John Hightower (American football)

John Hightower
refer to caption
Hightower with the Philadelphia Eagles in 2020
Personal information
Born: (1996-05-31) May 31, 1996 (age 28)
Landover, Maryland, U.S.
Height:6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
Weight:190 lb (86 kg)
Career information
High school:Riverdale Baptist
(Upper Marlboro, Maryland)
College:
Position:Wide receiver
NFL draft:2020 / round: 5 / pick: 168
Career history
 * Offseason and/or practice squad member only
Career NFL statistics
Receptions:10
Receiving yards:167
Stats at Pro Football Reference

John Hightower IV (born May 31, 1996) is an American professional football wide receiver. He played college football at Boise State and was selected by the Philadelphia Eagles in the fifth round of the 2020 NFL draft.

Early life

Hightower attended Riverdale Baptist School in Upper Marlboro, Maryland.[1]

College career

Hightower originally attended Hinds Community College for two years before attending Boise State University.[2][3] In the two years at Hinds, he had 31 receptions for 509 yards and seven touchdowns.[4] During his first year at Boise State in 2018, Hightower started four of 10 games, recording 31 receptions for 504 yards and six touchdowns.[5] In his senior season in 2019, he started 13 of 14 games and had 51 receptions for 943 yards and eight touchdowns.[6]

Professional career

Pre-draft measurables
Height Weight Arm length Hand span 40-yard dash 10-yard split 20-yard split 20-yard shuttle Three-cone drill Vertical jump Broad jump
6 ft 1+1⁄2 in
(1.87 m) 		189 lb
(86 kg) 		31+1⁄2 in
(0.80 m) 		9+3⁄4 in
(0.25 m)		 4.43 s 1.49 s 2.67 s 4.21 s 7.07 s 38.5 in
(0.98 m)		 10 ft 2 in
(3.10 m)
All values from NFL Combine[7][8]

Philadelphia Eagles

Hightower was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in the fifth round with the 168th overall pick of the 2020 NFL draft.[9]

On August 31, 2021, Hightower was waived by the Eagles and re-signed to the practice squad the next day.[10][11] He was placed on the COVID-19 list on December 28 and activated seven days later.[12][13] He signed a reserve/future contract with the Eagles on February 3, 2022.

On August 30, 2022, Hightower was waived by the Eagles.[14]

Los Angeles Chargers

On September 28, 2022, Hightower was signed to the Los Angeles Chargers practice squad.[15] He signed a reserve/future contract on January 17, 2023.[16] He was released on August 29, 2023, as a part of the team’s final roster cuts.[17]

DC Defenders

On February 15, 2024, Hightower signed with the DC Defenders of the United Football League (UFL).[18] He was released on March 10, 2024.[19]

Michigan Panthers

On March 14, 2024, Hightower was signed by the Michigan Panthers of the UFL.[20] He was released on May 13.[21]

References

  1. ^ "Boise State's Hightower made it out of his hometown. Now he honors those who didn't". www.msn.com.
  2. ^ Rains, B. J. (October 17, 2018). "John Hightower got cut from his junior college team as a freshman, but has become a key playmaker for Boise State". Idaho Press.
  3. ^ Roberts, Rachel (September 9, 2018). "Boise State football fans get first glimpse of JC transfer's big-play potential". www.idahostatesman.com. Retrieved March 31, 2020.
  4. ^ Rains, B. J. (June 14, 2019). "John Hightower is No. 8 on our list of Boise State's most important players list in 2019". Idaho Press.
  5. ^ Rains, B. J. (September 18, 2019). "John Hightower overcoming academic issues to make big plays for Boise State: 'He worked his tail off'". Idaho Press.
  6. ^ "PFF Pegs Boise State WR John Hightower as a Fit Later in Draft". SI.com. March 6, 2020.
  7. ^ "John Hightower Draft and Combine Prospect Profile". NFL.com. Retrieved September 26, 2023.
  8. ^ "2020 NFL Draft Scout John Hightower College Football Profile". DraftScout.com. Retrieved September 26, 2023.
  9. ^ Ramey, Devin (April 25, 2020). "Former Boise State WR John Hightower drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in the 5th round". KTVB. Retrieved April 25, 2020.
  10. ^ McPherson, Chris (August 31, 2021). "Eagles announce initial 53-man roster". PhiladelphiaEagles.com.
  11. ^ "Eagles agree to terms with 15 players to join the practice squad". PhiladelphiaEagles.com. September 1, 2021.
  12. ^ Bowman, Paul (December 28, 2021). "Kerryon Johnson Rejoins Eagles Amidst Flurry Of Moves". SportsTalkPhilly.com.
  13. ^ McPherson, Chris (January 4, 2022). "Eagles activate WR John Hightower, CB Craig James from the Practice Squad Reserve/COVID-19 list". PhiladelphiaEagles.com.
  14. ^ McPherson, Chris (August 30, 2022). "Eagles announce initial 53-man roster". PhiladelphiaEagles.com.[permanent dead link‍]
  15. ^ "Chargers sign WR John Hightower to practice squad". Bolts from the Blue. September 28, 2022.
  16. ^ "Los Angeles Chargers Sign 12 Players to Contracts". Chargers.com. January 17, 2023.
  17. ^ "Los Angeles Chargers Reduce Roster to 53 Players". Chargers.com. August 29, 2023.
  18. ^ "UFL Player Transactions, Thursday February 15, 2024". UFLBoard.com. February 15, 2024. Retrieved February 16, 2024.
  19. ^ "UFL Teams Set their Training Camp Rosters to 58". UFLBoard.com. March 10, 2024. Retrieved March 10, 2024.
  20. ^ "UFL Player Transactions, Thursday March 14, 2024". UFLBoard.com. March 14, 2024. Retrieved March 15, 2024.
  21. ^ "UFL Player Transactions, May 13, 2024". UFLBoard.com. May 14, 2024. Retrieved May 14, 2024.