Chris Kuper facts for kids
Kuper in 2009
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| Minnesota Vikings | |||||||
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| Position: | Offensive line coach | ||||||
| Personal information | |||||||
| Born: | December 19, 1982 Anchorage, Alaska, U.S. |
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| Height: | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) | ||||||
| Weight: | 303 lb (137 kg) | ||||||
| Career information | |||||||
| High school: | Anchorage (AK) Dimond | ||||||
| College: | North Dakota | ||||||
| NFL Draft: | 2006 / Round: 5 / Pick: 161 | ||||||
| Career history | |||||||
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| As coach: | |||||||
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| Career NFL statistics | |||||||
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| Player stats at PFR | |||||||
Chris Kuper, born on December 19, 1982, is a former American football player. He used to play as an offensive guard for the Denver Broncos in the National Football League (NFL). The Broncos picked him in the 2006 NFL draft. Before that, he played college football at the University of North Dakota. Today, he works as an offensive line coach for the Minnesota Vikings.
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Early Life and High School Football
Chris Kuper grew up in Anchorage, Alaska. He played high school football at A. J. Dimond High School. In 2001, he helped his team, the Lynx, win the state championship! When he was a senior, he was almost named the best lineman in the state.
College Football Career
After high school, Chris played college football for the North Dakota Fighting Sioux. He was a starting player for three years. During his time there, he earned special awards. He was named to the all-conference team and also received All-American honors. This means he was recognized as one of the best players in the country.
Playing in the NFL
| Height | Weight | Arm length | Hand size | 40-yard dash | 10-yard split | 20-yard split | 20-yard shuttle | Three-cone drill | Vertical jump | Broad jump | Bench press | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 ft 4+3⁄8 in (1.94 m) |
301 lb (137 kg) |
32+3⁄4 in (0.83 m) |
9+1⁄4 in (0.23 m) |
5.10 s | 1.79 s | 2.93 s | 4.60 s | 7.59 s | 30.0 in (0.76 m) |
9 ft 1 in (2.77 m) |
24 reps | |
| All values from NFL Combine/Pro Day | ||||||||||||
Many experts thought Chris Kuper might not be chosen in the 2006 NFL draft. Some worried about his balance and movement. However, the Denver Broncos picked him in the fifth round. He was the 161st player chosen overall. This made him the highest-picked offensive lineman from North Dakota since 1981.
Chris played his entire eight-year NFL career with the Denver Broncos. He played in 90 games and started 79 of them. Most of these starts were as a right guard.
In 2010, the Broncos gave Chris a new, big contract. This showed how much they valued him. He was also chosen as a co-captain for the Broncos offense. This meant his teammates looked up to him as a leader.
During a game in 2011, Chris suffered a serious ankle injury. This injury ended his season early. Even with the injury, Chris was chosen for the Pro Bowl. The Pro Bowl is a special game where the best players from the NFL play against each other. However, he could not play due to his injury and needed surgery.
In 2012, his teammates voted for him to receive the Ed Block Courage Award. This award goes to players who show great courage and sportsmanship. Chris retired from playing football on March 11, 2014.
Coaching Career
After his playing career, Chris Kuper decided to become a coach.
- In 2015, he coached high school football. He was an offensive line coach at Columbine High School in Colorado.
- In 2016, he joined the Miami Dolphins as an offensive quality control coach. He then spent two seasons (2017–2018) as the assistant offensive line coach for the Dolphins.
- In 2019, Chris returned to the Denver Broncos. He became their assistant offensive line coach.
- In 2022, he moved to the Minnesota Vikings. He is currently the offensive line coach for the Vikings.
