William Kwenkeu

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William Kwenkeu
Personal information
Born: (1997-01-08) January 8, 1997 (age 27)
St. Charles (MD)
College:Temple
Position:Linebacker
Undrafted:2022
Career history
Career NFL statistics as of 2023
Total tackles:2
Player stats at NFL.com · PFR

William Kwenkeu (born January 8, 1997) is a Cameroonian-born

2022 NFL Draft
.

Early life and high school career

Kwenkeu was born in Cameroon in 1997, the son of high-ranking army officer Francois Kwenkeu and Martine Etammane, who named him after

NCAA when he accepted a football scholarship from Temple University.[3]

College career

Kwenkeu spent six seasons playing linebacker for the Temple Owls due to redshirting one year and the extra year of eligibility the NCAA accorded to student-athletes whose careers were interrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic.[1] He recorded his first two sacks as a college player during the 2017 Gasparilla Bowl, which helped the Owls to a 28–3 victory.[4] Kwenkeu became a regular starter in 2020, and had a breakout season in 2021.[1] He scored his first college touchdown that year on a fumble return against the Akron Zips in a game where he also had two sacks and 2.5 tackles for loss, a performance that resulted in him winning an American Athletic Conference Defensive Player of the Week award.[5][6] In his final year, Kwenkeu totaled 51 tackles, three sacks, and one fumble each forced and recovered. In his college career in total, he played in 47 games,[7] during which he recorded 183 tackles and seven sacks.[8]

Professional career

Pre-draft measurables
Height Weight Arm length Hand span 40-yard dash 10-yard split 20-yard split
20-yard shuttle
 Three-cone drill Vertical jump Broad jump Bench press
6 ft 0+1⁄8 in
(1.83 m) 		221 lb
(100 kg) 		31+3⁄4 in
(0.81 m) 		9+1⁄2 in
(0.24 m)		 4.59 s 1.49 s 2.67 s 4.32 s 6.87 s 33.5 in
(0.85 m)		 9 ft 5 in
(2.87 m)		 22 reps
All values from
Pro Day[9]

The

special teams) during Minnesota's loss to the Green Bay Packers in Week 17.[1]

On August 13, 2023, he was waived with an injury designation.

injured reserve list.[16] He was released on March 12, 2024.[17]

Personal life

Kwenkeu spoke very little English when he first arrived in the United States at age 14 and has credited football with helping him learn the language.[2][10] He became an American citizen in 2017.[4]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e Tomasson, Chris (January 6, 2023). "From Cameroon to the Vikings, it's been an 'incredible' journey for William Kwenkeu". St. Paul Pioneer Press. Archived from the original on January 13, 2023. Retrieved March 4, 2023.
  2. ^
    Washington Post. Archived
    from the original on April 6, 2016. Retrieved October 14, 2022.
  3. Washington Post. Archived
    from the original on February 4, 2016. Retrieved October 14, 2022.
  4. ^ a b Narducci, Marc (December 22, 2017). "Temple's William Kwenkeu becomes U.S. citizen just before helping Owls win Gasparilla Bowl". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Archived from the original on October 3, 2022. Retrieved October 15, 2022.
  5. ^ a b Peters, Craig (May 16, 2022). "Vikings Sign Undrafted LB William Kwenkeu After Rookie Minicamp". www.vikings.com. Archived from the original on October 4, 2022. Retrieved October 15, 2022.
  6. ^ "Memphis' Austin, Temple's Kwenkeu, Houston's Nunnery Take Weekly Football Honors". theamerican.org. September 13, 2021. Archived from the original on September 14, 2021. Retrieved October 15, 2022.
  7. ^ a b Ragatz, Will (May 16, 2022). "Vikings sign former Temple LB William Kwenkeu, release Tuf Borland". Sports Illustrated. Archived from the original on October 8, 2022. Retrieved October 15, 2022.
  8. ^ "William Kwenkeu College Stats". Sports Reference. Retrieved October 15, 2022.
  9. ^ "2022 NFL Draft Scout William Kwenkeu College Football Profile". DraftScout.com. Retrieved December 17, 2023.
  10. ^ a b Krammer, Andrew (August 6, 2022). "'Bigger than me': Vikings with African heritage part of growing wave in NFL". Star Tribune. Archived from the original on October 13, 2022. Retrieved October 15, 2022.
  11. ^ Robinson, Sam (August 30, 2022). "Vikings Move Down To 53". Pro Football Rumors. Archived from the original on September 26, 2022. Retrieved October 15, 2022.
  12. ^ Peters, Craig (August 31, 2022). "Vikings Sign 12 Players to Practice Squad". www.vikings.com. Archived from the original on October 9, 2022. Retrieved October 15, 2022.
  13. ^ Forness, Tyler (December 4, 2022). "Vikings elevate linebacker William Kwenkeu from practice squad". Vikings Wire. USA Today. Archived from the original on December 8, 2022. Retrieved December 14, 2022.
  14. ^ "Vikings Sign CB Kalon Barnes to Active Roster; Place Blake Brandel on Injured Reserve". Vikings.com. December 14, 2022.
  15. ^ "Vikings Sign Veteran Linebacker Tanner Vallejo". Vikings.com. August 13, 2023.
  16. ^ "Vikings LB Hits Injured Reserve". vikingsterritory.com. August 15, 2023.
  17. ^ "Vikings Have Waived William Kwenkeu & Terminated Contract of Dean Lowry". Vikings.com. March 12, 2024.

External links

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=William_Kwenkeu&oldid=1213705197"