Jeffrey David "Jeff" Maehl (born March 16, 1989 in Paradise, California

Paradise, California

Paradise is an incorporated town in Butte County, in the northwest foothills of California's Central Valley, in the Sierra. The town is considered part of the Chico Metropolitan Area. The population was 26,218 at the 2010 census, down from 26,408 at the 2000 census...

) 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...

 with the Houston Texans

Houston Texans

The Houston Texans are a professional American football team based in Houston, Texas. The team is currently a member of the Southern Division of the American 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...

.

Personal

Maehl lives in Houston, Texas. Maehl has three tattoos, on his right arm; one says "Paradise California", his hometown. The one on his left is in honor of drowned former teammate Todd Doxey. Doxey was a close friend and teammate of Maehl..

College Career

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...

 with the University of Oregon Ducks

Oregon Ducks football

The Oregon Ducks football program is the intercollegiate American football team for the University of Oregon located in the U.S. state of Oregon. The team competes at the NCAA Division I level in the Football Bowl Subdivision and is a member of the Pacific-12 Conference. Known as the Ducks, the...

. As a senior in 2010, Maehl caught 77 passes for 1,076 yards while helping Oregon to the 2010 BCS National Championship Game

2010 BCS National Championship Game

The 2010 Citi BCS National Championship Game was the finale of the 2009 NCAA Division I FBS football season, and was played between the Texas Longhorns and the Alabama Crimson Tide. It was hosted by the Pasadena Tournament of Roses Association at the Rose Bowl Stadium in Pasadena, California,...

. In that game Jeff and Quarterback Darron Thomas set a record for the longest pass play from scrimmage in a championship game; 81 yards. Prior to the 2011 NFL Draft

2011 NFL Draft

The 2011 NFL Draft was the 76th installment of the annual NFL Draft, where the franchises of the National Football League select newly eligible football players...

, Maehl was predicted to be a late-round draft pick by draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr.

NFL Combine

At the NFL combine Jeff Maehl had a strong performance. He measured in at 6'1" and 190 lbs and ran a below average 40-time at 4.62 seconds. However, in the measures of quickness - 20-yard shuttle, 60-yard shuttle, and 3-cone drill - Maehl finished 2nd, 1st, and 1st respectively. Maehl's 6.42 second 3-cone drill was not only the fastest in this year's draft, but the fastest it has been run in 6 years.

Professional Career

Maehl went undrafted in the 2011 NFL Draft but was selected with the final pick of the 2011 UFL Draft

2011 UFL Draft

The 2011 UFL Draft was the third draft of the United Football League. The draft took place on Monday, May 2, 2011. The draft was held over a period of 10 rounds during which each of the five UFL teams was allowed one pick per round, in reverse order of 2010 finish, with the last-place Hartford...

 by the Virginia Destroyers. Maehl was signed by the Houston Texans as an undrafted free agent on July 25, 2011. Despite being waived by Houston on September 3, 2011, Maehl was signed to the Texans practice squad on September 4, 2011.