When it comes to American football, Travis Rudolph is widely known not just for the game, but for making national news headlines as well. He is the wide receiver for the New York Giants of the National Football League (NFL) who also played college football and was so excellent that Rivals.com rated him a five-star recruit and they were not wrong.
Besides sports, Travis Rudolph is widely known as the kind hero who made a boy with autism popular among his peers. The Wide Receiver made national headlines in August 2016 when he visited Montford Middle School in Tallahassee. He chose to sit and eat lunch with an autistic student named Bo Paske, who was left to eat by himself at the cafeteria of the school.
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 elder sister. Growing up in the city of Florida alongside his elder sister, Rudolph graduated from Cardinal Newman High School in West Palm Beach where he played football as a senior.
He was one of the best and ranked as the number 1 in his class; with 63 receptions for school records 1,237 yards and 15 touchdowns. After graduating from high school, Rudolph committed to play college football at Florida State University.
How He Started
Rudolph started 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. During his second season, he played in 13 games with 11 starts and led his team in 59 receptions, 916 receiving yards and 7 touchdown receptions.
In the 2015 Peach Bowl, Rudolph attained career-highs after 7 catches and receptions for 201 yards, breaking the initial record of 195 receiving yards held by Javon Walker during the 2002 Gator Bowl.
The following year as a junior, he played 13 games, making 7 touchdowns with 840 receiving yards. At the end of the season, Rudolph decided to skip the senior year at Florida State and enter the 2017 NFL Draft.
Following the draft, Travis Rudolph signed with the New York Giants as a free agent but was waived on September 2, 2017, and was signed to the practice squad the next day. While with the Giants, he captured the imagination of fans with an excellent preseason; catching 9 passes for 157 yards. He got his chance at promotion to the active roster on October 9, when injuries led to redshirting multiple receivers on the team.
He had his first NFL action in the 7th Week playing against the Seattle Seahawks on October 22 and finished with 3 receptions for 32 yards. The 2018 season started out pretty much competitive as Rudolph contended with some of the top players of the team for spots as a reserve. His 2017 preseason success was a bonus and now, he is expected to continue working route-running, reliability, and special teams.
Other Facts
Travis Rudolph was a three-time all-Florida pick 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.
As a freshman in 2014, he was ranked Florida’s No.1 wide receiver prospect and No. 11 overall player; Five-star recruit by Rivals and 247Sports; and Four-star prospect by ESPN.
He was nominated for the 2014 Palm Beach Hall of Fame.
Rudolph’s kind gesture to a young boy with autism named Bo Paske made him a national hero. He didn’t stop there, he invited Bo and his mother to his game in Orlando and gifted the boy with a custom Seminoles Jersey.
On March 28, 2017, Rudolph took to his Instagram page to announce that he has joined the string of athlete promoters for the multinational corporation, 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 had been in the storage and was hit by a bullet from a gun which had gone off in the adjacent room when a co-worker moved 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.
What is His Height, Weight and Body Measurements?
Height: 6’0”
Weight: 189lbs
Arm Length: 317/8
Hands: 9 1/4″
Strength: NFL’s analysis credited him as a solid route runner matched with good tempo, consistency, and smooth acceleration. His body control and balance are reportedly on point; he has good ball skills and disguises comeback routes effectively against man coverage.
Weakness: According to the NFL, Rudolph needs to improve his play strength to help with contested catches on the next level; also, his stop-start acceleration is nothing special. However, his consistent speed and polished route work are acknowledged as he is expected to get stronger.
