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DeeJay Dallas

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DeeJay Dallas
refer to caption
Dallas with the Seattle Seahawks in 2023
No. 20 – Arizona Cardinals
Position:Running back / Kickoff returner
Personal information
Born: (1998-09-16) September 16, 1998 (age 26)
Brunswick, Georgia, U.S.
Height:5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)
Weight:214 lb (97 kg)
Career information
High school:Glynn Academy (Brunswick, Georgia)
College:Miami (FL) (2017–2019)
NFL draft:2020 / round: 4 / pick: 144
Career history
Roster status:Active
Career NFL statistics as of Week 8, 2024
Rushing yards:468
Rushing average:4.2
Rushing touchdowns:4
Receptions:61
Receiving yards:396
Receiving touchdowns:1
Return yards:2,240
Return touchdowns:1
Stats at Pro Football Reference

Demetrius "DeeJay" Dallas, Jr. (born September 16, 1998) is an American professional football running back and kickoff returner for the Arizona Cardinals of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Miami Hurricanes and was selected by the Seattle Seahawks in the fourth round of the 2020 NFL draft.

Early life

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Demetrius Dallas, Jr. was born in Brunswick, Georgia, on September 16, 1998. He attended Glynn Academy in Brunswick, becoming a starter at wide receiver on the football team in his sophomore year. He played all over the field while in high school, at wide receiver, running back, quarterback, kick returner, punt returner, and even on defense.[1] He was named a first-team all-region 3-5A wide receiver in his sophomore year.[2] As a junior, Dallas led Glynn Academy to a Class 5A State Championship appearance for the first time in over 50 years, amassing 678 passing yards, 1,139 rushing yards, 147 receiving yards and 22 total touchdowns over the course of the season and being named region 3-5A player of the year.[3][4] In his senior season, he amassed 911 passing yards, 1,201 rushing yards, 105 receiving yards, and 24 total touchdowns, while bringing Glynn Academy to the state quarter-finals and being named region 3-5A player of the year again.[5] Throughout his high school career, Dallas amassed a total of 1,599 passing yards, 2,502 rushing yards, 779 receiving yards, 430 return yards and 55 touchdowns.[6]

Dallas was considered one of the top recruits coming out of high school, claiming a spot in the top-300 players of the class of 2017 by ESPN.[7] Because of his versatility on the field, Dallas was listed as an athlete, but most experts thought he would do best as a wide receiver or defensive back. Most recruiting websites had Dallas as a four-star athlete. Dallas had offers from Georgia, Alabama, and others, but ultimately chose to play at Miami under head coach Mark Richt.[8]

US college sports recruiting information for high school athletes
Name Hometown High school / college Height Weight 40‡ Commit date
DeeJay Dallas
Athlete 		Brunswick, GA Glynn Academy 5 ft 10.5 in (1.79 m) 191 lb (87 kg) 4.52 May 21, 2016 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout:4/5 stars   Rivals:4/5 stars   247Sports:4/5 stars    ESPN:4/5 stars   ESPN grade: 81
Overall recruiting rankings:   Rivals: 16 (ATH), 196 overall  247Sports: 12 (ATH), 255 overall  ESPN: 16 (ATH), 231 overall
  • Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight.
  • In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale.

Sources:

  • "2017 Miami Hurricanes Commitment List". Rivals.com. Archived from the original on March 29, 2023. Retrieved March 18, 2020.
  • "2017 Miami Hurricanes class". ESPN.com. Archived from the original on June 2, 2023. Retrieved March 18, 2020.
  • "2017 Team Ranking". Rivals.com. Retrieved March 18, 2020.
  • "Miami 2017 Football Commits". 247sports.com. Archived from the original on March 15, 2023. Retrieved March 18, 2020.

College career

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Freshman

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Dallas enrolled early at the University of Miami, on January 17, 2017. Mark Richt and offensive coordinator Thomas Brown had him working out at wide receiver through summer camps but were considering moving him to running back. Before the 2017 season opener vs. Bethune-Cookman, he was listed third on the depth chart at wide receiver.[9] Dallas saw his first action in the same game, recording a single 16-yard catch. For the next few games, Dallas was not very involved in the game plan, only having a couple kick returns and receptions. After a season-ending injury to starting RB Mark Walton, the Hurricanes were in a tough spot because they did not have much depth at the position. Miami looked to Dallas for help, moving him from wide receiver to running back.[10] In Week 10, Dallas had a breakout game vs. #3 Notre Dame. He had 2 touchdowns and 53 yards rushing on 12 carries, helping the Hurricanes blow out the Fighting Irish 41–8. It was only his second week taking meaningful snaps at running back for the Hurricanes.[11] Dallas finished strongly that season, totaling 113 rushing yards and 1 touchdown in the ACC Championship vs. top-ranked Clemson and the Capitol One Orange Bowl vs. sixth-ranked Wisconsin.[12] Dallas finished the season with 217 rushing yards on 41 carries (5.1 yards-per-carry) and 3 touchdowns, as well as 92 receiving yards on 4 receptions.[13]

Sophomore

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During the offseason, Dallas' goal was to bulk up to adequate weight for a running back. He was listed at 200 lbs at the start of his freshman season. Head coach Mark Richt said in an interview in the middle of the previous season: "If he was going to be a running back, he probably would have been 10 pounds heavier.", although complimenting how well he took on the challenge. Dallas ended up succeeding, as he was listed at 220 lbs by the beginning of his second year.[14] At the beginning of his sophomore campaign, Dallas was the second-string running back on the depth chart, behind standout Travis Homer. In the season opener vs 25-ranked LSU, Dallas rushed for a team-high 38 rushing yards on 8 carries (4.8 yards-per-carry) in a 33–17 loss.[15] He had his first 100-yard collegiate game in Week 3 vs. Toledo, where he gained 110 rushing yards on 17 carries (6.5 yards-per-carry) and 1 touchdown.[16] Dallas went on to have two more 100-yard games in Week 5 vs. North Carolina and Week 9 vs. Duke. He also became a reliable special teams returner about halfway through the season, returning it 25 times after Week 5. He even recorded a punt-return touchdown in a Week 12 win over Pittsburgh. While the Hurricanes finished a disappointing 7–6 season, Dallas had a solid season as a second-string running back. On the season, he tallied 617 rushing yards on 109 carries (5.7 yards-per-carry) and 6 touchdowns, as well as 558 return yards and 1 touchdown. Dallas finished with a team-leading 1260 all-purpose yards.[17] He earned 2 team awards in 2018: the Christopher Plumer Memorial Award (Leadership, Motivation, Spirit) and Special Teams MVP.[18]

Junior

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After the previous season, starting running back Travis Homer declared for the 2019 NFL draft, making Dallas the de facto starter for the Hurricanes in 2019. Head coach Mark Richt stepped down soon after the 2018 season, and the Hurricanes appointed defensive coordinator Manny Diaz to fill his place.[19] Diaz hired Dan Enos as offensive coordinator.[20] As Enos had experience with NFL running backs in the past, Dallas had lofty expectations entering his junior season. Most thought his experience in the prior two seasons put him in position for a breakout campaign, especially after recording multiple touchdowns in the Hurricanes' spring game.[21] Dallas hit the ground running at the beginning of the season, amassing 309 rushing yards on 35 carries (8.4 yards-per-carry) and 4 touchdowns over the first 3 games.[22] However, he did not keep his pace for the rest of the season, averaging only 55 yards per game the following 7 weeks and not hitting the 100-yard mark again, partially due to a nagging knee injury that caused him to miss most of Week 7 vs. Georgia Tech and all of Week 8 vs. Pittsburgh.[23] Dallas' season was cut short by a dislocated elbow injury suffered in Week 10 vs. FIU. His injury forced him to miss the final two games of the season.[24] Dallas finished the season with 693 rushing yards on 115 carries (6.0 yards-per-carry) and 8 touchdowns, as well 140 receiving yards and 2 touchdowns.[25] All of his rushing stats were career highs. Dallas was awarded two team awards in 2019: the R. Dale Melching Leadership Award and one of the Captains of the Year.[26]

On December 27, 2019, Dallas announced that he would forgo his final year of eligibility to enter the 2020 NFL draft. He finished his Hurricane career with 1,527 rushing yards on 265 carries (5.8 yards-per-carry), 317 receiving yards on 28 receptions, and 20 total touchdowns.

College statistics

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Season Team GP Rushing Receiving Returning Fumbles
Att Yds Avg Lng TD Rec Yds Avg Lng TD Ret Yds Avg Lng TD Fum Lost
2017 Miami (FL) 12 41 217 5.3 39 3 4 92 23.0 49 0 2 40 20.0 22 0 0 0
2018 Miami (FL) 13 109 617 5.7 83 6 10 85 8.5 26 0 28 558 19.9 65 1 4 3
2019 Miami (FL) 10 115 693 6.0 62 8 14 140 10.0 42 2 1 13 13.0 13 0 0 0
Career 35 265 1,527 5.8 83 17 28 317 11.3 49 2 31 611 19.7 65 1 4 3
Source: CBS Sports

Professional career

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Pre-draft measurables
Height Weight Arm length Hand span 40-yard dash 10-yard split 20-yard split 20-yard shuttle Three-cone drill Vertical jump Broad jump
5 ft 10+1⁄8 in
(1.78 m) 		217 lb
(98 kg) 		30+5⁄8 in
(0.78 m) 		9+1⁄4 in
(0.23 m)		 4.58 s 1.63 s 2.68 s 4.32 s 7.18 s 33.5 in
(0.85 m)		 9 ft 11 in
(3.02 m)
All values from NFL Combine[27][28]

Seattle Seahawks

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Dallas was drafted by the Seattle Seahawks in the fourth round with the 144th overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft.[29] The Seahawks signed Dallas to a four-year, $3.789 million contract, including a $494k signing bonus, on July 28, 2020.[30][31] In Week 3, against the Dallas Cowboys, he made his NFL debut playing on special teams.[32] In Week 4 against the Miami Dolphins, he recorded two carries for eight rushing yards and two receptions for 15 receiving yards for his first NFL scrimmage yards.[33] With injuries to the Seahawks backfield, Dallas got his first career start in Week 8 against the San Francisco 49ers. He had 18 carries for 41 rushing yards and a rushing touchdown to go along with five receptions for 17 receiving yards and a receiving touchdown in the 37–27 victory.[34]

Arizona Cardinals

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On March 14, 2024, Dallas signed a three-year contract with the Arizona Cardinals.[35]

On September 8 2024, in a 34–28 loss against the Buffalo Bills, Dallas became the first NFL player to return a dynamic kick for a touchdown and finished with 123 kick return yards.[36]

Personal life

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On June 30, 2019, at 11:55 am, Dallas and fiancee Yasmin Dugans became parents to a son.[37] Dugans is the daughter of former Miami and current Florida State wide receivers coach Ron Dugans.[38]

References

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  1. ^ Hunte, Sydney. "Who is DeeJay Dallas? Five things to know about the Miami freshman wide receiver turned running back". Dayton Daily News. Archived from the original on March 18, 2020. Retrieved March 18, 2020.
  2. ^ Holcomb, Todd (December 16, 2014). "All-region teams: Stephens earns coach of the year award in 3-AAAAA". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Retrieved May 29, 2024.
  3. ^ Freeman, Clayton (December 24, 2016). "Super 24: Glynn Academy's Deejay Dallas ready to take on Miami challenge". The Florida Times-Union. Retrieved March 18, 2020.
  4. ^ Hall, Michael (December 21, 2015). "All-region football team laden with Terror talent". The Brunswick News. Retrieved March 18, 2020.
  5. ^ Denman, Taylor (December 13, 2016). "Glynn Academy, Brunswick fill up all-region football squads". The Brunswick News. Retrieved March 18, 2020.
  6. ^ "DeeJay Dallas' High School Football Stats". MaxPreps.com. Retrieved March 18, 2020.
  7. ^ "DeeJay Dallas – Football Recruiting – Player Profiles". ESPN.com. Retrieved March 18, 2020.
  8. ^ "DeeJay Dallas, Glynn Academy, athlete". 247Sports. Retrieved March 18, 2020.
  9. ^ Underwood, Cameron J. (August 28, 2017). "Miami Hurricanes Football: depth chart for season opener released". State of The U. Retrieved March 18, 2020.
  10. ^ Chirinos, Christy Cabrera (November 15, 2017). "Freshman DeeJay Dallas making most of his chances with No. 3 Hurricanes". Sun-Sentinel.com. Retrieved March 18, 2020.
  11. ^ "Notre Dame vs. Miami – Game Summary – November 11, 2017 – ESPN". ESPN.com. Retrieved March 18, 2020.
  12. ^ Rubenstein, Alan (March 28, 2018). "Miami Hurricanes RB DeeJay Dallas ready for bigger role in 2018". Canes Warning. Retrieved March 18, 2020.
  13. ^ "Deejay Dallas 2017 Game Log". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved March 18, 2020.
  14. ^ "DeeJay Dallas – Football". University of Miami Athletics. June 3, 2017. Retrieved March 18, 2020.
  15. ^ "Miami vs. LSU – Box Score – September 2, 2018 – ESPN". ESPN.com. Retrieved March 18, 2020.
  16. ^ "Miami vs. Toledo – Game Summary – September 15, 2018 – ESPN". ESPN.com. Retrieved March 18, 2020.
  17. ^ "Deejay Dallas 2018 Game Log". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved March 18, 2020.
  18. ^ "Hurricanes Hold Annual Football Awards Show". University of Miami Athletics. December 15, 2018. Retrieved March 18, 2020.
  19. ^ Zucker, Joseph. "Manny Diaz Hired as Miami Football HC After Mark Richt Retirement". Bleacher Report. Retrieved March 18, 2020.
  20. ^ "Miami announces the hiring of Dan Enos as OC". InsideTheU. Retrieved March 18, 2020.
  21. ^ "QB Martell has strong performance in Miami's spring game". InsideTheU. Retrieved March 18, 2020.
  22. ^ marshthomas (September 17, 2019). "DeeJay Dallas Off to a Quick Start in 2019". State of The U. Retrieved March 18, 2020.
  23. ^ Degnan, Susan; Wilson, David (October 23, 2019). "The latest updates on statuses of DeeJay Dallas, Jeff Thomas, Michael Pinckney and more". Miami Herald.
  24. ^ "Miami football loses DeeJay Dallas for season, Cam Harris to first team". Canes Warning. November 27, 2019. Retrieved March 18, 2020.
  25. ^ "Deejay Dallas 2019 Game Log". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved March 18, 2020.
  26. ^ "Making sense of the 2019 Miami football team awards". Canes Warning. December 16, 2019. Retrieved March 18, 2020.
  27. ^ "DeeJay Dallas Combine Profile". NFL.com. Retrieved April 25, 2020.
  28. ^ "2020 Draft Scout DeeJay Dallas, Miami NFL Draft Scout College Football Profile". draftscout.com. Retrieved September 13, 2022.
  29. ^ Boyle, John (April 25, 2020). "Seahawks Select Miami RB DeeJay Dallas in Fourth Round Of 2020 NFL Draft". Seahawks.com. Retrieved April 25, 2020.
  30. ^ Overthecap.com. "DeeJay Dallas Contract Details". Over the Cap. Retrieved July 29, 2020.
  31. ^ "Seahawks Sign Six Draft Selections; 2020 Draft Class Now Under Contract". www.seahawks.com. Retrieved July 29, 2020.
  32. ^ "Dallas Cowboys at Seattle Seahawks - September 27th, 2020". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved October 8, 2020.
  33. ^ "Seattle Seahawks at Miami Dolphins - October 4th, 2020". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved October 8, 2020.
  34. ^ "San Francisco 49ers at Seattle Seahawks - November 1st, 2020". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved November 3, 2020.
  35. ^ Urban, Darren (March 14, 2024). "Cardinals Make Official Six Free Agent Additions". AZCardinals.com.
  36. ^ De Lima, Matt (September 8, 2024). "Cardinals make NFL history with first-ever dynamic kickoff touchdown". ClutchPoints. Retrieved September 8, 2024.
  37. ^ Chirinos, Christy Cabrera. "Fatherhood has changed DeeJay Dallas' perspective as he battles for Hurricanes starting RB job". sun-sentinel.com. Retrieved March 19, 2020.
  38. ^ Degnan, Susan (April 2, 2020). "He's 'tied to Miami forever,' but Canes RB DeeJay Dallas dreams of NFL Draft phone call". Miami Herald. Retrieved May 10, 2020.
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