American football wide receiver Christian Josiah Olave plays for the National Football League’s New Orleans Saints (NFL). The Saints selected him in the opening round of the 2022 NFL Draft.

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Olave was born on June 27, 2000, in San Ysidro, California, of Cuban ancestry on the father’s side and African American ancestry on the mother’s. Before going to Mission Hills High School in San Marcos, California, he played football for two seasons at Eastlake High School in Chula Vista. Because of California Interscholastic Federation transfer regulations, he was forced to miss his junior year. He hauled in 93 catches for 1,764 yards and 26 touchdowns during his final year. He participated in the school’s basketball and track teams as well. He gave Ohio State his commitment in January 2018.

Olave, who excelled as a senior at Mission Hills High School in California, showed flashes of his talent as a true freshman in 2018 (despite being ineligible to play his junior year due to a transfer issue). Between his freshman and sophomore years at Ohio State, he put on 15 pounds of lean muscle, and it immediately helped. With Olave leading the team in receiving yards and touchdowns and earning third-team All-Big Ten honours, quarterback Justin Fields, a finalist for the Heisman Trophy, needed a reliable target. By accepting responsibility for slipping on a route when Fields threw an interception at the conclusion of the national semifinal game against Clemson, Olave displayed maturity towards the end of the season. He finished the season among the national leads in receptions and receiving yards while starting every game for the Buckeyes in 2020, earning first-team all-conference recognition for the FBS runner-up.

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In his final year, he was named to the first team of the conference and the second team of the Associated Press All-Americans. With 13 receiving touchdowns, he tied for sixth place in the FBS and established himself as the school’s all-time leader in the category. David Boston, Cris Carter, and Santonio Holmes, three NFL stars, were defeated by his 35. In 12 starts for the Buckeyes, Olave caught 65 passes for 936 yards (14.4 per reception), skipping the team’s bowl game in order to get ready for the NFL draught. He was also a finalist for the Senior CLASS Award for excellence both on and off the field. Olave declared for the 2022 NFL Draft after the 2021 season and that he would be opting out of the 2022 Rose Bowl.

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The New Orleans Saints selected Olave in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft (11th overall).Olave has signed a four-year, fully guaranteed rookie contract with the New Orleans Saints. The total value of Olave’s contract is $19.271 million, including a $11.195 million signing bonus.