Herald exclusive: Jaylen Waddle talks goals, swag and forever being linked to DeVonta Smith
New Dolphins receiver Jaylen Waddle will arrive in Miami without knowing any Spanish, but he did take four years of Latin at his Houston-area high school.
He’s not a gamer, but he loves binging crime shows on Netflix.
He has, in his words, “swag” — rocking a bejeweled “Waddle” necklace, crafted by renowned high-end jeweler Leo Frost, and shoes that looked like a disco ball with his draft-night suit.
He’s an interesting guy — and a guy who Dolphins fans will absolutely love if his game-changing speed and moves translate as most expect from college to the NFL.
Two hours after the Dolphins made Waddle the draft’s sixth overall pick, he concluded his exhaustive media obligations by taking a few minutes to speak with the Miami Herald about his big night, his goals as a pro and what Alabama teammate DeVonta Smith told him when the two embraced after NFL commissioner Roger Goodell called Waddle’s name.
“[Smith] was just like, ‘Love you,’” Waddle said. “We love each other. The amount of work that we put in to make this day happen is special. Just to share it with your brother is something special.”
While the vast majority of this year’s drafted players stayed away from Cleveland, Waddle and Smith were determined to have the full red-carpet experience.
Waddle brought a small army with him from Texas. His mom, dad and grandmother were among those who traveled to Cleveland for his big night.
“It’s something special I wanted to experience with my family,” Waddle said. “I have a lot of family here, especially the close ones. It’s a great experience.”
The family didn’t have a preferred NFL destination, but were thrilled the Dolphins took him.
He knew ending up in Miami was a real possibility, and said the Dolphins are getting “someone who’s competitive, who’s going to try to get better each and every day.”
The Dolphins drafted Waddle to make big plays on offense, but he was also a returner in college, and “would love” to be one in the NFL, too.
As for his goals as a pro?
“Just to be me. Play the game like I know I can play it. Make plays. Just to be me. Stay true to the game, stay true to what got you there.”
Waddle seemed to get as much of a thrill seeing Smith, his roommate for Alabama road games, going 10th to Eagles as he did going sixth to the Dolphins.
“He’s a great player, a great dude. a great teammate,” Waddle said. “A brother of mine. Real close. It’s just so much love between us. ... It was special when you see someone working hard and get what they deserve.”
The Dolphins considered taking Smith with the sixth pick, but ultimately chose his speedier teammate. We won’t know for years if that was the right choice, but Waddle knows their careers will forever be measured against each others.
“It’s special,” Waddle said. “He’s very competitive, I’m very competitive. So it’s going to be a friendly competition.”
This story was originally published April 30, 2021 at 7:00 AM.
