Texas Tech University Athletics
Red Raiders In The NFL: Week 15
December 20, 2016 | Football
LUBBOCK, Texas -- Each week, texastech.com details the accomplishments of former Red Raiders who now play in the NFL. This week, Michael Crabtree's great touchdown catch and Le'Raven Clark's first start led the headlines.
Amaro did not factor into Sunday's dramatic win at Kansas City, as the Titans kept pace in the AFC South ... Amaro has four catches for 59 yards this season as he looks to build off an impressive 2014 rookie campaign, in which he hauled in 38 passes for 345 yards while hitting paydirt twice ... Amaro was the New York Jets' second-round pick (49th overall) in the 2014 NFL Draft.
Amendola did not make his way on to the stat sheet in Sunday afternoon's win ... In seven NFL seasons, Amendola has caught 365 passes for 3,452 yards and scored 17 touchdowns … On top of that, he has hauled in three career postseason touchdowns, including a score in Super Bowl XLIX … Amendola was signed by the Dallas Cowboys as an undrafted free agent in 2008.
Le'Raven Clark made his first NFL start at right tackle in the Colts' 34-6 win on Sunday ... the Indianapolis offensive line did not allow a sack, and Clark was singled out in the locker room after the game for his performance, with a game ball … Clark was the first of three Red Raiders to hear their names called in the 2016 NFL draft, going at No. 82 overall … Clark started all 51 games of his Red Raider career, and his senior year he was named a CBS Sports second team All-American ... He was the third-round pick of the Colts in the 2016 NFL Draft.
Crabtree returned to form on Sunday, catching six passes for 60 yards, and an impressive toe drag for a touchdown right before halftime  ... He has 77 catches for 866 yards and eight touchdowns so far in 2016, which is turning into one of the most productive years of his NFL career ... He now has 509 receptions for 6,115 yards and 43 regular-season touchdowns in his professional career … Crabtree played two seasons at Texas Tech (2007-08), where he became the first receiver in collegiate history to win the Biletnikoff Award twice, before the 49ers selected him with the 10th overall pick of the 2009 NFL Draft.
Cody Davis racked up a career-high four tackles and a leaping pass breakup while playing all but one of L.A.'s 61 defensive snaps on Thursday … Davis was a four-year letterman with the Red Raiders (2009-12) and then signed as an undrafted free agent with the Rams in 2013.
Grant returned two kickoffs for a total of 20 yards and two punts for 17 yards in Miami's Saturday night win at New York … Grant ranks 17th in the NFL, averaging 8.4 yards per punt return this season ... Grant was Miami's sixth-round pick in the 2016 NFL Draft after a senior year at Tech in which he averaged 181 all-purpose yards per game which ranked fourth nationally, and ranked fourth nationally with 1,017 kickoff return yards and fifth with two kickoff return touchdowns … CBS Sports tabbed him as a second team All-American.
Hyder recorded five total tackles in Detroit's loss to New York on Sunday... His 8.0 sacks this season are tied for 15th in the NFL and seventh in the NFC... Hyder joined the New York Jets as an undrafted free agent in 2014 after a Red Raider career which included a litany of All-Big 12 honors in 2013 and 2014.
Branden Jackson saw action on the defensive line for the third-straight week since being called up by the practice squad ... Jackson was a four-year starter as a Red Raider, collecting 11 sacks during his tenure in Lubbock ... Jackson was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Raiders in 2016.
Marquez saw seven special teams snaps in Thursday's loss to Seattle … Marquez played four seasons at Texas Tech (2010-14) before the Rams signed him as an undrafted free agent in the spring of 2015.
Waddle was inactive in New England's win over the Broncos … in 2015, after missing the first two games of the season recovering from off season knee surgery, Waddle came back strong for Detroit, earning a starting spot for the rest of the season … Waddle played four seasons at Tech (2009-12) before being signed by the Lions as an undrafted free agent.
Washington was responsible for 54 all-purpose yards in Oakland's win on Sunday to retake first place in the AFC West ... His 325 rushing yards this season rank third among Oakland running backs ... Washington was the first Red Raider running back to register back-to-back 1,000 yard seasons since former Doak Walker Award winner Byron Hanspard in 1995 and 1996 ... one of five players in school history to rush for over 1,000 yards twice in a career.
Jace Amaro – Tennessee Titans
Week 15 Matchup: Tennessee 19, Kansas City 17Amaro did not factor into Sunday's dramatic win at Kansas City, as the Titans kept pace in the AFC South ... Amaro has four catches for 59 yards this season as he looks to build off an impressive 2014 rookie campaign, in which he hauled in 38 passes for 345 yards while hitting paydirt twice ... Amaro was the New York Jets' second-round pick (49th overall) in the 2014 NFL Draft.
Danny Amendola – New England Patriots
Week 15 Matchup: New England 16, Denver 3Amendola did not make his way on to the stat sheet in Sunday afternoon's win ... In seven NFL seasons, Amendola has caught 365 passes for 3,452 yards and scored 17 touchdowns … On top of that, he has hauled in three career postseason touchdowns, including a score in Super Bowl XLIX … Amendola was signed by the Dallas Cowboys as an undrafted free agent in 2008.
Le'Raven Clark – Indianapolis Colts
Week 15 Matchup: Indianapolis 34, Minnesota 6Le'Raven Clark made his first NFL start at right tackle in the Colts' 34-6 win on Sunday ... the Indianapolis offensive line did not allow a sack, and Clark was singled out in the locker room after the game for his performance, with a game ball … Clark was the first of three Red Raiders to hear their names called in the 2016 NFL draft, going at No. 82 overall … Clark started all 51 games of his Red Raider career, and his senior year he was named a CBS Sports second team All-American ... He was the third-round pick of the Colts in the 2016 NFL Draft.
Watch Le'Raven Clark receive a game ball after Sunday's @Colts win, in what was his first NFL start.
— Texas Tech Football (@TexasTechFB) December 19, 2016
??: https://t.co/FXjLkss4eb #WreckEm pic.twitter.com/EsIye4VURB
Pagano on rookie Le'Raven Clark's first NFL start on Sunday. "Wasn't perfect...but kid did a hell of a job."
— Kevin Bowen (@KBowenColts) December 20, 2016
Michael Crabtree – Oakland Raiders
Week 15 Matchup: Oakland 19, San Diego 16Crabtree returned to form on Sunday, catching six passes for 60 yards, and an impressive toe drag for a touchdown right before halftime  ... He has 77 catches for 866 yards and eight touchdowns so far in 2016, which is turning into one of the most productive years of his NFL career ... He now has 509 receptions for 6,115 yards and 43 regular-season touchdowns in his professional career … Crabtree played two seasons at Texas Tech (2007-08), where he became the first receiver in collegiate history to win the Biletnikoff Award twice, before the 49ers selected him with the 10th overall pick of the 2009 NFL Draft.
Ruling on the field:
— OAKLAND RAIDERS (@RAIDERS) December 18, 2016
TOUUUUCHHHDOOWWNNNN RAAAAIIIIDDERRRS! pic.twitter.com/6ghbUCEcKa
CRABTREE! CRABTREE! CRABTREE!
— NFL (@NFL) December 18, 2016
???? WHAT A CATCH ???? #RaiderNation https://t.co/padXmxZSI5
Cody Davis – Los Angeles Rams
Week 15 Matchup: Seattle 24, Los Angeles 3Cody Davis racked up a career-high four tackles and a leaping pass breakup while playing all but one of L.A.'s 61 defensive snaps on Thursday … Davis was a four-year letterman with the Red Raiders (2009-12) and then signed as an undrafted free agent with the Rams in 2013.
Jakeem Grant – Miami Dolphins
Week 15 Matchup: Miami 34, New York 13Grant returned two kickoffs for a total of 20 yards and two punts for 17 yards in Miami's Saturday night win at New York … Grant ranks 17th in the NFL, averaging 8.4 yards per punt return this season ... Grant was Miami's sixth-round pick in the 2016 NFL Draft after a senior year at Tech in which he averaged 181 all-purpose yards per game which ranked fourth nationally, and ranked fourth nationally with 1,017 kickoff return yards and fifth with two kickoff return touchdowns … CBS Sports tabbed him as a second team All-American.
Kerry Hyder – Detroit Lions
Week 15 Matchup: New York 17, Detroit 6Hyder recorded five total tackles in Detroit's loss to New York on Sunday... His 8.0 sacks this season are tied for 15th in the NFL and seventh in the NFC... Hyder joined the New York Jets as an undrafted free agent in 2014 after a Red Raider career which included a litany of All-Big 12 honors in 2013 and 2014.
Branden Jackson – Oakland Raiders
Week 15 Matchup: Oakland 19, San Diego 16Branden Jackson saw action on the defensive line for the third-straight week since being called up by the practice squad ... Jackson was a four-year starter as a Red Raider, collecting 11 sacks during his tenure in Lubbock ... Jackson was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Raiders in 2016.
Bradley Marquez – Los Angeles Rams
Week 15 Matchup: Seattle 24, Los Angeles 3Marquez saw seven special teams snaps in Thursday's loss to Seattle … Marquez played four seasons at Texas Tech (2010-14) before the Rams signed him as an undrafted free agent in the spring of 2015.
LaAdrian Waddle – New England Patriots
Week 15 Matchup: New England 16, Denver 3Waddle was inactive in New England's win over the Broncos … in 2015, after missing the first two games of the season recovering from off season knee surgery, Waddle came back strong for Detroit, earning a starting spot for the rest of the season … Waddle played four seasons at Tech (2009-12) before being signed by the Lions as an undrafted free agent.
DeAndre Washington – Oakland Raiders
Week 15 Matchup: Oakland 19, San Diego 16Washington was responsible for 54 all-purpose yards in Oakland's win on Sunday to retake first place in the AFC West ... His 325 rushing yards this season rank third among Oakland running backs ... Washington was the first Red Raider running back to register back-to-back 1,000 yard seasons since former Doak Walker Award winner Byron Hanspard in 1995 and 1996 ... one of five players in school history to rush for over 1,000 yards twice in a career.
Players Mentioned
Offensive Line
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Wide Receiver
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Defensive Line
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Running Back
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