Makai Polk
{{Short description|American giridion football player (born 2001)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2025}}
{{Infobox NFL biography
| name = Makai Polk
| image = 2024, 15, Makai Polk.jpg
| image_size =
| alt =
| caption = Polk with the Toronto Argonauts in 2024
| current_team = Atlanta Falcons
| number = 83
| position = Wide receiver
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|2001|8|4}}
| birth_place = Richmond, California, U.S.
| height_ft = 6
| height_in = 3
| weight_lb = 192
| high_school = El Cerrito High School
(El Cerrito, California)
| college = California (2019–2020)
Mississippi State (2021)
| undraftedyear = 2022
| pastteams =
- Baltimore Ravens ({{NFL Year|2022}})*
- New York Giants ({{NFL Year|2022}}–{{NFL Year|2023}})*
- Baltimore Ravens ({{NFL Year|2023}})*
- Toronto Argonauts ({{CFL Year|2024}})
- Atlanta Falcons ({{NFL Year|2025}}–present)
| status = Active
| cflstatus = American
| highlights =
| statleague = NFL
| statweek =
| statseason =
| statlabel1 = Receptions
| statvalue1 =
| statlabel2 = Receiving yards
| statvalue2 =
| statlabel3 = Rushing yards
| statvalue3 =
| statlabel4 = Return yards
| statvalue4 =
| statlabel5 = Total touchdowns
| statvalue5 =
| pfr = PolkMa00
| cfl = makai-polk/
}}
Makai Polk (born August 4, 2001) is an American professional football wide receiver for the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League (NFL). He is a Grey Cup champion after winning with Toronto Argonauts in the 2024. He played college football for the California Golden Bears before transferring to the Mississippi State Bulldogs.
Early life
Polk grew up in Richmond, California and initially attended Susan Miller Dorsey High School before transferring to El Cerrito High School before his senior year.{{Cite web |last=Barrows |first=Matt |date=April 13, 2022 |title='He's a real special talent': WR Makai Polk headlines the 49ers' local pro day |url=https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/3248861/2022/04/13/makai-polk-49ers-pro-day/ |access-date=April 20, 2022 |website=The Athletic}}
College career
Polk began his collegiate career at the University of California, Berkeley, with the California Golden Bears. He finished his freshman season with 19 receptions for 295 yards and 2 touchdowns.{{Cite web |last=Faulk |first=Robbie |date=September 2, 2021 |title=Transfer receivers making themselves at home in Air Raid at Mississippi State |url=https://247sports.com/college/mississippi-state/Article/Mississippi-State-football-wide-receiver-Makai-Polk-Jamire-Calvin--170009122/ |access-date=April 25, 2022 |website=247Sports.com}} Polk played in four games in the Golden Bears' COVID-19-shortened 2020 season and caught 17 passes for 183 yards and one touchdown.{{Cite web |title=Makai Polk 2020 Game Log |url=https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/players/makai-polk-1/gamelog/2020 |access-date=July 23, 2023 |website=College Football at Sports-Reference.com |language=en}} After the end of the season, Polk entered the transfer portal.{{Cite web |last=Travers |first=Trace |date=January 8, 2021 |title=WR Makai Polk Enters Transfer Portal |url=https://cal.rivals.com/news/wr-makai-polk-enters-transfer-portal |access-date=April 25, 2022 |website=Rivals.com}}
Polk ultimately transferred to Mississippi State University.{{Cite web |last=Becker |first=Jon |date=January 11, 2021 |title=Cal adds Florida State safety, loses receiver to Mississippi State |url=https://www.mercurynews.com/2021/01/11/cal-loses-receiver-to-mississippi-state-adds-florida-state-safety |access-date=April 20, 2022 |website=The Mercury News}} He was named a starter going into his first season with the Bulldogs and led the Southeastern Conference with 105 receptions for 1,048 yards and nine touchdowns.{{Cite web |last=Krajisnik |first=Stefan |date=March 3, 2022 |title=Makai Polk succeeds because he believes he's the best. NFL provides chance to prove it. |url=https://www.djournal.com/sports/college/mississippi-state/makai-polk-succeeds-because-he-believes-hes-the-best-nfl-provides-chance-to-prove-it/article_9f8c67a8-2ccc-5ffd-befa-d1634e20d356.html |access-date=April 25, 2022 |website=Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal}}{{Cite web |last=Maiocco |first=Matt |date=April 13, 2022 |title=Mississippi State receiver Polk headlines 49ers' local pro day |url=https://www.nbcsports.com/bayarea/49ers/49ers-local-pro-day-headlined-mississippi-state-receiver-makai-polk |access-date=April 20, 2022 |website=NBC Sports Bay Area}} Following the end of the season, he declared that he would forgo his remaining collegiate eligibility and enter the 2022 NFL draft.{{Cite web |last=Kostka |first=Andy |date=January 2, 2022 |title=Makai Polk, record-breaking Mississippi State wideout, declares for NFL draft |url=https://www.clarionledger.com/story/sports/college/mississippi-state/2022/01/02/makai-polk-record-breaking-mississippi-state-wideout-declares-nfl-draft/9073910002/ |access-date=April 20, 2022 |website=The Clarion-Ledger}}
Professional career
{{NFL predraft
| height ft = 6
| height in = 3 1/8
| weight = 195
| dash = 4.59
| ten split = 1.53
| twenty split = 2.59
| shuttle = 4.34
| cone drill = 7.06
| vertical = 32.5
| broad ft = 10
| broad in = 0
| bench = 6
| arm span = 32 1/4
| hand span = 9 1/2
| wonderlic =
| note = Sources:{{Cite web |title=Makai Polk Draft and Combine Prospect Profile |url=https://www.nfl.com/prospects/makai-polk/3200504f-4c14-4180-5ebd-6610be47bf99 |access-date=July 20, 2022 |website=NFL.com}}{{Cite web |title=2022 Draft Scout Makai Polk, Mississippi State NFL Draft Scout College Football Profile |url=https://draftscout.com/dsprofile.php?PlayerId=1030003&DraftYear=2022 |access-date=July 20, 2022 |website=draftscout.com}}
}}
= Baltimore Ravens (first stint) =
Polk was signed as a free agent out of college by the Baltimore Ravens in May 2022, after going undrafted.{{Cite magazine |last=Froyd |first=Crissy |date=May 2, 2022 |title=Where Each Former Bulldog Landed in the 2022 NFL Draft |url=https://www.si.com/college/mississippistate/football/2022-nfl-draft-charles-cross-martin-emerson-jr-makai-polk-mississippi-state-football |access-date=May 3, 2022 |magazine=Sports Illustrated |language=en}} He was waived on August 30, 2022, and signed to the practice squad the next day.{{Cite web |last=Mink |first=Ryan |date=August 30, 2022 |title=Ravens Make Roster Cuts to 53 |url=https://www.baltimoreravens.com/news/ravens-roster-cuts-53-2022 |access-date=February 1, 2023 |website=BaltimoreRavens.com}}{{Cite web |last=Mink |first=Ryan |date=August 31, 2022 |title=Ravens Set Initial Practice Squad |url=https://www.baltimoreravens.com/news/ravens-practice-squad-2022-anthony-brown-isaiah-mack |access-date=February 1, 2023 |website=BaltimoreRavens.com}} He was waived on September 27.{{Cite web |last=Mink |first=Ryan |date=September 27, 2022 |title=Ravens Add Veteran Outside Linebacker and Guard to Practice Squad |url=https://www.baltimoreravens.com/news/ravens-sign-jeremiah-attaochu-practice-squad |access-date=February 1, 2023 |website=BaltimoreRavens.com}}
= New York Giants =
On September 28, 2022, Polk was signed by the New York Giants to their practice squad.{{Cite web |last=Eisen |first=Michael |date=September 28, 2022 |title=Giants sign CB Fabian Moreau off practice squad; Sterling Shepard to IR |url=https://www.giants.com/news/sterling-shepard-injury-fabian-moreau-roster-makai-polk-olaijah-griffin |access-date=February 2, 2023 |website=Giants.com |language=en-US}} He signed a reserve/future contract on January 22, 2023.{{Cite web |date=January 22, 2023 |title=Giants sign 12 to reserve/future contracts |url=https://www.giants.com/news/reserve-future-contracts-roster-nfl-kalil-pimpleton-vernon-butler-transactions |access-date=February 1, 2023 |website=Giants.com}} He was waived on July 24, 2023.{{cite web|title=Giants sign defensive tackle Brandin Bryant; 2 waived|url=https://www.giants.com/news/giants-sign-defensive-tackle-brandin-bryant-buffalo-bills-florida-atlantic|author=Citak, Matt|website=Giants.com|date=July 24, 2023}}
= Baltimore Ravens (second stint) =
Polk was claimed off waivers by the Ravens on July 25, 2023.{{cite web|title=Ravens Bring Back Wide Receiver Makai Polk|url=https://www.baltimoreravens.com/news/makai-polk-ravens-sign-waivers-wide-receiver-giants|author=Mink, Ryan|website=BaltimoreRavens.com|date=July 25, 2023}} He was waived on August 10, 2023.
=Toronto Argonauts=
On May 20, 2024, it was announced that Polk had signed with the Toronto Argonauts.{{cite web |url=https://www.argonauts.ca/2024/05/20/argos-sign-american-wr-makai-polk/ |title=Argos Sign American WR Makai Polk |website=Toronto Argonauts |date=May 20, 2024}} Following training camp, he made the team's opening day lineup where he played and started in his first professional game on June 9, 2024, against the BC Lions, where he had three receptions for 40 yards.{{cite web |url=https://www.cfl.ca/players/makai-polk/166847/ |title=Makai Polk |publisher=Canadian Football League |access-date=October 29, 2024}}{{cite web |url=https://static.cfl.ca/wp-content/uploads/2024-GN-Gm-88-Edm-vs-Tor.pdf |title=Game Notes |publisher=Canadian Football League |access-date=October 29, 2024}} He scored his first touchdown on June 28, 2024, against the Montreal Alouettes, on a 40-yard pass from Bryan Scott.{{cite web |url=https://www.cfl.ca/games/6414/toronto-argonauts-vs-montreal-alouettes/#/gametracker |title=Toronto Argonauts vs Montreal Alouettes |publisher=Canadian Football League |access-date=October 29, 2024}}
After being sent to the practice roster in week 5, Polk returned to the starting lineup in the following week. He had his first 100-yard receiving game against the Ottawa Redblacks on September 7, 2024, where he had seven catches for 105 yards. He finished the season with five 100-yard games in the last seven regular season games to finish as the team's leading receiver. In 2024, Polk played in 17 regular season games where he had 61 receptions for 1,024 yards and five touchdowns. For his strong season, he was named to the East Division All-CFL team.{{cite web|title=Harris and Mitchell headline 2024 Divisional All-CFL squads |url=https://www.cfl.ca/2024/10/30/harris-and-mitchell-headline-2024-divisional-all-cfl-squads/ |publisher=Canadian Football League | date=October 30, 2024}} He also played in all three post-season games registering 14 receptions for 272 yards & a touchdown,{{Cite news |url=https://www.sportsnet.ca/nfl/article/falcons-sign-former-argonauts-wr-makai-polk-to-reserve-future-contract/ |title=Falcons sign former Argonauts WR Makai Polk to reserve/future contract |publisher=Sportsnet |date=January 8, 2025}} including the 111th Grey Cup where he had four receptions for 42 yards in the Argonauts' 41–24 victory over the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.{{Cite news |url=https://www.cfl.ca/games/6486/winnipeg-blue%20bombers-vs-toronto-argonauts/#playbyplay |title=Play-by-Play, 111th Grey Cup |publisher=Canadian Football League |date=November 17, 2024}}
=Atlanta Falcons=
On January 7, 2025, Polk signed a reserve/futures deal with the Atlanta Falcons.{{cite web |last=Waack |first=Terrin |title=Falcons sign 17 players to reserve/future contracts for 2025 |website=Atlanta Falcons |date=2025-01-17 |url=https://www.atlantafalcons.com/news/atlanta-falcons-reserve-future-contracts-2025 |access-date=2025-02-01}}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
{{commons}}
- [https://www.argonauts.ca/players/makai-polk/ Toronto Argonauts bio]
- [https://calbears.com/sports/football/roster/makai--polk/16143 California Golden Bears bio]
- [https://hailstate.com/sports/football/roster/makai-polk/6529 Mississippi State Bulldogs bio]
{{Atlanta Falcons roster navbox}}
{{111th Grey Cup}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Polk, Makai}}
Category:Players of American football from Richmond, California
Category:El Cerrito High School alumni
Category:American football wide receivers
Category:California Golden Bears football players
Category:Mississippi State Bulldogs football players
Category:Baltimore Ravens players
Category:New York Giants players
Category:Susan Miller Dorsey High School alumni
Category:Toronto Argonauts players
Category:Canadian football wide receivers