Corliss Waitman
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Corliss Leendert Waitman (born 21 July 1995) is a Belgian-American professional football punter for the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the South Alabama Jaguars and signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers as an undrafted free agent in 2020. Waitman has also been a member of the Las Vegas Raiders, New England Patriots, Denver Broncos, and Chicago Bears.
Early life
Waitman's mother's family is from Suriname. His father, José Waitman, was a professional basketball player, and was playing in Belgium when Corliss was born. The family moved to the Netherlands, where Corliss spent his childhood. When he was 15, he moved to the United States to join his father. Waitman switched from playing soccer to football in high school.
Waitman is fluent in Dutch and English.
College career
Waitman played college football at the University of South Alabama from 2014 to 2018. In February 2019, he transferred to Mississippi State University. However, the NCAA denied Waitman an extra year of eligibility, and he did not play college football in 2019.
Statistics
| Year | Team | GP | Punting | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pnt | Yds | Y/P | Lng | Blck | |||
| 2014 | South Alabama | 0 | Did not play | ||||
| 2015 | South Alabama | 3 | 4 | 160 | 40.0 | 49 | 0 |
| 2016 | South Alabama | 13 | 17 | 621 | 36.5 | 53 | 0 |
| 2017 | South Alabama | 12 | 70 | 3,167 | 45.2 | 66 | 0 |
| 2018 | South Alabama | 12 | 67 | 2,792 | 41.7 | 58 | 0 |
| Career | 40 | 158 | 6,740 | 42.7 | 66 | 0 |
Professional career
| Height | Weight |
|---|---|
| 6 ft 1+5⁄8 in (1.87 m) | 213 lb (97 kg) |
| Values from Pro Day |
Pittsburgh Steelers (first stint)
Waitman was signed by the Pittsburgh Steelers as an undrafted free agent on 28 April 2020. He was waived on 5 September and re-signed to the practice squad. Waitman signed a reserve/future contract on 14 January 2021. He was waived on 3 May.
Las Vegas Raiders
On 26 July 2021, Waitman was signed by the Las Vegas Raiders. He was waived on 23 August 2021.
New England Patriots (first stint)
On 23 November 2021, Waitman was signed to the New England Patriots' practice squad.
Pittsburgh Steelers (second stint)
Waitman was signed by the Steelers off the Patriots practice squad on 25 December 2021, when Steelers punter Pressley Harvin III took bereavement leave. Waitman made his NFL debut in the team's Week 16 loss against the Kansas City Chiefs the following day. Waitman was waived on 15 January 2022.
Denver Broncos
On 17 January 2022, Waitman was claimed off waivers by the Denver Broncos.
Waitman was also drafted by the Edmonton Elks in the third round (20th overall) of the 2022 CFL global draft.
Waitman was named the starting punter for the Broncos on 29 August 2022, after veteran punter Sam Martin was released. In Week 3, Waitman punted 10 times, six of them inside the 20-yard line, in an 11–10 win over the San Francisco 49ers, earning American Football Conference Special Teams Player of the Week.
New England Patriots (second stint)
On 23 March 2023, Waitman signed a contract with the Patriots, following the Patriots releasing Jake Bailey. On 28 August, the Patriots released Waitman and was re-signed to the practice squad. Waitman was released on 4 October.
Chicago Bears
On 9 January 2024, Waitman signed a reserve/futures contract with the Chicago Bears. He was waived on 27 August.
Pittsburgh Steelers (third stint)
On September 9, 2024, Waitman again signed with the Steelers following a season-ending injury to Cameron Johnston.
In 2024, Waitman punted 65 times and averaged out at 46.4 yards per punt and punted inside the 20-yard line 27 times. His longest punt was for 71 yards in a game versus division rivals Baltimore Ravens, which the Steelers narrowly won 18–16. Waitman made his postseason debut in the Steelers’ 28–14 loss to the Ravens on January 11, 2025. During that game, he punted five times for a combined 257 yards (51.4 average).
In 2025, Waitman returned to the Steelers to compete with Johnston for the punter position during training camp and the team’s preseason games. With Johnston released on 25 August, Waitman officially became the Steelers’ starting punter for a second consecutive season.
San Francisco 49ers
On March 18, 2026, the San Francisco 49ers signed Waitman to a one-year contract.
NFL career statistics
| Legend | |
|---|---|
| Led the league | |
| Bold | Career high |
Regular season
| Year | Team | GP | Punting | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pnt | Yds | Y/P | Lng | Blck | |||
| 2021 | PIT | 2 | 7 | 365 | 52.1 | 63 | 0 |
| 2022 | DEN | 17 | 96 | 4,470 | 46.6 | 59 | 0 |
| 2024 | PIT | 16 | 65 | 3,015 | 46.4 | 71 | 0 |
| 2025 | PIT | 17 | 62 | 2,823 | 45.5 | 67 | 0 |
| 52 | 230 | 10,673 | 46.4 | 71 | 0 |
Postseason
External links
- Career statistics from ··