Isaac TeSlaa
{{Short description|American football player (born 2002)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2025}}
{{Infobox NFL biography
| name = Isaac TeSlaa
| image =
| alt =
| caption =
| current_team = Detroit Lions
| number = 18
| position = Wide receiver
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|2002|2|20}}
| birth_place = Hudsonville, Michigan, U.S.
| death_date =
| death_place =
| height_ft = 6
| height_in = 4
| weight_lb = 214
| high_school = Unity Christian
(Hudsonville, Michigan)
| college = Hillsdale (2020–2022)
Arkansas (2023–2024)
| draftyear = 2025
| draftround = 3
| draftpick = 70
| pastteams =
- Detroit Lions ({{NFL Year|2025}}–present)
| status = Active
| highlights =
- G-MAC Offensive Player of the Year (2022)
- First-team All-G-MAC (2022)
- Second-team All-G-MAC (2021)
| statseason = 2025
| statweek =
| statlabel1 = Rushing yards
| statvalue1 =
| statlabel2 = Rushing average
| statvalue2 =
| statlabel3 = Rushing touchdowns
| statvalue3 =
| statlabel4 = Receptions
| statvalue4 =
| statlabel5 = Receiving yards
| statvalue5 =
| statlabel6 = Receiving touchdowns
| statvalue6 =
| pfr = TeSlIs00
}}
Isaac TeSlaa (born February 20, 2002) is an American professional football wide receiver for the Detroit Lions of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Hillsdale Chargers and Arkansas Razorbacks. He was selected by the Lions in the third round of the 2025 NFL draft.
Early life
TeSlaa is from Hudsonville, Michigan.{{Cite web|url=https://www.espn.com/college-football/player/_/id/5123663/isaac-teslaa|publisher=ESPN|title=Isaac TeSlaa}} His father, Mark, played college football as a wide receiver for the Hillsdale Chargers.{{Cite web|url=https://arkansasrazorbacks.com/roster/isaac-teslaa/|publisher=Arkansas Razorbacks|title=Isaac TeSlaa}} Isaac grew up playing football as a quarterback and became a starter at Unity Christian High School as a junior.{{Cite news|url=https://www.swtimes.com/story/sports/college/sec/2023/09/21/isaac-teslaas-long-road-from-wing-t-qb-to-arkansas-football-receiver/70863039007/|newspaper=Southwest Times Record|title=How Isaac TeSlaa went from a QB with one D-1 offer to a starting WR for Arkansas football|date=September 21, 2023|author=Fuller, Jackson}} He led Unity Christian to the state championship that season, the first in school history.{{Cite web|url=https://www.fox17online.com/2018/11/21/junior-isaac-teslaa-helps-unity-christian-to-first-ever-state-title-appearance|website=Fox17Online.com|date=November 21, 2018|title=Junior Isaac TeSlaa helps Unity Christian to first-ever state title appearance|author=Harig, Zach}} He then helped Unity Christian reach the state playoff semifinals in 2019, and that year he threw for 448 yards and 10 touchdowns while rushing for 1,139 yards and 14 touchdowns.{{Cite web|url=https://www.mlive.com/sports/2025/01/former-west-michigan-prep-football-star-declares-for-nfl-draft.html?outputType=amp|website=MLive.com|via=archive.ph|title=Former Unity Christian standout announces college football decision date|author=VanDyke, John|date=January 9, 2023|archive-url=https://archive.today/20250201211406/https://www.mlive.com/sports/2025/01/former-west-michigan-prep-football-star-declares-for-nfl-draft.html?outputType=amp|archive-date=2025-02-01}}
In addition to participating in football, TeSlaa also helped the basketball team to a state championship and competed in track and field, setting the school long jump record.{{Cite web|url=https://www.mlive.com/sports/2025/01/former-west-michigan-prep-football-star-declares-for-nfl-draft.html?outputType=amp|website=MLive.com|title=Former West Michigan prep football star declares for NFL draft|author=Nothaft, Patrick|date=January 7, 2025|via=archive.ph|archive-url=https://archive.today/20250201211406/https://www.mlive.com/sports/2025/01/former-west-michigan-prep-football-star-declares-for-nfl-draft.html?outputType=amp|archive-date=2025-02-01}} He was lightly recruited and only had a single NCAA Division I offer, from the FCS-level Valparaiso Beacons. However, instead of joining the Beacons, TeSlaa opted to sign with the Hillsdale Chargers, where his father and several other family members had attended.
College career
=Hillsdale=
TeSlaa became a wide receiver at Hillsdale and became a starter during his freshman season. In the COVID-19-shortened 2020–21 season, he caught five passes for 93 yards. He then led the team in the fall 2021 season with 45 receptions for 698 yards and seven touchdowns.{{Cite news|url=https://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2023/jan/10/highly-touted-wr-transfer-teslaa-pledges-to-arkansas/|newspaper=Arkansas Democrat-Gazette|title=Highly touted WR transfer TeSlaa pledges to Arkansas|author=Davenport, Richard|date=January 10, 2023}} He was named second-team All-Great Midwest Athletic Conference and placed third in the league in touchdown catches and fourth in receiving yards. In the 2022 season, he was one of the top NCAA Division II wide receivers, totaling 68 receptions for 1,325 yards and 13 touchdowns while being named the conference offensive player of the year. He was also named an honorable mention All-American and recorded seven games with at least 100 yards, finishing with an average of over 120 yards per game. He appeared in a total of 26 games in his tenure at Hillsdale, starting 24 of them and totaling 118 receptions for 2,116 yards and 19 touchdowns.{{Cite web|url=https://www.nwahomepage.com/sports/pig-trail-nation/isaac-teslaa-wants-last-home-game-as-a-razorback-to-be-great/|website=NWAHomePage.com|title=Isaac TeSlaa wants last home game as a Razorback to be great |date=November 21, 2024|author=Kirk, Otis}}
=Arkansas=
TeSlaa transferred to the Arkansas Razorbacks following his third season at Hillsdale.{{Cite web|url=https://www.fox17online.com/sports/ncaa/isaac-teslaa-chooses-arkansas-for-next-stop-in-football-career|website=Fox17Online.com|title=Isaac TeSlaa chooses Arkansas for next stop in football career|author=Hutton, Jason|date=January 11, 2023}} He was the team's second-leading receiver during the 2023 season, recording 34 catches for 351 yards and two touchdowns.{{Cite news|url=https://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2023/dec/09/teslaa-says-he-will-be-back-with-razorbacks/|newspaper=Arkansas Democrat-Gazette|title=TeSlaa says he will be back with Razorbacks|author=Murphy, Tom|date=December 9, 2023|url-access=subscription}} He returned for the 2024 season and recorded 28 receptions for 545 yards and three touchdowns, finishing his two-year stint with the Razorbacks having caught 62 passes for 896 yards and five touchdowns in 25 games played, 17 of which he started. He declared for the NFL draft after the season and was invited to the 2025 Senior Bowl.{{Cite web|url=https://www.si.com/college-football/senior-bowl-2025-rosters|website=Sports Illustrated|author=Kadlick, Mike|date=January 29, 2025|title=Senior Bowl 2025 Rosters: Who Will Be Playing in This Year's Game?}}
Professional career
{{NFL predraft
| height ft = 6
| height in = 3 5/8
| weight = 214
| dash = 4.43
| ten split = 1.51
| twenty split = 2.61
| shuttle = 4.05
| cone drill = 6.85
| vertical = 39.5
| broad ft = 10
| broad in = 9
| bench = 17
| arm span = 31 1/8
| hand span = 10
| note = All values from NFL Combine{{Cite web |url=https://www.nfl.com/prospects/isaac-teslaa/32005445-5311-6936-ab44-7861b1b8f72f |title=Isaac TeSlaa Draft and Combine Prospect Profile |website=NFL.com |access-date=March 1, 2025}}{{Cite web |url=https://draftscout.com/dsprofile.php?PlayerId=1092075&DraftYear=2025 |title=Isaac TeSlaa College Football Profile |website=DraftScout.com |access-date=March 1, 2025}}
}}
TeSlaa was selected in the third round (70th overall) of the 2025 NFL draft by the Detroit Lions.{{Cite web |url=https://www.prideofdetroit.com/2025/4/25/24416921/lions-nfl-draft-2025-detroit-trades-up-selects-arkansas-wr-isaac-teslaa |title=Lions NFL Draft 2025: Detroit trades up, selects Arkansas WR Isaac TeSlaa |website=PrideofDetroit.com |access-date=April 25, 2025}}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- [https://www.detroitlions.com/team/players-roster/isaac-teslaa/ Detroit Lions bio]
- [https://hillsdalechargers.com/sports/football/roster/isaac-teslaa/1717 Hillsdale Chargers bio]
- [https://arkansasrazorbacks.com/roster/isaac-teslaa/ Arkansas Razorbacks bio]
{{Detroit Lions roster navbox}}{{Detroit Lions 2025 NFL draft picks}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:TeSlaa, Isaac}}
Category:People from Hudsonville, Michigan
Category:Players of American football from Ottawa County, Michigan
Category:American football wide receivers
Category:Hillsdale Chargers football players
Category:Arkansas Razorbacks football players