American football player (born 1994)
American football player
Kwon Alexander
Alexander with the San Francisco 49ers in 2019
|
|
Born:
| (
1994-08-03
)
August 3, 1994
(age 29)
Oxford, Alabama
, U.S.
|
---|
Height:
| 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
|
---|
Weight:
| 227 lb (103 kg)
|
---|
|
High school:
| Oxford
|
---|
College:
| LSU
(2012?2014)
|
---|
Position:
| Linebacker
|
---|
NFL draft:
| 2015
/ Round: 4 / Pick: 124
|
---|
|
|
|
---|
|
|
|
---|
|
|
|
Player stats at
PFR
|
|
Kwon Alexander
(born August 3, 1994) is an
American football
linebacker
who is a free agent. He played
college football
at
LSU
. He was selected by the
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
in the fourth round of the
2015 NFL draft
. Alexander has also played for the
San Francisco 49ers
,
New Orleans Saints
,
New York Jets
, and the
Pittsburgh Steelers
.
Early life
[
edit
]
Alexander attended
Oxford High School
in
Oxford, Alabama
. An impact player on the defensive side of the ball, Alexander missed most of his 2011 senior campaign with a knee injury after posting 144
tackles
, 17
sacks
, and six
forced fumbles
(three recoveries) as a junior in 2010. Oxford finished the season 12?2, advancing the
AHSAA
Class 6A state semi-finals where they lost 32?22 to
Marlon Humphrey
's
Hoover
. Alexander participated in the
Under Armour All-American Game
as a member of the black team. He was chosen as a finalist for the High School Butkus Award, given annually to the nation’s top
linebacker
. He was also named to the 2011 ESPN All-Alabama Football Team and was a Class 6A All-State Football Team Honorable Mention.
[1]
Alexander was also a state qualifier in
track & field
at Oxford. At the 2011 AHSAA 6A Section 4, he posted personal-best times of 11.24 seconds in the
100-meter dash
and 22.99 seconds in the
200-meter dash
, placing 9th and 7th, respectively.
[2]
Regarded as a four-star prospect according to
ESPN.com
,
Rivals.com
, and
Scout.com
, Alexander was ranked No. 19 in the 2012 Scout.com Final Southeast Top 150. He was ranked No. 45 in the Press-Register Super Southeast 120 and No. 29 in the 2012 ESPNU 150. He was listed in the MaxPreps 2012 Top 100. He was rated as
Alabama
’s No. 3 prospect by
ESPN.com
, No. 11 by
Rivals.com
, and No. 6 by
247Sports.com
. Nationally,
ESPN.com
and
Scout.com
rated him as the No. 3 linebacker,
247sports.com
rated him as the nation’s No. 9 linebacker, while
Rivals.com
rated him at No. 20.
[3]
He committed to
Louisiana State University
(LSU) to play
college football
.
[4]
College career
[
edit
]
Alexander attended LSU from 2012 to 2014. As a
true freshman
, he played in seven games with two starts and had 12 tackles. As a sophomore, he started nine of 13 games. He finished the season with 65 tackles.
[5]
As a junior, Alexander led the team with 92 tackles and had 1.5 sacks.
[6]
After his junior season, Alexander entered the
2015 NFL draft
.
[7]
Professional career
[
edit
]
Pre-draft
[
edit
]
On December 31, 2014, Alexander announced on his
Twitter
account his decision to forgo his senior season and enter the 2015 NFL draft.
[8]
Alexander was one of 33 collegiate linebackers to attend the
NFL Scouting Combine
in
Indianapolis, Indiana
. Alexander completed all of the necessary drills, finishing second among all linebackers in the
40-yard dash
, sixth in the
bench press
and
short shuttle
, and ninth in the
three-cone drill
.
[9]
On March 27, 2015, Alexander attended LSU's
pro day
, but opted to stand on his combine numbers and only performed positional drills for team representatives and scouts from all 32 NFL teams, including
Pittsburgh Steelers
' head coach
Mike Tomlin
and general managers from the
Minnesota Vikings
,
New Orleans Saints
,
New York Giants
,
New York Jets
, and Steelers.
[10]
During the draft process, he attended only one private visit with the
San Francisco 49ers
.
[11]
At the conclusion of the pre-draft process, Alexander was projected to be a third round pick by
NFL draft
experts and scouts. He was ranked the second best outside linebacker prospect in the draft by NFL analyst
Charles Davis
and was ranked sixth best outside linebacker in the draft by NFLDraftScouts.com, and was ranked the seventh best linebacker by Matt Miller of NFLDraftScout.com.
[12]
[13]
[14]
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
[
edit
]
2015 season
[
edit
]
The
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
selected Alexander in the fourth round (124th overall) of the 2015 NFL draft. The Buccaneers traded their fourth (128th overall) and seventh round (218th overall) picks to the
Oakland Raiders
in order to move up four spots and select Alexander.
[16]
He was the 11th linebacker drafted in 2015.
[17]
On May 12, 2015, the Buccaneers signed Alexander to a four-year, $2.75 million contract that includes a
signing bonus
of $478,322.
[18]
Alexander entered training camp, competing for the job as the starting strongside linebacker against
Danny Lansanah
. After performing well, he was moved to middle linebacker to compete for the starting role against veteran
Bruce Carter
.
[19]
[20]
Head coach
Lovie Smith
named Alexander the starting middle linebacker alongside outside linebackers
Lavonte David
and Lansanah.
[21]
Alexander made his NFL debut and first NFL start in the season-opener against the
Tennessee Titans
and recorded five combined tackles and a pass deflection during a 42?14 loss. Two weeks later, he recorded ten combined tackles, two pass deflections, and made his first NFL
interception
off of a pass attempt by
Ryan Mallett
in a 19?9 road loss to the
Houston Texans
. During Week 5, Alexander made five combined tackles, two pass deflections, and made his first NFL sack on
Blake Bortles
as the Buccaneers defeated the
Jacksonville Jaguars
by a score of 38?31. Prior to Week 8, Alexander's younger brother, Broderick Taylor, had been murdered just two days prior.
[22]
He started the following game and recorded 11 combined tackles, a forced fumble, a fumble recovery, and an interception during a 23?20 road victory over the
Atlanta Falcons
.
[23]
His efforts earned him the title of NFC Defensive Player of the Week. On December 7, Alexander was given a four-game ban for violating the league's policy on performance-enhancing substances and missed the last four games of the season (Weeks 14?17).
[24]
Alexander finished his rookie year with 93 combined tackles (59 solo), nine pass deflections, three sacks, and two interceptions in 12 games and starts.
[25]
He also had an overall grade of 31.6 from Pro Football Focus.
[26]
The Buccaneers finished fourth in the
NFC South
with a 6?10 record and Lovie Smith was fired at the end of the season.
[27]
2016 season
[
edit
]
Offensive coordinator
Dirk Koetter
was promoted to head coach and hired former Falcons head coach
Mike Smith
as defensive coordinator.
[28]
Smith retained Alexander as starting middle linebacker to begin the regular season.
Alexander started in the season-opener at the Falcons and recorded 17 combined tackles and a sack in a 31?24 victory. Two weeks later, he made seven combined tackles and returned an interception off of
Case Keenum
38 yards for his first NFL touchdown during a 37?32 loss to the
Los Angeles Rams
. During Week 8, Alexander recorded a season-high 14 solo tackles and broke up a pass in a 30?24 overtime loss to the
Oakland Raiders
. During Week 15, he recorded a career-high 21 combined tackles (11 solo) in a 26?20 road loss against the
Dallas Cowboys
.
Alexander finished his second professional season ranking fourth in the league in tackles with 145 combined (108 solo). He also had seven pass deflections, three sacks, and an interception in 16 games and starts.
[25]
He earned an overall grade of 77.3 from Pro Football Focus and was their most improved second-year linebackers.
[29]
2017 season
[
edit
]
Alexander started in the season-opener against the
Chicago Bears
and recorded a solo tackle, a pass deflection, and intercepted former teammate
Mike Glennon
during a 29?7 victory.
[30]
He left the game after sustaining a
hamstring
injury that sidelined him for the next four games (Weeks 3?6).
[31]
In Week 15, Alexander recorded a season-high 13 solo tackles as the Buccaneers lost to the Falcons by a score 24?21.
[32]
Alexander finished his third season with 97 combined tackles (70 solo), four pass deflections, and a career-high three interceptions in 12 games and starts. On January 16, 2018, he was named to his first
Pro Bowl
replacing injured
Seattle Seahawks
middle linebacker
Bobby Wagner
.
[33]
Pro Football Focus
gave Alexander an overall grade of 68.0, ranking him 48th among all qualifying linebackers in 2017.
[34]
2018 season
[
edit
]
Alexander started the first six games of the season before suffering a season-ending torn ACL in Week 7. He was placed on
injured reserve
on October 22, 2018.
[35]
Alexander finished the season with 45 tackles, two sacks, two pass deflections, and a sack in six games and starts.
San Francisco 49ers
[
edit
]
On March 13, 2019, the
San Francisco 49ers
signed Alexander to a four-year, $54 million contract that includes a signing bonus of $4 million and $25.50 million guaranteed.
[36]
[37]
[38]
During Week 1 against his former team, the
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
, Alexander made a helmet-to-helmet hit against former teammate
Jameis Winston
, and was disqualified as a result.
[39]
Prior to being ejected, Alexander made three tackles in the season-opening 31?17 road victory.
[40]
In the next game against the
Cincinnati Bengals
, Alexander recorded his first interception of the season off of
Andy Dalton
in the 41?17 road victory.
[41]
During Week 7 against the
Washington Redskins
, Alexander forced a fumble on running back
Adrian Peterson
that was recovered by teammate
Jullian Taylor
in the 9?0 road victory.
[42]
Two weeks later against the
Arizona Cardinals
, he left the eventual 28?25 road victory with an apparent chest injury. The next day, Alexander was diagnosed with a torn pectoral and was placed on
injured reserve
.
[43]
[44]
Alexander was designated for return from injured reserve on January 2, 2020, and began practicing with the team again.
[45]
On January 10, 2020, the 49ers activated Alexander off injured reserve the day before the NFC Divisional Game against the Vikings.
[46]
He helped the 49ers defeat both the Vikings and
Green Bay Packers
to advance to
Super Bowl LIV
, where he recorded a tackle and pass deflection in the 31?20 loss to the
Kansas City Chiefs
.
New Orleans Saints
[
edit
]
On November 2, 2020, the San Francisco 49ers traded Alexander to the Saints in exchange for a fifth-round conditional pick in the
2021 NFL draft
and linebacker
Kiko Alonso
.
[47]
He was named a starter in Week 10, and started the next seven games before suffering a torn Achilles in Week 16. He was placed on injured reserve on December 28, 2020.
[48]
On March 16, 2021, the Saints released Alexander.
[49]
On August 3, 2021, the New Orleans Saints brought back Alexander and signed him to a one-year, $1.12 million contract that includes a signing bonus of $387,500.
[50]
He was placed on injured reserve on September 17, 2021, with an elbow injury.
[51]
He was activated on October 25.
New York Jets
[
edit
]
On August 2, 2022, the Jets signed Alexander to a one year, $1.27 million contract that includes a signing bonus of $152,500.
[52]
[18]
He played in all 17 of New York's games, starting 12 and racking up 69 tackles.
Pittsburgh Steelers
[
edit
]
On July 30, 2023, the Steelers signed Alexander to a one-year, $1.31 million contract that includes a signing bonus of $152,500.
[53]
[18]
On November 2, 2023, in a Week 9
Thursday Night Football
game against the Titans, Alexander made the game-sealing interception of Titans quarterback
Will Levis
to cement the Steelers' 20?16 home victory.
[54]
On November 12, 2023, in the Week 10 game against the
Green Bay Packers
, Alexander suffered suffered a season-ending torn Achilles.
[55]
Two days later, the Steelers place him on injured reserve.
[56]
NFL career statistics
[
edit
]
Legend
|
|
Led the league
|
Bold
|
Career high
|
Regular season statistics
Year
|
Team
|
Games
|
Tackles
|
Interceptions
|
Fumbles
|
GP
|
GS
|
Cmb
|
Solo
|
Ast
|
Sck
|
Int
|
Yds
|
Avg
|
Lng
|
TD
|
PD
|
FF
|
FR
|
Yds
|
TD
|
2015
|
TB
|
12
|
12
|
93
|
59
|
44
|
3.0
|
2
|
15
|
7.5
|
15
|
0
|
9
|
2
|
1
|
20
|
0
|
2016
|
TB
|
16
|
16
|
145
|
108
|
37
|
3.0
|
1
|
38
|
38.0
|
38T
|
1
|
7
|
1
|
1
|
4
|
0
|
2017
|
TB
|
12
|
12
|
97
|
70
|
27
|
0.0
|
3
|
70
|
23.3
|
28
|
0
|
4
|
1
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
2018
|
TB
|
6
|
6
|
45
|
34
|
11
|
1.0
|
0
|
0
|
0.0
|
0
|
0
|
2
|
2
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
2019
|
SF
|
8
|
8
|
34
|
22
|
12
|
0.5
|
1
|
0
|
0.0
|
0
|
0
|
4
|
1
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
2020
|
SF
|
5
|
5
|
30
|
22
|
8
|
0.0
|
0
|
0
|
0.0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
1
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
NO
|
7
|
7
|
27
|
17
|
10
|
0.0
|
0
|
0
|
0.0
|
0
|
0
|
4
|
1
|
2
|
20
|
0
|
2021
|
NO
|
12
|
8
|
50
|
39
|
11
|
3.5
|
1
|
0
|
0.0
|
0
|
0
|
2
|
1
|
1
|
8
|
0
|
2022
|
NYJ
|
17
|
12
|
67
|
42
|
27
|
0.5
|
0
|
0
|
0.0
|
0
|
0
|
1
|
1
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
2023
|
PIT
|
9
|
2
|
41
|
32
|
9
|
1.0
|
1
|
0
|
0.0
|
0
|
0
|
1
|
1
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
Career
|
104
|
88
|
631
|
445
|
186
|
13.5
|
9
|
123
|
13.7
|
38T
|
1
|
34
|
12
|
5
|
52
|
0
|
Postseason statistics
Year
|
Team
|
Games
|
Tackles
|
Interceptions
|
Fumbles
|
GP
|
GS
|
Cmb
|
Solo
|
Ast
|
Sck
|
Int
|
Yds
|
Avg
|
Lng
|
TD
|
PD
|
FF
|
FR
|
Yds
|
TD
|
2019
|
SF
|
3
|
2
|
3
|
3
|
0
|
0.0
|
0
|
0
|
0.0
|
0
|
0
|
1
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
Career
|
3
|
2
|
3
|
3
|
0
|
0.0
|
0
|
0
|
0.0
|
0
|
0
|
1
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
References
[
edit
]
- ^
"Kwon Alexander Bio"
.
LSUsports.net
. Archived from
the original
on October 19, 2017
. Retrieved
January 22,
2015
.
- ^
"AHSAA 6A ? Section 4"
.
AlabamaRunners
.
- ^
"Kwon Alexander"
.
yahoo.com
.
- ^
"Top 100 LB Kwon Alexander picks LSU - CBSSports.com"
.
CBSSports.com
.
- ^
"Speed and experience make LSU veteran LBs Kwon Alexander, Jesuit grad Deion Jones key parts of a revitalized defense"
.
NOLA.com
. August 7, 2014.
- ^
"LSU's leading tackler Kwon Alexander to enter the 2015 NFL draft"
.
NOLA.com
. January 2015.
- ^
"LSU linebacker, Oxford native Kwon Alexander skipping senior season for NFL draft"
.
AL.com
. January 2015.
- ^
si wire (January 1, 2015).
"LSU's Kwon Alexander, Jalen Collins declare for NFL Draft"
.
si.com
. Retrieved
February 22,
2018
.
- ^
Brady, James (February 22, 2015).
"NFL Combine 2015: Full results for linebackers"
.
sbnation.com
. Retrieved
February 22,
2018
.
- ^
Gil Brandt
(March 28, 2015).
"LSU's Danielle Hunter wows scouts with dazzling pro-day display"
.
NFL.com
. Retrieved
February 22,
2018
.
- ^
Brady, James (April 27, 2015).
"2015 NFL Draft visit tracker: Which teams are the prospects meeting with?"
.
sbnation.com
. Retrieved
February 22,
2018
.
- ^
"*Kwon Alexander, DS #6 OLB, LSU"
.
nfldraftscout.com
. Retrieved
February 22,
2018
.
- ^
Davis, Charles (April 1, 2015).
"2015 NFL Draft prospect rankings by position"
.
NFL.com
. Retrieved
February 22,
2018
.
- ^
Miller, Matt (April 29, 2015).
"NFL Draft Big Board 2015: Matt Miller's Final Rankings"
.
bleacherreport.com
. Retrieved
February 22,
2018
.
- ^
"*Kwon Alexander ? LSU, OLB : 2015 NFL Draft Scout External News"
.
nfldraftscout.com
.
[
permanent dead link
]
- ^
"2015 NFL Draft Listing"
.
Pro-Football-Reference.com
. Retrieved
May 15,
2023
.
- ^
Sharp, Katie (May 2, 2015).
"NFL Draft results 2015: Kwon Alexander taken by Buccaneers after trade"
.
sbnation.com
. Retrieved
February 22,
2018
.
- ^
a
b
c
"Spotrac.com: Kwon Alexander contract"
.
Spotrac.com
. Retrieved
February 22,
2018
.
- ^
"Rookie linebacker Kwon Alexander works with Bucs starters"
.
Tampa Bay Times
. Retrieved
December 16,
2015
.
- ^
Yasinskas, Pat (August 14, 2015).
"Rookie Kwon Alexander making push to start at MLB"
.
ESPN.com
. Retrieved
February 22,
2018
.
- ^
"Ourlads.com: Tampa Bay Buccaneers' depth chart: 10/01/2015"
.
Ourlads.com
. Retrieved
February 22,
2018
.
- ^
"Family, friends mourn loss of Oxford High School student"
.
wvtm13.com
. Archived from
the original
on May 15, 2021
. Retrieved
February 22,
2018
.
- ^
"NFL Player stats: Kwon Alexander (2015)"
.
NFL.com
. Retrieved
February 22,
2018
.
- ^
"Kwon Alexander will miss Buccaneers' final four games with suspension"
.
Bucs Nation
. December 7, 2015
. Retrieved
December 8,
2015
.
- ^
a
b
"NFL Player stats: Kwon Alexander (career)"
.
NFL.com
. Retrieved
February 22,
2018
.
- ^
Monsoon, Sam (June 13, 2016).
"Kwon Alexander wasn't as good as you think"
.
profootballfocus.com
. Retrieved
May 6,
2018
.
- ^
"Buccaneers fire coach Lovie Smith"
.
ESPN.com
. January 7, 2016
. Retrieved
February 22,
2018
.
- ^
Jones, Jonathan (December 16, 2016).
"How Mike Smith found new NFL life in Tampa Bay at the helm of Bucs' surging defense"
.
si.com
. Retrieved
February 22,
2018
.
- ^
Mott, Bonnie (February 19, 2017).
"Kwon Alexander is Pro Football Focus' most improved second-year LB"
.
bucswire.usatoday.com
. Archived from
the original
on February 24, 2017
. Retrieved
May 7,
2018
.
- ^
"Chicago Bears at Tampa Bay Buccaneers - September 17th, 2017"
.
Pro-Football-Reference.com
. Retrieved
October 31,
2017
.
- ^
Auman, Greg (October 4, 2017).
"Bucs' Kwon Alexander to miss third straight game with injury"
.
tampabay.com
. Retrieved
February 22,
2018
.
- ^
"NFL Player stats: Kwon Alexander (2017)"
.
NFL.com
. Retrieved
February 22,
2018
.
- ^
"Kwon Alexander headed to Pro Bowl, replacing Bobby Wagner"
.
Yahoo! Sports
. Archived from
the original
on January 17, 2018
. Retrieved
January 16,
2018
.
- ^
"Pro Football Focus: Kwon Alexander"
.
profootballfocus.com
. Retrieved
May 7,
2018
.
- ^
Smith, Scott (October 22, 2018).
"Kwon Alexander, Jack Cichy Out for the Season"
.
Buccaneers.com
. Archived from
the original
on February 26, 2021
. Retrieved
October 23,
2018
.
- ^
Patra, Kevin (March 11, 2019).
"Niners to sign LB Kwon Alexander to massive contract"
.
NFL.com
.
- ^
"49ers Acquire DL Dee Ford, Sign LB Kwon Alexander"
.
49ers.com
. March 13, 2019.
- ^
"Spotrac.com"
. Retrieved
October 13,
2023
.
- ^
"Alexander ejected vs. former team"
. NFL
. Retrieved
September 8,
2019
.
- ^
"Sherman, 49ers upend Winston, Buccaneers 31-7"
.
www.espn.com
. September 8, 2019
. Retrieved
September 8,
2019
.
- ^
"Garoppolo throws 3 TDs, 49ers roll over Bengals 41-17"
.
www.espn.com
. September 15, 2019
. Retrieved
September 15,
2019
.
- ^
"49ers beat Redskins in ugly 9-0 game to improve to 6-0"
.
www.espn.com
. October 20, 2019
. Retrieved
October 20,
2019
.
- ^
Wagoner, Nick (November 1, 2019).
"49ers LB Kwon Alexander out for season with torn pectoral"
.
ESPN.com
.
- ^
"49ers Announce Roster Moves"
.
49ers.com
. November 5, 2019.
- ^
Martin, Keiana (January 2, 2020).
"Kwon Alexander Sought Advice from J.J. Watt as Both Eye Postseason Returns"
.
49ers.com
. Retrieved
January 2,
2020
.
- ^
"49ers Activate LB Kwon Alexander, Place DL Kentavius Street on Injured Reserve"
.
49ers.com
. January 10, 2020.
- ^
"49ers Announce Trade"
.
49ers.com
. November 2, 2020. Archived from
the original
on February 28, 2021
. Retrieved
November 3,
2020
.
- ^
Williams, Charean (December 28, 2020).
"Saints place Kwon Alexander on IR"
.
Pro Football Talk
. NBC Sports.
- ^
"Saints terminate contract of linebacker Kwon Alexander"
.
NewOrleansSaints.com
. March 16, 2021
. Retrieved
March 16,
2021
.
- ^
"New Orleans Saints re-sign linebacker Kwon Alexander and waive linebacker Kendall Donnerson"
.
NewOrleansSaints.com
. August 5, 2021.
- ^
Shook, Nick (September 17, 2021).
"Saints place DE Marcus Davenport (shoulder), LB Kwon Alexander (elbow) on injured reserve"
.
NFL.com
.
- ^
Alper, Josh (July 28, 2022).
"Kwon Alexander agrees to sign with Jets"
.
NBCSports.com
.
- ^
Kozora, Alex (July 30, 2023).
"Steelers Officially Sign LB Kwon Alexander, Release OL Jarrid Williams"
.
SteelersDepot.com
. Retrieved
July 30,
2023
.
- ^
Pryor, Brooke; Davenport, Turron (November 3, 2023).
"Steelers shut door in fourth quarter, continue Titans' road skid"
.
ESPN.com
.
- ^
Pryor, Brooke; Davenport, Turron (November 12, 2023).
"Source: Steelers LB Kwon Alexander suffers torn Achilles"
.
ESPN.com
.
- ^
Varley, Teresa (November 14, 2023).
"Steelers make roster moves"
.
Steelers.com
.
External links
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