Kenneth Gainwell

Last updated

Kenneth Gainwell
Kenneth Gainwell - 51770639236 (cropped).jpg
Gainwell with the Eagles in 2021
No. 14 – Philadelphia Eagles
Position: Running back / Kickoff returner
Personal information
Born: (1999-03-14) March 14, 1999 (age 25)
Vicksburg, Mississippi, U.S.
Height:5 ft 9 in (1.75 m)
Weight:200 lb (91 kg)
Career information
High school: Yazoo County (Yazoo County, Mississippi)
College: Memphis (2018–2020)
NFL draft: 2021  / round: 5 / pick: 150
Career history
Roster status:Active
Career highlights and awards
  • First-team All-AAC (2019)
  • AAC Rookie of the Year (2019)
Career NFL statistics as of Week 11, 2024
Rushing yards:1,092
Rushing average:4.4
Rushing touchdowns:11
Receptions:93
Receiving yards:654
Receiving touchdowns:1
Stats at Pro Football Reference

Kenneth Gainwell (born March 14, 1999) is an American professional football running back and kickoff returner for the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Memphis Tigers.

Contents

Early life

Gainwell grew up in Yazoo City, Mississippi and attended Yazoo County High School. He was a three-year starter at quarterback for the Panthers. As a junior, he passed for 1,184 yards and nine touchdowns and rushed for 1,292 yards and 20 touchdowns. During the summer going into his senior season Gainwell committed to play college football at Memphis over offers from Ole Miss and Tulane. [1] As a senior, he passed for 1,139 yards and 10 touchdowns and ran for 1,834 yards and 32 touchdowns. Gainwell was named Class 3A Mr. Football as he led the Panthers to a 14–1 record and an appearance in the Class 3A state championship game. [2] [3] [4] Gainwell finished his high school career with 3,682 yards passing and 32 passing touchdowns and 4,730 rushing yards and 75 rushing touchdowns with one kickoff returned for a touchdown. [5]

College career

Gainwell moved to running back during summer training camp and played in four games as a true freshman before deciding to redshirt the rest of the season. He finished the season with four carries for 91 yards and a touchdown, a 73-yard run, and six receptions for 52 yards. [6]

As a redshirt freshman, Gainwell was named the Tigers' starting running back following the departure of Tony Pollard. He was named the co-American Athletic Conference (AAC) player of the week after rushing for 104 yards and a touchdown and gaining 204 yards and scoring two touchdowns on nine receptions on October 19, 2019, in a 47–17 win over Tulane. [7] He rushed for 1,459 yards with 13 touchdowns on 231 carries and caught 51 passes for 610 yards and three touchdowns and was named the AAC Freshman of the Year and first-team All-AAC. [8] [9] He was named a second-team All-American by the Sporting News and the American Football Coaches Association and the National Freshman of the Year by the Football Writers Association of America. [10] [11] [12]

Gainwell opted out of his final college season six days before the season opener after multiple family members died from COVID-19. [13]

Professional career

Pre-draft measurables
HeightWeightArm lengthHand span 40-yard dash 10-yard split20-yard split 20-yard shuttle Three-cone drill Vertical jump Broad jump Bench press
5 ft 8+3⁄8 in
(1.74 m)		201 lb
(91 kg)		30+5⁄8 in
(0.78 m)		9+7⁄8 in
(0.25 m)		4.44 [14] s1.62 s2.57 s4.46 s7.26 s35.0 in
(0.89 m)		10 ft 1 in
(3.07 m)		21 reps
All values from NFL Combine [15] [16]

Gainwell was selected in the fifth round (150th overall) by the Philadelphia Eagles in the 2021 NFL draft. [17] Gainwell was happy to be drafted by Philadelphia, as he grew up an Eagles fan, and his favorite player while growing up, Darren Sproles, works for the team as a consultant. Gainwell also said that he modeled his game after Sproles. [18] He signed his four-year rookie contract with Philadelphia on June 3, 2021. [19] Gainwell found moderate success as a rookie, as he ended the year with 68 carries for 291 yards and five touchdowns, while adding 33 receptions for 253 yards and one touchdown. [20] Gainwell appeared in 16 games as a rookie, as he was a healthy scratch for the Eagles' week 11 showdown with the New Orleans Saints. [21]

In the 2022 season, Gainwell had 53 carries for 240 rushing yards and four rushing touchdowns to go along with 23 receptions for 169 receiving yards. [22] In the team's 38–7 Divisional Round victory over the New York Giants, he had 10 carries for a career high 112 yards and a touchdown, as well as one reception for nine yards. [23] This performance made him just the sixth Eagles player to rush for at least 100 yards in a postseason game. [24] Gainwell helped the Eagles reach Super Bowl LVII where they lost 38–35 to the Kansas City Chiefs. In the Super Bowl, Gainwell had seven carries for 21 rushing yards and four receptions for 20 receiving yards. [25]

Gainwell got off to a slow start during the 2023 season. During a Week 9 game against the Washington Commanders in which he lost a fumble, Gainwell received criticism for responding to a fan's critical Instagram post at halftime. In the 2023 season, he had 84 carries for 364 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns to go with 30 receptions for 183 receiving yards. [26]

NFL career statistics

Legend
BoldCareer high

Regular Season

YearTeamGamesRushingReceiving
GPGSAttYdsAvgLngTDTgtRecYdsAvgLngTD
2021 PHI 161682914.318550332537.7191
2022 PHI 170532404.513429231697.3200
2023 PHI 162843644.332237301836.1190
2024 PHI 140572654.62011612968.0160
Career 5032068974.43211117876157.1201

Postseason

YearTeamGamesRushingReceiving
GPGSAttYdsAvgLngTDTgtRecYdsAvgLngTD
2021 PHI 10166.06055499.8201
2022 PHI 30331815.535197557.9170
2023 PHI 10430.84022105.090
Career 50381905.045116141148.1201

Personal life

Gainwell's younger brother, Kory, played defensive back and running back at Yazoo County and is committed to play at Memphis. [27] Gainwell is the cousin of former Eagles player Fletcher Cox. [28]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joseph Addai</span> American football player (born 1983)

Joseph Kwaku Duah Addai Jr. is an American former professional football player who was a running back in the National Football League (NFL). He was selected by the Indianapolis Colts in the first round of the 2006 NFL draft out of Louisiana State University. He played for the team for six seasons where he won Super Bowl XLI, defeating the Chicago Bears.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jeremy Maclin</span> American football player (born 1988)

Jeremy Maclin is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Missouri Tigers, twice earning consensus All-American honors. Maclin was selected by the Philadelphia Eagles in the first round of the 2009 NFL draft. He also played for the Kansas City Chiefs and Baltimore Ravens, making a Pro Bowl appearance in 2014 with the Eagles. Maclin retired in 2019.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rex Burkhead</span> American football player (born 1990)

Rex Burkhead is a former American football running back. He played college football at Nebraska and was selected by the Cincinnati Bengals in the sixth round of the 2013 NFL draft. After four seasons with the Bengals, Burkhead spent his next four seasons with the New England Patriots, where he appeared in consecutive Super Bowls and won Super Bowl LIII, the second of the two Super Bowls he appeared in. Burkhead signed with the Houston Texans in 2021 and spent the 2021 and 2022 seasons with them. After spending the 2023 NFL Season as an un-signed free agent, Burkhead announced his retirement from professional football during the 2024 off-season.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Corey Clement</span> American football player (born 1994)

Corey Joel Clement is an American professional football running back. He played college football for the Wisconsin Badgers, and was signed by the Philadelphia Eagles as an undrafted free agent in 2017. He won Super Bowl LII with the team his rookie season, catching a touchdown in the game and helping execute the Philly Special.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wayne Gallman</span> American football player (born 1994)

Wayne Gallman Jr. is an American professional football running back for the St. Louis Battlehawks of the United Football League (UFL). He played college football for the Clemson Tigers and contributed to win the CFP national championship (2017) before being selected by the New York Giants in the fourth round of the 2017 NFL draft.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Greg Ward</span> American football player (born 1995)

Gregory Mario Ward Jr. is an American professional football wide receiver for the San Antonio Brahmas of the United Football League (UFL). He played college football at Houston as a quarterback, and converted to wide receiver after going undrafted following his college career. He was a member of the Eagles' practice squad in 2017 when they won Super Bowl LII. He also played for the San Antonio Commanders of the Alliance of American Football (AAF) in 2019.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wendell Smallwood</span> American football player (born 1994)

Wendell Lynn Smallwood Jr. is a former American football running back. He played college football at West Virginia and was selected in the fifth round of the 2016 NFL draft by the Philadelphia Eagles. Smallwood was also a member of the Washington Redskins, Pittsburgh Steelers, and Jacksonville Jaguars.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rashaad Penny</span> American football player (born 1996)

Rashaad Armein Penny is an American former football running back who played for six seasons in the National Football League (NFL), primarily with the Seattle Seahawks. He played college football for the San Diego State Aztecs and was drafted by the Seahawks in the first round of the 2018 NFL draft. After five seasons with the Seahawks, Penny spent one season with the Philadelphia Eagles before retiring in 2024.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">D'Andre Swift</span> American football player (born 1999)

D'Andre Tiyon Swift is an American professional football running back for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Georgia Bulldogs and was selected by the Detroit Lions with the third pick of the second round of the 2020 NFL draft. In 2023, he was traded to the Philadelphia Eagles, where he earned his first Pro Bowl selection before signing with the Bears in 2024.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Miles Sanders</span> American football player (born 1997)

Miles Adam Sanders, nicknamed "Boobie Miles", is an American professional football running back for the Carolina Panthers of the National Football League (NFL). He was selected by the Philadelphia Eagles in the second round of the 2019 NFL draft after playing college football for the Penn State Nittany Lions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Darrell Henderson</span> American football player (born 1997)

Darrell Henderson Jr. is an American professional football running back. He played college football for the Memphis Tigers, and was selected by the Los Angeles Rams in the third round of the 2019 NFL draft.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">CeeDee Lamb</span> American football player (born 1999)

Cedarian DeLeon "CeeDee" Lamb is an American professional football wide receiver for the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Oklahoma Sooners where he was a consensus All-American in 2019, and was selected by the Cowboys in the first round of the 2020 NFL draft.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tony Pollard</span> American football player (born 1997)

Tony Randall Pollard is an American professional football running back for the Tennessee Titans of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Memphis, and was drafted by the Dallas Cowboys in the fourth round of the 2019 NFL draft.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Clyde Edwards-Helaire</span> American football player (born 1999)

Clyde Edwards-Helaire is an American professional football running back who is a free agent. He played college football for the LSU Tigers and was selected by the Kansas City Chiefs in the first round of the 2020 NFL draft. He is a two-time Super Bowl champion.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">La'Mical Perine</span> American football player (born 1998)

La'Mical Perine is an American professional football running back. He played college football for the Florida Gators and was selected by the New York Jets in the fourth round of the 2020 NFL draft.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Antonio Gibson</span> American football player (born 1998)

Antonio Gibson is an American professional football running back and kickoff returner for the New England Patriots of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at East Central Community College in Mississippi for two years prior to transferring to Memphis in 2018. As a return specialist and wide receiver with Memphis, Gibson was named American Athletic Conference (AAC) special teams player of the year in 2019 and received conference honors for both positions. He entered the 2020 NFL draft as a running back, where he was selected by the Washington Football Team in the third round and played four seasons.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ty Davis-Price</span> American football player (born 2000)

Tyrion Jacobe Davis-Price is an American professional football running back for the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at LSU.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Calvin Austin</span> American football player (born 1999)

Calvin Austin III is an American professional football wide receiver and punt returner for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Memphis.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Will Shipley</span> American football player (born 2002)

William L. Shipley is an American professional football running back for the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Clemson Tigers.

Danny Gray is an American professional football wide receiver for the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Blinn and SMU before being drafted by the 49ers in the third round of the 2022 NFL draft.

References

  1. ↑ Claxton, Ben (June 28, 2017). "Yazoo County QB Kenny Gainwell Commits To Memphis". DeltaDailyNews.com. Archived from the original on May 3, 2021. Retrieved March 20, 2020.
  2. ↑ Jordan, Jonah (October 17, 2019). "Older brother helps Kory Gainwell tackle recruiting process". The Daily Memphian. Archived from the original on March 20, 2020. Retrieved March 20, 2020.
  3. ↑ Turner, Ethan (November 18, 2017). "Yazoo County's Gainwell steps up". Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal . Retrieved March 20, 2020.
  4. ↑ "2017 Class 3A Mr. Football: Kenneth Gainwell". MissHSAA.com. Mississippi High School Activities Association. December 15, 2017. Retrieved March 20, 2020.
  5. ↑ Jordan, Jonah (September 26, 2019). "Gainwell relishes lead running back role as Tigers face Navy". The Daily Memphian. Retrieved March 20, 2020.
  6. ↑ Vannini, Chris (June 13, 2019). "State of the Program: Memphis is the team to beat in the AAC West, and it has its sights set higher". The Athletic . Retrieved March 20, 2020.
  7. ↑ Greer, Jarvis (October 22, 2019). "Tigers' Gainwell earns top weekly honor in AAC". WMCActionNews5.com . Retrieved March 20, 2020.
  8. ↑ Fowler, Christian (January 14, 2020). "Gainwell has fifth best odds to win Heisman Trophy in 2020". 247Sports.com. Retrieved March 20, 2020.
  9. ↑ Barnes, Evan (December 4, 2019). "Memphis' Antonio Gibson, Kenneth Gainwell among Tigers honored in 2019 All-AAC awards". The Commercial Appeal . Retrieved March 20, 2020.
  10. ↑ "Memphis Tigers running back Kenneth Gainwell named freshman player of the year". LocalMemphis.com . January 13, 2020. Retrieved March 20, 2020.
  11. ↑ Greer, Jarvis (December 18, 2019). "Tigers running back, Kenny Gainwell, earns All-American status". WMCActionNews5.com . Retrieved March 20, 2020.
  12. ↑ Barnes, Evan (December 17, 2019). "Memphis freshman Kenneth Gainwell earns second-team All-American honors from Sporting News, AFCA". The Commercial Appeal . Retrieved March 20, 2020.
  13. ↑ Walker, Teresa M. (April 20, 2021). "Memphis running back ready for NFL draft after opting out". AP NEWS. Retrieved May 15, 2021.
  14. ↑ "2021 NFL Draft Listing". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved February 20, 2023.
  15. ↑ "Kenneth Gainwell Draft and Combine Prospect Profile". NFL.com. Retrieved June 4, 2021.
  16. ↑ "Kenneth Gainwell, Memphis, RB, 2021 NFL Draft Scout, NCAA College Football". draftscout.com. Retrieved June 4, 2021.
  17. ↑ McPherson, Chris (May 1, 2021). "Eagles draft RB Kenneth Gainwell". PhiladelphiaEagles.com. Retrieved February 20, 2023.
  18. ↑ Erby, Glenn (May 6, 2021). "Philadelphia Eagles' rookie RB Kenneth Gainwell says he's a 'rare breed'". Eagles Wire. Retrieved February 20, 2023.
  19. ↑ Levine, Ben (June 3, 2021). "Eagles Sign Three More Draft Picks". Pro Football Rumors. Retrieved February 20, 2023.
  20. ↑ "Kenneth Gainwell 2021 Game Log". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved January 23, 2022.
  21. ↑ Erby, Glenn (November 21, 2021). "Eagles vs. Saints inactives: Kenneth Gainwell a healthy scratch with Miles Sanders returning". Eagles Wire. Retrieved January 23, 2022.
  22. ↑ "Kenneth Gainwell 2022 Game Log". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved February 20, 2023.
  23. ↑ "Divisional Round – New York Giants at Philadelphia Eagles – January 21st, 2023". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved February 20, 2023.
  24. ↑ Kerr, Jeff (January 22, 2023). "Kenny Gainwell unlikeliest of heroes as third-down RB etches himself into Eagles playoff lore". CBSSports.com. Retrieved January 22, 2023.
  25. ↑ "Super Bowl LVII – Philadelphia Eagles vs. Kansas City Chiefs – February 12th, 2023". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved February 20, 2023.
  26. ↑ "Kenneth Gainwell 2023 Game Log". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved September 7, 2024.
  27. ↑ Cook, Joe (January 28, 2020). "Yazoo County's Kory Gainwell commits to Memphis". WAPT.com. Retrieved March 20, 2020.
  28. ↑ Kerr, Jeff (May 1, 2021). "Eagles select Kenneth Gainwell: Three things to know about Philly's fifth-round pick". CBS Sports . Retrieved May 1, 2021.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.