{{Short description|American football player (born 1996)}} {{Use mdy dates|date=May 2022}} {{Infobox NFL biography | name = Kingsley Keke | image = Kingsley Keke 2019.jpg | caption = Keke with the Green Bay Packers in 2019 | current_team = | number = 96 | position = Defensive tackle | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1996|9|26}} | birth_place = Houston, Texas, U.S. | height_ft = 6 | height_in = 3 | weight_lb = 288 | high_school = George Ranch {{avoid wrap|(Richmond, Texas)}} | college = Texas A&M (2015–2018) | draftyear = 2019 | draftround = 5 | draftpick = 150 | pastteams = * Green Bay Packers ({{NFL Year|2019}}–{{NFL Year|2021}}) * Houston Texans ({{NFL Year|2022}})* * Arizona Cardinals ({{NFL Year|2022}})* | statlabel1 = Total tackles | statvalue1 = 54 | statlabel2 = Sacks | statvalue2 = 6.5 | statlabel3 = Forced fumbles | statvalue3 = 2 | statlabel4 = Pass deflections | statvalue4 = 5 | pfr = KekeKi00 }}
'''Kingsley-Collins Ezenna Keke''' (born September 26, 1996) is an American former professional football player who was a defensive tackle in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Texas A&M Aggies, and was selected by the Green Bay Packers in the fifth round of the 2019 NFL draft.
==Early life== Kingsley-Collins Ezenna Keke played football and basketball at George Ranch High School in Richmond, Texas.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Kingsley Keke's High School Timeline |url=https://www.maxpreps.com/athlete/kingsley-keke/Cq3blvTxEeKZ5AAmVebBJg/default.htm |access-date=April 22, 2019 |website=MaxPreps.com}}</ref> As a senior, Keke made sixty tackles, ten tackles for loss, five sacks, blocked a pair of kicks, and was a finalist for the Greater Houston Rotary Lombardi Award.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Kingsley Keke – Football |url=http://12thman.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6451 |access-date=April 22, 2019 |website=Texas A&M University Athletics – Home of the 12th Man}}</ref>
==College career== thumb|Keke in 2016 Keke played at Texas A&M from 2015 to 2018. In his career at Texas A&M, he recorded one hundred fifty total tackles, 21 tackles for loss, and 12 sacks.<ref name=":0" />
==Professional career== {{NFL predraft | height ft = 6 | height in = 2 5/8 | weight = 288 | dash = 4.95 | ten split = 1.76 | twenty split = 2.89 | shuttle = 4.46 | cone drill = 7.55 | vertical = 31.5 | broad ft = 9 | broad in = 3 | bench = 20 | arm span = 34 1/2 | hand span = 9 3/4 | wonderlic = | note = All values from NFL Combine/Pro Day<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.nfl.com/prospects/kingsley-keke/32004b45-4b60-0025-6f69-065bb81d9a1c |title=Kingsley Keke Draft and Combine Prospect Profile |publisher=National Football League |access-date=January 22, 2022}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=https://draftscout.com/dsprofile.php?PlayerId=1002996&DraftYear=2019 |title=Kingsley Keke, Texas AM, DT, 2019 NFL Draft Scout, NCAA College Football |website=draftscout.com |access-date=January 22, 2022}}</ref> }}
===Green Bay Packers=== Keke was selected by the Green Bay Packers in the fifth round, 150th overall, in the 2019 NFL draft.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Spofford |first=Mike |date=April 27, 2019 |title=Quick pick: Packers select Texas A&M DL Kingsley Keke in fifth round |url=https://www.packers.com/news/quick-pick-packers-select-texas-a-m-dl-kingsley-keke-in-fifth-round |access-date=April 27, 2019 |website=Packers.com}}</ref> On May 3, 2019, he signed his rookie contract with the Packers.<ref>{{Cite news |date=May 3, 2019 |title=Packers sign six draft choices |work=packers.com |url=https://www.packers.com/news/packers-sign-six-draft-choices |access-date=May 3, 2019}}</ref>
In Week 3 of the 2020 season against the New Orleans Saints, Keke recorded his first two career sacks on Drew Brees during the 37–30 win.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Green Bay Packers at New Orleans Saints – September 27th, 2020 |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/202009270nor.htm |access-date=September 29, 2020 |website=Pro-Football-Reference.com |language=en}}</ref> In Week 13 against the Philadelphia Eagles, he sacked Carson Wentz twice and had four total tackles (two for loss) during the 30–16 win.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Jacobson |first=Zachary |date=December 6, 2020 |title=Kingsley Keke terrorizes Eagles, posts second two-sack game |url=https://247sports.com/nfl/green-bay-packers/Article/Kingsley-Keke-terrorizes-Eagles-posts-second-two-sack-game-156311448/ |access-date=December 8, 2020 |website=Packer Report |publisher=247Sports}}</ref>
On January 19, 2022, Keke was released by the Packers.<ref>{{cite web |title=Packers release DL Kingsley Keke |url=https://www.packers.com/news/packers-release-dl-kingsley-keke |website=Packers.com |access-date=January 19, 2022 |archive-date=January 19, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220119215001/https://www.packers.com/news/packers-release-dl-kingsley-keke |url-status=dead }}</ref> He was claimed the following day by the Houston Texans<ref>{{cite web |title=Texans claim former Packers defensive lineman Kingsley Keke | url=https://www.houstonchronicle.com/texas-sports-nation/texans/article/Texans-claim-former-Packers-DL-Kingsley-Keke-16791849.php |website=Houston Chronicle | access-date=January 20, 2022}}</ref>
===Houston Texans=== On January 20, 2022, Keke was claimed off waivers by the Texans.<ref>{{cite web|title=Texans claim Kingsley Keke off waivers|url=https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2022/01/20/texans-claim-kingsley-keke-off-waivers/|author=Simmons, Myles|work=Pro Football Talk|publisher=NBC Sports|date=January 20, 2022}}</ref> He was waived on May 3, 2022.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Simmons |first=Myles |date=May 3, 2022 |title=Texans waive Kingsley Keke, Sam Cooper |url=https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2022/05/03/texans-waive-kingsley-keke-sam-cooper/ |access-date=May 9, 2022 |website=ProFootballTalk |language=en-US}}</ref>
===Arizona Cardinals=== On May 13, 2022, Keke signed with the Arizona Cardinals.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Urban |first=Darren |date=May 13, 2022 |title=Cardinals Seek Defensive Line Help By Signing Kingsley Keke |url=https://www.azcardinals.com/news/cardinals-seek-defensive-line-help-by-signing-kingsley-keke |access-date=2025-08-30 |website=AZCardinals.com}}</ref> He was released on August 14, 2022.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Urban |first=Darren |date=August 14, 2022 |title=Cardinals Make Their First Cuts To Get To 85 |url=https://www.azcardinals.com/news/training-camp-cardinals-make-their-first-cuts-to-get-to-85 |access-date=2025-08-30 |website=AZCardinals.com}}</ref>
==NFL career statistics== ===Regular season=== {| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;" ! rowspan="2"| Year ! rowspan="2"| Team ! colspan="2"| Games ! colspan="4"| Tackles ! colspan="4"| Interceptions ! colspan="4"| Fumbles |- ! GP !! GS !! Total !! Solo !! Ast !! Sck !! PD !! Int !! Yds !! TD !! FF !! FR !! Yds !! TD |- ! 2019 !! GB | 14 || 0 || 10 || 3 || 7 || 0.0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 |- !2020 !! GB | 15 || 9 || 21 || '''12''' || 9 || '''4.0''' || 2 || 0 || 0 || 0 || '''1''' || 0 || 0 || 0 |- !2021 !! GB | 12 || 8 || '''23''' || 10 || '''13''' || 2.5 || '''3''' || 0 || 0 || 0 || '''1''' || 0 || 0 || 0 |- ! colspan="2" |Total ! 41 || 17 || 54 || 25 || 29 || 6.5 || 5 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 2 || 0 || 0 || 0 |- | colspan=16|<small>Source: [https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/K/KekeKi00.htm pro-football-reference.com]</small> |}
===Postseason=== {| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;" ! rowspan="2"| Year ! rowspan="2"| Team ! colspan="2"| Games ! colspan="4"| Tackles ! colspan="4"| Interceptions ! colspan="4"| Fumbles |- ! GP !! GS !! Total !! Solo !! Ast !! Sck !! PD !! Int !! Yds !! TD !! FF !! FR !! Yds !! TD |- ! 2019 !! GB | 2 || 0 || 3 || 2 || 1 || 0.0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 |- ! colspan=2|Total ! 2 || 0 || 3 || 2 || 1 || 0.0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 |- | colspan=16|<small>Source: [https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/K/KekeKi00.htm pro-football-reference.com]</small> |}
==Personal life== Keke spent a year in Nigeria during his childhood.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Schneidman |first=Matt |date=September 7, 2020 |title=Did you know? An interesting tidbit about every player on the Packers roster |url=https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/2048268/2020/09/07/did-you-know-an-interesting-tidbit-about-every-player-on-the-packers-roster/ |url-access=subscription |access-date=September 9, 2020 |website=The Athletic}}</ref>
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== *[https://12thman.com/sports/football/roster/kingsley-keke/6451 Texas A&M Aggies bio]
{{Green Bay Packers 2019 NFL draft picks}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Keke, Kingsley}} Category:1996 births Category:Living people Category:Players of American football from Richmond, Texas Category:American football defensive tackles Category:Texas A&M Aggies football players Category:Green Bay Packers players Category:Houston Texans players Category:21st-century American sportsmen Category:Arizona Cardinals players