Juwann Winfree

BIOGRAPHY

Born on September 4, 1996, Juwann Winfree is a skilled wide receiver in American professional football. Originally from New Jersey, Winfree began his journey in football by playing at the University of Maryland, and later proceeded to build a career in the National Football League (NFL). He is currently a receiver for the Indianapolis Colts.

Winfree’s rookie year at the University of Maryland was fairly productive. In the 2014 season, he succeeded in securing 158 receiving yards on six receptions, a notable achievement for a freshman. Despite this promising start, Winfree was unceremoniously dismissed from the Maryland team due to an undisclosed code of conduct violation.

Seizing an opportunity for redemption, Winfree moved to Coffeyville Community College for the 2015 season. After a year, he transferred to the University of Colorado. Regrettably, Winfree suffered a torn ACL in off-season training which sidelined him for the entire 2016 season.

When Winfree returned in 2017, following a break of three years, he finished the season with a gratifying 325 receiving yards. However, an injury-plagued 2018 season saw him finish with marginally fewer receiving yards than the previous year.

Following his college career, Winfree went professional when he was drafted by the Denver Broncos in the sixth round (187th overall) of the 2019 NFL draft. His career with the Broncos was fraught with injuries, leading to placing him on reserve in December 2019 after just three games.

The autumn of 2020 marked a new chapter in Winfree’s career. He was signed to the practice squad of the Green Bay Packers and was even promoted to the active roster for the weeks of the 10th and 14th games. Packers elevated Winfree to the active roster on multiple occasions in 2021, including games against the Chicago Bears and the Arizona Cardinals. It was during the Cardinals’ game that Winfree recorded his first NFL catch.

His career with the Packers came to an end when he was waived in August 2022, but Winfree didn’t stay unemployed for long. Two days later, he was back on the practice squad, and in September 2022, he made appearances on the active roster. This pattern of elevations from the practice squad continued till October, marking a consistent season for Winfree. Although his practice squad contract with the Packers expired in January 2023, he left a memorable imprint on the team.

In May 2023, a new opportunity came knocking for Winfree, when he signed with the Indianapolis Colts. Although he was released from the Colts in August 2023, he was swiftly re-signed to the practice squad and then promoted back to the active roster by October. Despite being waived again in December, he was back on the practice squad within days and was promoted to the active roster again in January 2024 before he was placed on injured reserve in August 2024.

Apart from his professional journey, Winfree has made significant contributions to his home community as well. A diligent graduate from Academies at Englewood, a magnet sibling school to Dwight Morrow High School, Winfree was bestowed a Key to the City of Englewood in 2019. The ceremony was coupled with the announcement of the Team Winfree Youth Foundation, a non-profit initiative put forth by Winfree’s father, designed to nurture area youth by hosting low-cost camps for football, soccer, and basketball, as well as leadership conferences.