Former Bulldog wide receiver Tai Felton was selected by the Minnesota Vikings as the 38th pick in the third round of the NFL draft on April 25 after a record breaking season as a starter for the Maryland Terrapins.
Known for his intense speed and ability as an agile field-stretcher, Felton shows starting potential as a Z receiver, only increasing his chances of a spot on the Vikings roster. Felton’s sister, Jaiyda Felton, is a current senior and cheerleader at Stone Bridge who will attend Louisiana State University in the fall. Jaiyda’s pride in Felton’s accomplishments is shared adamantly among Stone Bridge football fans.
“It’s always been something Tai’s dreamed of and wanted to do, but there was never any pressure from our family or my parents,” Jaiyda Felton said. “My dad even coached him for a little bit, but there was always that thought. And then in high school, he excelled a lot. When colleges started reaching out, we started seeing it more. It was always more about supporting him and what he wanted to do.”
During his time playing for the University of Maryland (UMD) Terrapins, Tai was a three year starter with a clear NFL trajectory. Felton’s senior season was where he really excelled, becoming the fourth player in the university’s history to reach 1,000 receiving yards in a season. He also managed to break Bear’s receiver DJ Moore’s single-season UMD record for catches.
As team captain, Felton was recognized with a Third-team Associated Press All-American and First-team All-Big Ten designation. Additionally, he was the 2024 UMD MVP starting for all 12 games, reaching a school-record of 96 receptions and nine receiving touchdowns.
“My favorite thing that has come out of both high school and college football is just being able to learn from so many different athletes and coaches and the opportunity that is being given to me to grow,” Tai Felton said.
Felton’s success was not easily achieved. In October of 2019, during his junior year as a Bulldog, Felton tore his ACL and was forced to rest for the remainder of the season. Felton worked with Bulldog athletic trainer Anthony Santos to recover, only to lose his senior year to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“There were times when we were doing rehab while working out, but he still had knee pain,” Mr. Santos said. “He’d push through it to try to get to the workout. There’s not a lot of kids that push through pain–it’s demoralizing–but he would do it. I would say he came out of it stronger…it just set him apart. He stepped up to the occasion…He got offers from big time universities based off of just one year.”
Despite missing almost the entirety of his last two high school seasons, Felton was still offered scholarships to Virginia, Virginia Tech, Nebraska, Wake Forest, Michigan State, and Liberty before choosing Maryland. Felton’s sophomore season at Stone Bridge, with 50 receptions for 1,050 yards and 13 touchdowns in 2018, was enough to garner collegiate attention.
“Before I was even born, our family was big on football,” Jaiyda Felton said. “We’re four years apart, so for as long as I can remember, all I’ve really known growing up was going to Tai’s football games…I would definitely say we are an athletic family and very competitive.”
Tai’s ability to avoid contact at the catch point with his quick feet and flash fifth gear on fourth down, in addition to his special team experience, made him the 102nd overall pick for the Vikings.
“There were a lot of emotions when I got the call,” Tai Felton said. “One of the first things that came to my mind was how much my life was going to change, and I felt a lot of gratitude to have so many loved ones around me for this moment.”
On his draft night, Felton was surrounded by family, friends, teammates, and coaches and stood true to his roots by receiving that call in Ashburn.
“We were all having a good time, and then the second round went by, and then everybody got stressed out,” Mr. Santos said. “It was getting to the end of the third round so then everybody was really stressed out. Then his name got called on the TV and everybody was just going crazy all at once. It was quite the experience.”
Felton is taking his newfound fame in stride and is setting his sights on continuing his success in Minneapolis alongside another former Bulldog, Jonathan Allen, who was just traded from the Commanders to the Vikings.
“I’m most excited to be able to play with high level receivers on the Vikings and learn from them along with the energy from everyone in Minnesota,” Tai Felton said. “I’ve always loved football ever since I was young, my dad put a football in my hands as a baby and I haven’t let go since.”
