Who is Kwon Alexander?

Kwon Alexander, born on August 3, 1994, is an American football linebacker who currently plays for the Pittsburgh Steelers in the NFL. He attended LSU for college football. Alexander was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the fourth round of the 2015 NFL Draft. Throughout his career, he has also played for the San Francisco 49ers, New Orleans Saints, and New York Jets.

Kwon Alexander attended Oxford High School in Oxford, Alabama, where he made a significant impact on the defensive side of the ball. In his junior year in 2010, he recorded impressive stats with 144 tackles, 17 sacks, and six forced fumbles (with three recoveries). However, his senior season in 2011 was cut short due to a knee injury. Despite this setback, Alexander’s performance led Oxford to a 12-2 record, reaching the AHSAA Class 6A state semi-finals, where they lost to Hoover, led by Marlon Humphrey, with a score of 32-22.

Alexander’s skills were recognized on a national level when he was selected to participate in the Under Armour All-American Game as a member of the black team. He was also chosen as a finalist for the High School Butkus Award, an annual honor given to the top linebacker in the country. Additionally, Alexander received accolades such as being named to the 2011 ESPN All-Alabama Football Team and receiving Honorable Mention recognition on the Class 6A All-State Football Team.

In addition to his football accomplishments, Alexander was also involved in track & field at Oxford. He qualified for the state competition in 2011. During the AHSAA 6A Section 4 event, he achieved personal-best times of 11.24 seconds in the 100-meter dash, placing 9th, and 22.99 seconds in the 200-meter dash, placing 7th.

Regarded as a highly talented prospect, Alexander received a four-star rating from ESPN.com, Rivals.com, and Scout.com. In the 2012 Scout.com Final Southeast Top 150 rankings, he held the No. 19 position. He was also listed as No. 45 in the Press-Register Super Southeast 120 and No. 29 in the 2012 ESPNU 150. Additionally, Alexander was recognized in the MaxPreps 2012 Top 100.

In terms of state rankings, he was considered Alabama’s No. 3 prospect by ESPN.com, No. 11 by Rivals.com, and No. 6 by 247Sports.com. On a national scale, ESPN.com and Scout.com ranked him as the No. 3 linebacker, while 247Sports.com placed him as the nation’s No. 9 linebacker. Rivals.com rated him as the No. 20 linebacker in the country.

With his outstanding abilities, Alexander made the decision to commit to Louisiana State University (LSU) and pursue college football at their program.

Kwon Alexander College career

From 2012 to 2014, Alexander attended Louisiana State University (LSU) and played for their football program. During his freshman year, he appeared in seven games with two starts and recorded 12 tackles. The following year, he started in nine of the 13 games he played and ended the season with 65 tackles.

In his junior year, Alexander became a standout player for the team, leading them with 92 tackles and achieving 1.5 sacks. His exceptional performance drew the attention of the NFL, and after completing his junior season, Alexander decided to enter the 2015 NFL Draft.

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Kwon Alexander Contract

Kwon Alexander Professional career

On December 31, 2014, Alexander took to his Twitter account to announce his decision to forego his senior season and declare for the 2015 NFL Draft. He joined 32 other collegiate linebackers at the NFL Scouting Combine held in Indianapolis, Indiana. During the combine, Alexander showcased his skills by participating in all the necessary drills. He excelled in various categories, finishing as the second-fastest linebacker in the 40-yard dash, sixth in the bench press and short shuttle, and ninth in the three-cone drill.

At LSU’s pro day on March 27, 2015, Alexander chose to rely on his combine results and only performed positional drills for NFL team representatives and scouts from all 32 teams. Prominent figures such as Mike Tomlin, the head coach of the Steelers, and general managers from the Vikings, Saints, Giants, Jets, and Steelers were in attendance. Throughout the draft process, Alexander had only one private visit, which was with the San Francisco 49ers.

As the pre-draft evaluations concluded, Alexander garnered projections as a third-round pick by NFL draft experts and scouts. Analyst Charles Davis rated him as the second-best outside linebacker prospect in the draft, while NFLDraftScouts.com ranked him as the sixth-best outside linebacker. Additionally, Matt Miller of NFLDraftScout.com placed him as the seventh-best linebacker overall.

Kwon Alexander Stats

All values from NFL Combine and Pro Day Kwon Alexander Stats.

Alexander was chosen by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the fourth round of the 2015 NFL Draft with the 124th overall pick. The Buccaneers made a trade with the Oakland Raiders, giving up their fourth-round pick (128th overall) and seventh-round pick (218th overall) to move up four spots and secure Alexander. In terms of linebackers drafted in 2015, Alexander was the 11th player selected.

Kwon Alexander Tampa Bay Buccaneers

2015 Season

In the 2015 season, Alexander signed a four-year, $2.75 million contract with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on May 12, 2015. The contract included a signing bonus of $478,322.

During training camp, Alexander competed for the starting strongside linebacker position against Danny Lansanah. Due to his performance, he was moved to middle linebacker to vie for the starting role against veteran Bruce Carter. Head coach Lovie Smith ultimately named Alexander the starting middle linebacker, alongside outside linebackers Lavonte David and Lansanah.

In the season-opener against the Tennessee Titans, Alexander made his NFL debut and recorded five tackles and a pass deflection during a 42–14 loss. Two weeks later, he had a standout performance with ten tackles, two pass deflections, and his first NFL interception against the Houston Texans. In Week 5, Alexander recorded five tackles, two pass deflections, and his first NFL sack, helping the Buccaneers to a 38–31 victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Tragically, prior to Week 8, Alexander’s younger brother, Broderick Taylor, was murdered just two days beforehand. Despite the circumstances, Alexander started in the following game and had a remarkable performance with 11 tackles, a forced fumble, a fumble recovery, and an interception. His efforts earned him the title of NFC Defensive Player of the Week.

However, on December 7, Alexander received a four-game suspension for violating the league’s policy on performance-enhancing substances. Consequently, he missed the final four games of the season (Weeks 14–17).

Overall, in his rookie year, Alexander played in 12 games and started in all of them. He finished the season with 93 tackles (59 solo), nine pass deflections, three sacks, and two interceptions. He received a 31.6 overall grade from Pro Football Focus. The Buccaneers ended the season with a 6–10 record, finishing fourth in the NFC South. As a result, Lovie Smith was fired as head coach at the end of the season.

2016 Season

Coaching Changes

In the 2016 season, there were significant coaching changes for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter was promoted to head coach, while former Atlanta Falcons head coach Mike Smith was hired as the defensive coordinator. Despite these changes, Alexander retained his starting middle linebacker position under Smith’s leadership at the beginning of the regular season.

Standout Performances

In the season-opener against the Atlanta Falcons, Alexander had an impressive performance, recording 17 tackles and a sack in a 31–24 victory. Two weeks later, he made seven tackles and had an interception, returning it 38 yards for his first NFL touchdown during a 37–32 loss to the Los Angeles Rams.

During Week 8, Alexander had a standout game with a season-high of 14 solo tackles and a pass breakup in a 30–24 overtime loss to the Oakland Raiders. Furthermore, in Week 15, he recorded a career-high of 21 tackles (11 solo) during a 26–20 road loss against the Dallas Cowboys.

Season Summary

By the end of his second season, Alexander finished fourth in the league in tackles with 145 combined (108 solo). He also had seven pass deflections, three sacks, and an interception in all 16 games played, starting in each of them. Pro Football Focus gave him an impressive overall grade of 77.3 and recognized him as one of the most improved second-year linebackers in the league.

2017 Season

Season Opener and Injury

Alexander began the 2017 season as the starting middle linebacker for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. In the season-opener against the Chicago Bears, he had a solid performance, recording a solo tackle, a pass deflection, and intercepting former teammate Mike Glennon in a 29–7 victory. However, he unfortunately sustained a hamstring injury during the game, causing him to miss the next four games (Weeks 3–6).

Strong Performance and Season Highlights

In Week 15, Alexander showcased his skills with a standout game, recording a season-high 13 solo tackles. Despite his efforts, the Buccaneers suffered a 24–21 loss to the Atlanta Falcons.

Season Summary

At the conclusion of his third season, Alexander finished with 97 combined tackles (70 solo), four pass deflections, and a career-high three interceptions in 12 games played, all of which he started. His impressive performance earned him a spot in the Pro Bowl, as he was selected to replace injured Seattle Seahawks middle linebacker Bobby Wagner on January 16, 2018. Pro Football Focus gave him an overall grade of 68.0, ranking him 48th among all qualifying linebackers in the 2017 season.

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2018 Season

Injury

Alexander started the 2018 season as the starting middle linebacker for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He began the season strong, starting in the first six consecutive games. Unfortunately, in Week 7, Alexander suffered a season-ending torn ACL, which landed him on injured reserve on October 22, 2018.

Season Summary

Despite his injury, Alexander concluded the season with 45 tackles, two sacks, two pass deflections, and a forced fumble in six games played, all of which he started.

Kwon Alexander San Francisco 49ers

Signing and Season Opener

On March 13, 2019, the San Francisco 49ers signed Alexander to a four-year, $54 million contract, with $27 million guaranteed. In Week 1, Alexander faced his former team, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. However, he made a helmet-to-helmet hit against former teammate Jameis Winston and was subsequently disqualified from the game. Prior to his ejection, Alexander made three tackles in the 31-17 road victory.

Interception and Forced Fumble

During the following game against the Cincinnati Bengals, Alexander recorded his first interception of the season, intercepting Andy Dalton in a 41-17 road victory. In Week 7, Alexander made a significant impact by forcing a fumble on running back Adrian Peterson, which was recovered by teammate Jullian Taylor in a 9-0 road victory against the Washington Redskins.

Injury and Return

However, in a game against the Arizona Cardinals two weeks later, Alexander sustained an apparent chest injury and was forced to leave the game. The next day, he received the diagnosis of a torn pectoral muscle and was subsequently placed on injured reserve.

Alexander’s determination and hard work paid off, as he was designated for return from injured reserve on January 2, 2020. He began practicing with the team again, and on January 10, 2020, he was activated off injured reserve just in time for the NFC Divisional Game against the Minnesota Vikings. Alexander played a crucial role in helping the 49ers defeat both the Vikings and the Green Bay Packers, advancing to Super Bowl LIV.

Kwon Alexander Super Bowl Performance

In Super Bowl LIV, Alexander played a part in the 49ers’ efforts, recording a tackle and a pass deflection. Despite his contributions, the 49ers experienced a 31-20 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in the ultimate championship game.

Kwon Alexander New Orleans Saints

Trade and Starter

On November 2, 2020, the San Francisco 49ers traded Alexander to the New Orleans Saints. In exchange, the 49ers received a fifth-round conditional pick in the 2021 NFL Draft and linebacker Kiko Alonso. Alexander was immediately named a starter in Week 10 and started the next seven games.

Kwon Alexander Injury and Release

Unfortunately, during Week 16, Alexander suffered a season-ending injury, tearing his Achilles. As a result, he was placed on injured reserve on December 28, 2020.

On March 16, 2021, the Saints released Alexander. Despite this, the team re-signed him on August 3, 2021 after agreeing to a one-year deal worth up to $3 million.

Kwon Alexander Injury and Return

Tragically, just a few weeks later, Alexander was placed on injured reserve again on September 17, 2021 due to an elbow injury. After rehabilitation and recovery, he was activated on October 25 and is ready to compete again.

Kwon Alexander Jets New York

Signing and Season Performance

On August 2, 2022, Alexander joined the New York Jets. Throughout the season, he was a consistent presence on the field, playing in all 17 games. Alexander started in 12 of those games and made a significant impact, accumulating 69 tackles.

Kwon Alexander Pittsburgh Steelers

Signing with the Steelers

On July 30, 2023, Alexander made a move to the Pittsburgh Steelers, signing with the team. His signing with the Steelers marks a new chapter in his career, and fans are excited to see the contributions he will bring to the team.

kwon alexander stats

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Kwon Alexander Net Worth

Based on the information I found, Kwon Alexander’s net worth is estimated to be around $1 million to $7 million.

Please note that net worth estimates can vary and may be influenced by various factors such as contracts, endorsements, investments, and expenses.

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