William Kwenkeu
No. 47 – Minnesota Vikings
Position:Linebacker
Personal information
Born: (1997-01-08) January 8, 1997
Douala, Cameroon
Height:6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
Weight:235 lb (107 kg)
Career information
High school:St. Charles (MD)
College:Temple
Undrafted:2022
Career history
Roster status:Active
Career NFL statistics as of 2022
Tackles:2
Player stats at NFL.com · PFR

William Kwenkeu (born January 8, 1997) is a Cameroonian-born American football linebacker for the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Temple Owls and was signed by the Vikings after going undrafted in the 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 Bill Clinton.[1] Kwenkeu attended a Catholic boarding school in Douala until 2012, when Etammane, who had moved to the United States two years earlier and worked as a hair stylist and nursing assistant, earned enough money to bring her son over. While attending McDonough High School, Kwenkeu tried out for the football team as a sophomore, and excelled despite initially not knowing the game's rules. He transferred to St. Charles High School in 2014,[2] where he played running back, linebacker, placekicker, punter, and returner. In 2016, Kwenkeu became the first athlete from St. Charles to play in the 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
HeightWeightArm lengthHand span40-yard dash10-yard split20-yard split20-yard shuttleThree-cone drillVertical jumpBroad jumpBench 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 s1.49 s2.67 s4.32 s6.87 s33.5 in
(0.85 m)		9 ft 5 in
(2.87 m)		22 reps
All values from Pro Day[9]

The Minnesota Vikings signed Kwenkeu on May 16, 2022 after he participated in the team's rookie minicamp.[5][7] He became the only African-born player on the Minnesota roster, among several other players with African heritage.[10] Kwenkeu was waived by the Vikings at the end of August 2022 as they cut down their roster to 53 players,[11] but was signed to Minnesota's practice squad soon after.[12] He was elevated to the active roster for Minnesota's Thursday Night Football game against the New England Patriots, making him the ninth Cameroonian to play in the NFL.[1] Kwenkeu was also placed on the active roster for the Week 13 game against the New York Jets,[13] and was signed to the active roster on December 14.[14] Kwenkeu played his first snap on defense (rather than 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.[15] After clearing waivers, he reverted to the injured reserve list.[16]

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. 1 2 3 4 5 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. 1 2 Hiatt, Gabe (October 29, 2015). "Cameroon native William Kwenkeu has found his voice on the St. Charles football field". Washington Post. Archived from the original on April 6, 2016. Retrieved October 14, 2022.
  3. ↑ Hiatt, Gabe (February 3, 2016). "LB William Kwenkeu signs with Temple to become the first NCAA athlete from St. Charles". Washington Post. Archived from the original on February 4, 2016. Retrieved October 14, 2022.
  4. 1 2 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. 1 2 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. 1 2 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. 1 2 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.
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