CeeDee Lamb

Cedarian DeLeon "CeeDee" Lamb (born April 8, 1999) is an American football wide receiver for the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Oklahoma where he was a consensus All-American in 2019 and was drafted by the Cowboys in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft.

Early years

Lamb was born in Opelousas, Louisiana, and lived in New Orleans until he and his family evacuated to Houston following Hurricane Katrina's effects on the city in 2005. Lamb later attended John and Randolph Foster High School in Richmond, Texas, where he played high school football. As a junior, he caught 57 receptions for 1,082 yards and 11 touchdowns.

As a senior in 2016, he had 98 receptions for 2,032 yards (fourth in state history), 33 receiving touchdowns (tied for second in state history) and three punt returns for touchdowns. Lamb along with quarterback Alex Ramart, led the team to a 14–1 overall record, with the only loss coming to Temple High School in the 5A-D1 state semifinals. He received All-State, Houston Touchdown Club's Offensive Player of the Year and the ''Houston Chronicles All-Greater Houston Football Offensive Player of the Year honors.

Lamb was rated a 4-star recruit by 247Sports.com, Rivals.com and ESPN, and he had offers from schools such as the University of Alabama and University of Texas. Lamb committed to the University of Oklahoma on July 25, 2016.

College career

As a true freshman at Oklahoma in 2017, he caught passes from quarterback Baker Mayfield, who would go on to win the Heisman Trophy. He played in all 14 games, posting 46 receptions (tied for second for freshman) for 807 yards (school freshman record) and seven touchdowns (tied the school freshman record). He set school freshman single-game records with nine receptions for 147 receiving yards and tied the school freshman single-game mark with two touchdown catches against Texas Tech. He received freshman All-American honors by ESPN.

As a sophomore in 2018, his starting quarterback was Kyler Murray, who would also go on to win the Heisman Trophy. Lamb was a key contributor in the Sooners 12–2 record and playoff appearance. He played in all 14 games with 13 starts, catching 65 passes for 1,158 yards and 11 touchdowns (led the team). He also was the team's punt returner, registering 17 returns for 218 yards and a 12.8-yard average (second in the Big 12). He recorded five 100-yard receiving games. Lamb and Marquise Brown became the first wide receiver tandem in school history to record 1,000-yard receiving seasons in the same year. He established a career-high with 167 receiving yards on six receptions and scored one touchdown in the Big 12 Championship 39–27 win against #9 Texas. He had a career-high eight receptions for 109 yards and one touchdown against the top ranked Alabama Crimson Tide in the College Football Playoff semifinal at the 2018 Orange Bowl.

As a junior in 2019, he caught passes from quarterback Jalen Hurts, who finished second in the Heisman Trophy voting. Lamb was named a first-team All-American, after catching 62 passes for 1,327 yards and 14 touchdowns. His 21.4 yards average per reception, was the most ever in a single season by an OU player with at least 50 receptions. He was a finalist for the Biletnikoff Award for best college football receiver. He was named the Most Outstanding Player of the Big 12 Championship, after collecting 173 yards on eight receptions (including a 71-yarder that set up the team's first touchdown) in a 30–23 win against #7 Baylor. He had four receptions for 119 yards (including a 51-yarder) in the College Football Playoff Semifinal at the 2019 Peach Bowl against #1 Louisiana State University. On December 29, Lamb announced that he would forgo his senior year and enter the 2020 NFL Draft.

College statistics

Professional career

Lamb was selected by the Dallas Cowboys in the first round with the 17th overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft. He was the third wide receiver selected, behind Henry Ruggs (Las Vegas Raiders, 12th overall) and Jerry Jeudy (Denver Broncos, 15th overall). On July 23, 2020, Lamb signed a 4-year, $14.01 million contract with the team, with a $7.7 million signing bonus and a fifth-year team option.

2020 season

On September 13, 2020, Lamb made his NFL debut in the season opener against the Los Angeles Rams on ''NBC Sunday Night Football'', recording five receptions for 59 yards in the 20–17 loss.
In Week 2 against the Atlanta Falcons, Lamb caught six passes for 106 yards, including a 24-yard reception to help set up the Cowboys' game winning field goal during the 40–39 come from behind win.
In Week 4 against the Cleveland Browns, Lamb caught five passes for 79 yards and two receiving touchdowns during the 49–38 loss. Playing against the New York Giants in Week 5, he was the number one target at 11 total targets, making eight receptions for 124 yards, in the eventual 37–34 win. In Week 9 against the Pittsburgh Steelers, Lamb caught his third touchdown of the season. He also lost his first fumble of his career in the 24–19 loss.
In Week 15 against the San Francisco 49ers, Lamb recorded five catches for 85 yards and returned an onside kick attempt for a 47-yard touchdown during the 41–33 win.
In Week 16 against the Philadelphia Eagles, Lamb recorded three catches for 65 yards, including a 52-yard touchdown reception, and rushed once for a 19-yard touchdown during the 37–17 victory. Overall, Lamb finished the 2020 season with 74 receptions for 935 receiving yards and five receiving touchdowns to go along with one rushing touchdown. He finished second to Justin Jefferson among rookies in receiving yards.

2021 season

In Week 1 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Lamb had 104 receiving yards and a touchdown on 7 receptions in a losing effort. In Week 6 against the New England Patriots, Lamb caught the game-winning 35-yard touchdown in overtime, finishing with 149 yards and two touchdowns on 9 receptions. In Week 16 against the Washington Football Team Lamb had 66 yards on four receptions that gave him his first career 1,000 yard season. Lamb would finish the season with team-leading 79 receptions, 1,102 yards and 6 touchdown receptions (tied for second on the team). He was selected to his first Pro Bowl after the season as a replacement for Cooper Kupp, who participated in Super Bowl LVI.

NFL career statistics

References

External links

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TwitterDallas Cowboys bioOklahoma Sooners bio

{{DEFAULTSORT:Lamb, CeeDee
1999 births
Living people
People from Richmond, Texas
Players of American football from Texas
Sportspeople from the Houston metropolitan area
American football wide receivers
Oklahoma Sooners football players
All-American college football players
Dallas Cowboys players
National Conference Pro Bowl players