Fourth-round draft pick played in every game in 2012, filling No. 2 TE role ... Credited with six starts, plus a start in Wild Card playoff, when offense opened with two TEs ... Performed for three years at high level in SEC before opting to turn pro ... Topped all TEs at Scouting Combine with 35 reps in bench press.
CAREER TRANSACTIONS: Selected by Bengals in fourth round of 2012 NFL Draft (116th overall) ... Signed with Bengals on 5-12-12.
2012 RECAP: Played in all 16 games, with six starts as second TE (Games 1, 6, 10-11 and 15-16), plus start as second TE in Wild Card playoff ... Totaled eight receptions for 101 yards ... Had leaping 25-yard catch between two defenders early in fourth quarter Sept. 23 at Washington, helping set up Bengals TD ... One catch for 10 yards Sept. 30 at Jacksonville ... One catch for 12 yards Oct. 14 at Cleveland ... Had 19-yard catch Nov. 11 vs. N.Y. Giants ... Two-for-14 receiving Nov. 25 vs. Oakland ... On Dec. 9 vs. Dallas, had 17-yard reception to convert third-and-one, and also had 10-yard return on squib kickoff ... Played in all four preseason games, logging three catches for 36 yards.
COLLEGE:Played three seasons (2009-11) at Georgia ... Saw action in 40 games, with 26 of his 29 starts coming his last two seasons ... Caught 94 passes for 1370 yards and 10 TDs, starting 29 of 40 games ... Started every game as a junior in ’11 as Georgia went 10-4 with Outback Bowl loss to Michigan State ... Posted career-best totals for receptions (45), receiving yards (574) and TDs (five) ... Blocked a punt in a win over Vanderbilt and aided rushing attack that averaged 164.0 yards per game ... First-team All-SEC nods as a junior from Associated Press, ESPN.com and SEC coaches.
PERSONAL: Hometown is Tampa, Fla. ... Played his first three high school seasons at Riverview (Fla.) High School, and transferred to Plant High School in Tampa for his senior year ... Started at both TE and DE as Plant finished second in the state in 2008 with 14-1 record, and his contributions on offense included 75 receptions for 1421 yards and 21 TDs ... As a senior at Plant, rated by Rivals.com as second-best receiver and seventh-best prospect in Florida ... Sociology major at Georgia, earning Academic Honor Roll honors from SEC and Georgia athletic director’s office in each of his three Bulldog seasons.
