BIOGRAPHY
Clayton Daniel Fejedelem was born on June 2, 1993, in Lemont, Illinois. He is a safety in the NFL. He played college football at Saint Xavier University and the University of Illinois, and was drafted by the Bengals in the seventh round of the 2016 NFL Draft.
A native of Illinois, Clayton Fejedelem attended Lemont High School in Lemont, Illinois where he starred in football, wrestling, and lacrosse. Fejedelem was a two-time All-Conference selection in football for the Lemont Indians, and earned All-State honors in football as a senior. Fejedelem played two seasons at NAIA Saint Xavier University from 2011-2012. He redshirted his junior season at Illinois in 2013 after joining the program as a walk-on, carrying on to become a captain during his senior season from 2014-2015. At the end of the 2015 season, he led the Big Ten in tackles at 140. Fejedelem was drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals in the seventh round, 245th overall, in the 2016 NFL Draft. In his rookie season, he appeared in all 16 games and recorded three total tackles. In the 2017 season, he appeared in all 16 games and started five. He recorded one interception, two passes defensed, and 42 total tackles.
On the 2018 season, Fejedelem played in 16 games, with a start as a nickel DB in Game 9 vs. New Orleans. He totaled 22 tackles and one FF on defense, and team-leading 13 tackles on special teams, saw action on team-high 372 of 452 snaps (82.3 percent) on special teams. In season-opener at Indianapolis, filled in for starting SS Shawn Williams (ejected) and totaled 10 tackles (second on team), also at Indianapolis, made perhaps defensive play of the year, when with 24 seconds left and the Bengals clinging to a three-point lead deep in their own territory, he forced a fumble by Colts TE Jack Doyle and returned it 83 yards for a game-sealing TD. On December 23 at Cleveland, he blocked a punt and converted a fourth-and-one with a six-yard rush, after taking a direct snap while lined up as a protector in punt formation.
He is a safety for the Miami Dolphins.
