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Vanchi LaShawn Jefferson Jr. (born July 26, 1996) is an American football wide receiver for the
Atlanta Falcons The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta. The Falcons compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. The Falcons joined th ...
of the National Football League (NFL). He played
college football College football (french: Football universitaire) refers to gridiron football played by teams of student athletes. It was through college football play that American football rules first gained popularity in the United States. Unlike most ...
at Ole Miss and Florida and was selected by the
Los Angeles Rams The Los Angeles Rams are a professional American football team based in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. The Rams compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) West division. The Rams play ...
in the second round of the
2020 NFL Draft The 2020 NFL Draft was the 85th annual meeting of National Football League (NFL) franchises to select newly eligible players for the 2020 NFL season. The first round was held on April 23, followed by the second and third rounds on April 24. The d ...
.


Early life and high school

Born and raised in
Brentwood, Tennessee Brentwood is a city in Williamson County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 45,373 as of the 2020 United States census.Ravenwood High School. As a junior, he caught 87 passes for 1,251 yards and 14 touchdowns. He was named first team All-State after recording 67 receptions for 1,223 yards and 13 touchdowns and initially committed to play college football at Georgia. Jefferson de-committed from Georgia in January of his senior year and ultimately signed to play at Ole Miss.


College career

In 2015, Jefferson redshirted his true freshman season at Ole Miss. In 2016, as a redshirt freshman, he had 49 catches for 543 yards and three touchdowns. Jefferson finished his redshirt sophomore season with 42 receptions for 456 yards and one touchdown. Following the 2017 season, Jefferson announced his intent to transfer from Ole Miss after the program was sanctioned by the NCAA, ultimately choosing to continue his collegiate career at Florida. Jefferson was granted immediate eligibility to play for Florida after transferring after receiving waivers from the NCAA and the Southeastern Conference (SEC). In 2018, his first season with the Gators, he led the team with 35 receptions, 503 receiving yards, and six touchdown receptions. As a senior, he caught 49 passes for 657 yards and six touchdowns. He caught six passes for 129 yards against Virginia in the 2019 Orange Bowl, his final career game. Jefferson finished his collegiate career with 175 receptions for 2,159 yards and 16 touchdowns in 45 games played.


Professional career


Los Angeles Rams

Jefferson was selected by the
Los Angeles Rams The Los Angeles Rams are a professional American football team based in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. The Rams compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) West division. The Rams play ...
in the second round with the 57th overall pick in the
2020 NFL Draft The 2020 NFL Draft was the 85th annual meeting of National Football League (NFL) franchises to select newly eligible players for the 2020 NFL season. The first round was held on April 23, followed by the second and third rounds on April 24. The d ...
. The Rams previously traded wide receiver Brandin Cooks to the Houston Texans to acquire the pick.


2020

In Week 11, against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, he recorded his first professional receiving touchdown. In the Divisional Round of the playoffs against the
Green Bay Packers The Green Bay Packers are a professional American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Packers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. It ...
, Jefferson recorded 6 catches for 46 yards and his first playoff touchdown during the 32–18 loss.


2021

In 2021, Jefferson saw an increase in production playing under new Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford and in light of a season-ending injury to teammate
Robert Woods Robert or Bob Woods may refer to: Entertainment * Robert Woods (actor) (born 1936), American actor in European films * Robert S. Woods (born 1948), American actor * Robert Woods (producer), classical music producer Sports * Robert Woods (offensi ...
. Through Week 14, Jefferson had 47 receptions, 708 receiving yards and 5 touchdowns. Jefferson became a
Super Bowl champion The Super Bowl is the annual American football game that determines the champion of the National Football League (NFL). The game culminates a season that begins in the previous calendar year, and is the conclusion of the NFL playoffs. The winn ...
when the Rams beat 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 club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. The c ...
23-20 in
Super Bowl LVI Super Bowl LVI was an American football game played to determine the champion of the National Football League (NFL) for the 2021 season. The National Football Conference (NFC) champion Los Angeles Rams defeated the American Football Conference ...
. In the Super Bowl, Jefferson recorded four catches for 23 yards.


2022

On September 24, 2022, Jefferson was placed on injured reserve. He was designated to return from injured reserve on October 24, 2022, and activated for Week 8. On December 8, 2022, Jefferson caught the game winning touchdown pass from newly signed quarterback
Baker Mayfield Baker Reagan Mayfield (born April 14, 1995) is an American football quarterback for the Los Angeles Rams of the National Football League (NFL). Following a stint with Texas Tech, Mayfield played college football at Oklahoma, where he won the Hei ...
to beat the Las Vegas Raiders.


Atlanta Falcons

On October 10, 2023, Jefferson was traded to the
Atlanta Falcons The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta. The Falcons compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. The Falcons joined th ...
for a swap of 2025 late round picks.


Personal life

Jefferson is the son of NFL coach and former wide receiver Shawn Jefferson. Jefferson has a daughter and two sons. His second son was born on February 13, 2022, after Jefferson's wife, Samaria Jefferson, went into labor during
Super Bowl LVI Super Bowl LVI was an American football game played to determine the champion of the National Football League (NFL) for the 2021 season. The National Football Conference (NFC) champion Los Angeles Rams defeated the American Football Conference ...
.After Super Bowl Win, Rams' Van Jefferson Rushed to Hospital as Wife Gave Birth to 2nd Child
/ref>


References


External links


Ole Miss Rebels bioFlorida Gators bioLos Angeles Rams bio
{{DEFAULTSORT:Jefferson, Van 1996 births Living people American football wide receivers Florida Gators football players Players of American football from Tennessee Ole Miss Rebels football players People from Brentwood, Tennessee Sportspeople from the Nashville metropolitan area Los Angeles Rams players Atlanta Falcons players