Kenzel Doe facts for kids
Born: | Reidsville, North Carolina |
June 6, 1992
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Career information | |
Status | Retired |
CFL status | International |
Position(s) | WR/RS |
Height | 5 ft 8 in (173 cm) |
Weight | 176 lb (80 kg) |
College | Wisconsin |
High school | Reidsville (NC) |
Career history | |
As player | |
2015 | Pittsburgh Steelers* |
2015 | Brooklyn Bolts |
2016 | Edmonton Eskimos |
2017 | The Spring League |
2018 | Nebraska Danger |
*Offseason and/or practice roster member only | |
Career stats | |
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Kenzel Doe (born June 6, 1992) is a former American football player. He was a wide receiver and a return specialist. His last team was the Nebraska Danger in the Indoor Football League (IFL).
Kenzel played college football for the University of Wisconsin. He also played in the National Football League (NFL) and the Canadian Football League (CFL). He was part of two other smaller football leagues too.
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High School Football Star
Kenzel Doe was born and grew up in Reidsville, North Carolina. He went to Reidsville High School. His high school football team had an amazing record. They never lost a game while Kenzel played there!
College Career at Wisconsin
Kenzel was a highly-rated player when he started college. He attended the University of Wisconsin from 2010 to 2014. He studied sociology during his time there.
After taking one year to train (called "red-shirting"), Kenzel played in 48 games. He was especially good on special teams. This means he was great at returning punts and kickoffs.
He returned 49 punts for a total of 481 yards. He even scored one touchdown from a punt return. Kenzel also returned 58 kickoffs for 1,388 yards. One of his kickoff touchdowns happened in the 2014 Capital One Bowl.
Besides returns, Kenzel caught 42 passes for 379 yards and a touchdown. He also ran the ball 19 times for 143 yards. Kenzel earned several awards and honors during his college career.
Professional Football Journey
Playing for the Pittsburgh Steelers
After college, Kenzel was not picked in the 2015 NFL draft. But he got to try out for the New England Patriots and Houston Texans. He later signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers in August 2015.
Kenzel played in four preseason games for the Steelers. He focused on special teams. He returned 2 kickoffs for 43 yards and 8 punts for 26 yards. He was cut from the team before the regular season began.
Time with the Brooklyn Bolts
After leaving the Steelers, Kenzel joined the Brooklyn Bolts. This team was part of a new league called the Fall Experimental Football League (FXFL). The league only lasted for a short time in 2015.
Kenzel played two games for the Bolts. He caught 2 passes for 28 yards. He also helped return kicks for the team.
Joining the Edmonton Eskimos
In January 2016, Canadian football teams started calling Kenzel. He signed with the Edmonton Eskimos on his birthday, June 6.
During the CFL preseason, Kenzel showed his skills. He made the Eskimos' main roster but was later moved to the practice team. He was called back up to be the starting returner in Week 4.
Kenzel played a full season as a returner for Edmonton. He had 45 kickoff returns for 937 yards. He also returned 56 punts for 437 yards. Plus, he returned 5 missed field goals for 192 yards. He even caught one pass for 13 yards.
One famous play involved his undershirt! A player from the Saskatchewan Roughriders grabbed Kenzel's shirt. The shirt tore, and the threads reeled him in like a fishing line. This slowed him down enough for other players to tackle him. Kenzel was cut from the team in January 2017.
Experience in The Spring League
In 2017, Kenzel played in The Spring League in West Virginia. This league helps players who want to get noticed by professional teams. It brings together experienced players and younger talents. They work with NFL coaches to show off their skills.
Playing for the Nebraska Danger
On October 30, 2017, Kenzel signed with the Nebraska Danger. This is an arena football team in the Indoor Football League (IFL).
In the first game of the 2018 IFL season, Kenzel scored the very first touchdown! He ran the ball into the end zone. He was the only receiver to play all 14 regular season games for Nebraska. He caught 37 passes for 352 yards and 5 touchdowns.
Kenzel also ran the ball 16 times for 52 yards and another touchdown. He even threw a pass for a 3-yard touchdown! He also made 3 tackles on defense. Kenzel became a free agent in September 2018.
Personal Life
Kenzel Doe was born to Myra Blackwell and Kenneth Doe. His stepfather is Dale Blackwell. Before he went to Wisconsin, Kenzel had an amazing football record. He had not lost a game since he was 13 years old! That's 103 wins and 0 losses.
Kenzel is good friends with fellow Wisconsin player Melvin Gordon. He even helped Gordon with marketing his personal brand.