Allen Jamel Lazard (born December 11, 1995) is an

American football American football (referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada), also known as gridiron, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular field with goalposts at each end. The offense, the team with ...

wide receiver for the

Green Bay Packers The Green Bay Packers are a professional American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Packers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. It ...

of the

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(NFL). He played

college football College football (french: Football universitaire) refers to gridiron football played by teams of student athletes. It was through college football play that American football rules first gained popularity in the United States. Unlike most ...

Iowa State University Iowa State University of Science and Technology (Iowa State University, Iowa State, or ISU) is a public land-grant research university in Ames, Iowa. Founded in 1858 as the Iowa Agricultural College and Model Farm, Iowa State became one of the n ...

and was originally signed by the

Jacksonville Jaguars The Jacksonville Jaguars are a professional American football team based in Jacksonville, Florida. The Jaguars compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) South division. The team play ...

as an

undrafted free agent In professional sports, a free agent is a player who is eligible to sign with other clubs or franchises; i.e., not under contract to any specific team. The term is also used in reference to a player who is under contract at present but who is a ...

in 2018. Lazard was a highly-rated

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coming out of high school, where he was named a ''USA Today'' High School All-American. Lazard has been selected to the First-team All-

Big 12 The Big 12 Conference is a college athletic conference headquartered in Irving, Texas, USA. It consists of ten full-member universities. It is a member of Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) for all sports. Its fo ...

in both

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and

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Press release. 2017 All-Big 12 Football Awards Announced
and is Iowa State's career leader in both receptions and receiving yards.

High school career

At Urbandale High School, Lazard played

high school football High school football (french: football au lycée) is gridiron football played by high school teams in the United States and Canada. It ranks among the most popular interscholastic sports in both countries, but its popularity is declining, part ...

and was a four-year starter on both offense and defense. Lazard still holds the school career records in receptions (105), receiving yards (2,349), touchdowns (34) and interceptions (14). His high school honors include but are not limited to: USA Today All American, Des Moines Register's Offensive Player of the Year in 2013, Defensive Player of the Year in 2012, and a three-time All-State selection. A consensus four-star wide receiver, Lazard was a highly touted recruit out of high school. He was ranked the No. 1 recruit of the state of

Iowa Iowa () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States, bordered by the Mississippi River to the east and the Missouri River and Big Sioux River to the west. It is bordered by six states: Wisconsin to the northeast, Illinois to the ...

and the 7th best receiver in the country by

Rivals A rivalry is the state of two people or groups engaging in a lasting competitive relationship. Rivalry is the "against each other" spirit between two competing sides. The relationship itself may also be called "a rivalry", and each participant o ...

. Lazard ultimately followed his father Kevin (1990–93) and brother Anthony (2013–16) in playing for the Iowa State Cyclones over Notre Dame,

Nebraska Nebraska () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by South Dakota to the north; Iowa to the east and Missouri to the southeast, both across the Missouri River; Kansas to the south; Colorado to the southwe ...

Stanford Stanford University, officially Leland Stanford Junior University, is a private research university in Stanford, California. The campus occupies , among the largest in the United States, and enrolls over 17,000 students. Stanford is considere ...

California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...

and

. Prior to enrolling at Iowa State, Lazard played in the 2014 U.S. Army All-American Bowl.

College career

2014 season

Opting not to redshirt, Lazard started 11 of the Cyclones 12 games. He finished second on the team in receptions (45) and receiving yards (593) as well as scoring three touchdowns. Both reception and receiving totals rank second all-time for an ISU freshman. The first catch of his career went for 48 yards against

North Dakota State North Dakota State University (NDSU, formally North Dakota State University of Agriculture and Applied Sciences) is a public land-grant research university in Fargo, North Dakota. It was founded as North Dakota Agricultural College in 1890 as th ...

and he caught his first career touchdown pass against

Kansas State Kansas State University (KSU, Kansas State, or K-State) is a public land-grant research university with its main campus in Manhattan, Kansas, United States. It was opened as the state's land-grant college in 1863 and was the first public instit ...

the next week. His season high was 96 yards and a touchdown against the

Toledo Rockets The Toledo Rockets are the intercollegiate athletic teams that represent the University of Toledo. The Rockets compete at the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I level as a member of the Mid-American Conference (MAC). The ...

. At the conclusion of the season, Lazard was named to the All-

honorable mention team and earned ESPN.com Big 12 All-Underclassman honors.

2015 season

Lazard built on the success from his freshman season by starting all 11 games he played in and led the team in receptions (56), receiving yards (808) and touchdown catches (6). He ranked fifth in the

and 59th nationally in receptions per game (5.1) and was sixth in the Big 12 and 51st in the nation in receiving yardage (73.5). His seasons highs included a then career-high 147 yards receiving and a career-long 74-yard touchdown against TCU and a pair of touchdowns on five catches for 87 yards against

. Lazard was named Second-team All-Big 12 by the AP and ESPN's Big 12 All-Underclassman team for second-straight season as well receiving the Pete Taylor Most Valuable Player.

2016 season

Lazard's breakout season was in

and was one of the greatest single seasons in Cyclone history. He once again led the team in receptions (69), receiving yards (1,018) and TD catches (7) as well as breaking the school record for 100-yard receiving games with six and becoming the fourth player in school history to record a 1,000-yard season. He ranked sixth in the Big 12 and 37th nationally in receptions per game (5.8) and ranked fifth in the Big 12 and 29th nationally in receiving yards per game (84.8). Lazard opened the season with back-to-back 100-yard games against in-state rivals

UNI Uni or UNI may refer to: Entertainment *Uni Records, a division of MCA, formally called Universal City Records *"U.N.I.", a song by Ed Sheeran from ''+'' (''Plus'') *Uni, a species in the Neopets Trading Card Game *Uni, a character in the anim ...

(129) and

(111). Against

, he tallied eight receptions for 134 yards. He recorded a career-high 10 receptions for 120 yards and a touchdown against

Kansas Kansas () is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its capital is Topeka, and its largest city is Wichita. Kansas is a landlocked state bordered by Nebraska to the north; Missouri to the east; Oklahoma to the south; and Colorado to the ...

. Lazard finished the season with three straight 100-yard games against Kansas (120),

Texas Tech Texas Tech University (Texas Tech, Tech, or TTU) is a public research university in Lubbock, Texas. Established on , and called Texas Technological College until 1969, it is the main institution of the five-institution Texas Tech University Sys ...

(137) and

West Virginia West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian, Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States.The Census Bureau and the Association of American Geographers classify West Virginia as part of the Southern United States while the Bur ...

(103). Lazard was named First-team All-Big 12 by the Coaches and ESPN and as the Pete Taylor Most Valuable Player for the second straight year.

2017 season

200px, Lazard at Iowa State in 2017 In

, Lazard continued on his success of 2016. He again led the team in receptions, receiving yards, and touchdowns with 71, 941, and 10 respectively. Against

Northern Iowa Iowa () is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States, bordered by the Mississippi River to the east and the Missouri River and Big Sioux River to the west. It is bordered by six states: Wiscon ...

, Lazard had eight receptions for 108 yards, he followed that up with two touchdown catches against

the next week. In the win at No. 3

Oklahoma Oklahoma (; Choctaw language, Choctaw: ; chr, ᎣᎧᎳᎰᎹ, ''Okalahoma'' ) is a U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States, bordered by Texas on the south and west, Kansas on the nor ...

, Allen had 69 yards and a game-sealing touchdown. In the home victory against TCU, Lazard had another 100-yard performance with 106 yards on six catches. His two best games of the season were nine receptions for 126 yards and a touchdown against

Oklahoma State Oklahoma (; Choctaw: ; chr, ᎣᎧᎳᎰᎹ, ''Okalahoma'' ) is a state in the South Central region of the United States, bordered by Texas on the south and west, Kansas on the north, Missouri on the northeast, Arkansas on the east, New ...

and 10 catches for 142 yards and a touchdown in the

Liberty Bowl The Liberty Bowl is an annual American college football bowl game played in late December or early January since 1959. For its first five years, it was played at Philadelphia Municipal Stadium in Philadelphia before being held at Atlantic City ...

win against No. 19

Memphis Memphis most commonly refers to: * Memphis, Egypt, a former capital of ancient Egypt * Memphis, Tennessee, a major American city Memphis may also refer to: Places United States * Memphis, Alabama * Memphis, Florida * Memphis, Indiana * Memp ...

. At the conclusion of the season, Lazard was named First-Team All-Big 12 by the coaches and Second-team All-Big 12 by the media.

College statistics

College records

Iowa State * Career receptions, 241 * Career receiving yards, 3,360 * Single season touchdowns, 10 (

) * Consecutive games with a reception, 48 * Consecutive 100-yard receiving games, 4 * 100-yard receiving games, 12

Professional career

Lazard received an invitation to take part in the

2018 Senior Bowl The 2018 Senior Bowl was an all-star college football exhibition game featuring players from the 2017 NCAA Division I FBS football season, and prospects for the 2018 draft of the professional National Football League (NFL). The game was the last ...

Jacksonville Jaguars

Lazard signed with the

as an undrafted free agent on April 30, 2018. He was waived on September 1, 2018, and was signed to the practice squad the next day.

Green Bay Packers

2018 season

On December 18, 2018, Lazard was signed by the

off the Jaguars' practice squad.

2019 season

Lazard was waived on August 31, 2019 and was signed to the practice squad the next day. He was promoted to the active roster on September 4, 2019. Lazard recorded his first professional touchdown, a 35-yard reception from

Aaron Rodgers Aaron Charles Rodgers (born December 2, 1983) is an American football quarterback for the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League (NFL). Rodgers began his college football career at Butte College in 2002 before transferring to the ...

, during a Week 6 win over the

Detroit Lions The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit. The Lions compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) North Division. The team play their home games at Ford ...

on October 14, 2019. He had a breakout performance on December 1, 2019, in a 31–13-week-13 victory over the

New York Giants The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Giants compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East division. ...

, posting three catches for 103 yards and a touchdown. Overall, Lazard finished the 2019 season with 35 receptions for 477 receiving yards and three receiving touchdowns, while also adding one rushing attempt for 21 yards.

2020 season

On March 17, 2020, the Packers tendered Lazard as an

exclusive-rights free agent In professional sports, a free agent is a player who is eligible to sign with other clubs or franchises; i.e., not under contract to any specific team. The term is also used in reference to a player who is under contract at present but who is a ...

. He signed the one-year tender on April 27, 2020. In the season-opener against the

Minnesota Vikings The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the National Football Conference (NFC) North division. Founded in 1960 as an expansion ...

, Lazard caught four passes for 63 yards and his first touchdown of the season during the 43–34 road victory. During ''Sunday Night Football'' against the

New Orleans Saints The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans. The Saints compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. Since 1975, the te ...

in Week 3, Lazard finished with six receptions for 146 yards and a touchdown in the 37–30 road victory. He was placed on injured reserve on October 3, 2020, after undergoing core muscle surgery. Lazard was activated on November 17, 2020. In Week 12, in his second game off of injured reserve, Lazard caught his third touchdown of the season in a 41–25 victory over the Chicago Bears, along with 23 receiving yards. Lazard finished the season with 33 receptions for 451 yards and 3 touchdowns, nearly matching his previous year total despite playing in six fewer games. In the Divisional Round of the playoffs against the

Los Angeles Rams The Los Angeles Rams are a professional American football team based in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. The Rams compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) West division. The Rams play ...

, Lazard recorded four catches for 96 yards, including a 58-yard touchdown, during the 32–18 win. In the NFC Championship against the

Tampa Bay Buccaneers The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football team based in Tampa, Florida. The Buccaneers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South divisio ...

, Lazard recorded three catches for 62 yards during the 31–26 loss.

2021 season

On July 28, 2021, Lazard signed his exclusive rights tender, keeping him in Green Bay for the 2021 season. Lazard's season started off slowly, having 15 catches for 184 yards through the first eight games of the season. On October 26, ahead of the Packers' Week 9 game against the

Arizona Cardinals The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in the Phoenix metropolitan area. The Cardinals compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) West division, and play t ...

, fellow wide receiver

Davante Adams Davante Lavell Adams (born December 24, 1992) is an American football wide receiver for the Las Vegas Raiders of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Fresno State, and was selected by the Green Bay Packers in the s ...

tested positive for COVID-19. Lazard, who was unvaccinated, was placed on the COVID-19/Reserve list due to being a close contact. He was activated off the COVID-19/Reserve list on November 1, 2021. Lazard was fined $14,650 for violating NFL COVID-19 protocols along with quarterback Aaron Rodgers. Lazard was the recipient of backup quarterback Jordan Love's first NFL touchdown in a Week 9 13–7 road loss to the

Kansas City Chiefs The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Chiefs compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) West division. The tea ...

Lazard picked up the pace through the second half of the season. In Week 14, Lazard had six receptions for 75 yards and a touchdown in a 45–30 win over the

Chicago Bears The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago. The Bears compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) North division. The Bears have won nine NF ...

. In Week 16, in a Christmas Day showdown with the

Cleveland Browns The Cleveland Browns are a professional American football team based in Cleveland. Named after original coach and co-founder Paul Brown, they compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference ( ...

, Lazard caught Rodgers' 443rd career touchdown pass with the Packers, breaking the previous record of 442, held by

Brett Favre Brett Lorenzo Favre ( ; born October 10, 1969) is an American former football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 20 seasons, primarily with the Green Bay Packers. Favre had 321 consecutive starts from 1992 to 20 ...

. The following week, he caught all six of his targets for 72 yards and a touchdown as the Packers won 37–10 against the

to clinch home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. In the regular-season finale, Lazard played just one half as the Packers rested their starters in the second half against the

; despite that, Lazard matched a season-high 75 receiving yards and notched a career-high two touchdowns in a single game as the Packers lost on the road by a score of 37–30. Lazard finished the 2021 season with 40 receptions for 513 yards and eight touchdowns, all career highs. His five touchdowns over the final five weeks of the season were tied for second most in the NFL over that time span, second only to teammate Davante Adams. On March 15, 2022, the Packers placed a second-round restricted free agent tender on Lazard. It was signed on June 13, 2022.

NFL career statistics

Regular season

Postseason

References

External links

Green Bay Packers bioIowa State Cyclones bio
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lazard, Allen 1995 births Living people Players of American football from Des Moines, Iowa American football wide receivers Iowa State Cyclones football players Jacksonville Jaguars players Green Bay Packers players