Former Gators WR Antonio Callaway Signs With Miami Dolphins Practice Squad
Former Florida Gators wide receiver Antonio Callaway has signed with the Miami Dolphins' 16-man practice squad, according to a report from Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. He'll be returning home as he's from the Miami area and played high school ball downtown at Booker T. Washington.
Callaway will face a seven-game suspension, but can attend team meetings during his suspension as well as rehab from injury.
Callaway most recently spent time with the now-defunct Tampa Bay Vipers of the XFL, although he never played a down as he suffered an injury in practice before the season began. The XFL suspended league operations in April amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Prior to time in semi-pro football, Callaway was selected in the fourth round of the 2018 NFL Draft by the Cleveland Browns, after missing the 2017 season at Florida due to suspension and declaring for the draft after his junior year. The Browns traded up from the 114th pick to No. 105 in order to select Callaway, despite numerous character concerns displayed at Florida.
On the field, Callaway shined for the Gators, combining for 89 catches, 1,399 yards, and seven touchdowns as a true freshman and sophomore. He also returned punts and kicks, tallying 11.9 yards per punt return and two touchdowns across 55 attempts, and an average of 29.3 yards per kick return on six attempts, scoring once.
However, Callaway found himself in the headlines for multiple off-the-field incidents on and around campus. As a freshman, Callaway and quarterback Treon Harris were accused of sexual assault which led to suspensions from the schools from January through June of 2016. It was eventually ruled that Callaway was not responsible in the sexual assault case and he was cleared of violations of the student code of conduct.
Callaway was also one of nine Gators players accused of felony credit card fraud ahead of the 2017 season, which led to his season-long suspension. Callaway and five teammates entered a pretrial intervention program and charges were eventually dismissed.
Much of the same could be said at the NFL level for Callaway. A strong NFL Combine performance and his film from Florida led to his draft selection, only for Callaway to receive a citation for driving with a suspended license and possession of marijuana in Strongsville, Ohio, four months later. Charges were dropped and Callaway paid off his violation.
Callaway was suspended for the first four games of his second year in Cleveland, after violating the NFL's substance-abuse policy. He was reinstated just before Week 5, but spent only a month and some change with the Browns after that, being waived on November 14th for being late to team meetings and practices while also facing another ten-game suspension for substance abuse.
That suspension will be served during 2020 season as he did not sign with another NFL team in 2019, though, it has been marked down to seven games according to Rapoport.
In his 20-game Cleveland career, Callaway caught 51 passes for 675 yards and five touchdowns.
The Dolphins are offering Callaway an opportunity for a second-chance at pro football, should he climb his way up from the practice squad to the active roster. If his off-field issues and injuries are behind him, there is no denying that Callaway's talent can lead to NFL success.
