Matt Kalil

Matt Kalil

refer to caption

Kalil during USC's pregame "Trojan Walk" in 2011; that season he earned the nickname "The Hammer" for blocking key field goals in two games.[1]
No. 75 Minnesota Vikings
Position: Offensive tackle
Personal information
Date of birth: (1989-07-06) July 6, 1989
Place of birth: Corona, California
Height: 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)
Weight: 317 lb (144 kg)
Career information
High school: Anaheim (CA) Servite
College: Southern California
NFL draft: 2012 / Round: 1 / Pick: 4
Career history
Roster status: Active
Career highlights and awards
Career NFL statistics as of Week 17, 2015
Games played: 64
Games started: 64
Player stats at NFL.com

Matt Kalil (born July 6, 1989) is an American football offensive tackle for the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at USC, and was drafted by the Vikings fourth overall in the 2012 NFL Draft.[2]

High school career

Kalil attended Servite High School in Anaheim, California, where he played for the Servite Friars high school football team. He made the 2005 Cal-Hi Sports All-State Sophomore first team. As a junior in 2006, he made Cal-Hi Sports All-State first team, Cal-Hi Sports All-State Underclass first team, All-CIF Pac-5 Division first team, Los Angeles Times All-Star and All-Trinity League Co-Lineman of the Year. His 2007 senior season honors included Parade All-American, Super Prep All-American, Prep Star All-American, EA Sports All-American first team, USA Today All-USA second team, Scout.com All-American second team, ESPN 150, Super Prep Elite 50, Prep Star Dream Team, Super Prep All-Farwest, Prep Star All-West, Long Beach Press-Telegram Best in the West first team, Orange County Register Fab 15, Tacoma News Tribune Western 100, Cal-Hi Sports All-State first team, All-CIF Pac-5 Division first team, Los Angeles Times All-Star, Orange County Register All-Orange County first team and All-Trinity League Co-Lineman of the Year as a senior offensive and defensive lineman at Servite High in Anaheim. Kalil also participated in track & field at Servite, where he had top-throws of 13.55 meters (44 feet, 4 inches) in the shotput and 39.80 meters (130 feet, 5 inches) in the discus.[3]

Considered a five-star recruit by Rivals.com, Kalil was listed as the No. 3 offensive tackle in the class of 2008.[4] He played in the 2008 U.S. Army All-American Bowl on a West squad that featured fellow USC offensive lineman Tyron Smith.

College career

Kalil during the 2008 season.

After redshirting his initial year at USC, Kalil served as backup to Tyron Smith at right tackle. He started against Boston College and performed well, and saw limited action in 11 other games (all but Arizona State) and played primarily on special teams. In his sophomore year, Kalil beat Smith to replace Charles Brown at left tackle, where he started all 13 games. He also played on the defensive line for special teams and blocked a point after touchdown against Notre Dame.

As a junior, Kalil retained his starting left tackle spot, helping the Trojans average 456.8 yards of total offense. The Trojans' offensive line only allowed an FBS-low eight sacks of quarterback Matt Barkley, none of which were allowed by Kalil.[5] For his effort, Kalil was named to several All-American teams, while also becoming the 12th Trojan offensive lineman to win the Morris Trophy. Kalil was also semifinalist for the 2011 Lombardi Award.

Professional career

2012 NFL Draft

Already after his sophomore year, Kalil was regarded as the best offensive tackle prospect for the 2012 NFL Draft.[6][7] He declared for the draft on December 16.[5] After a strong performance at the NFL Combine, Kalil was projected to be the No. 3 draft pick by the Minnesota Vikings.[8][9][10] The Vikings eventually selected Kalil, but not until trading down to the No. 4 spot. They had not selected an offensive lineman in the first round since Bryant McKinnie in 2002.

Kalil was USC's fifth offensive lineman selected in the top-5 of an NFL Draft, after Ron Yary in 1968, Marvin Powell in 1977, Anthony Muñoz in 1980, and Tony Boselli in 1995. With Tyron Smith having been selected ninth overall in 2011, it also made USC the first school with consecutive top-10 selected offensive lineman since Texas' Leonard Davis (2001) and Mike Williams (2002).

Pre-draft measurables
Ht WtArm lengthHand size 40-yd dash 10-yd split 20-yd split 20-ss 3-cone Vert Broad BP
6 ft 6⅝ in 306 lb34½ in10⅜ in 5.13 s 1.81 s 2.96 s 4.65 s 7.33 s 27 in 30 reps
All values are from the NFL Combine

Minnesota Vikings

Kalil during the 2015 season.

Kalil was signed to a four-year contract by the Minnesota Vikings on July 26, 2012.[11] He was selected to attend the Pro Bowl after Washington Redskins offensive tackle Trent Williams was injured during a night club fight.[12]

Personal

His father, Frank, was a center at Arkansas and Arizona, and was drafted by the Buffalo Bills in 1982, before playing for the USFL's Arizona Wranglers in 1983 and Houston Gamblers in 1984. His brother Ryan was an All-American at Southern California, and plays with the Carolina Panthers. On May 22, 2015, he proposed to girlfriend Haley O'Brien, more well known for being Miss Minnesota-USA in 2014, Miss Minnesota Teen-USA in 2010 and Miss Collegiate America in 2012. .[13]

References

  1. ↑ Jordan Moore, 6-Points: USC 23, Utah 14, USCTrojans.com, September 10, 2011, accessed March 17, 2012.
  2. ↑ Pauline, Tony (February 25, 2012). "Glenn, Kalil lead impressive group of offensive linemen at combine". Sports Illustrated.
  3. ↑ https://www.trackingfootball.com/players/matt-kalil-15829/
  4. ↑ "Rivals.com offensive tackles 2008". Rivals.com. January 17, 2008.
  5. 1 2 ESPN: Matt Kalil to enter 2012 draft
  6. ↑ Prisco, Pete (May 1, 2011). "Flash forward: Top 32 picks for the 2012 NFL Draft". CBSSports.com.
  7. ↑ Pauline, Tony (May 3, 2011). "Stanford's Luck headlines early look at top 2012 draft prospects". Sports Illustrated.
  8. ↑ Fowler, Jeremy (February 25, 2012). "As Matt Kalil's stock rises, so do Vikings' trade options". Pioneer Press.
  9. ↑ "NFL Draft coming into focus". Fox News. March 6, 2012.
  10. ↑ Banks, Don (March 23, 2012). "2012 NFL Mock Draft has Andrew Luck, Robert Griffin going in first two picks". SI.com.
  11. ↑ "Minnesota Vikings sign Matt Kalil". St. Paul Pioneer-Press. July 26, 2012.
  12. ↑ Kalil Selected To His First Pro Bowl
  13. ↑ Lev, Michael (September 29, 2010). "USC's Kalil takes it one kick-step at a time". The Orange County Register.

External links

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