Kerby Joseph (born November 14, 2000) is an American football safety for the Detroit Lions of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Illinois.
| No. 31 – Detroit Lions | |||||||||||
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| Position: | Safety | ||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||
| Born: | November 14, 2000 Orlando, Florida, U.S. | ||||||||||
| Height: | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | ||||||||||
| Weight: | 203 lb (92 kg) | ||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||
| High school: | Jones (Orlando, Florida) | ||||||||||
| College: | Illinois (2018–2021) | ||||||||||
| NFL draft: | 2022 / Round: 3 / Pick: 97 | ||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||
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| Roster status: | Active | ||||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||
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| Career NFL statistics as of 2023 | |||||||||||
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| Player stats at PFR | |||||||||||
Early years
Joseph grew up in Orlando, Florida and attended Jones High School.[1] As a senior, he had four interceptions and seven tackles for loss at cornerback and also caught five touchdown receptions as a wide receiver.[2] Joseph was rated a three-star recruit and committed to play college football at Illinois over offers from Mississippi State, Syracuse, South Florida and Florida Atlantic.[3] He is of Haitian descent.[4]
College career
Joseph played mostly as a reserve defensive back and on special teams in his first two seasons at Illinois.[5] He was named a starter going into his junior year and recorded 19 tackles in the Illini's COVID-19-shortened 2020 season.[6] Joseph was named first-team All-Big Ten Conference in 2021 after finishing the season with 57 tackles, one sack, and three fumble recoveries while also intercepting five passes.[7] After the end of the season, Joseph declared that he would be entering the 2022 NFL Draft.[8] After the conclusion of his college career, Joseph was invited to play in the 2022 Senior Bowl.[9]
Professional career
| Height | Weight | Arm length | Hand span | Vertical jump | Broad jump | Bench press | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | 203 lb (92 kg) | 33 in (0.84 m) | 10+1⁄4 in (0.26 m) | 38.5 in (0.98 m) | 10 ft 3 in (3.12 m) | 18 reps | ||||||
| All values from NFL Combine[10][11] | ||||||||||||
Joseph was selected in the third round of the 2022 NFL Draft by the Detroit Lions.[12][13]
In Week 9 against the Green Bay Packers, Joseph had 10 tackles, and intercepted quarterback Aaron Rodgers twice in the 15–9 win, earning him National Football Conference (NFC) Defensive Player of the Week as a result of his performance. Joseph was the first Lions rookie to win the award in franchise history.[14][15]
Joseph won the Pro Bowl Fan Vote for NFC Safeties as a rookie,[16] but was ultimately not selected to the game due to the NFL's recent change in rules where the Fan Vote only constituted one third of the new selection process.
In Week 18, Joseph became the first player in NFL history to intercept Aaron Rodgers three times in a season, as the Lions knocked the Packers out of playoff contention.[17] Joseph's interception was Rodgers' last throw as a Packer, as he would be traded to the New York Jets the following offseason.[18]
Joseph was named First-Team All Rookie by a number of publications, including The Athletic.[19]