Troy Niklas
No. 87 | |||||||
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Position: | Tight end | ||||||
Personal information | |||||||
Born: | Fullerton, California, U.S. | September 18, 1992||||||
Height: | 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) | ||||||
Weight: | 270 lb (122 kg) | ||||||
Career information | |||||||
High school: | Servite (Anaheim, California) | ||||||
College: | Notre Dame (2011–2013) | ||||||
NFL draft: | 2014 / Round: 2 / Pick: 52 | ||||||
Career history | |||||||
* Offseason and/or practice squad member only | |||||||
Career NFL statistics | |||||||
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Player stats at PFR |
Troy Niklas (born September 18, 1992) is a former American football tight end. He was drafted by the Arizona Cardinals in the second round of the 2014 NFL draft. He played college football at Notre Dame.
Early years[edit]
Niklas attended Servite High School in Anaheim, California. He was a two-way standout as both an offensive and defensive lineman. He helped lead Servite to 14–1 record in 2010, a second straight CIF Southern Section Pac-5 Division title and runner-up in state playoffs. He was named the Los Angeles Times lineman of the year as a senior in 2010.[1]
Also a standout athlete, Niklas was one of the state's top performers in the discus throw (top throw of 54.10 meters as a senior).[2]
Considered a four-star recruit by Rivals.com, he was rated the 24th-best offensive tackle prospect in the nation.[3] He accepted a scholarship from Notre Dame over offers from Stanford and USC.[4]
College career[edit]
Niklas attended the University of Notre Dame from 2011 to 2013. As a freshman, he played as a linebacker, appearing in 12 games with one start against Michigan State. He was moved to tight end as a sophomore.[5] Playing behind Tyler Eifert, he caught 5 passes for 75 yards and one touchdown. As a junior, he hauled in 32 receptions for 498 yards with five touchdowns.
On January 9, 2014, Niklas announced his intentions to forgo his remaining eligibility and enter the 2014 NFL draft.[6]
Professional career[edit]
Height | Weight | Arm length | Hand span | 40-yard dash | 20-yard shuttle | Three-cone drill | Vertical jump | Broad jump | Bench press | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) |
270 lb (122 kg) |
34+1⁄8 in (0.87 m) |
10 in (0.25 m) |
4.84 s | 4.55 s | 7.57 s | 32 in (0.81 m) |
9 ft 4 in (2.84 m) |
27 reps | |||
All values from NFL Combine[7] |
Arizona Cardinals[edit]
Niklas was drafted by the Arizona Cardinals in the second round (52nd overall) of the 2014 NFL draft.[8] He was the fourth tight end selected in 2014.[9]
Niklas progress as a rookie was slowed due to his inability to participate in organized team activities after recovering from a hernia surgery in February.[10]
On September 27, 2016, Niklas was placed on injured reserve.[11]
In 2017, Niklas played in 15 games with 11 starts, recording 11 catches for 132 yards and one touchdown.
New England Patriots[edit]
On April 4, 2018, Niklas signed with the New England Patriots.[12] On July 27, Niklas was released by the team.[13]
Tampa Bay Buccaneers[edit]
On July 24, 2019, Niklas signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.[14] On July 29, 2019, Niklas was waived/injured by the Buccaneers and placed on injured reserve.[15] He was released on August 6.
Personal life[edit]
Niklas' uncle, Bruce Matthews, played at USC, was ninth overall pick in 1983 NFL Draft, earned Pro Bowl honors 14 times while playing with NFL Houston Oilers/Tennessee Titans from 1983–2001 and was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2007.[16]
References[edit]
- ^ "Servite's Troy Niklas is selected The Times' lineman of the year". Los Angeles Times.
- ^ "Football Talent Advisors". footballtalentadvisors.com.
- ^ "Troy Niklas". yahoo.com.
- ^ Andy Hutchins. "Troy Niklas Commits To Notre Dame Over USC On National Signing Day". SBNation.com. Vox Media.
- ^ "Chicago Sun-Times – Chicago : News : Politics : Things To Do : Sports". Chicago.
- ^ "2014 NFL draft – Troy Niklas of Notre Dame Fighting Irish forgoing final year of eligibility". ESPN.com.
- ^ "NFL Draft Profile: Troy Niklas". NFL.com. Retrieved February 26, 2018.
- ^ "Cardinals select Notre Dame tight end Troy Niklas with No. 52 pick in 2014 NFL Draft". Arizona Sports. May 10, 2014.
- ^ "2014 NFL Draft Listing". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved May 15, 2023.
- ^ "Hernia surgery sidelines Niklas". espn.com. May 20, 2014. Retrieved February 26, 2018.
- ^ Urban, Darren. "Troy Niklas To IR; Cardinals Cut Canaday". AZCardinals.com. Archived from the original on April 8, 2018. Retrieved September 27, 2016.
- ^ "Patriots trade Brandin Cooks to LA Rams; Sign OL Luke Bowanko and TE Troy Niklas". Patriots.com. April 4, 2018.
- ^ "Patriots Sign WR Paul Turner; Release TE Troy Niklas". Patriots.com. July 27, 2018.
- ^ Smith, Scott (July 24, 2019). "Bucs Add USF CB Mazzi Wilkins, TE Troy Niklas". Buccaneers.com.
- ^ "Troy Niklas: Waived with injury designation". cbssports.com. July 29, 2019.
- ^ Feldman, Bruce (July 14, 2015). "The next Matthews brother is 15 and already 6-foot-4, 320 pounds". Fox Sports. Retrieved November 30, 2017.
External links[edit]
- Notre Dame Fighting Irish bio
- Media related to Troy Niklas at Wikimedia Commons