Kyle Hamilton (American football)

For the rower, see Kyle Hamilton (rower).

Kyle Hamilton

Hamilton during Ravens training camp in 2023
No. 14 – Baltimore Ravens
Position:	Safety
Personal information
Born:	(2001-03-16) March 16, 2001 (age 23) Heraklion, Crete, Greece
Height:	6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)
Weight:	220 lb (100 kg)
Career information
High school:	Marist (Brookhaven, Georgia)
College:	Notre Dame (2019–2021)
NFL draft:	2022  / Round: 1 / Pick: 14
Career history
Baltimore Ravens (2022–present)
Roster status:	Active
Career highlights and awards
First-team All-Pro (2023) Pro Bowl (2023) PFWA All-Rookie Team (2022) Consensus All-American (2021) Freshman All-American (2019) First-team All-ACC (2020)
Career NFL statistics as of 2023
Total tackles: 143 Sacks: 5.0 Forced fumbles: 2 Pass deflections: 18 Interceptions: 4 Defensive touchdowns: 1
Player stats at NFL.com  ·  PFR

Kyle Hamilton (born March 16, 2001) is an American football safety for the Baltimore Ravens of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Notre Dame, where he was named a consensus All-American in 2021 before being drafted by the Ravens in the first round of the 2022 NFL draft.

Early years

The son of professional basketball player Derrick Hamilton, Hamilton was born in Heraklion, the capital of the Greek island of Crete, on March 16, 2001. ^[1] His father is African-American and his mother is Korean. ^[2] He briefly lived in Russia before moving to the Atlanta area after his father retired from the sport. ^[3]

Hamilton attended the Marist School in Brookhaven, Georgia, where he played safety and wide receiver for their football team. He played in the 2019 All-American Bowl and committed to play college football at the University of Notre Dame. ^{[4] [5]}

College career

Hamilton with Notre Dame in 2021

2019 season

In his second career game for Notre Dame in 2019, Hamilton intercepted a deflected pass and went 35 yards into the endzone for his first career touchdown. ^[6] Two weeks later against Virginia, Hamilton had one interception and two solo tackles in a 35–20 win. ^[7] Hamilton played in 13 games as a freshman with one start and recorded 41 tackles, four interceptions, and a touchdown. ^{[8] [9] [10]} He was named a Freshman All-American by the Football Writers Association of America. ^[11]

2020 season

Hamilton took over as a starter as a sophomore in 2020. Hamilton didn't get his only interception until the 2020 ACC Championship Game against the Clemson Tigers. ^[12] He was named First-Team All-ACC after recording 63 tackles, six pass breakups, and an interception. ^[13]

2021 season

Hamilton was again the starter in 2021, but due to a knee injury, he would be sidelined after just seven games. He finished the season as consensus All-American who had 34 combined tackles (19 solo), three interceptions, and four pass deflections. ^[14] On December 10, 2021, Hamilton declared for the 2022 NFL draft. ^[15]

College statistics

Notre Dame Fighting Irish
Season	GP	Tackles					Interceptions					Fumbles
		Solo	Ast	Cmb	TfL	Sck	Int	Yds	Avg	TD	PD	FR	FF	TD
2019	13	27	14	41	1.0	0.0	4	66	16.5	1	6	0	0	0
2020	11	51	12	63	4.5	0.0	1	14	14.0	0	6	0	0	0
2021	7	19	15	35	2.0	0.0	3	0	0.0	0	4	0	0	0
Career	31	97	41	138	7.5	0.0	8	80	10.0	1	16	0	0	0

Professional career

Pre-draft

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
6 ft 4+1⁄8 in (1.93 m)	220 lb (100 kg)	33 in (0.84 m)	9+1⁄8 in (0.23 m)	4.59 s	1.57 s	2.67 s	4.32 s	6.90 s	38.0 in (0.97 m)	10 ft 11 in (3.33 m)
Sources: [16] [17]

Hamilton declared for the 2022 NFL draft following the 2021 season, where he was considered by some to be its best prospect. ^{[18] [19] [20] [21]}

2022 season

See also: 2022 Baltimore Ravens season

Hamilton was selected by the Baltimore Ravens in the first round (14th overall) of the draft. ^[22] He signed his rookie contract on June 7, 2022. ^[23]

Hamilton entered the 2022 season as the Ravens second-string safety. In his debut in Week 1 against the New York Jets, Hamilton had three solo tackles in a 24–9 win. In Week 3 against the New England Patriots, Hamilton forced the first fumble of his career. He also had three combined tackles (two solo) in a 37–26 win. ^[24] Hamilton made his first sack and tackle for loss in a 23–20 win against the Cleveland Browns in Week 7. ^[25] In Week 11 against the Carolina Panthers, Hamilton reinjured the same knee he injured in college. He was marked as inactive for their Week 12 game against Jacksonville Jaguars. ^[26] Hamilton made his first career start in Week 15 against the Browns. He made a career-high eight total tackles (six solo), one pass deflection, one sack, and two tackles for loss. ^[27]

Hamilton played in 16 of the 17 games while starting in four. He finished the season with 62 total tackles (46 solo), two sacks, five pass deflections, and a forced fumble. Following the season, he was named to the PFWA All-Rookie Team. ^[28] In the AFC Wild Card Game against the Cincinnati Bengals, Hamilton had nine total tackles (five solo) as well as a forced and recovered fumble in a 24–17 loss. ^[29]

2023 season

See also: 2023 Baltimore Ravens season

Hamilton was named the starting strong safety for the 2023 season. In Week 3 against the Indianapolis Colts, Hamilton tied the NFL and broke the franchise record for sacks in the first half of a game with three. He also had nine tackles (seven solo), two tackles for loss, a forced fumble, and a pass deflection. The Ravens would end up losing, 22–19. ^[30] In their Week 4 game against the Browns, Hamilton caught the first interception of his NFL career while also recording five solo tackles and a pass deflection. This would seal their 28–3 victory. ^[31] In Week 6 against the Tennessee Titans, Hamilton was ejected for targeting after hitting wide receiver Chris Moore in the head while he was defenseless. ^[32] He was fined $20,524 for the hit. ^[33]

In Week 10 against the Browns, Hamilton tipped a pass from Deshaun Watson to himself to score an 18-yard pick-six to give the Ravens a 7–0 lead on the second play from scrimmage. ^[34] However, the Ravens would end up losing, 31–33. ^[35] In Week 14 against the Los Angeles Rams, Hamilton bumped knees with wide receiver Puka Nacua, sidelining him for the remainder of the contest. ^[36] On Christmas Day in Week 16 against the San Francisco 49ers, Hamilton recorded two interceptions as the Ravens would win 33–19. During the game, however, Hamilton again injured his knee in the fourth quarter and sat out the remainder of the win. ^[37] Despite not finishing the game, he was named AFC Defensive Player of the Week. ^[38] Before the Ravens' Week 17 game against the Miami Dolphins, Hamilton was ruled out. ^[39] Before Week 18, Hamilton was named to the 2023 AFC Pro Bowl Team. ^[40]

Hamilton played in 15 games during the 2023 season and started in all 15 of them. He tallied 81 total tackles (63 solo), three sacks, ten tackles for loss, 13 pass deflections, four interceptions, and a defensive touchdown.

NFL career statistics

Regular season

Year	Team	Games		Tackles					Interceptions						Fumbles
		GP	GS	Cmb	Solo	Ast	Sck	TFL	PD	Int	Yds	Avg	Lng	TD	FF	FR	TD
2022	BAL	16	4	62	46	16	2.0	4	5	0	0	0.0	0	0	1	0	0
2023	BAL	15	15	81	63	18	3.0	10	13	4	25	6.3	18	1	1	0	0
Career		31	19	143	109	34	5.0	14	18	4	25	6.3	18	1	2	0	0

Postseason

Year	Team	Games		Tackles					Interceptions						Fumbles
		GP	GS	Cmb	Solo	Ast	Sck	TFL	PD	Int	Yds	Avg	Lng	TD	FF	FR	TD
2022	BAL	1	1	9	5	4	0.0	0	0	0	0	0.0	0	0	1	1	0
2023	BAL	2	2	14	12	2	0.0	1	0	0	0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
Career		3	3	23	17	6	0.0	1	0	0	0	0.0	0	0	1	1	0

Records and achievements

Awards

NFL awards

• AP First-team All-Pro (2023)
• NFLPA First-team All-Pro (2023)
• AFC Pro Bowl Team (2023)
• PFWA All-Rookie Team (2022)
• AFC Defensive Player of the Week (2023: Week 16)

College awards

• Consensus All-American (2021)
• 2× FWAA First-team All-American (2020, 2021)
• 2× Phil Steele First-team All-American (2020, 2021)
• AFCA First-team All-American (2021)
• WCFF First-team All-American (2021)
• AFCA Second-team All-American (2020)
• WCFF Second-team All-American (2020)
• AP Second-team All-American (2021)
• The Athletic Second-team All-American (2020)
• CBS Sports Second-team All-American (2021)
• USA Today Second-team All-American (2021)
• AP Third-team All-American (2020)
• The Athletic Freshman All-American (2019)
• 2× Phil Steele First-team All-Independent (2019, 2021)
• PFF First-team All-Independent (2019)
• First-team All-ACC (2020)
• AP First-team All-ACC (2020)
• Phil Steele First-team All-ACC (2020)
• Notre Dame Echoes Co-Defensive Newcomer of the Year (2019)
• Lott IMPACT Trophy Player of the Week (2021: Week 1)
• Athlon Sports Defensive Player of the Week (2021: Week 3)
• WCFF Defensive Player of the Week (2021: Week 3)
• Bednarik Award Player of the Week (2021: Week 3)

Records

NFL records

• Most sacks in the first half of a game by a defensive back: 3 (tied) (September 24, 2023, vs. Indianapolis Colts) ^[41]

Ravens franchise records

• Most sacks in the first half of a game: 3 (September 24, 2023, vs. Indianapolis Colts) ^[41]
• Most interceptions in a single game: 2 (tied) (December 25, 2023, vs. San Francisco 49ers) ^[42]

Personal life

Hamilton was born in Greece to his black father, Derreck, and his Korean mother, Jackie. He has both Greek and American citizenship. He started dating American musician Reese Damm in high school, where they met. ^[43]

Podcast

In July 2021, Hamilton, along with Notre Dame teammates Cam Hart, Conor Ratigan, and KJ Wallace, launched a podcast Inside The Garage. ^{[44] [45]}

References

1. Loy, Tom (February 14, 2020). "Notre Dame RB Mick Assaf: Mick's Mickstape Season 2 Volume 1". IrishIllustrated.com. Retrieved February 4, 2023.
2. Hansen, Eric. "Notre Dame's elite freshman Kyle Hamilton brings welcome dose of normalcy to twisted recruiting world". Notre Dame Insider.
3. Hansen, Eric (July 22, 2019). "Notre Dame's elite freshman Kyle Hamilton brings welcome dose of normalcy to twisted recruiting world". ndinsider.com. South Bend Tribune. Retrieved April 4, 2022.
4. Sampson, Pete (December 18, 2018). "Notre Dame-bound Kyle Hamilton is the next big thing. Just don't tell Kyle Hamilton". The Athletic. Retrieved February 4, 2023.
5. James, Tyler (April 24, 2018). "Notre Dame keeps commitment streak going with three-star safety Kyle Hamilton". South Bend Tribune. Retrieved February 4, 2023.
6. Berardino, Mike. "Freshman safety Kyle Hamilton is making a sudden impact at Notre Dame". IndyStar. Retrieved September 25, 2023.
7. "Virginia Cavaliers vs Notre Dame Fighting Irish - September 28, 2019 - Box Score". Fox Sports. Retrieved September 25, 2023.
8. Hansen, Eric (November 7, 2019). "Notre Dame freshman safety Kyle Hamilton knocking down walls". Notre Dame Insider. Retrieved August 7, 2023.
9. Berardino, Mike (September 20, 2019). "Freshman safety Kyle Hamilton is making a sudden impact at Notre Dame". The Indianapolis Star. Retrieved August 7, 2023.
10. Berardino, Mike (December 7, 2019). "What's ahead for Notre Dame 'freak show' safety Kyle Hamilton? Almost anything". The Indianapolis Star. Retrieved August 7, 2023.
11. James, Tyler (January 13, 2020). "Notre Dame football: Kyle Hamilton named Freshman All-America". The Indianapolis Star. Retrieved August 7, 2023.
12. "Notre Dame gets rocked by Clemson 34-10 in ACC Championship Game". One Foot Down. December 19, 2020. Retrieved September 25, 2023.
13. Powell, Justin (July 27, 2021). "Is Kyle Hamilton the next great NFL safety?". SI.com. Retrieved August 9, 2021.
14. Hutton, Mike (November 15, 2021). "Notre Dame All-American Kyle Hamilton Unlikely To Return In The Regular Season". SI. Retrieved September 25, 2023.
15. Parr, Dan. "Notre Dame safety Kyle Hamilton intends to enter 2022 NFL Draft". NFL. Retrieved September 25, 2023.
16. "Kyle Hamilton Draft and Combine Prospect Profile". NFL.com. Retrieved March 8, 2022.
17. "Kyle Hamilton, Notre Dame, FS, 2022 NFL Draft Scout, NCAA College Football". draftscout.com. Retrieved March 8, 2022.
18. Rapp, Timothy (December 10, 2021). "Notre Dame's Kyle Hamilton Declares for 2022 NFL Draft; Will Skip Fiesta Bowl". Bleacher Report . Retrieved February 4, 2023.
19. Farrar, Doug (April 15, 2022). "Why Kyle Hamilton is the best -- and most unique -- player in the 2022 draft class". USA Today. Retrieved April 17, 2022.
20. Kosko, Nick (February 25, 2022). "Notre Dame S Kyle Hamilton pegged as 'best prospect' in 2022 NFL Draft". 247Sports. Retrieved April 17, 2022.
21. Solak, Ben (March 28, 2022). "Kyle Hamilton Is the Best Player in the NFL Draft. Why Won't He Be the No. 1 Pick?". The Ringer . Retrieved April 17, 2022.
22. "2022 NFL Draft Listing". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved May 20, 2023.
23. Rudden, Steve (June 7, 2022). "Ravens S Kyle Hamilton signs rookie contract". Ravens Wire. Retrieved June 14, 2022.
24. Leung, Curtis (October 2, 2022). "Kyle Hamilton Earning Himself More Gametime: Hamilton Struggled Over Week 1 And 2 But Showed Flashes Of Greatness Versus The Patriots". Last Word Sports. Retrieved October 5, 2023.
25. "Kyle Hamilton Gets First Career Sack". Ravens. Retrieved October 5, 2023.
26. Brown, Clifford. "Gus Edwards Active, Kyle Hamilton Inactive vs. Jaguars". Ravens. Retrieved October 5, 2023.
27. Karpovich, Todd (December 18, 2022). "Ravens Week 15 Report Card Vs. Browns". Ravens County. Retrieved October 5, 2023.
28. Karpovich, Todd (February 27, 2023). "Kyle Hamilton Could Be Long-Term Playmaker In Ravens Secondary". FanNation. Retrieved October 5, 2023.
29. Treash, Anthony (January 16, 2023). "NFL Wild-Card Game Recap: Cincinnati Bengals 24, Baltimore Ravens 17". PFF.com. Retrieved October 5, 2023.
30. Yohannes, Aron (September 24, 2023). "The adjustment that set Ravens safety Kyle Hamilton up for a record 3-sack day". The Baltimore Banner. Retrieved October 5, 2023.
31. "Highlight: Kyle Hamilton Ends the Game With an Interception". Ravens. Retrieved October 5, 2023.
32. Coffey-Behrens, Kelly (October 15, 2023). "Ravens' Kyle Hamilton EJECTED From NFL Game Following Brutal Play". Yahoo! Sports. Retrieved October 16, 2023.
33. Morrison, Dan (October 24, 2023). "Ravens S Kyle Hamilton fined $20,524 for illegal hit". On3. Retrieved October 24, 2023.
34. Simmons, Myles (November 12, 2023). "Kyle Hamilton pick six gives Ravens 7-0 lead over Browns". Pro Football Talk. Retrieved November 14, 2023.
35. Trister, Noah (November 12, 2023). "Watson rallies Browns from 14 down in 4th to 33-31 win over Ravens, tightening AFC North". AP. Retrieved November 14, 2023.
36. Zavala, Steve (December 10, 2023). "Ravens get concerning Kyle Hamilton injury update during Week 14 matchup vs. Rams". AtoZSportscom. Retrieved December 30, 2023.
37. Brown, Clifton. "Kyle Hamilton Named AFC Defensive Player of the Week". BaltimoreRavens.com. Retrieved December 30, 2023.
38. Gordon, Grant. "Rams WR Puka Nacua, Browns WR Amari Cooper highlight Players of the Week". NFL.com. Retrieved December 30, 2023.
39. Alper, Josh (December 31, 2023). "Kyle Hamilton, Kevin Zeitler inactive for Ravens". NBCSports. Retrieved December 31, 2023.
40. Mink, Ryan. "Ravens Have Seven 2023 Pro Bowlers". Ravens. Retrieved January 4, 2024.
41. Schuller, Rudi (September 24, 2023). "Baltimore Ravens' Kyle Hamilton sets team record for sacks in first half vs. Indianapolis Colts". DAZN. Retrieved September 25, 2023.
42. "Most Interceptions By Ravens Player Player In A Single Game In History". StatMuse.com. Retrieved December 30, 2023.
43. "Kyle Hamilton's Girlfriend". SportsKeeta. Retrieved October 5, 2023.
44. Clark, Geoffrey (July 29, 2021). "Kyle Hamilton, three other Notre Dame players launch podcast". Fighting Irish Wire. Retrieved February 4, 2023.
45. Steinberg, Brian (July 28, 2021). "Four Notre Dame Football Players Launch Podcast With Colin Cowherd". Variety.com. Retrieved February 4, 2023.

External links

• Baltimore Ravens bio
• Notre Dame Fighting Irish bio