NHS grad selected by LA Chargers in 2025 NFL Draft

NEWBERRY — The life long dream and wait is finally over for local Newberry High School graduate Jamaree Caldwell. The 6-foot-2, 340 pound defensive lineman out of Oregon went 86th overall to the Los Angeles Chargers.

Caldwell was apart of the 2019 graduating class at Newberry High School and started his collegiate career at Hutchinson Community College before transferring to Independence Community College. While at Independence, he appeared in just four games but it was enough to earn him a scholarship to the University of Houston.

As a sophomore with the Cougars, Caldwell was a force. He appeared in nine games, totaling 286 snaps, recorded 3.5 tackles for loss and two sacks. He also was a major contributor on special teams with a huge blocked field goal against Tulane to force the game into overtime.

Then, as a junior with the Cougars the defensive lineman appeared 11 games. He recorded 27 total tackles, 8.5 tackles for loss and 6.5 sacks. He would go on to finish is career at Oregon where he appeared in 14 games and recorded 29 total tackles along with five tackles for loss, three pass deflections and one forced fumble.

Caldwell stock began to rise in January at Reese’s Senior Bowl. His combination of speed and size left NFL scouts impressed after a week in Birmingham, Ala. It was enough to make the Los Angeles Chargers pick him in the third round of the draft instead of the previous day three projection.

Also, Caldwell is a humble beast on and off the football. When COVID-19 struck in March 2020, the future NFL Draft pick stopped his college career to return home to Newberry, S.C. to help his mom, Shonda Caldwell, with her catering business. Now, he will be apart of the Chargers young defensive line group that will be tasked with sacking the opposing teams’ quarterbacks on Sundays.

Congratulations to the former Bulldogs and continue to make Newberry proud.