{{Short description|American football player (1980–2008)}} {{Use American English|date=August 2024}} {{Use mdy dates|date=July 2024}} {{Infobox NFL biography | image =Terrence Kiel.jpg | image_size = | position = Safety | number = 48 | height_ft = 5 | height_in = 11 | weight_lb = 207 | birth_date = November 24, 1980 | birth_place = Lufkin, Texas, U.S. | death_date = {{death date and age|2008|7|4|1980|11|24}} | death_place = San Diego, California, U.S. | draftyear = 2003 | draftround = 2 | draftpick = 62 | high_school = Lufkin | college = Texas A&M | teams = * San Diego Chargers (2003–2006) | statlabel1 = Total tackles | statvalue1 = 278 | statlabel2 = Sacks | statvalue2 = 2.0 | statlabel3 = Forced fumbles | statvalue3 = 2 | statlabel4 = Fumble recoveries | statvalue4 = 3 | statlabel5 = Interceptions | statvalue5 = 4 | highlights = | pfr = KielTe20 }} '''Terrence Dewayne Kiel''' (November 24, 1980 – July 4, 2008)<ref>{{Cite news |date=July 5, 2008 |title=Former Chargers safety killed in car accident |work=The San Diego Union-Tribune |publisher=Union-Tribune Publishing Co. |url=http://www.signonsandiego.com/sports/chargers/20080705-9999-7m5kiel.html |accessdate=2008-07-05}}</ref> was an American professional football player who spent his entire career as a safety for the San Diego Chargers of the National Football League (NFL) from 2003 to 2006. He played college football for the Texas A&M Aggies and was selected by the Chargers in the second round of the 2003 NFL draft.
==Early life== Kiel was born in Lufkin, Texas. As a senior at Lufkin High School, he posted 115 tackles, five interceptions, and three recovered fumbles. He scored four returning touchdowns, including three on punt returns. He also blocked five kick attempts, including three PATs. He received Class 5A all-state mention honors for his efforts.<ref name="Agbio">{{Cite web |title=Terrence Kiel |url=http://www.aggieathletics.com/bios.php?SID=MFB&PID=8&YOS=2001 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20041226161241/http://www.aggieathletics.com/bios.php?YOS=2001&SID=MFB&PID=8 |archivedate=2004-12-26}}</ref>
==College career== Kiel played college football at Texas A&M University from 1999 to 2002. In his freshman year, he played in 11 games, posting nine tackles, including seven solo. As a sophomore, he started in 10 of 11 games, making 57 tackles (41 solo). He also defended six passes and tied for the team lead with his four interceptions. For that season, he received honorable mention All-Big 12 honors by the ''Associated Press''.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Sports - AP All-Big 12 teams 12/01/00<!-- Bot generated title --> |url=http://www.lubbockonline.com/stories/120100/big_120100079.shtml |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120303192553/http://lubbockonline.com/stories/120100/big_120100079.shtml |archive-date=2012-03-03 |access-date=2008-07-05}}</ref> As a junior, he started in all 12 games, posting 92 total tackles, including a team-high of 65 solo hits. He recorded one interception and broke five passes. He also had four games where he posted double-digit tackles. In his senior year, he received all-Big 12 honorable mention honors by the league's coaches<ref>{{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20110712232054/http://www.huskersnside.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_MENU_ID=325&DB_OEM_ID=100&ATCLID=4987 Two Huskers Named First-Team All-Big 12 - Huskers.com—Nebraska Athletics Official Web Site<!-- Bot generated title -->]}}</ref> and ''Associated Press''<ref name="Batt03">{{Cite news |title=Hospital releases Kiel after shooting |url=http://media.www.thebatt.com/media/storage/paper657/news/2003/07/07/FrontPage/Hospital.Releases.Kiel.After.Shooting-513212.shtml |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20070812114613/http://media.www.thebatt.com/media/storage/paper657/news/2003/07/07/FrontPage/Hospital.Releases.Kiel.After.Shooting-513212.shtml |archive-date=2007-08-12}}</ref> after posting a team-high of 95 tackles.<ref name=Agbio/><ref>{{Cite web |title=ESPN.com - Spring answers many questions in the Big 12 |url=https://www.espn.com/espn/print?id=1554955&type=story |access-date=2024-08-16 |website=www.espn.com}}</ref> In the same season, he helped the team upset then-#1 Oklahoma by intercepting the Sooners' final pass of the game.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Complete Play-by-Play |url=https://www.espn.com/college-football/playbyplay?gameId=223130245&period=0}}</ref>
==Professional career== {{NFL predraft | height ft = 5 | height in = 11 1/8 | weight = 204 | arm span = 30 5/8 | hand span = 10 5/8 | dash = 4.50 | ten split = 1.57 | twenty split = 2.63 | shuttle = 3.96 | cone drill = 6.88 | vertical = 38 | broad ft = 10 | broad in = 7 | bench = 16 | wonderlic = | note = All values from NFL Combine<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://draftscout.com/dsprofile.php?PlayerId=1025&DraftYear=2003 |title=Terrence Kiel, Texas A&M, SS, 2003 NFL Draft Scout, NCAA College Football |website=DraftScout.com}}</ref> }}
Kiel was selected by the San Diego Chargers with the 62nd overall pick, in the second round in the 2003 NFL draft.<ref>{{Cite web |title=2003 NFL Draft Listing |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/years/2003/draft.htm |access-date=2023-03-28 |website=Pro-Football-Reference.com |language=en}}</ref> Over his four seasons with the Chargers, he played in 59 games and started 51.<ref name=LA/> He posted 278 tackles, 2 sacks, 4 interceptions, and 2 forced fumbles.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Bissinger |first=Buzz |date=August 16, 2008 |title=Dying the Dream |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/16/opinion/16bissinger.html/ |accessdate=May 25, 2010}}</ref> He was cut on March 1, 2007, and was declared a free agent the following day.<ref>{{Cite web |title=San Diego Chargers Transactions - 2007 San Diego Chargers Transactions - 2007 |url=http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/teams/transactions?team=sdg&year=2007|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120713221303/http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/teams/transactions?team=sdg&year=2007|url-status=dead|archive-date=July 13, 2012}}</ref>
==NFL career statistics== {| class="wikitable mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" ! colspan="2"| Legend |- | '''Bold''' | Career high |}
===Regular season=== {| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" |- !rowspan="2"| Year !rowspan="2"| Team !colspan="2"| Games !colspan="5"| Tackles !colspan="5"| Interceptions !colspan="4"| Fumbles |- ! GP !! GS !! Cmb !! Solo !! Ast !! Sck !! TFL !! Int !! Yds !! TD !! Lng !! PD !! FF !! FR !! Yds !! TD |- ! 2003 !! SDG | '''16''' || 8 || 68 || 59 || 9 || 0.0 || 1 || '''2''' || 15 || 0 || 15 || 4 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 |- ! 2004 !! SDG | '''16''' || '''16''' || '''97''' || '''72''' || '''25''' || '''1.0''' || '''3''' || '''2''' || '''31''' || 0 || '''31''' || '''10''' || 0 || '''1''' || 0 || 0 |- ! 2005 !! SDG | 12 || 12 || 59 || 49 || 10 || '''1.0''' || 1 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 6 || '''1''' || '''1''' || 0 || 0 |- ! 2006 !! SDG | 15 || 15 || 54 || 38 || 16 || 0.0 || 2 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 2 || '''1''' || '''1''' || '''6''' || 0 |- ! colspan="2"| !! 59 !! 51 !! 278 !! 218 !! 60 !! 2.0 !! 7 !! 4 !! 46 !! 0 !! 31 !! 22 !! 2 !! 3 !! 6 !! 0 |}
===Playoffs=== {| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" |- !rowspan="2"| Year !rowspan="2"| Team !colspan="2"| Games !colspan="5"| Tackles !colspan="5"| Interceptions !colspan="4"| Fumbles |- ! GP !! GS !! Cmb !! Solo !! Ast !! Sck !! TFL !! Int !! Yds !! TD !! Lng !! PD !! FF !! FR !! Yds !! TD |- ! 2004 !! SDG | '''1''' || '''1''' || 3 || 2 || '''1''' || 0.0 || '''1''' || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || '''2''' || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 |- ! 2006 !! SDG | '''1''' || '''1''' || '''6''' || '''6''' || 0 || 0.0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || '''1''' || 0 || 0 || 0 |- ! colspan="2"| !! 2 !! 2 !! 9 !! 8 !! 1 !! 0.0 !! 1 !! 0 !! 0 !! 0 !! 0 !! 2 !! 1 !! 0 !! 0 !! 0 |}
==Off-the-field problems== In July 2003, Kiel was shot three times during an alleged attempted carjacking incident at a southwest Houston mall parking lot. The assailant, described as a man in his young teens or early 20s, fled the scene. None of Kiel's injuries were serious and he was shortly released by the hospital.<ref name=Batt03/>
In September 2006, Kiel was arrested for multiple drug charges including possession, possession with the intent to sell, and transportation of a controlled substance. Police came to the Chargers practice facility and arrested him. He was released after posting a $1,550,000 bond.<ref>[http://www.signonsandiego.com/sports/chargers/20060927-9999-1s27kiel.html Chargers safety Kiel arrested at practice], ''San Diego Union-Tribune'', September 27, 2006</ref><ref name="Leinwand">{{Cite news |last=Leinwand |first=Donna |date=2006-10-18 |title=DEA warns of soft drink-cough syrup mix |publisher=USA Today |url=https://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2006-10-18-lean_x.htm?csp=34 |accessdate=2008-07-05}}</ref>
In January 2007, he was cited for publicly urinating outside a San Diego nightclub, but the city dropped the charge.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Police: Former Chargers safety Terrence Kiel dies |url=http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5h_CTKnvoyvWrE9_xdp1k7FnrNxogD91NLB7O0}}{{dead link |date= May 2016 |bot=medic }}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref> In February 2007, he pleaded guilty to felony and misdemeanor drug charges for shipping codeine-based cough syrup to Texas. He was released by the Chargers after his plea and was sentenced to three years of probation. The felony charge was dropped after he volunteered for 175 hours and underwent counseling for gambling.<ref name="LA">{{Cite news |last=Perry |first=Tony |date=July 6, 2008 |title=Former San Diego Chargers player Terrence Kiel dies in car crash |work=Los Angeles Times |url=http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-kiel6-2008jul06,0,4904705.story |accessdate=May 25, 2010}}</ref>
==Death== On July 4, 2008, San Diego police reported that Kiel had died in a car crash. He was driving back home from a party thrown by Chargers player Stephen Cooper when his 2004 Chevrolet Monte Carlo hit a wall and he was thrown from the car.<ref>{{Cite web |date=July 5, 2008 |title=Police: Former Chargers safety Terrence Kiel dies |url=http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5h_CTKnvoyvWrE9_xdp1k7FnrNxogD91NL0AG1 |url-status=dead |publisher=Associated Press |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20080713114357/http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5h_CTKnvoyvWrE9_xdp1k7FnrNxogD91NL0AG1 |archivedate=2008-07-13 |accessdate=August 26, 2013}}</ref>
The autopsy report stated that Kiel died due to mechanical asphyxia. His funeral was held in his hometown, Lufkin, Texas.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Funeral Service Set For Terrence Kiel |url=http://www.kbtx.com/sports/headlines/24089379.html |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110522124506/http://www.kbtx.com/sports/headlines/24089379.html |archivedate=2011-05-22}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |title=100s gather for Kiel's funeral |url=http://www.lufkindailynews.com/hp/content/sports/stories/2008/07/13/kiel_funeral.html}}{{dead link|date=December 2016 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>
== Personal life == Kiel's son, Terrence II, currently plays baseball for Texas A&M.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Terrence Kiel II - Baseball |url=https://12thman.com/sports/baseball/roster/terrence-kiel-ii/14379 |access-date=2025-04-28 |website=Texas A&M Athletics - 12thMan.com |language=en}}</ref>
==Notes== {{reflist}}
==External links== * [https://web.archive.org/web/20041120175224/http://www.aggieathletics.com/bios.php?YOS=2002&SID=MFB&PID=8 Texas A&M Aggies bio]
{{Chargers2003DraftPicks}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kiel, Terrence}} Category:1980 births Category:2008 deaths Category:American football safeties Category:Deaths from asphyxiation Category:American people convicted of drug offenses Category:Players of American football from Lufkin, Texas Category:Road incident deaths in California Category:San Diego Chargers players Category:Texas A&M Aggies football players