DeVonte Dedmon (born November 23, 1995) is an American professional football wide receiver and kick returner for the Ottawa Redblacks of the Canadian Football League (CFL).
 Dedmon with the Ottawa Redblacks in 2024 | |
| No. 17 – Ottawa Redblacks | |
|---|---|
| Position: | Wide receiver Kick returner |
| Personal information | |
| Born: | November 23, 1995 Williamsburg, Virginia, U.S. |
| Height: | 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) |
| Weight: | 185 lb (84 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school: | Warhill (Williamsburg, Virginia) |
| College: | William & Mary |
| Undrafted: | 2019 |
| Career history | |
| |
| * Offseason and/or practice squad member only | |
| Roster status: | Active |
| CFL status: | American |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
| Stats at Pro Football Reference | |
| Stats at CFL.ca | |
College career
editDedmon played college football for the William & Mary Tribe from 2014 to 2018.[1]
Professional career
editOttawa Redblacks (first stint)
editOn May 22, 2019, it was announced that Dedmon had signed with the Ottawa Redblacks.[2] He played in his first regular season game on July 19, 2019, against the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, where he recorded seven punt returns for 74 yards and five kickoff returns for 117 yards. He scored his first professional touchdown on a 111-yard kickoff return against the Montreal Alouettes on August 2, 2019.[3] In the same game, he also scored with a 95-yard punt return touchdown and set a franchise record with 377 total return yards in the 30–27 overtime win.[3] However, his rookie season was kept short due to injuries and he played in just five regular season games.[4] He did not play in 2020 due to the cancellation of the 2020 CFL season.
On November 2, 2021, it was announced that Dedmon had signed a one-year contract extension with the Redblacks.[5] In the team's next game, on November 6, 2021, Dedmon had a 100-yard kickoff return touchdown and set a CFL record as he recorded his fifth return touchdown in his first 15 career CFL games, surpassing Gizmo Williams' record of 18 games.[6] For the 2021 season, Dedmon played in 11 regular season games and had 11 receptions for 103 yards and ten carries for 68 rushing yards and one touchdown.[4] On special teams, he had 48 punt returns for 737 yards and two touchdowns, 49 kickoff returns for 1,223 yards and one touchdown, and four missed field goal returns for 103 yards.[4] For his strong season, he was named the CFL's Most Outstanding Special Teams Player.[7] He was also named as a league and divisional all-star.[8] He was released on January 26, 2022, so that he could pursue opportunities in the National Football League.[9]
Miami Dolphins
editOn January 27, 2022, Dedmon signed a reserve/future contract with the Miami Dolphins of the NFL.[10] He was released on August 16, 2022.[11]
Ottawa Redblacks (second stint)
editOn August 20, 2022, it was announced that Dedmon had re-signed with the Redblacks.[12] After joining the team partway through the 2022 season Dedmon only played in six games. He returned 13 punts and eight kickoffs. Dedmon also caught eight passes for 58 yards and carried the ball twice for five yards. On January 3, 2023 Dedmon and the Redblacks agreed to a two-year contract extension.[13] On June 26, 2023, it was announced that Dedmon was out for the remainder of the 2023 season with a shoulder injury.[14]
In 2024, Dedmon again missed time due to injury and played in nine regular season games.[15] He recorded 29 kickoff returns for 799 yards, with a league-leading 27.6-yard average, and one touchdown.[15] He also had 37 punt returns for 424 yards, a missed field goal return for 73 yards, and another 24 yards from scrimmage.[15] In the East Semi-Final, Dedmon had two carries for four yards, two catches for 25 yards, two punt returns for 25 yards, and one kickoff return for 13 yards.[16]
References
edit- ^ "2018 Football Roster, DeVonte Dedmon". William & Mary Tribe. Retrieved December 25, 2020.
- ^ "RedBlacks Announce Transactions". Oursportcentral. May 22, 2019.
- ^ a b "Redblacks edge Als in overtime to snap losing streak". Canadian Football League. August 2, 2019.
- ^ a b c "DeVonte Dedmon". Ottawa Redblacks. Retrieved December 25, 2020.
- ^ "Redblacks re-sign DeVonte Dedmon for 2022". Ottawa Redblacks. November 2, 2021.
- ^ "HEART AND SOUL: Could Redblacks star returner DeVonte Dedmon be the next Speedy B?". Ottawa Sun. November 7, 2021.
- ^ "Recap: Bombers names laced through CFL Awards". Canadian Football League. December 13, 2021.
- ^ "REDBLACKS Leone, Dedmon named CFL All-Stars". Ottawa Redblacks. December 15, 2021. Retrieved December 17, 2021.
- ^ "Redblacks release DeVonte Dedmon to pursue NFL opportunities". Ottawa Redblacks. January 26, 2022.
- ^ "Roster Moves: Dolphins sign WR DeVonte Dedmon to futures contract". MiamiDolphins.com. January 27, 2022.
- ^ Grindley, Wyatt (August 16, 2022). "Dolphins Place TE Adam Shaheen On IR, Waive Four". NFLTradeRumors.co. Retrieved August 16, 2022.
- ^ "DeVonte Dedmon returns to Redblacks". Ottawa Redblacks. August 20, 2022.
- ^ TSN ca Staff (January 3, 2023). "DeVonte Dedmon Ottawa Redblacks two-year deal". TSN. Retrieved January 4, 2023.
- ^ "Ottawa Redblacks' DeVonte Dedmon (shoulder) out for the season". TSN. June 26, 2023. Retrieved June 27, 2023.
- ^ a b c "2024 CFL League Statistics" (PDF). Canadian Football League. Retrieved November 2, 2024.
- ^ "Toronto Argonauts vs Ottawa Redblacks". Canadian Football League. Retrieved November 2, 2024.