Kyle Love facts for kids
Love with the New England Patriots in 2011
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| Position: | Nose tackle | ||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||
| Born: | November 18, 1986 Seoul, South Korea |
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| Height: | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | ||||||||
| Weight: | 310 lb (141 kg) | ||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||
| High school: | North Clayton (College Park, Georgia, U.S.) | ||||||||
| College: | Mississippi State | ||||||||
| Undrafted: | 2010 | ||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||
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| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||
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Alexander Kyle Love (born November 18, 1986) is an American former professional football player. He played as a nose tackle, a position on the defensive line. Kyle Love played for several teams during his career, including the New England Patriots, Jacksonville Jaguars, Kansas City Chiefs, and Carolina Panthers. He played college football at Mississippi State University.
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Early Life and High School Football
Kyle Love was born in South Korea. His father was serving in the United States Army there at the time. Kyle grew up in College Park, Georgia, where he went to North Clayton High School.
He was a key player on his high school football team for four years. He played as a lineman on both offense and defense. In 2003, he was named the team's best offensive lineman. The next year, in 2004, he was recognized as the best defensive lineman. After high school, he received offers to play college football from two universities.
College Football Career
After high school, Kyle Love chose to attend Mississippi State University. He started his college career in 2006, playing in seven games as a backup defensive lineman. He made seven tackles that season.
In 2007, Love became a starter in nine of 13 games. He recorded 17 tackles and recovered a fumble. During his junior year in 2008, he played in 12 games and made two starts. He finished with 14 tackles and two sacks. In his senior year in 2009, Love started 12 games and had his best college season with 19 tackles.
Professional Football Journey
Kyle Love was not chosen by any team in the 2010 NFL draft. However, he still got a chance to play professionally.
Starting with the New England Patriots
After the draft, Kyle Love signed with the New England Patriots. He was one of only two undrafted rookies to make the Patriots' team in 2010. He played his first NFL game in Week 2 against the New York Jets. Love made his first start in the final game of the season. He ended his rookie year with seven tackles and one sack in nine games.
In 2011, Love took on a bigger role for the Patriots. He played in all 16 games. The team often used him as a nose tackle, which allowed star player Vince Wilfork to play a different position. Love started 13 games that season. He finished with 33 tackles and three sacks. He even played in Super Bowl XLVI against the New York Giants, where he made a tackle. The Patriots, however, lost that game.
Love continued to play in all 16 games in 2012, often playing alongside Vince Wilfork. He had 25 tackles and 1.5 sacks. The Patriots reached the AFC Championship game but lost to the Baltimore Ravens. In May 2013, the Patriots released Love after he was diagnosed with diabetes.
Moving Between Teams
After leaving the Patriots, Kyle Love was picked up by the Jacksonville Jaguars in May 2013. He was released by them in September of the same year.
He then signed with the Kansas City Chiefs in November 2013 but was released again in December. Later that month, he rejoined the Jacksonville Jaguars. In total, he played in two games across these two teams in 2013, making four tackles.
In May 2014, Love signed with the Kansas City Chiefs for a second time. However, he was released before the season started in August 2014.
Time with the Carolina Panthers
Kyle Love signed with the Carolina Panthers in December 2014. He played in their playoff game against the Seattle Seahawks and recorded a tackle.
In 2015, Love played in 15 games for the Panthers. He matched his career high with three sacks. He also played in all three of the Panthers' playoff games. He made a tackle and a sack in the NFC Championship game against the Arizona Cardinals. On February 7, 2016, Love was part of the Panthers team that played in Super Bowl 50. He made a tackle in the game, but the Panthers lost to the Denver Broncos.
Love was briefly released by the Panthers in September 2016 but was re-signed later that month. In March 2017, he signed a new two-year contract with the team. He played in all 16 games in 2017, recording 16 tackles and a career-high 3.5 sacks. In 2018, he played in 16 games again, making 19 tackles and forcing three fumbles, which was another career high. He re-signed with the Panthers in April 2019.
Final Season and Retirement
Kyle Love signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in August 2020. He was released by the team in September 2020.
On March 26, 2021, Kyle Love announced that he was retiring from professional football.
Personal Life
Kyle Love is married.
