NFL player Kalif Raymond, a 2016 draft pick, shines in his ninth professional season
In the bustling world of American football, there are standout players who leave their mark on the game in unique ways. One such player is Kalif Raymond, a former Holy Cross Crusader, who has carved out a niche for himself as one of the NFL's most effective punt returners.
Raymond made history in Week 8 of the 2024 season, becoming the first player in NFL history to return a punt for a touchdown and catch a touchdown pass in the same game against the Tennessee Titans. This electrifying performance earned him the NFC Special Teams Player of the Week award.
The 2024 season was a career-defining year for Raymond. He led the NFL with 413 punt return yards on 30 returns, despite missing five games due to injury. His longest punt return touchdown to date is a 90-yard return against the Titans in Week 8, a feat that also earned him a spot on the 2024 All-Pro second team as a punt returner.
Raymond's impressive statistics include a career-high of 13.8 yards per punt return in 2024. His first career punt-return touchdown came in the 2022 season with a 47-yard return. Over his NFL career, he has accumulated 2,888 return yards and has scored multiple punt return touchdowns.
Raymond's impact as a punt returner has been significant for the Detroit Lions, one of the best teams in the NFL in 2025. His performance in the regular season and Divisional Round playoff game was crucial to the Lions' success.
Meanwhile, another former Holy Cross football player, Jalen Coker, made a splash in his rookie season with the Carolina Panthers in 2025. Despite not being as statistically dominant as Raymond's 2024 season with the Detroit Lions, Coker ranked within the top twelve of the NFL rookie receiving yards leaderboard.
Coker's impact with the Panthers was evident, despite registering only two games with one target. His performances in these games were noteworthy, and he demonstrated his potential as a promising young talent in the league.
Raymond and Coker's success stories are a testament to Holy Cross's football program's ability to produce NFL-caliber players. In recognition of their achievements, both Raymond and Raymond were inducted into the Holy Cross Varsity Club Hall of Fame in 2025.
Raymond completed his fourth season with the Detroit Lions in 2024, a year that saw him establish himself as one of the top punt returners in the league. His journey in the NFL continues, and fans eagerly await his next remarkable performance.
- Kalif Raymond's electrifying performance in the 2024 NFL season, where he returned a punt for a touchdown and caught a touchdown pass in the same game against the Tennessee Titans, earned him the NFC Special Teams Player of the Week award.
- Jalen Coker, another former Holy Cross football player, made a distinct impact in his rookie season with the Carolina Panthers in 2025, ranking within the top twelve of the NFL rookie receiving yards leaderboard.
- The success stories of Kalif Raymond and Jalen Coker, both former Holy Cross Crusaders, are a testament to the NFL-caliber players that the university's football program can produce, as both players were inducted into the Holy Cross Varsity Club Hall of Fame in 2025.
