Olamide Zaccheaus ( ; born July 23, 1997) 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

Philadelphia Eagles The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia. The Eagles compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East division. The team plays ...

of the

National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the ...

(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 ...

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...

and has played in the NFL for the

Atlanta Falcons The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta. The Falcons compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. The Falcons joined th ...

. Zaccheaus had lived with his family in

Plainfield, New Jersey Plainfield is a city in Union County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey, known by its nickname as "The Queen City."

, before moving at age seven to

Magnolia, New Jersey Magnolia is a borough in Camden County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough's population was 4,341,Virginia Cavaliers The Virginia Cavaliers, also known as ''Wahoos'' or ''Hoos'', are the athletic teams representing the University of Virginia, located in Charlottesville. The Cavaliers compete at the NCAA Division I level ( FBS for football), in the Atlantic C ...

for four seasons. He was named second team All-

Atlantic Coast Conference The Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) is a collegiate athletic conference located in the eastern United States. Headquartered in Greensboro, North Carolina, the ACC's fifteen member universities compete in the National Collegiate Athletic Associa ...

(ACC) after catching 85 passes for 895 yards and five touchdowns. As a senior, Zaccheaus led the

with 93 receptions for 1,058 yards and nine touchdowns and was named first team All-ACC. He was named the Most Valuable Player of the

2018 Belk Bowl The 2018 Belk Bowl was a college football bowl game played on December 29, 2018. It was the 17th edition of the Belk Bowl, and one of the 2018–19 bowl games concluding the 2018 FBS football season. The game was sponsored by the department s ...

, his final game as a Cavalier, after making 12 receptions for 100 yards receiving and three touchdowns. Zaccheaus finished his collegiate career with 250 receptions for 2,753 yards and 22 touchdowns while also rushing 79 times for 551 yards and two touchdowns in 50 games played.

Professional career

Atlanta Falcons

2019

Zaccheaus signed with the

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 ...

on April 27, 2019, and made the 53-man roster out of training camp. Zaccheaus made his NFL debut on October 13, 2019, 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 ...

, making a tackle on special teams. In the Falcons' 40–20 victory against the

Carolina Panthers The Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Panthers compete in the National Football League (NFL), as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. T ...

on December 8, 2019, Zaccheaus recorded his first reception in the NFL, a 93-yard touchdown pass from Matt Ryan, which was the third-longest reception in franchise history, and set an NFL record for the longest first catch. In Week 15 against the

San Francisco 49ers The San Francisco 49ers (also written as the San Francisco Forty-Niners) are a professional American football team based in the San Francisco Bay Area. The 49ers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the league's National ...

, Zaccheaus returned a fumble for a touchdown in the closing seconds of the 29–22 win. Zaccheaus finished his rookie season with three receptions for 115 yards and a touchdown on offense and two tackles and a fumble recovery for a touchdown on special teams.

2020

In Week 9 against the

Denver Broncos The Denver Broncos are a professional American football franchise based in Denver. The Broncos compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) West division. The team is headquart ...

, Zaccheaus had his first 100-yard game with four receptions for 103 receiving yards and a touchdown in the 34–27 victory. He was placed on injured reserve on December 1, 2020. Zaccheaus finished the season with 20 receptions for 274 yards and one touchdown in 11 games played.

2021

In Week 8 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 ...

, Zaccheaus had three receptions for 58 yards and a career-high two touchdowns in the 27–25 win. Zaccheaus finished the season with 31 receptions for 406 yards and three touchdowns.

2022

On March 15, 2022, the Falcons placed a restricted free agent tender on Zaccheaus. On April 19, 2022, Zaccheaus signed his right-of-refusal tender, ensuring his return to the Falcons. Zaccheaus played in all 17 games, of which he started 13. He finished with 40 receptions for 533 receiving yards and three receiving touchdowns.

Philadelphia Eagles

On April 19, 2023, Zaccheaus signed with the

References

External links

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Atlanta Falcons bioVirginia Cavaliers bio
{{DEFAULTSORT:Zaccheaus, Olamide 1997 births Living people American football wide receivers Philadelphia Eagles players Virginia Cavaliers football players Players of American football from New Jersey Sportspeople from Camden County, New Jersey Sportspeople from Plainfield, New Jersey St. Joseph's Preparatory School alumni