KeiVarae Russell
| No. 20 – Cincinnati Bengals | |
|---|---|
| Position: | Cornerback |
| Personal information | |
| Born: | October 19, 1993 Everett, Washington |
| Height: | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) |
| Weight: | 190 lb (86 kg) |
| Career information | |
| College: | Notre Dame |
| NFL draft: | 2016 / round: 3 / pick: 74 |
| Career history | |
| |
| Roster status: | Active |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
KeiVarae Russell (born October 19, 1993) is an American football cornerback for the Cincinnati Bengals of the National Football League (NFL). He was drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs in the third round of the 2016 NFL Draft. He played college football at Notre Dame.
High school
Russell attended Mariner High School in Everett, Washington, where he was named to the first-team Washington class 4A by the Associated Press as a senior,[1] after gaining 1,293 rushing yards on 177 attempts with 14 TDs. He was selected to play in the U.S. Army All-American Bowl in San Antonio, Texas.[2]
Considered a four-star recruit by Rivals.com, he was rated as the 9th-best athlete prospect of his class.[3] He committed to play college football for Notre Dame on December 29, 2011, over offers from California, USC and hometown Washington.[4]
| Name | Hometown | High school / college | Height | Weight | 40‡ | Commit date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| KeiVarae Russell RB |
Everett, Washington | Everett (WA) Mariner | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) | 175 lb (79 kg) | 4.55 | Dec 29, 2011 |
Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: N/A ESPN grade: 79
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| Overall recruiting rankings: Scout: 207 (national) Rivals: 9 (RB), 3 (WA), 124 (national) | ||||||
Sources:
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College career
In summer camp of his freshman year, following a season-ending injury to incumbent starter Lo Wood, Russell was moved from running back to cornerback.[5] He worked himself into a starting role for week 1 of the season vs. Navy, in Dublin, Ireland. Russell started all 13 games as a true freshman, including the 2013 BCS National Championship Game vs. Alabama. He recorded 58 tackles, including two for loss, and two interceptions, and was named a Freshman All-American by the FWAA.[6] As a sophomore, Russell started all 13 games in 2013, registering 51 tackles, one interception and eight pass break-ups.
Academic suspension
On August 14, 2014, the University of Notre Dame announced that they were investigating suspected academic dishonesty on the part of several students, including members of the football team; Russell along with DaVaris Daniels, Kendall Moore and Ishaq Williams were those named in the investigation, with another player, Eilar Hardy, named a few weeks later.[7] On October 10, 2014, following the conclusion of the school's investigation, Russell was suspended for the fall and spring semesters from the school, and did not play for the Irish in the 2014–15 season.[8]
Return to Notre Dame
After being suspended for seven months by the university, Russell announced on May 29, 2015, that he was back and had been re-admitted to the university for the upcoming semester.[9] He returned to the field, starting 11 games, before missing the remaining two games with a fractured tibia.[10] He finished his season with 60 tackles, 3.5 for loss, two interceptions, two forced fumbles, and six pass deflections.
On January 4, 2016, Russell announced he would forgo his remaining eligibility and enter the 2016 NFL Draft.[11]
Professional career
Kansas City Chiefs
Russell was drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs in the third round (74th overall) of the 2016 NFL Draft.[12] Russell was released by the Chiefs on September 14, 2016.[13]
Cincinnati Bengals
On September 15, 2016, Russell was claimed off waivers by the Cincinnati Bengals.
References
- ^ "Associated Press all-state football team". The Seattle Times. December 19, 2011.
- ^ "Russell selected to play in U.S. Army All-American Bowl". The Daily Herald.
- ^ "KeiVarae Russell". yahoo.com.
- ^ Bud Elliott. "KeiVarae Russell Commits To Notre Dame Over Washington". SBNation.com. Vox Media.
- ^ "Notre Dame football: Russell ready for move to cornerback". tribunedigital-orlandosentinel.
- ^ "2012 FWAA Freshman All-America Team". nationalchamps.net.
- ^ "Notre Dame investigates academic fraud, holds out four players". USA TODAY. August 15, 2014.
- ^ "KeiVarae Russell of Notre Dame Fighting Irish won't play against this season". ESPN.com.
- ^ "KeiVarae Russell says his suspension from the Notre Dame Fighting Irish has been lifted". ESPN.com.
- ^ Notre Dame dealing with further injury trouble after BC win
- ^ Notre Dame cornerback KeiVarae Russell declares for 2016 NFL draft
- ^ Chiefs get their cornerback in third round in Notre Dame's KeiVarae Russell
- ^ Alper, Josh. "Chiefs waive 2016 third-round pick KeiVarae Russell". NBCSports.com.