Hurst enters his first season as a Bengal in 2022, after joining Cincinnati as an unrestricted free agent in March ... Spent 2018-19 with Baltimore, and '20-21 with Atlanta ... Originally a 2018 Ravens first-round pick out of the University of South Carolina ... Enters 2022 with 57 career games played, and 125 catches for 1304 yards and 12 TDs ... Considered an athletic TE with good hands and vertical speed (4.67-second 40-yard dash at the 2018 combine) ... Drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 17th round of the 2012 MLB Draft, and played two seasons as a pitcher (2013) and first baseman ('14) in the Pirates organization in the rookie Gulf Coast League before walking on to South Carolina's football team in '15.
Career transactions: Selected by Baltimore Ravens in first round of 2018 NFL Draft (25th overall) ... Signed with Ravens on 6-20-18 ... Acquired by Atlanta in trade with Ravens on 3-18-20 ... Falcons contract expired on 3-16-22; became unrestricted free agent ... Signed with Cincinnati as unrestricted free agent on 3-18-22.
Pro career: 2018—Played in 12 regular-season games and one postseason game as a rookie for Baltimore ... Caught 13 passes for 163 yards and a TD ... Missed first four games with a foot injury, then worked his way back into the rotation upon returning ... Made NFL debut on Oct. 7 at Cleveland, and had one catch for seven yards. 2019—Played in all 16 regular-season games (four starts) and one postseason game (start) for Baltimore ... Caught 30 passes for 349 yards and two TDs ... Had four catches for 53 yards, including an 18-yard TD, in Wild Card Playoff vs. Tennessee. 2020—Traded to Atlanta in the offseason, and went on to play in 16 games (11 starts) for Falcons ... Posted career-highs in every receiving category, with 56 catches for 571 yards and six TDs. 2021—Played in 13 games for Atlanta (five starts), and caught 26 passes for 221 yards and three TDs ... Spent Games 10-12 on Reserve/Injured list (ankle), and Game 16 on Reserve/COVID-19.
College: Spent three seasons (2015-17) at University of South Carolina ... Had 100 career receptions for 1281 yards and three TDs ... Two-time team captain (2016, '17) ... First-team All-SEC (AP and coaches) in 2017, and was a semifinalist for the Mackey Award (nation's top TE) ... After two seasons playing professional baseball, he walked on to South Carolina's football team in the summer of 2015, and went on to play in all 12 games and catch eight passes for 106 yards ... Spent first four games of 2015 at TE, before moving to WR for the remaining eight games.
High school/personal: Hometown is Jacksonville, Fla. ... Attended The Bolles School in Jacksonville, where he was a standout in both football and baseball ... In baseball, was a 2012 Rawlings second-team All-American as a right-handed pitcher, with a fastball in the low 90s, and helped team to a pair of state baseball titles ... Drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 17th round of the 2012 MLB Draft, and played two seasons as a pitcher (2013) and first baseman ('14) in the Pirates organization in the rookie Gulf Coast League ... Turned down baseball scholarship at Florida State to play for the Pirates ... Has been open about his past struggles with mental health, and started The Hayden Hurst Family Foundation to educate and provide resources to young athletes in an effort to end the stigma surrounding mental health ... Sport and entertainment management major at South Carolina.
