| Personal Information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Born | December 2 1987 | ||
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| Career information | |||
| Year(s) | 2010–2013 | ||
| Undrafted in 2010 | |||
| College | Ohio State | ||
| Professional teams | |||
| Career stats | |||
| Receptions | 45 | ||
| Receiving yards | 679 | ||
| Touchdowns | 6 | ||
| Stats at NFL.com | |||
| Career highlights and awards | |||
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| |||
Jake Ballard is a tight end for the New England Patriots of the NFL. He played college football for the Ohio State Buckeyes. After going undrafted in 2010, Ballard signed with the New York Giants with whom he won a Super Bowl in 2012. In the game, Ballard tore his ACL and was injured/waived by the Giants on June 11, 2012.[1] While most players clear these waivers and go on to play with the team they were waived by, Ballard was claimed off waivers by the Patriots, the team he was injured against during the Super Bowl.[2] Many questioned the move as the Patriots already had two Pro Bowl tight ends on the roster in Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez. However, in the summer of 2013, Patriots TE Aaron Hernandez was arrested and charged with murder which resulted in the team releasing him almost immediately after his arrest. This, along with multiple surgeries to Gronkowski's forearm and back, may allow Ballard to get significant playing time in his first season with the Patriots in which he is eligible to play. In the end, Ballard was injured and never saw action on the field with the Patriots. After a stint with the Arizona Cardinals in the 2013 season, Ballard announced his retirement on August 6, 2014, citing the knee injury he sustained as a member of the Giants and how he never felt the same after that.[3]
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References[]
- ↑ Vacchiano, Ralph (11 June, 2012). Jake Ballard waived by NY Giants, tight end hopes to return to Big Blue in 2013 when ACL heals.
- ↑ Smith, Michael David (12 June, 2012). Patriots claim Jake Ballard off waivers from Giants.
- ↑ Hanzus, Dan (6 Aug, 2014). Jake Ballard announces retirement from NFL. NFL.com. Retrieved on 29 Dec, 2014.