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Kendrick Green

Green with the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2021
No. 53 – Houston Texans
Position:	Guard
Personal information
Born:	(1998-12-22) December 22, 1998 (age 25) Peoria, Illinois, U.S.
Height:	6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
Weight:	310 lb (141 kg)
Career information
High school:	Peoria
College:	Illinois (2017–2020)
NFL draft:	2021 / round: 3 / pick: 87
Career history
Pittsburgh Steelers (2021–2022) Houston Texans (2023–present)
Roster status:	Active
Career highlights and awards
First-team All-Big Ten (2020)
Career NFL statistics as of Week 7, 2024
Games played: 26 Games started: 18 Stats at Pro Football Reference

Kendrick Green (born December 22, 1998) is an American professional football guard for the Houston Texans of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Illinois and was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the third round of the 2021 NFL draft.

Early life

Green grew up in Peoria, Illinois and attended Peoria High School, where he was a member of the baseball, football, and wrestling teams. Green was named first-team All-State as a senior after recording 113 tackles, including 33 for a loss, 15 sacks and four forced fumbles as Peoria won the 2016 IHSA 5A state championship. Green committed to play college football at Illinois over an offer from Iowa.

College career

Green redshirted his true freshman season and moved from defensive tackle to offensive line. Green started all 12 of the Illini's games at left guard as a redshirt freshman. He started all of Illinois' games at left guard again in his redshirt sophomore season and was named honorable mention All-Big Ten Conference as well as an honorable mention All-American by Pro Football Focus (PFF). As a redshirt junior, Green started three games at center and five games at guard in the COVID-19 shortened 2020 Big Ten season and was named first-team All-Big Ten and a second-team All-American by USA Today. Following the end of the season, Green declared that he would forgo his redshirt senior season and enter the 2021 NFL draft.

Professional career

Pittsburgh Steelers

2021 season

Green was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the third round, 87th overall, of the 2021 NFL Draft. On July 20, 2021, Green signed his four-year rookie contract with Pittsburgh.

Heading into organized team activities and his first NFL training camp, Green was listed as the starting center for the Steelers on their training camp depth chart. He faced minor competition from veteran J. C. Hassenauer for his starting job. At the conclusion of the NFL preseason, head coach Mike Tomlin officially named Green the Steelers' starting center.

Green made his first career start and NFL debut in the Steelers' Week 1 victory over the Buffalo Bills. He played in 95% of the offensive snaps in that game, 100% of the offensive snaps in Week 2, and 89% of the offensive snaps in Week 3. Green would play 100% of the Steelers' offensive snaps in every game from Weeks 4-15 and 63% of the offensive snaps in the Steelers' Week 16 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. In that game, he suffered an injury that ultimately kept him out of the final two games of the season.

Overall, Green finished his rookie season appearing in 15 games (15 starts), playing in 96% of the Steelers' offensive snaps on the season and posting a 53.1 grade from PFF. He committed 6 penalties total, including 4 holding penalties, in what was an overall rough rookie season.

2022 season

The Steelers moved Green from center to guard in his second season. He competed in the preseason with Kevin Dotson for the starting left guard position, but Dotson prevailed.

Green spent the entire season on the active roster, but was a game day inactive for all 17 games.

Houston Texans

On August 29, 2023, the Steelers traded Green to the Houston Texans for a 2025 sixth-round pick. He was placed on injured reserve on October 4, 2023 after suffering a torn meniscus in Week 4.

References

1. Ferguson, Aaron (December 10, 2016). "2016 Journal Star all-area large-school football team: Defense". Journal Star. Retrieved April 21, 2021.
2. "Peoria DT Kendrick Green is Illinois' 15th commitment". Capital Gazette. December 22, 2016. Retrieved April 21, 2021.
3. "Illinois' Kendrick Green on redshirting and moving to offense: 'I wasn't ready last year'". Chicago Tribune. August 10, 2018. Retrieved April 21, 2021.
4. "Inside the physical and mental growth of Peoria's Kendrick Green". Journal Star. May 29, 2020. Retrieved April 21, 2021.
5. "Peoria native Kendrick Green growing as Illini's top NFL prospect". The State Journal-Register. May 29, 2020. Retrieved April 21, 2021.
6. "FOOTBALL: Illini's Green named First Team All-Big 10". The Telegraph. December 15, 2020. Retrieved April 21, 2021.
7. Beherns, Bret (December 23, 2020). "Green named USA TODAY All-American". WCIA.com. Retrieved April 21, 2021.
8. "Illinois offensive lineman, and Peoria native, Kendrick Green declares for NFL Draft". Herald & Review. December 29, 2020. Retrieved April 21, 2021.
9. "Kendrick Green Draft and Combine Prospect Profile". NFL.com. Retrieved August 21, 2021.
10. "Kendrick Green, Illinois, OG, 2021 NFL Draft Scout, NCAA College Football". draftscout.com. Retrieved August 21, 2021.
11. "Pittsburgh Steelers select Illinois guard Kendrick Green with No. 87 pick in 2021 draft". nfl.com. Retrieved August 21, 2021.
12. "Steelers select Green in the third round". Steelers.com. April 30, 2021.
13. "NFL Draft Pick Signings: 7/20/21".
14. Alper, Josh (August 29, 2023). "Steelers trade Kendrick Green to Texans". NBCSports.com.
15. "Houston Texans Transactions (10-4-2023)". HoustonTexans.com. October 4, 2023.

External links

• Houston Texans bio
• Illinois Fighting Illini bio

• Living people
• American football centers
• Houston Texans players
• Illinois Fighting Illini football players
• Players of American football from Peoria, Illinois
• Pittsburgh Steelers players
• 1998 births