Andre Jerome "Bubba" Caldwell (born April 15, 1985) is an American former professional

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...

wide receiver A wide receiver (WR), also referred to as a wideout, and historically known as a split end (SE) or flanker (FL), is an eligible receiver in gridiron football. A key skill position of the offense (American football), offense, WR gets its name ...

and

kickoff returner A return specialist or kick returner is a player on the special teams unit of a gridiron football team who specializes in returning punts and kickoffs. There are few players who are exclusively return specialists; most also play another position ...

who played in the

National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a Professional gridiron football, professional American football league in the United States. Composed of 32 teams, it is divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National ...

(NFL). Caldwell played

college football College football is gridiron football that is played by teams of amateur Student athlete, student-athletes at universities and colleges. It was through collegiate competition that gridiron football American football in the United States, firs ...

for the

Florida Gators The Florida Gators are the College sports in the United States, intercollegiate athletic teams that represent the University of Florida, located in Gainesville, Florida, Gainesville. The University of Florida, its athletic program, its alumni an ...

, where he was a member of a

BCS National Championship The BCS National Championship Game was a postseason college football bowl game, used to determine a national champion of the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS), first played in the 1998 college football season as one of four desi ...

team. A third-round pick in the

2008 NFL draft The 2008 NFL draft was the 73rd NFL draft, annual meeting of National Football League (NFL) franchises to select newly eligible American football players. The draft took place at Radio City Music Hall in New York City, New York (state), New York ...

, he played professionally for the

Cincinnati Bengals The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional American football team based in Cincinnati. The Bengals compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. The team plays its h ...

and

Denver Broncos The Denver Broncos are a professional American football team based in Denver. The Broncos compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC West, West division. The team is headquartered in E ...

. With the Broncos, he won

Super Bowl 50 Super Bowl 50 was an American football game to determine the champion of the National Football League (NFL) for the 2015 season. The American Football Conference (AFC) champion Denver Broncos defeated the National Football Conference (NFC) ...

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 of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South division. The t ...

Early life

Caldwell was born in

Tampa, Florida Tampa ( ) is a city on the Gulf Coast of the United States, Gulf Coast of the U.S. state of Florida. Tampa's borders include the north shore of Tampa Bay and the east shore of Old Tampa Bay. Tampa is the largest city in the Tampa Bay area and t ...

in 1985. He attended Tampa's Jefferson High School, where he played football and ran track. In

, he played

quarterback The quarterback (QB) is a position in gridiron football who are members of the offensive side of the ball and mostly line up directly behind the Lineman (football), offensive line. In modern American football, the quarterback is usually consider ...

and also lined up at receiver and returned punts for the Dragons.GatorZone.com, Football History, 2007 Roster
Andre Caldwell
. Retrieved March 25, 2011. His senior year, he moved from wide receiver to starting quarterback, and passed and rushed for over 2,220 yards and thirty-eight touchdowns while leading the Dragons to a Florida Class 4A state championship game appearance. He was the ''

Tampa Tribune ''The Tampa Tribune'' was a daily newspaper published in Tampa, Florida. Along with the competing ''Tampa Bay Times'', the ''Tampa Tribune'' was one of two major newspapers published in the Tampa Bay area. The newspaper also published a ''St. P ...

s Hillsborough County Player of the Year, an all-state selection, and was named a ''

Parade A parade is a procession of people, usually organized along a street, often in costume, and often accompanied by marching bands, floats, or sometimes large balloons. Parades are held for a wide range of reasons, but are usually some variety ...

'' magazine, SuperPrep and ''

USA Today ''USA Today'' (often stylized in all caps) is an American daily middle-market newspaper and news broadcasting company. Founded by Al Neuharth in 1980 and launched on September 14, 1982, the newspaper operates from Gannett's corporate headq ...

'' high school

All-American The All-America designation is an annual honor bestowed on outstanding athletes in the United States who are considered to be among the best athletes in their respective sport. Individuals receiving this distinction are typically added to an Al ...

following his senior season in 2002. He played in the 2003

U.S. Army All-American Bowl The All-American Bowl (currently branded as the Navy All-American Bowl for sponsorship reasons) is a high school football all-star game, held annually at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas. Typically played in January, the All-American Bowl is p ...

. Considered a five-star recruit by Rivals.com, Caldwell was listed as the No. 1 wide receiver in the nation in 2003. Also a standout athlete, Caldwell competed in track as sophomore and junior. At the 2002 Florida Class 3A Region 3 meet, he recorded a personal-best time of 10.39 seconds in the

100 meters The 100 metres, or 100-meter dash, is a sprint race in track and field competitions. The shortest common outdoor running distance, the dash is one of the most popular and prestigious events in the sport of athletics. It has been contested at ...

to win region title. He got a PR of 21.71 seconds in the

200 meters The 200 metres, or 200-meter dash, is a sprint running event. On an outdoor 400-metre racetrack, the race begins on the curve and ends on the home straight, so a combination of techniques is needed to successfully run the race. A slight ...

. As a

Florida Florida ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders the Gulf of Mexico to the west, Alabama to the northwest, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the north, the Atlantic ...

collegiate, he joined the Gators track & field team following the conclusion of spring football practice. He finished 19th in 100m with time of 10.74 in the only meet of the season at the SEC Outdoor Championships. This was his first competition on the track in four years.

College career

Caldwell accepted an athletic scholarship to attend the

University of Florida The University of Florida (Florida or UF) is a public university, public land-grant university, land-grant research university in Gainesville, Florida, United States. It is a senior member of the State University System of Florida and a preem ...

in Gainesville, where he played for coach

Ron Zook Ronald Andrew Zook (; born April 28, 1954) is an American football coach who is a special teams quality control coach at the University of Maryland. He was the head football coach at the University of Florida from 2002 to 2004 and the Universit ...

and coach

Urban Meyer Urban Frank Meyer III (born July 10, 1964) is an American Sports commentator, sportscaster and former college football coach. He spent most of his coaching career at the collegiate level, having served as the head coach of the Bowling Green F ...

from

2003 2003 was designated by the United Nations as the International Year of Fresh water, Freshwater. In 2003, a Multi-National Force – Iraq, United States-led coalition 2003 invasion of Iraq, invaded Iraq, starting the Iraq War. Demographic ...

2007 2007 was designated as the International Heliophysical Year and the International Polar Year. Events January * January 1 **Bulgaria and Romania 2007 enlargement of the European Union, join the European Union, while Slovenia joins the Eur ...

.
2012 Florida Football Media Guide
'', University Athletic Association, Gainesville, Florida, pp. 67, 69, 72, 90, 94, 95, 97, 100, 104, 116, 119, 143, 146, 151–153, 154, 176, 189 (2012). Retrieved September 17, 2012. In part because of his brother Reche's legacy as a Gator, and in part because of his friendship with Florida commitment and quarterback

Chris Leak Christopher Patrick Leak (born May 3, 1985) is an American football coach and former gridiron football quarterback. He played college football College football is gridiron football that is played by teams of amateur Student athlete, stude ...

, Caldwell chose to play for the Gators. As a true freshman seeing limited playing time, he had just nineteen receptions for 174 receiving yards. During his sophomore season in

2004 2004 was designated as an International Year of Rice by the United Nations, and the International Year to Commemorate the Struggle Against Slavery and Its Abolition (by UNESCO). Events January * January 3 – Flash Airlines Flight 60 ...

, Caldwell's production jumped to forty-three catches and three receiving touchdowns, as well as two rushes for sixty-six yards and one score. He received a

medical redshirt Redshirt, in United States college athletics, is a delay or suspension of an athlete's participation in order to lengthen their period of eligibility. Typically, a student's athletic eligibility in a given sport is four seasons, aligning with the ...

for the 2005 season after fracturing his leg in an early-season

Southeastern Conference The Southeastern Conference (SEC) is a collegiate List of NCAA conferences, athletic conference whose member institutions are located primarily in the South Central United States, South Central and Southeastern United States. Its 16 members in ...

(SEC) game against the

Tennessee Volunteers The Tennessee Volunteers and Lady Volunteers are the 20 male and female varsity intercollegiate athletics programs that represent the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, Tennessee. The Volunteers compete in Division I of the National Colleg ...

. During his junior season, he emerged as the team's second leading wide receiver in catches (57), yards (577) and touchdowns (6), and also threw for a touchdown pass in the Gators 38–28 victory over the

Arkansas Razorbacks The Arkansas Razorbacks, also known as the Hogs, are the College athletics in the United States, intercollegiate athletics teams representing the University of Arkansas, located in Fayetteville, Arkansas, Fayetteville. The University of Arkans ...

in the

2006 SEC Championship Game The 2006 SEC Championship Game was played on December 2, 2006, in the Georgia Dome in Atlanta, Georgia. The game matched SEC Western Division champion Arkansas against SEC Eastern Division champion Florida. The second meeting between the two s ...

. As a junior in

2006 2006 was designated as the International Year of Deserts and Desertification. Events January * January 1– 4 – Russia temporarily cuts shipment of natural gas to Ukraine during a price dispute. * January 12 – A stampede during t ...

, he threw a seven-yard touchdown pass to help the Gators win their seventh SEC championship. Four weeks later, the Gators defeated

Ohio State The Ohio State University (Ohio State or OSU) is a public land-grant research university in Columbus, Ohio, United States. A member of the University System of Ohio, it was founded in 1870. It is one of the largest universities by enrollme ...

to win their first BCS Championship Game and the second national championship in team history. Just days after the championship, Caldwell announced he would return to Florida for his senior season. As a senior team captain in

, Caldwell recorded a career-high 761 yards and seven touchdowns on fifty-six receptions, had twelve carries for fifty-eight rushing yards and a touchdown, and was the recipient of the Gators'

Fergie Ferguson Award The Forest K. Ferguson Award, commonly known as the "Fergie Ferguson Award," is presented annually to a senior member of the Florida Gators football team in memory of one of the University of Florida's greatest athletes. Namesake The award ta ...

as the "senior football player who displays outstanding leadership, character and courage." Caldwell finished his senior season with 100-yard receiving games against the

Western Kentucky Hilltoppers The Western Kentucky Hilltoppers and Lady Toppers are the athletic teams that represent Western Kentucky University (WKU), located in Bowling Green, Kentucky, in intercollegiate sports as a member of the NCAA Division I ranks, competing in the ...

Vanderbilt Commodores The Vanderbilt Commodores are the intercollegiate athletic teams that represent Vanderbilt University, located in Nashville, Tennessee. Vanderbilt fields 16 varsity teams (6 men's teams and 10 women's teams), 14 of which compete at the National ...

South Carolina Gamecocks The South Carolina Gamecocks represent the University of South Carolina in the NCAA Division I. The University of South Carolina uses "Gamecocks" as its official nickname and mascot. While the men's teams were traditionally known as the Fight ...

, and

Florida Atlantic Owls The Florida Atlantic Owls are the athletics teams of Florida Atlantic University. The Owls participate in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA)'s Division I as members of the American Athletic Conference. On October 21, 2021, Flori ...

. His 185 receptions in his four-year college career remains the best career total in Gators history. Caldwell graduated from the University of Florida with a bachelor's degree in sociology in December 2007.

Professional career

Cincinnati Bengals

The

chose Caldwell in the third round (ninety-seventh overall pick) in the

, and played for the Bengals for four seasons from to . In his rookie year, he made contributions in late season as a receiver and kickoff returner, and finished with eleven receptions for seventy-eight yards, a 26-yard average on thirteen kickoff returns, and five rushes for fifty-three yards during his rookie season. Caldwell caught his first career touchdown, a game-winning touchdown against the

Pittsburgh Steelers The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional American football team based in Pittsburgh. The Steelers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. Founded in 1933 P ...

on September 27, 2009. In Week 5, Caldwell caught another game-winning touchdown pass against the

Baltimore Ravens The Baltimore Ravens are a professional American football team based in Baltimore. The Ravens compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. The team plays its home g ...

with 20 seconds to go in the game. He finished the 2009 season with 51 receptions for 432 receiving yards and three receiving touchdowns in 16 games and three starts. In the 2010 season, Caldwell had 25 receptions for 345 receiving yards in 15 games and five starts. In the 2011 season, Caldwell had 37 receptions for 317 receiving yards and three receiving touchdowns in 13 games and two starts.

Denver Broncos

Caldwell signed a two-year deal with the

on March 21, 2012. He appeared in eight games in the 2012 season. In the 2013 season, he had 16 receptions for 200 receiving yards and three touchdowns in 16 games and two starts. Caldwell was re-signed by the Broncos to a two-year deal on March 11, 2014. The contract is worth up to $3.5 million. In the 2014 season, Caldwell appeared in 16 games and started two. He finished with five receptions for 47 yards. In the 2015 season, Caldwell had ten receptions for 72 yards and two touchdown in 14 games. On February 7, 2016, Caldwell was part of the Broncos team that won

. In the game, the Broncos defeated the

by a score of 24–10. Caldwell had one catch for 22 yards in the Super Bowl. His catch occurred on the Broncos' opening drive and contributed to them getting into field goal range.

Detroit Lions

On May 4, 2016, the

Detroit Lions The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit. The Lions compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. The team plays their home game ...

signed Caldwell to a one-year contract. On August 22, 2016, Caldwell was released by the Lions.

Personal life

Caldwell is the younger brother of the late Reche Caldwell (1979–2020), who was a former NFL wide receiver and Florida Gators star.

References

Bibliography

* Carlson, Norm, ''University of Florida Football Vault: The History of the Florida Gators'', Whitman Publishing, LLC, Atlanta, Georgia (2007). .

External links

*
Florida Gators bio
{{DEFAULTSORT:Caldwell, Andre 1985 births Living people American football wide receivers Cincinnati Bengals players Denver Broncos players Detroit Lions players Florida Gators football players Florida Gators men's track and field athletes Track and field athletes from Florida American male sprinters Players of American football from Tampa, Florida Thomas Jefferson High School (Tampa, Florida) alumni 21st-century American sportsmen 21st-century African-American sportsmen