th-ranked player in the nation. The Journal-Constitution called King "one of the most heavily recruited and scrutinized players in the nation," and he received many scholarship offers
including ones from Auburn
, Florida
, Georgia
, Louisiana State
, Notre Dame
, Tennessee
, and Southern California.
in 2007, and spent that season
on redshirt
status. In 2008
, he saw action in 11 games as a back-up behind starting
tailback Knowshon Moreno
. King recorded a total of 61 carries
for 247 yards and one touchdown. In the season opener against , he led the team in rushing with 12 carries for 95 yards. During the season, he was largely relegated to the sidelines as Moreno carried Georgia's offense. After the season, Moreno entered the NFL Draft
, and King was expected to be the starter for the 2009 season
. However, King fractured his jaw during the season limiting his action. He played ten games during the season, of which five of them he started. In the final week of the 2009 season, King rushed for a career high 166 yards against 7th-ranked Georgia Tech, which included a career-high 75-yard touchdown run. He finished his sophomore season with 594 yards rushing on 114 attempts (5.2 ypc) and 10 catches for 108 yards. He led the team in touchdowns with 8 (7 rushing, 1 receiving). As a junior in the 2010 season King rushed for 430 yards on 80 attempts with two touchdowns.
. He was later waived by the Vikings on September 3, 2011. King was then signed to the Vikings practice squad on September 5, 2011.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
running back
Running back
A running back is a gridiron football position, who is typically lined up in the offensive backfield. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback for a rushing play, to catch passes from out of the backfield, and to block.There are usually one or two running...
, who plays for the Minnesota Vikings
Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Vikings joined the National Football League as an expansion team in 1960...
of the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
. He was signed by the Vikings as an undrafted free agent in 2011, and then was cut on September 3. He was re-signed to the Minnesota Vikings practice squad on September 5. He played college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
at the University of Georgia
University of Georgia
The University of Georgia is a public research university located in Athens, Georgia, United States. Founded in 1785, it is the oldest and largest of the state's institutions of higher learning and is one of multiple schools to claim the title of the oldest public university in the United States...
.
Early years
King was born on January 10, 1988 in Norcross, GeorgiaNorcross, Georgia
As of 2010 Norcross had a population of 9,116. The racial and ethnic composition of the population was 40.8% white , 19.8% black or African American , 0.7% Native American, 2.1% Asian Indian, 10.7% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 21.5% from some other race and 4.3% reporting two or more races...
. He attended Parkview High School
Parkview High School (Georgia)
Parkview High School, the "Home of the Panthers," is located in Lilburn, Georgia in Gwinnett County. The current principal is Mr. David T. Smith.-History:During the early 1970s, Gwinnett County, Georgia led the country in growth...
in Lilburn, Georgia
Lilburn, Georgia
As of 2010 Lilburn had a population of 11,596. The median age was 36.3. The racial and ethnic composition of the population was 52.7% white , 16.4% black or African American, 0.5% Native American, 4.8% Asian Indian, 10.4% other Asian, 12.3% from some other race and 2.8% from two or more races...
. He wore the #4 jersey at Georgia and Parkview High School for his first three years. As a sophomore in 2004, he had 936 rushing yards, 397 receiving yards, and returned three kickoffs for touchdowns. The following season, King recorded 2,768 rushing yards, the most for a junior in state history. He also ran for 19 touchdowns, and caught nine receptions for 188 yards and a touchdown. That season, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution is the only major daily newspaper in Atlanta, Georgia, United States, and its suburbs. The AJC, as it is called, is the flagship publication of Cox Enterprises. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution is the result of the merger between The Atlanta Journal and The Atlanta...
named him a Class 5A All-State player.
For his senior year, he transferred to the Greater Atlanta Christian School
Greater Atlanta Christian School
Greater Atlanta Christian School is a private school located in Norcross, Georgia.-History:Opening in 1967, Greater Atlanta Christian School was started by Jesse Long and had only 149 students on a two-lane rural road in Gwinnett County, Georgia, now known as Indian Trail Road. At first, buildings...
. That season, he recorded 939 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns before suffering a broken tibia
Tibia
The tibia , shinbone, or shankbone is the larger and stronger of the two bones in the leg below the knee in vertebrates , and connects the knee with the ankle bones....
. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution named King a Class 2A All-State honorable mention and its "Super Southern 100". The Macon Telegraph included him in its Top 50. 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...
rated him the eighth-ranked running back in the nation and the first-ranked player in the state of Georgia, while Scout.com
Scout.com
Scout.com is an integrated sports publishing company that produces both an Internet and print product. Scout has more than 2.1 million visitors...
rated him the fourth-ranked running back and the 25th-ranked player in the nation. The Journal-Constitution called King "one of the most heavily recruited and scrutinized players in the nation," and he received many scholarship offers
Athletic scholarship
An athletic scholarship is a form of scholarship to attend a college or university awarded to an individual based predominantly on his or her ability to play in a sport...
including ones from Auburn
Auburn Tigers football
Only Mohamed Amin Abughadir set the record with 1,890 yards in 1 season. He was the QB for Auburn in 1998.The Auburn Tigers football team represents Auburn University in college football as a member of the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision, competing in the Western Division of the...
, Florida
Florida Gators football
The Florida Gators football team represents the University of Florida in the sport of American football. The Florida Gators compete in the Football Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletics Association and the Eastern Division of the Southeastern Conference...
, Georgia
Georgia Bulldogs football
The Georgia Bulldogs football team represents the University of Georgia in football. The Bulldogs are a member of the Southeastern Conference and are frequently a top-25 team. The University of Georgia has had a football team since 1892 and has an all-time record of 738–398–54...
, Louisiana State
LSU Tigers football
The LSU Tigers football team, also known as the Fighting Tigers or Bayou Bengals, represents Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, United States in NCAA Division I FBS college football. Current head coach Les Miles has led the team since 2005. Since 1999 when Nick Saban took over as...
, Notre Dame
Notre Dame Fighting Irish football
Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team is the football team of the University of Notre Dame. The team is currently coached by Brian Kelly.Notre Dame competes as an Independent at the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision level, and is a founding member of the Bowl Championship Series coalition. It is an...
, Tennessee
Tennessee Volunteers football
The Tennessee Volunteers football team are an American college football team at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville . The NCAA Division I team is also a member of the Southeastern Conference ....
, and Southern California.
College career
King enrolled at the University of GeorgiaUniversity of Georgia
The University of Georgia is a public research university located in Athens, Georgia, United States. Founded in 1785, it is the oldest and largest of the state's institutions of higher learning and is one of multiple schools to claim the title of the oldest public university in the United States...
in 2007, and spent that season
2007 Georgia Bulldogs football team
The 2007 Georgia Bulldogs football team competed on behalf of the University of Georgia in American football against teams from other colleges and universities. The Bulldogs tied for first place in the Eastern Division of the Southeastern Conference but lost a tie-breaker with the University of...
on redshirt
Redshirt (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...
status. In 2008
2008 Georgia Bulldogs football team
The 2008 Georgia Bulldogs football team competed in American football on behalf of the University of Georgia in 2008. The Bulldogs competed in the East Division of the Southeastern Conference . This was the Georgia Bulldogs' eighth season under the guidance of head coach Mark Richt...
, he saw action in 11 games as a back-up behind starting
Starting lineup
A starting lineup in sports is an official list of the set of players who will actively participate in the event when the game begins. The players in the starting lineup are commonly referred to as starters, whereas the others are substitutes or bench players.The starters are commonly the best...
tailback Knowshon Moreno
Knowshon Moreno
Knowshon Rockwell Moreno is an American football running back for the Denver Broncos of the National Football League. He was selected 12th overall in the 2009 NFL Draft by the Broncos. He played college football at the University of Georgia.-Early years:Moreno grew up in Belford, a neighborhood in...
. King recorded a total of 61 carries
Carry (American football)
In American football, a carry is a statistical term equivalent to a single rushing play. The term is typically used in reference to "yards per carry," meaning yards per attempt rushing the ball. Any offensive player who performs a carry is known as a ballcarrier, regardless of position....
for 247 yards and one touchdown. In the season opener against , he led the team in rushing with 12 carries for 95 yards. During the season, he was largely relegated to the sidelines as Moreno carried Georgia's offense. After the season, Moreno entered the NFL Draft
2009 NFL Draft
The 2009 NFL Draft was the seventy-fourth annual meeting of National Football League franchises to select newly eligible football players. The draft took place at Radio City Music Hall in New York City on April 25 and 26, 2009. The draft consisted of two rounds on the first day starting at 4:00...
, and King was expected to be the starter for the 2009 season
2009 Georgia Bulldogs football team
The 2009 Georgia Bulldogs football team represented the University of Georgia in 2009. The Bulldogs competed in the East Division of the Southeastern Conference . This was the Georgia Bulldogs' ninth season head coach Mark Richt. The Bulldogs finished the season 8–5, 4–4 in SEC play and won the...
. However, King fractured his jaw during the season limiting his action. He played ten games during the season, of which five of them he started. In the final week of the 2009 season, King rushed for a career high 166 yards against 7th-ranked Georgia Tech, which included a career-high 75-yard touchdown run. He finished his sophomore season with 594 yards rushing on 114 attempts (5.2 ypc) and 10 catches for 108 yards. He led the team in touchdowns with 8 (7 rushing, 1 receiving). As a junior in the 2010 season King rushed for 430 yards on 80 attempts with two touchdowns.
Minnesota Vikings
On August 22, 2011, after being ruled eligible for the 2011 Supplemental Draft, King went undrafted. Later that day, he signed with the Minnesota VikingsMinnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Vikings joined the National Football League as an expansion team in 1960...
. He was later waived by the Vikings on September 3, 2011. King was then signed to the Vikings practice squad on September 5, 2011.