38 Facts About Eric Kendricks

Eric-Nathan Marvin Kendricks was born on February 29,1992 and is an American professional football linebacker who is a free agent of the National Football League.

Eric Kendricks was born to Yvonne Thagon and Marvin Eric Kendricks, a former running back for UCLA who played professionally in the Canadian Football League.

Eric Kendricks grew up with older brother Mychal and younger sister Danielle.

Eric Kendricks married and took a job, and arranged with Thagon to be involved in his kids' lives.

Eric Kendricks attended Herbert Hoover High School in Fresno, California, where he earned three letters for coach Pat Plummer playing linebacker, quarterback, running back, kicker, and punter and serving as team captain his junior and senior seasons.

Eric Kendricks was teammates with his brother as a sophomore in 2007.

Eric Kendricks earned multiple letters in basketball for coach Nick French and baseball for coach Sam Flores.

Eric Kendricks was named 2010 male Tri-Athlete of the Year at his school.

Eric Kendricks committed to the University of California, Los Angeles to play college football in November 2009.

Eric Kendricks finished the season ranking second on the team in tackles with 76, tied for fourth with 4.5 tackles for loss and tied for second with two sacks.

Eric Kendricks earned an honorable mention Freshman All-American by College Football News and honorable mention Pac-12 Conference All-Academic team.

Eric Kendricks led the Pac-12 in tackles with an average of 10.64, a mark which ranked 11th in the nation, becoming the first Bruin to lead the conference in tackles since Spencer Havner in 2004.

Eric Kendricks returned two fumbles for touchdowns, blocked a punt and made his first career interception.

Eric Kendricks recorded nine games with double-digit tackles, including in each of the last seven games of the season.

Eric Kendricks entered his senior season in 2014 as a starter for the third straight year.

Eric Kendricks led the Football Bowl Subdivision with 101 solo tackles, and set the UCLA record for career tackles with 481, breaking the previous mark of 468 set by Jerry Robinson.

Eric Kendricks solidified his status as one of the draft's top linebackers with an impressive performance at the 2015 NFL Combine; his 4.61 40-yard dash was one of the fastest times among linebackers.

Eric Kendricks finished the Week 4 loss with four solo tackles and made his first career sack on Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning for a six-yard loss during the second quarter.

On October 7,2015, the Vikings traded Gerald Hodges to the 49ers, effectively making Eric Kendricks the starting middle linebacker for the remainder of the season.

Eric Kendricks's ten combined tackles tied a franchise record by a rookie, along with Harrison Smith in 2012 and Malik Boyd in 1994.

On October 29,2015, Eric Kendricks was named the NFL Defensive Rookie for the month of October, when he posted 20 combined tackles, four sacks and 5 quarterback pressures in just three games.

Eric Kendricks became the first Vikings defensive player to win Rookie of the Month honors since Kevin Williams did it in 2003, and the eighth to win it overall.

Eric Kendricks was inactive for two games due to a rib injury.

Eric Kendricks posted 4.0 sacks, which is tied with Anthony Barr for the 2nd-most sacks by a rookie linebacker in team history, trailing only Dwayne Rudd, who finished his rookie season in 2015 with 5.0 sacks.

On January 19,2016, Kendricks was named to the Pro Football Writers of America's 2015 NFL All-Rookie team.

Eric Kendricks led the Vikings defense in tackles as a rookie with 92 total tackles, marking the first time a rookie has led the club in tackles since Rip Hawkins in 1961.

Eric Kendricks completed his rookie campaign with a total of 92 combined tackles, four sacks, and one pass deflection in 14 games and 11 starts.

In Week 5, Eric Kendricks was stellar in coverage against the Houston Texans, as he gave up just two receptions on seven targets for 19 yards and broke up a pass according to Pro Football Focus.

In 2017, Eric Kendricks started all 16 games, recording a career-high and team-leading 113 tackles.

Eric Kendricks finished the season with 108 tackles, two interceptions, one sack and a forced fumble.

On November 13,2022, Eric Kendricks recovered a botched snap in the endzone for a touchdown to give the Vikings the lead against the Bills.

On March 14,2023, Eric Kendricks signed a two-year, $13.25 million contract with the Los Angeles Chargers.

Eric Kendricks finished second on the team in tackles with 117 through 15 games.

Eric Kendricks added 3.5 sacks, six passes defended, and one forced fumble.

On March 5,2024, Eric Kendricks was released by the Chargers.

On March 14,2024, Eric Kendricks signed with the Dallas Cowboys.

Eric Kendricks is the only active NFL player to be born on a leap day.

Eric Kendricks met model and former athlete Ally Courtnall at UCLA in 2010, and they began dating in 2013.