Early Doucet
Encyclopedia
Early Joseph Doucet, III (born October 28, 1985, in New Iberia, Louisiana
) is an American football
wide receiver
for the Arizona Cardinals
of the National Football League
. He was drafted by the Cardinals in the third round of the 2008 NFL Draft
. He played college football
at Louisiana State
.
at St. Martinville High School in St. Martinville, Louisiana
. Doucet was the top-rated receiver in the nation, as well one of the top five athletes. He was named an All-American by Parade
. As a senior, he was named to First-team 4A all-state as well was honorable mention academic all-state. Doucet was exceptionally versatile, playing quarterback
, running back
, receiver, and return man
for his team. He eventually ran for 3,592 yards on 470 carries and 52 touchdowns during his career. Doucet also participated in four different postseason teams, helping his basketball
team to the state championship with Darrel Mitchell also an athlete from LSU, as well as taking his football team to the state semi-finals twice. He played in the 2004 U.S. Army All-American Bowl
, which is a national all-star game for some of the nation's best and brightest high school football players.
(LSU) Fighting Tigers. After catching 18 passes for 257 yards and two touchdowns, he was named to the All-SEC
freshman team. Doucet played in 12 games, with three starts
. His first career TD came on a 12-yard pass from JaMarcus Russell
.
Doucet began taking a bigger part as he played in 12 games and started five. He did not play in the 2005 Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl against the University of Miami
Hurricanes due to an ankle injury, which he got during the SEC Championship Game
against Georgia
. He finished the season with 26 catches for 389 yards and five touchdowns.
Doucet played in 13 games with six starts, playing with Dwayne Bowe and Craig Davis to form a dangerous receiver corps. He improved his statistics drastically, ending up with 59 catches for 772 yards and eight touchdowns. He also rushed the ball eight times for 59 yards and two TDs. He played an instrumental role in the 2007 Sugar Bowl
, where he caught eight passes for 115 yards in a rout of Notre Dame
.
As a senior in 2007, Doucet recorded 57 receptions, 525 yards and five touchdowns.
, and drew comparions to Reggie Wayne
. Since he neither has the speed nor size of elite wideout prospects, Doucet was projected as second to third round pick and a "No. 3 receiver" in the NFL. He was picked in the third round by the Arizona Cardinals
with the 81st pick overall.
(‡ represents LSU Pro Day)
in week five, Doucet caught six passes for 42 yards. To round out his rookie season, Doucet reached Super Bowl XLIII
with the Cardinals. Arizona played the Pittsburgh Steelers
for the world championship on February 1, 2009, resulting in a Cardinals' loss.
Cardinals receiver Early Doucet was out for several weeks after fracturing his ribs in Arizona's third preseason game. Doucet caught his first career playoff touchdown, a 15-yarder with 9:16 remaining in the first quarter of the NFC Wild Card playoff game between the Cardinals and Green Bay Packers on January 10, 2010. Early scored another TD with 2:16 before the half.
New Iberia, Louisiana
New Iberia is a city in and the parish seat of Iberia Parish, Louisiana, United States, 30 miles southeast of Lafayette. In 1900, 6,815 people lived in New Iberia; in 1910, 7,499; and in 1940, 13,747...
) is an American football
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...
wide receiver
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 Arizona Cardinals
Arizona Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in Glendale, Arizona, a suburb of Phoenix. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
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 drafted by the Cardinals in the third round of the 2008 NFL Draft
2008 NFL Draft
The 2008 NFL Draft took place at Radio City Music Hall in New York City on April 26 and April 27, 2008. For the 29th consecutive year, ESPN televised the draft; the NFL Network also broadcast the event, its third year doing so...
. 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 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...
.
Early years
Early Doucet preppedHigh school football
High school football, in North America, refers to the game of football as it is played in the United States and Canada. It ranks among the most popular interscholastic sports in both of these nations....
at St. Martinville High School in St. Martinville, Louisiana
St. Martinville, Louisiana
St. Martinville is a city in and the parish seat of St. Martin Parish, Louisiana, United States. It lies on Bayou Teche, sixteen miles south of Breaux Bridge, eighteen miles southeast of Lafayette, and nine miles north of New Iberia. The population was 6,989 at the 2000 census. It is part of the...
. Doucet was the top-rated receiver in the nation, as well one of the top five athletes. He was named an All-American by Parade
Parade (magazine)
Parade is an American nationwide Sunday newspaper magazine, distributed in more than 500 newspapers in the United States. It was founded in 1941 and is owned by Advance Publications. The most widely read magazine in the U.S., Parade has a circulation of 32.2 million and a readership of nearly 70...
. As a senior, he was named to First-team 4A all-state as well was honorable mention academic all-state. Doucet was exceptionally versatile, playing quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
, 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...
, receiver, and return man
Kick returner
In American and Canadian football, a kick returner is the player on special teams who is primarily responsible to catch kickoffs and attempts to return them in the opposite direction. If the ball is kicked into his own endzone, he must assess the situation on the field while the ball is in the...
for his team. He eventually ran for 3,592 yards on 470 carries and 52 touchdowns during his career. Doucet also participated in four different postseason teams, helping his basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
team to the state championship with Darrel Mitchell also an athlete from LSU, as well as taking his football team to the state semi-finals twice. He played in the 2004 U.S. Army All-American Bowl
U.S. Army All-American Bowl
The U.S. Army All-American Bowl is a high school football all-star game held in early January in San Antonio, Texas. Currently played in the Alamodome, the game brings 90 of the nation's top high school football players in an East versus West matchup. In addition to the Bowl game, there is the U.S...
, which is a national all-star game for some of the nation's best and brightest high school football players.
College career
Early Doucet was a member of the Louisiana State UniversityLouisiana State University
Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, most often referred to as Louisiana State University, or LSU, is a public coeducational university located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The University was founded in 1853 in what is now known as Pineville, Louisiana, under the name...
(LSU) Fighting Tigers. After catching 18 passes for 257 yards and two touchdowns, he was named to the All-SEC
Southeastern Conference
The Southeastern Conference is an American college athletic conference that operates in the southeastern part of the United States. It is headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama...
freshman team. Doucet played in 12 games, with three starts
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...
. His first career TD came on a 12-yard pass from JaMarcus Russell
JaMarcus Russell
JaMarcus Trenell Russell is an American football quarterback who is currently a free agent. Russell played college football for the LSU Tigers where he finished 21–4 as a starter and was named MVP of the 2007 Sugar Bowl. The Oakland Raiders selected Russell with the first overall pick of the 2007...
.
Doucet began taking a bigger part as he played in 12 games and started five. He did not play in the 2005 Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl against the University of Miami
University of Miami
The University of Miami is a private, non-sectarian university founded in 1925 with its main campus in Coral Gables, Florida, a medical campus in Miami city proper at Civic Center, and an oceanographic research facility on Virginia Key., the university currently enrolls 15,629 students in 12...
Hurricanes due to an ankle injury, which he got during the SEC Championship Game
SEC Championship Game
The SEC Championship Game refers to the game determining the Southeastern Conference's football season champion. The championship game pits the SEC Western Division representative against the Eastern Division representative in a game held after the regular season has been completed. Thus far, nine...
against 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...
. He finished the season with 26 catches for 389 yards and five touchdowns.
Doucet played in 13 games with six starts, playing with Dwayne Bowe and Craig Davis to form a dangerous receiver corps. He improved his statistics drastically, ending up with 59 catches for 772 yards and eight touchdowns. He also rushed the ball eight times for 59 yards and two TDs. He played an instrumental role in the 2007 Sugar Bowl
2007 Sugar Bowl
The 2007 Allstate Sugar Bowl Game was a college football bowl game, which formed part of the 2006–2007 Bowl Championship Series of the 2006 NCAA Division I-BS football season. Played on January 3, 2007, in the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans, it was the 73rd Sugar Bowl...
, where he caught eight passes for 115 yards in a rout of Notre Dame
University of Notre Dame
The University of Notre Dame du Lac is a Catholic research university located in Notre Dame, an unincorporated community north of the city of South Bend, in St. Joseph County, Indiana, United States...
.
As a senior in 2007, Doucet recorded 57 receptions, 525 yards and five touchdowns.
2008 NFL Draft
Doucet was regarded as one of the better wide receivers available in the 2008 NFL Draft2008 NFL Draft
The 2008 NFL Draft took place at Radio City Music Hall in New York City on April 26 and April 27, 2008. For the 29th consecutive year, ESPN televised the draft; the NFL Network also broadcast the event, its third year doing so...
, and drew comparions to Reggie Wayne
Reggie Wayne
Reginald "Reggie" Wayne is a professional American football wide receiver for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League. Wayne was selected in the 1st round of the 2001 NFL Draft by the Colts...
. Since he neither has the speed nor size of elite wideout prospects, Doucet was projected as second to third round pick and a "No. 3 receiver" in the NFL. He was picked in the third round by the Arizona Cardinals
Arizona Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in Glendale, Arizona, a suburb of Phoenix. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
with the 81st pick overall.
| Pre-draft measureables | ||||||||||
| Ht | Wt | 40-yard dash 40 yard dash The 40-yard dash is a sprint covering . It is primarily run to evaluate the speed of American football players by scouts, particularly for the NFL Draft but also for collegiate recruiting. A player's recorded time in the 40 can have a heavy impact on his prospects in college or professional football... |
10-yd split | 20-yd split | 20 ss 20 yard shuttle The 20-yard shuttle, also simply called the short shuttle, is a test performed by American football athletes at the NFL combine. It is primarily run to evaluate the quickness and change-of-direction ability of players by scouts, particularly for the NFL Draft but also for collegiate recruiting... |
3-cone 3 cone drill The 3 cone drill, or three cone drill, is a test performed by American football athletes at the NFL combine. It is primarily run to evaluate the agility, quickness and fluidity of movement of players by scouts, particularly for the NFL Draft but also for collegiate recruiting... |
Vert Vertical jump A vertical jump or vertical leap is the act of raising one's center of gravity higher in the vertical plane solely with the use of one's own muscles; it is a measure of how high an individual or athlete can elevate off the ground from a standstill.-Types of vertical jump:The vertical jump is... |
Broad | BP Bench press The bench press is an exercise of the upper body. For bodybuilding purposes, it is used to stimulate the pectorals, deltoids, and triceps. While on his or her back, the person performing the bench press lowers a weight to the level of the chest, then pushes it back up until the arm is straight... |
Wonderlic |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6-0 ‡ | 203 lb ‡ | 4.56 ‡ | X | X | 4.55 ‡ | 7.47 ‡ | 34½ in. ‡ | 9′06″ ‡ | X | X |
Arizona Cardinals
In his NFL debut against the Buffalo BillsBuffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills are a professional football team based in Buffalo, New York. They are currently members of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
in week five, Doucet caught six passes for 42 yards. To round out his rookie season, Doucet reached Super Bowl XLIII
Super Bowl XLIII
Super Bowl XLIII was an American football game pitting the American Football Conference champion Pittsburgh Steelers against the National Football Conference champion Arizona Cardinals to decide the National Football League champion for the 2008 season. The game was played on February 1, 2009,...
with the Cardinals. Arizona played the Pittsburgh Steelers
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team currently belongs to the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Founded in , the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC...
for the world championship on February 1, 2009, resulting in a Cardinals' loss.
Cardinals receiver Early Doucet was out for several weeks after fracturing his ribs in Arizona's third preseason game. Doucet caught his first career playoff touchdown, a 15-yarder with 9:16 remaining in the first quarter of the NFC Wild Card playoff game between the Cardinals and Green Bay Packers on January 10, 2010. Early scored another TD with 2:16 before the half.