Kyle Kitchens

{{Short description|American football player (born 1996)}} {{Use mdy dates|date=July 2025}} {{Infobox NFL biography | name = Kyle Kitchens | image = Kyle Kitchens 2024.jpg | caption = Kitchens in 2024 | image_size = | alt = | current_team = Hamburg Sea Devils | number = 45 | position = Defensive end | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1996|01|25}} | birth_place = Decatur, Georgia, U.S. | death_date = | death_place = | height_ft = 6 | height_in = 1 | weight_lbs = 260 | high_school = Decatur | college = Catawba (2014–2018) | undraftedyear = 2019 | pastteams = * Potsdam Royals (2019) * Hildesheim Invaders (2020) * TSL Aviators (2020) * FCF Wild Aces (2021) * Leipzig Kings ({{ELF Year|2021}}) * Berlin Thunder ({{ELF Year|2022}}–{{ELF Year|2024}}) * Hamburg Sea Devils ({{ELF Year|2024}}–present) | status = Active | highlights = * 2× ELF Defensive Player of the Year (2021, 2022) * 3× ELF sacks leader (2021, 2022, 2023) * First-team All-ELF (2022) * GFL All-Star (2019) * GFL sacks leader (2019) * 3× AFCA All-American (2015, 2016, 2017) * 2× SAC Defensive Player of the Year (2015, 2017) ;ELF records * All-time sack leader (63) * All-time TFL leader (103) * Most sacks in a season (16.5, 2024) }}

'''Kyle Kitchens''' (born January 25, 1996) is an American professional football defensive end playing for the Hamburg Sea Devils in the European League of Football (ELF). He played college football for the Catawba Indians.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.salisburypost.com/2015/11/18/college-football-kitchens-sac-defensive-player-of-the-year/ | title=Catawba’s Kyle Kitchens named SAC Defensive Player of the Year | work=Salisbury Post | date=November 18, 2015 | accessdate=6 November 2025 | author=London, Mike}}</ref>

== Early life and college == Kitchens attended Decatur High School, where he played lacrosse, basketball and baseball, besides American football for the Bulldogs.<ref>{{cite web |author1=Bill Banks |title=AP Names Decatur High's Kitchens 2nd Team All State. |url=https://patch.com/georgia/decatur/decatur-high-s-kitchens-named-ap-2nd-team-all-state |website=patch.com |access-date=November 25, 2022 |date=January 4, 2013}}</ref> He was named two-times All-State player and was selected for the All-Region team.<ref>{{cite web |title=2013 Georgia Sportswriters Association All-State Football Team. |url=https://usatodayhss.com/2013/2013-georgia-sportswriters-association-all-state-football-team |website=usatodayhss.com |access-date=November 25, 2022 |date=December 29, 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |author1=Bill Banks |title=7 Decatur High Athletes Named to All-Region Teams. |url=https://patch.com/georgia/decatur/seven-decatur-high-athletes-named-to-all-region-teams |website=patch.com |access-date=November 25, 2022 |date=December 3, 2012}}</ref>

For the 2014 college football season he committed to Catawba College in Salisbury, North Carolina in the NCAA Division II. There he quickly became a starter and core player in the team. He was the second overall defensive player to be named AFCA All-American Team three times in a row in NCAA Division II history.<ref>{{cite web |title=2019 AFCA Division II Coaches' All-America Teams.' |url=https://www.afca.com/notre-dame-colleges-jaleel-mclaughlin-west-texas-ams-tobias-harris-headline-the-2019-afca-division-ii-coaches-all-america-teams/ |website=afca.com |access-date=November 25, 2022 |date=August 27, 2022}}</ref> With his team, he won his conference in 2015. He left his college as an all-time sack leader (38.5) and with 71 total tackles for loss.<ref>{{cite web |title=Catawba College Football Records |url=http://gocatawbaindians.athleticsite.net/pdf/rec/fbrec.pdf |website=gocatawbaindians.athleticsite.net |access-date=November 25, 2022 |format=PDF; 1.0 MB}}</ref>

== Professional career == Kitchens began his professional career with the Potsdam Royals in the German Football League (GFL) in 2019. In 14 games total he racked up 76 tackles, 31 tackles for loss, 16 sacks und four pass-break-ups. With that he was leading the league and was named GFL North All-Star Team. For the 2020 GLF season he went to the Hildesheim Invaders,<ref>[https://gfl.info/2020/02/kyle-kitchens-wechselt-zu-den-hildesheim-invaders/ ''Kyle Kitchens wechselt zu den Hildesheim Invaders.''] In: ''gfl.info.'' February 2020, retrieved August 27, 2022.</ref> where he wasn't able to play because of the COVID-19 pandemic. He then played in The Spring League for the 2020 fall season and in early 2021 for the Wild Aces in the Fan Controlled Football league.

For the first season of the European League of Football the Leipzig Kings with head coach Fred Armstrong signed Kitchens to their roster.<ref>{{cite web |title=ELF: Leipzig Kings holen Sack-Monster Kyle Kitchens. |url=https://www.ran.de/american-football/elf/elf-news/elf-leipzig-kings-holen-sack-monster-kyle-kitchens-121410 |website=ran.de |access-date=November 26, 2022 |language=DE |date=May 14, 2021}}</ref> Whilst the Kings had a 5-5 records, Kitchens lead the league with 12.5 sacks. He was named Defensive Player of the Year and All-Star Team at the ELF Honors. In November 2021 Kitchens signed with the Berlin Thunder for the 2022 season.<ref>{{cite web |author1=Alex Malchow |title=ELF: Berlin Thunder sign defensive player of the year DE Kyle Kitchens. |url=https://www.americanfootballinternational.com/elf-berlin-thunder-sign-defensive-player-of-the-year-de-kyle-kitchens/ |website=americanfootballinternational.com |access-date=November 26, 2022 |date=November 13, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=ELF Berlin Targets Kyle Kitchens to Improve Pass Rush. |url=https://cflnewshub.com/elf/elf-berlin-targets-kyle-kitchens-to-improve-pass-rush/ |website=cflnewshub.com |access-date=November 26, 2022 |date=April 7, 2022}}</ref> He was Week-MVP in week 6<ref>{{cite web |author1=Elias Hoffmann |title=ELF MVP Of Week 6: Kyle Kitchens |url=https://footbowl.eu/elf-mvp-of-week-6-kyle-kitchens/ |website=footbowl.eu |access-date=November 26, 2022 |language=DE |date=July 2, 2022}}</ref> and was named again DPOY and first-All-Star Team member at the ELF Honors 2022. Kitchens was the first resigning of a player for the 2023 season.<ref>{{cite web |author1=Tim Hanswillemenke |title=Berlin Thunder extends back-to-back Defensive Player of the Year Kyle Kitchens. |url=https://europeanleague.football/elf-news/breaking-berlin-thunder-extends-back-to-back-defensive-player-of-the-year-kyle-kitchens |website=europeanleague.football |access-date=November 26, 2022 |date=September 25, 2022}}</ref>

On December 2, 2024, Kitchens signed with the Hamburg Sea Devils.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Malchow |first1=Alex |title=Huge signing! Hamburg Sea Devils sign DPOY Kyle Kitchens |url=https://www.americanfootballinternational.com/huge-signing-hamburg-sea-devils-sign-dpoy-kyle-kitchens/ |website=American Football International |access-date=December 3, 2024}}</ref>

=== Professional statistics === {| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;" |- ! rowspan="2"|Year !! rowspan="2"|Team !! rowspan="2"|{{abbr|GP|Games played without post-season}} !! colspan="5"| Tackles !! colspan="5"| Interceptions !! colspan="3"| Fumbles |- ! class="explain" title="Solo and assisted Tackles"| Total !! class="explain" title="Solo Tackles" | Solo !! class="explain" title="Assisted Tackles" | Ast !! class="explain" title="Tackles for Loss" | TFL !! Sack !! <abbr title="Break ups">BrUp</abbr> !! class="explain" title="Interceptions" | INT !! class="explain" title="Yards" | Yds !! <abbr title="Touchdowns">TD</abbr> !! class="explain" title="Passes Defended" | PD !! <abbr title="Forced Fumbles">FF</abbr> !! <abbr title="Fumbles Recovered">FR</abbr> !! <abbr title="Fumble Return Touchdowns">TD</abbr> |- | colspan="16" style="background-color:#D1D1D1"| European League of Football 20px |- | 2021 || Leipzig Kings || 10 || {{0}}58 || 39 || 19 || 20.5 || 12.5 || 1 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 1 || 3 || 1 || 0 |- | 2022 || Berlin Thunder || 12 || {{0}}58 || 38 || 20 || 33.5 || 16.0 || 4 || 1 || 8 || 0 || 5 || 4 || 1 || 1 |- style="background:#555555; font-weight:bold; color:white;" | colspan="2" | ELF total | 22 || 116 || 77 || 39 || 54 || 28.5 || 5 || 1 || 8 || 0 || 6 || 7 || 2 || 1 |- ! colspan="16"|Source: stats.europeanleague.football |}

== Personal life == Kitchens also was member of the Phi Beta Sigma fraternity at nearby Livingstone College and member of the Black Student Union on Catawba campus. He studied in an undergraduate degree in Sports Management.<ref>{{cite web |author1=Kelsey Diehl |title=Superstar: Kyle Kitchens. |url=https://www.catawbapioneer.com/superstar-kyle-kitchens/ |website=catawbapioneer.com |access-date=November 25, 2022 |date=September 24, 2017}}</ref>

== References == {{Reflist}}

== External links == * [https://www.catawbaathletics.com/sports/fball/2017-18/players/kylekitchensxk1s Catawba Indians bio] * [https://footbowl.eu/kyle-kitchens/ Kyle Kitchens] on ''footbowl.eu'' * [https://europeanleague.football/player/kyle-kitchens Kyle Kitchens] on ''europeanleague.football'' * [https://www.europlayers.com/ViewProfilePlayer.aspx?ProfileId=75923 Kyle Kitchens] on ''europlayers.com''

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kitchens, Kyle}} Category:1996 births Category:Living people Category:Players of American football from Decatur, Georgia Category:American football defensive ends Category:Catawba Indians football players Category:Berlin Thunder (ELF) players Category:Hamburg Sea Devils (ELF) players Category:German Football League players Category:American expatriate players of American football Category:American expatriate sportspeople in Germany