Elijah Higgins
{{Short description|American football player (born 2000)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2024}}
{{Infobox NFL biography
| name = Elijah Higgins
| current_team = Arizona Cardinals
|image=NFL athletes engage with Airmen during base visit (250402-F-NI494-2028) (cropped).jpg
|caption=Higgins in 2025
| number = 84
| position = Tight end
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|2000|10|27}}
| birth_place = Tampa, Florida, U.S.
| height_ft = 6
| height_in = 3
| weight_lb = 235
| high_school = Bowie {{avoid wrap|(Austin, Texas)}}
| draftyear = 2023
| draftround = 6
| draftpick = 197
| college = Stanford (2019–2022)
| pastteams =
- Miami Dolphins ({{NFL Year|2023}})*
- Arizona Cardinals ({{NFL Year|2023}}–present)
| status = Active
| statweek =
| statseason = 2024
| statlabel1 = Receptions
| statvalue1 = 34
| statlabel2 = Receiving yards
| statvalue2 = 335
| statlabel3 = Receiving average
| statvalue3 = 9.9
| statlabel4 = Receiving touchdowns
| statvalue4 = 3
| pfr = HiggEl00
| highlights =
}}
Elijah Higgins (born October 27, 2000) is an American professional football tight end for the Arizona Cardinals of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Stanford Cardinal.
Early life
Higgins grew up in Florida and attended Bowie High School in Austin, Texas.{{cite news |url=https://www.statesman.com/story/news/2018/01/26/bowie-receiver-elijah-higgins-nabs-offer-from-texas-am/10416007007/ |title=Bowie receiver Elijah Higgins nabs offer from Texas A&M |last=Jones |first=Thomas |date=January 26, 2018 |work=Austin American-Statesman |access-date=February 3, 2023}} He was selected to play in the Under Armour All-America Game during his senior season.{{cite web |url=https://thedispatchonline.net/7509/brief/elijah-higgins-receives-a-jersey-of-opportunities/ |title=Elijah Higgins receives a jersey of opportunities |last=Patel |first=Shikha |date=October 15, 2018 |website=The Dispatch Online |access-date=March 27, 2023}} Higgins was rated a four-star recruit and committed to play college football at Stanford.{{cite web |url=https://www.burntorangenation.com/2018/12/18/18146934/elijah-higgins-commits-stanford-cardinal-texas-longhorns-recruiting-2019 |title=4-star WR Elijah Higgins commits to Stanford over Texas, Florida |first=Wescott |last=Eberts |website=BurntOrangeNation.com |date=December 18, 2018 |publisher=SB Nation |access-date=January 20, 2019}}
College career
Higgins played in all 12 games as a freshman at Stanford, primarily on special teams. He had 15 receptions for 176 yards in a 5-game schedule during the COVID-19-shortened 2020 season. Higgins led the Cardinal with 45 receptions for 500 yards and four touchdowns during his junior season.{{cite news |url=https://www.sfchronicle.com/sports/college/article/Stanford-football-Cardinal-NCAA-17396443.php |title=‘We didn’t forget it’: Stanford's memories of rough 2021 season fuel prep for ’22 |last=Kroner |first=Steve |date=August 25, 2022 |work=San Francisco Chronicle |access-date=July 21, 2024}} {{paywall}}{{cite web |url=https://thedraftnetwork.com/elijah-higgins-nfl-draft-2023-stanford/ |title=Elijah Higgins Should Rise On NFL Draft Boards This Fall |first=Ryan |last=Fowler |date=August 3, 2022 |website=TheDraftNetwork.com |access-date=October 29, 2022}} He caught 59 passes for 704 yards and two touchdowns as a senior.{{cite web|url=https://www.si.com/nfl/raiders/news/las-vegas-raiders-2023-nfl-draft-prospects-wide-receiver-elijah-higgins-stanford|title=Las Vegas Raiders NFL Draft Prospect: WR Elijah Higgins, Stanford|website=Sports Illustrated|first=Jairo|last=Alvarado|date=13 February 2023|access-date=March 27, 2023}}
Professional career
{{NFL predraft
| height ft = 6
| height in = 3
| weight = 235
| dash = 4.54
| ten split = 1.56
| twenty split = 2.61
| shuttle = 4.50
| cone drill = 7.01
| vertical = 35.0
| broad ft = 10
| broad in = 6
| bench = 17
| arm span = 31 3/4
| hand span = 10 1/2
| note = Sources:{{Cite web|url=https://www.nfl.com/prospects/elijah-higgins/32004849-4713-8430-181a-e629ca4da181|title=Elijah Higgins Draft and Combine Prospect Profile|website=NFL.com|access-date=April 17, 2023}}{{Cite web|url=https://draftscout.com/dsprofile.php?PlayerId=1050067&DraftYear=2023|title=2023 NFL Draft Scout Elijah Higgins College Football Profile|access-date=April 17, 2023|website=DraftScout.com}}
}}
=Miami Dolphins=
Higgins was selected by the Miami Dolphins in the sixth round, 197th overall, of the 2023 NFL draft.{{Cite web |last=Masala |first=Mike |date=April 29, 2023 |title=Dolphins select Stanford WR Elijah Higgins with pick No. 197 |url=https://dolphinswire.usatoday.com/2023/04/29/dolphins-draft-elijah-higgins/ |access-date=2024-07-21 |website=Dolphins Wire |publisher=USA Today}} He was waived on August 29, 2023.{{cite web|title=Miami Dolphins Make Roster Moves|url=https://www.miamidolphins.com/news/miami-dolphins-make-roster-moves-8-29-23|website=MiamiDolphins.com|date=August 29, 2023}}
=Arizona Cardinals=
==2023 season==
On August 30, 2023, Higgins was claimed off waivers by the Arizona Cardinals.{{cite web | last=Gershman | first=Zach | title=Cardinals Land Six New Players After Waiver Claims | website=Arizona Cardinals | date=2023-08-30 | url=https://www.azcardinals.com/news/cardinals-land-six-new-players-after-waiver-claims | access-date=2024-11-04}} In his rookie season, he played in 11 games and started 2. He finished the 2023 season with 14 receptions on 19 targets for 163 yards and 1 touchdown.{{Cite web |title=Elijah Higgins 2023 Game Log |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/H/HiggEl00/gamelog/2023/ |access-date=2024-11-04 |website=Pro-Football-Reference.com |language=en}}
==2024 season==
Higgins started the 2024 season as the Cardinals' second-string tight end behind Trey McBride. In Week 1 against the Buffalo Bills he caught 2 passes for 12 yards in a 34-28 loss for the Cardinals. In Week 2 against the Los Angeles Rams, Higgins caught one pass for 18 yards and a touchdown in the Cardinals' 41-10 win. In Week 5 he caught one pass for two yards and a touchdown in a 24-23 win against the San Francisco 49ers.
In addition to their roles as tight ends, both Higgins and fellow tight end Tip Reiman would both occasionally play fullback due to the Cardinals not carrying a true one on their roster during the 2024 season.
In the 2024 season Higgins played in 17 games and started 6, playing 411 offensive snaps and 176 special teams snaps. He recorded 20 receptions on 24 targets for 172 yards and 2 touchdowns. Higgins played 278 snaps as a tight end, 35 snaps as a fullback, 73 snaps as a slot receiver, and 25 snaps out wide.
NFL career statistics
| class="wikitable"
! colspan="2"| Legend |
| Bold
| Career high |
=Regular season=
| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;" | |||||||||
| rowspan="2"| Year
! rowspan="2"| Team ! colspan="2"| Games ! colspan="5"| Receiving ! colspan="2"| Fumbles | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| {{abbr|GP|Games played}} | {{abbr|GS|Games started}} | {{abbr|Rec|Receptions}} | {{abbr|Yds|Receiving yards}} | {{abbr|Avg|Receiving yards per reception}} | {{abbr|Lng|Longest reception}} | {{abbr|TD|Receiving touchdowns}} | {{abbr |Fum| Forced Fumble}} | {{abbr |Lost| Fumble Lost}} | |
| 2023 | ARI
| 11 || 2 ||| 14 || | 163 || 11.6 || 26 || 1 || 0 || 0 | ||||||||
| 2024 | ARI
| 17 || 6 ||| 20 || | 172 || 8.6 || 23 || 2 || 0 || 0 | ||||||||
| colspan="2"|[https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/H/HiggEl00.htm Career] | 28 | 8 | 34 | 335 | 9.9 | 23 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
Personal life
Higgins' father played one season of college football at The University of South Florida.{{cite news |url=https://www.sfchronicle.com/sports/college/article/Big-Game-brothers-One-Higgins-catches-passes-for-16626526.php |title=Big Game brothers: One Higgins catches passes for Stanford, the other defends them for Cal |last=Kroichick |first=Ron |date=November 16, 2021 |work=San Francisco Chronicle
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- [https://www.azcardinals.com/team/players-roster/elijah-higgins/ Arizona Cardinals bio]
- [https://gostanford.com/sports/football/roster/elijah-higgins/18991 Stanford Cardinal bio]
{{Dolphins2023DraftPicks}}
{{Arizona Cardinals roster navbox}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Higgins, Elijah}}
Category:Players of American football from Austin, Texas
Category:American football wide receivers
Category:American football tight ends
Category:Stanford Cardinal football players