When it comes to American football, Travis Rudolph is widely known, not only for the game but also for making national headlines. He is the wide receiver for the National Football League (NFL) New York Giants, who also played college football and were so outstanding that Rivals.com rated him five stars, and they weren’t wrong.
Besides sports, Travis Rudolph is widely known as the friendly hero who made a boy with autism popular with his peers. The wide receiver made national headlines in August 2016 when he attended Montford Middle School in Tallahassee. He decided to sit and have lunch with an autistic student named Bo Paske, who was left alone in the school’s cafeteria.
Who is Travis Rudolph?
Travis Rudolph was born on September 15, 1995, in West Palm Beach, Florida, United States, to parents Darryl Rudolph and Linda Rudolph. He also has an older sister. Rudolph grew up in the city of Florida alongside his older sister and graduated from Cardinal Newman High School in West Palm Beach, where he played soccer in the senior class.
He was one of the best and ranked number one in his class; with 63 receptions for school records 1,237 yards and 15 touchdowns. After graduating high school, Rudolph signed up to play college football at Florida State University.
How He Started
Rudolph began playing as a freshman at Florida State University in 2014. He played in 13 games with six starts and had 38 receptions for 555 yards and four touchdowns. In his second season, he played 13 games with 11 starts and led his team in 59 receptions, 916 receive yards, and 7 touchdown receptions.
In the 2015 Peach Bowl, Rudolph reached the pinnacle of his career after 7 catches and receptions over 201 yards, breaking the original record of 195 receptions set by Javon Walker during the 2002 Gator Bowl.
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The following year he played 13 games as a junior and scored 7 touchdowns with 840 receiving yards. At the end of the season, Rudolph decided to skip his senior year at Florida State and enter the 2017 NFL Draft.
After the draft, Travis Rudolph signed with the New York Giants as a Free Agent, but was released on September 2, 2017, and joined the training squad the next day. During his time with the Giants, he captured the imagination of the fans with an excellent preseason; he caught 9 passes for 157 yards. He got his chance to advance to the active squad on October 9th when injuries led to the inclusion of several receivers in the team.
He had his first NFL action in week 7 of the game against the Seattle Seahawks on October 22nd and finished with 3 receptions for 32 yards. The 2018 season started out quite competitive as Rudolph battled with some of the team’s best players for spots in reserve. His success in the 2017 preseason was a bonus, and now he is expected to continue to work with routing, reliability, and special teams.
Other Facts About Travis Rudolph
Travis Rudolph was three times in the overall standings and won the Lou Groza Awards High School Player of the Year as a Senior.
He is a cousin of former NFL wide receiver and returns specialist Devin Hester.
A 2014 rookie, he was voted the #1 wide receiver contender in Florida by Rivals and 247Sports and the #11 player overall, awarded five stars by Rivals and 247Sports and four stars by ESPN.
He was nominated for the Palm Beach Hall of Fame 2014 in Palm Beach.
Rudolph’s friendly gesture to a young boy with autism named Bo Paske made him a national hero. He didn’t stop there, inviting Bo and his mother to his game in Orlando and giving the boy a custom-made Seminole jersey.
On March 28, 2017, Rudolph announced on his Instagram page that he has joined the ranks of athlete-promoters for the multinational Adidas.
Barely a month later, tragedy struck when Rudolph’s father was hit by a stray bullet while he was working at a strip club in West Palm Beach. It was reported that Darryl was in the warehouse and was hit by a bullet from a gun that had gone off in the adjacent room when an employee took it off the shelf. The bullet had pierced the wall and hit him in the neck. This happened in April 2017, just days before the 2017 NFL draft.
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What is His Height, Weight, and Body Measurements?
Height: 6’0”
Weight: 189lbs
Arm Length: 317/8
Hands: 9 1/4″
Strength: The NFL analysis recognized him as a solid track runner, with good pace, consistency, and smooth acceleration. His body control and sense of balance should be to the point; he has good ball skills and effectively camouflages comeback routes against man coverage.
Weakness: According to the NFL, Rudolph needs to improve his playing strength to help with competitive catches at the next level; his stop-start acceleration is nothing special either. However, his constant speed and sophisticated route work are recognized, as he is expected to become even stronger.