Kellen Winslow II

Kellen Boswell Winslow, Jr. (born July 21, 1983) is an American football tight end who is currently a free agent. He played college football at the University of Miami, where he earned All-American honors and was recognized as the top college tight end. The Cleveland Browns chose him with the sixth overall pick in the 2004 NFL Draft. He has also played for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Seattle Seahawks, and the New England Patriots.

Early years
Winslow was born in San Diego, California, the son of San Diego Chargers tight end Kellen Winslow, a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He attended Scripps Ranch High School in San Diego, and played for the Scripps Ranch Falcons high school football team.

College career
Winslow enrolled at the University of Miami, where he played for coach Larry Coker's Miami Hurricanes football team from 2001 to 2003.

Freshman Season
During his freshman season, he backed up All-American tight end Jeremy Shockey and played largely on special teams, and was one of four true freshmen to play during the Hurricanes' 2001 run to the BCS National Championship, the others being future NFL stars Frank Gore, Vince Wilfork, Andre Johnson, Jonathan Vilma, Ken Dorsey, and Sean Taylor.

Sophomore Season
After Shockey's departure for the 2002 NFL Draft, Winslow became the starter at Tight End and was named a finalist for the Mackey Award and named a first-team All-American by CNNSI.com, setting Miami records for a Tight End with 57 receptions for 726 yards and 8 touchdowns. His best game came during the 2003 Fiesta Bowl, which was the site of the BCS National Championship game that year, in which Winslow caught 11 passes for 122 yards and one touchdown.

Junior Season
Despite a slight drop in production during his junior season, in which Winslow caught 60 passes for 605 yards and 1 touchdown, he won the John Mackey Award as the nation's best collegiate tight end, and was he was recognized as a unanimous first-team All-American, after receiving first-team honors from the Associated Press and other national selector organizations. After the season, Winslow decided to forgo his senior season and declared himself eligible for the 2004 NFL Draft.

"I'm a Soldier" Controversy
Winslow received national attention following a 2003 University of Miami loss to the University of Tennessee Volunteers. During a sweep play for Miami wide receiver/cornerback Devin Hester, Winslow blocked two Volunteers, effectively taking both defenders out of the play. When questioned during the media session following the game, Winslow said "It's a war out there! They're out there to kill you, so I'm out there to kill them. We don't care about anybody but this U. They're going after my legs. I'm going to come right back at them. I'm a [expletive] soldier." Comparing himself to a soldier drew national attention and Kellen quickly issued a statement "After speaking with the press, I immediately regretted my comments and felt embarrassed for my family, my team, the University of Miami, our fans, alumni and myself, "What I have learned from this experience is to take my triumphs and failures in stride. My outburst should in no shape or form be a reflection on this institution or the Miami football program. As for my reference to being a soldier in a war, I meant no disrespect to the men and women who have served, or are currently serving, in the armed forces. I cannot begin to imagine the magnitude of war or its consequences."

Cleveland Browns
Winslow was drafted by the Browns out of the University of Miami with the sixth pick in the first round of the 2004 NFL Draft. Cleveland head coach Butch Davis was also the coach who recruited Winslow to the University of Miami before leaving for the NFL prior to ever coaching Winslow in college.

Winslow would eventually choose sports agents Carl and Kevin Poston of Professional Sports Planning Inc. (PSP) to represent him at the negotiating table. The Poston brothers - whose clients at the time also included Orlando Pace and Charles Woodson - seemed an odd choice. Although respected in many circles for their ability to secure hefty contracts for their clients, the pair had developed difficult working relationships with several teams, league executives and the NFL Players' Association. In March 2006, Carl Poston was suspended for two years by the NFLPA disciplinary committee after admitting that he had not read the contract of Washington Redskins' linebacker LaVar Arrington, which did not include an agreed upon $6.5 million bonus. Eventually, the Postons secured a six-year $40 million deal for Winslow, including a $16.5 million signing bonus.

2004 leg injury
Winslow was expected to give the Cleveland offense an immediate boost. Two games into his rookie season, however, he suffered a broken right fibula, costing him $5.3 million in incentive bonuses. The injury kept him on the sidelines for the remainder of the year after having only recorded five catches for 50 yards. After two operations on the injured leg, Winslow was supposed to make a full and complete recovery in time for the 2005 season. He had made his NFL debut versus the Baltimore Ravens on September 12.

2005 motorcycle accident
This expectation changed on May 1, 2005 when Winslow, while riding his Suzuki GSX-R750 motorcycle in a community college parking lot in suburban Westlake, hit a curb at about 35 mph and was thrown from his bike. Winslow sustained a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee and was placed on the "Physically Unable-to-Perform (Non Football Injury)" list for the 2005 season. Winslow also fought off a six-week staph infection that resulted from his knee injury.

While Winslow was contractually obligated by the NFL's standard player contract not to "engage in … any activity other than football which may involve a significant risk of personal injury", and specifically not to ride a motorcycle under his contract with the Browns, he nevertheless purchased the powerful sport bike. Lt. Judy Neel of the Ohio State Highway Patrol reported that Winslow obtained a motorcycle learner's permit April 26, after initially failing a written exam administered in the Garfield Heights district of Cleveland. Initially, it was speculated that the Browns would seek to recoup a pro-rated share of the $6 million signing bonus Winslow received in 2004 and perhaps the entire $4.4 million option bonus he was paid in March 2005, although the Browns later declined to take such action.

2006 season
Winslow attended the Browns' 2006 training camp and pronounced himself ready to play. The Associated Press reported in August 2006 that Winslow said that, even at 90 percent, he was superior to every other NFL tight end. "I hate to be brash", Winslow said. "But I think my 90 percent is still better than every tight end out there."

In the opening game of the 2006 NFL season against the New Orleans Saints, Winslow recorded his first NFL touchdown, scoring on an 18-yard pass from quarterback Charlie Frye. Winslow emerged as a reliable target for Cleveland, finishing the year with 89 receptions, the most at his position on the season, which also tied Ozzie Newsome's all-time franchise record for receptions in a season. Winslow underwent microfracture surgery on his right knee January 31, 2007 at the Cleveland Clinic in an attempt to further repair cartilage damage sustained in the motorcycle accident in 2005.

2007 season
He had a successful season and finished with 82 receptions for 1,106 yards and five touchdowns. On December 18, Winslow was named as a first alternate for the 2008 Pro Bowl On February 4, Antonio Gates of the San Diego Chargers announced he would not be attending the Pro Bowl due to injury. This paved the way for Winslow to make his first trip to the Pro Bowl.

2008 season
During the 2008 season, Winslow was hospitalized with a staph infection. Winslow then openly criticized former GM Phil Savage about not fixing the infection problem (the Browns have had seven cases of staph infection in the last few years), and trying to hide the injury. Savage responded by suspending him for a week; owner Randy Lerner later apologized to Winslow and rescinded the suspension.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Winslow was traded to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on February 27, 2009 for their 2nd round pick in the 2009 NFL Draft and their 5th round pick in the 2010 NFL Draft. He received the biggest contract for a tight end in NFL history with a 6 year $36 million deal.

2009 Season
Winslow went on to a record-breaking season with the Buccaneers in his first year with the team, including single-season franchise records for a tight end in receptions (77) and receiving yards (884). His 77 catches led the team that season.

2010 Season
In his second year with the Buccaneers, he led the team in receptions with 66, for 730 yards and scored 5 touchdowns.

2011 Season
Once again Winslow led the team in receptions in his third season with the Buccaneers, recording 75 receptions for 763 receiving yards and 2 touchdowns.

On May 21, 2012, Winslow announced that the Buccaneers had informed him that he would either be traded or released. It was also reported that Winslow had been directed not to attend organized team activities ('OTAs') while a trade was pursued, contradicting earlier reports that Winslow refused to participate in OTAs.

2012 Season
Winslow was traded to the Seattle Seahawks on May 22, 2012. Winslow was waived by the Seahawks on September 1st, 2012. He declined to reduce his salary so the Seahawks released him.

New England Patriots
Winslow signed with the New England Patriots on September 18, 2012. He then asked for his release and was granted it on September 27, 2012, after only playing in one game.

Personal life
He was married on June 15, 2006 to wife Janelle. The couple welcomed their first son Jalen Maximus Winslow in February 2011. On October 17, 2006, Kellen's half brother Justin Winslow died with no cause of death reported. He was 23 years of age and was found unconscious by his mother. Kellen II and Justin are the only sons of Hall of Fame tight end Kellen Winslow. Justin and Kellen II were born in the same year as they have different mothers.