Kyle Juszczyk

Kyle Juszczyk
refer to caption
Juszczyk in 2020
No. 44 – San Francisco 49ers
Position:Fullback
Personal information
Born: (1991-04-23) April 23, 1991 (age 33)
Medina, Ohio, U.S.
Height:6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
Weight:235 lb (107 kg)
Career information
High school:Cloverleaf (Lodi, Ohio)
College:Harvard (2009–2012)
NFL draft:2013 / round: 4 / pick: 130
Career history
Roster status:Active
Career highlights and awards
Career NFL statistics as of Week 6, 2024
Rushing yards:217
Rushing average:3.4
Rushing touchdowns:6
Receptions:272
Receiving yards:2,551
Receiving touchdowns:16
Stats at Pro Football Reference

Kyle Juszczyk (/ˈjuːstʃɛk/ YOOSS-chek;[1] born April 23, 1991) is an American professional football fullback for the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Harvard Crimson, and was selected by the Baltimore Ravens in the fourth round of the 2013 NFL draft.

Juszczyk is the first Harvard alumnus ever to score a touchdown in a Super Bowl, doing so in Super Bowl LIV.[2]

Early life

Juszczyk was born in Medina, Ohio. He attended Cloverleaf High School in Lodi, Ohio, and played high school football for the Cloverleaf Colts as a tight end.[3] He also participated in track and field, where he was a Suburban League champion in the shot put.[4]

College career

Juszczyk attended Harvard University, where he played tight end for the Crimson under coach Tim Murphy.[5] He played for the Crimson from 2009 to 2012.[6] Following his senior season in 2012, he was a unanimous first-team All-Ivy League selection.

In his four years at Harvard, Juszczyk caught 125 passes for 1,576 yards and 22 touchdowns.[7]

Professional career

Pre-draft

Coming out of Harvard, many analysts and scouts projected Juszczyk to be a third or fourth round pick. NFLDraftscout.com ranked him the best fullback out of the 94 available. Although he was not invited to the NFL Combine, Juszczyk performed all the required drills and positional workouts at Harvard's Pro Day.[8]

Pre-draft measurables
Height Weight Arm length Hand span 40-yard dash 10-yard split 20-yard split 20-yard shuttle Three-cone drill Vertical jump Broad jump Bench press
6 ft 1+1⁄4 in
(1.86 m) 		248 lb
(112 kg) 		32+5⁄8 in
(0.83 m) 		9+1⁄8 in
(0.23 m)		 4.71 s 1.60 s 2.75 s 4.19 s 6.93 s 37 in
(0.94 m)		 10 ft 1 in
(3.07 m)		 24 reps
All values from Harvard's Pro Day[8]

Baltimore Ravens

2013 season

Juszczyk with the Baltimore Ravens in 2013.

The Baltimore Ravens chose Juszczyk in the fourth round (130th overall) of the 2013 NFL draft.[9] He was the first fullback selected of the three chosen in the 2013 NFL draft. Juszczyk became the first fullback drafted from Harvard and only the tenth player in school history to be drafted.[10] He was the second highest selection in school history, only behind Isaiah Kacyvenski, who was selected in the fourth round (119th overall) in the 2000 NFL draft.[11]

On May 2, 2013, the Ravens signed Juszczyk to a four-year, $2.46 million contract that includes a signing bonus of $300,574.[12]

Juszczyk entered training camp his rookie year competing with veteran Vonta Leach to be the Raven's starting fullback. He was named Leach's backup to begin the regular season.[13] He made his professional regular season debut in the Ravens' season-opening 49–27 loss to the Denver Broncos.[14] Throughout his rookie season, he appeared in all 16 regular season games but was used mainly on special teams and as a blocking fullback.[15]

2014 season

The following year, Juszczyk became the Ravens' starting fullback with the release of Vonta Leach in February.[16] He also switched his jersey number from #40 to #44, which he had worn at Harvard and Leach had worn the season before. He earned his first career start in the Raven's season-opener loss to the Cincinnati Bengals.[17] On September 21, 2014, he caught three passes for a season-high 54 receiving yards and caught his first career touchdown reception during a 23–21 defeat of the Cleveland Browns. His first career reception was a nine-yard touchdown pass from Joe Flacco.[18] In a Week 10 matchup against the Tennessee Titans, Juszczyk caught a season-high three passes for 26 receiving yards during a 21–7 victory.[19] Juszczyk finished the season with 19 receptions for 182 receiving yards and a touchdown while starting 14 games and appearing in all 16 games.[20] He was named a Pro Bowl alternate at fullback after the 2014 season.

2015 season

Juszczyk returned as the starting fullback in 2015 after winning the job over Kiero Small in training camp.[21] In the season-opener against the Broncos, he had four catches for 17 receiving yards.[22] On October 11, 2015, Juszczyk caught three passes for 31 receiving yards and caught his first touchdown of the season, on an eight-yard pass from Joe Flacco, as the Ravens lost 33–30 to the Browns.[23] During a Week 10 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars, he made a season-high five receptions for 47 receiving yards.[24] The next game, he caught three passes for ten yards and had his first two career carries for three rushing yards during Baltimore's 16–13 victory over the St. Louis Rams.[25] On December 27, 2015, Juszczyk caught five passes for a season-high 55 receiving yards as the Ravens defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers 20–17.[26][27]

Juszczyk finished the 2015 season with career-highs in receptions (42), receiving yards (321), and receiving touchdowns (4). Juszczyk only had two rushing attempts for three yards in 16 games and 11 starts.[26][28]

2016 season

Entering the regular season in 2016, Juszczyk was the Baltimore Ravens' starter at fullback and was one of only 17 full-time fullbacks to play in 2016.[29] On September 11, 2016, in the season opener against the Buffalo Bills, he caught two passes for 22 receiving yards and had one carry for two yards as the Ravens won 13–7.[30] On October 2, 2016, Juszczyk caught a career-high six passes for 56 receiving yards as the Baltimore loss to the Oakland Raiders 28–27.[31] On December 25, 2016, Juszczyk scored his first career rushing touchdown against the Steelers on Christmas Day. He finished the Ravens' 27–31 loss to the Steelers with two carries for 15 rushing yards and his first NFL rushing touchdown while catching two passes for 10 receiving yards.[32] The Ravens were eliminated from playoff contention with the loss.[26] On January 20, 2017, it was announced that was elected as an original selection to his first Pro Bowl.[33] Pro Football Focus ranked Juszczyk as the top fullback for 2016.[34] He played the most snaps of any fullback in 2016, finishing with 465, which was 115 more than any other fullback.[35]

Free agency

Juszczyk entered free agency for the first time in his career in 2017 and was the top fullback on the market. He received interest and offers from multiple teams, including the Philadelphia Eagles, Browns, Bills, and the San Francisco 49ers. The Eagles were the top team to possibly land the prized free agent at first, but the Bills overtook them as the favorite, as they were looking for a stable replacement for Jerome Felton.[36][37]

San Francisco 49ers

2017 season

On March 9, 2017, the 49ers signed Juszczyk to a four-year, $21 million contract that included $7 million guaranteed and a signing bonus of $5 million.[12] It was the largest contract for a fullback in NFL history.[38]

In his 49ers debut, Juszczyk had two receptions for 17 yards in the season-opening 23–3 loss to the Carolina Panthers.[39] On December 19, 2017, he was named to his second Pro Bowl.[40]

Juszczyk finished his first season with the 49ers tallying 33 receptions for 315 yards and a touchdown along with 31 rushing yards.[41]

2018 season

In the 2018 season opener against the Minnesota Vikings, Juszczyk recorded a 56-yard reception in the 24–16 loss.[42] During Week 3 against the Kansas City Chiefs, he scored his first touchdown of the season on a 35-yard pass from Jimmy Garoppolo.[43] He was named to his third Pro Bowl for his accomplishments in the 2018 season.[44]

Juszczyk finished the 2018 season with 30 receptions for 324 yards and a touchdown along with 30 rushing yards.[45]

2019 season

In the 2019 season, Juszczyk appeared in 12 games and recorded 20 receptions for 239 receiving yards and one receiving touchdown.[46] He was named to his fourth Pro Bowl.[47]

During Super Bowl LIV against the Chiefs, Juszczyk caught three passes for 39 receiving yards and a receiving touchdown in the 31–20 loss.[48] Juszczyk's touchdown reception in the game was the first by a Harvard alumnus in Super Bowl history, and the first by a fullback since Mike Alstott in Super Bowl XXXVII.[2]

2020 season

Juszczyk (right) in 2020

In Week 16 against the Arizona Cardinals, Juszczyk recorded two receiving touchdowns in the 20–12 win.[49] He finished the 2020 season with 19 receptions for 202 receiving yards and four receiving touchdowns to go along with 17 carries for 64 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns.[50] For the fifth consecutive season, he was named to the Pro Bowl.[51] He was ranked 97th by his fellow players on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2021.[52]

2021 season

On March 15, 2021, Juszczyk signed a five-year contract extension with the 49ers worth $27 million.[53][54] He recorded 30 receptions for 296 receiving yards and one receiving touchdown to go along with a rushing touchdown in the 2021 season.[55] For the sixth consecutive season, he earned a Pro Bowl nomination.[56] He was ranked 100th by his fellow players on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2022.[57]

2022 season

During the 2022 season, Juszczyk recorded 19 receptions for 200 yards and a receiving touchdown, as well as 7 rushing attempts for 26 yards and a touchdown.[58] For the seventh consecutive season, he earned a Pro Bowl nomination.[59]

2023 season

In the 2023 season, Juszczyk appeared in all 17 games and started 16. He finished with 14 receptions for 119 yards and two touchdowns.[60] He appeared in Super Bowl LVIII against the Chiefs. He had two receptions for 31 yards in the 25–22 overtime loss.[61]

NFL career statistics

Regular season

Year Team Games Rushing Receiving Fumbles
GP GS Att Yds Avg Lng TD Rec Yds Avg Lng TD Fum Lost
2013 BAL 16 0 0 0 0.0 0 0 0 0 0.0 0 0 0 0
2014 BAL 16 14 0 0 0.0 0 0 19 182 9.6 33 1 2 2
2015 BAL 16 11 2 3 1.5 2 0 41 321 7.8 29 4 0 0
2016 BAL 16 7 5 22 4.4 10T 1 37 266 7.2 40 0 0 0
2017 SF 14 10 7 31 4.4 12 0 33 315 9.5 44 1 2 2
2018 SF 16 14 8 30 3.8 12 0 30 324 10.8 56 1 2 2
2019 SF 12 12 3 7 2.3 6 0 20 239 12.0 49 1 0 0
2020 SF 16 15 17 64 3.8 10 2 19 202 10.6 41 4 1 0
2021 SF 17 16 8 22 2.8 6 1 30 296 9.9 26 1 0 0
2022 SF 16 12 7 26 3.7 9 1 19 200 10.5 35 1 0 0
2023 SF 17 16 5 6 1.2 3 0 14 119 8.5 22 2 0 0
2024 SF 1 1 — — — — — 2 40 20.0 34 0 0 0
Career 172 127 62 211 3.4 12 5 264 2,504 9.5 56 16 7 6

Postseason

Year Team Games Rushing Receiving Fumbles
GP GS Att Yds Avg Lng TD Rec Yds Avg Lng TD Fum Lost
2014 BAL 2 1 0 0 0.0 0 0 6 45 7.5 11 0 1 0
2019 SF 3 3 0 0 0.0 0 0 3 39 13.0 15T 1 0 0
2021 SF 3 3 3 14 4.7 13 0 2 15 7.5 10 0 0 0
2022 SF 3 3 1 8 8.0 8 0 1 6 6.0 6 0 0 0
2023 SF 3 3 2 5 2.5 3 0 4 64 16.0 23 0 0 0
Career 14 13 6 27 4.5 13 0 16 169 10.6 23 1 1 0

Personal life

Juszczyk married Kristin Arceri in July 2019.[62] During the 2023 season, Kristin gained national attention after designing a Travis Kelce-inspired jacket for Taylor Swift; she would later obtain a licensing deal with the NFL.[63]

References

  1. ^ Mink, Ryan (May 5, 2013). "The Caw: Juszczyk – A Writer's Personal Nightmare". Baltimore Ravens. Archived from the original on October 16, 2017. Retrieved December 14, 2016.
  2. ^ a b @CBSSportsHQ (February 2, 2020). "Kyle Juszczyk becomes the first ever player from Harvard to score a Super Bowl touchdown" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  3. ^ Bournival, Brad (December 22, 2016). "Cloverleaf graduate Kyle Juszczyk named to Pro Bowl". Medina Gazette. Retrieved April 11, 2018.
  4. ^ "Akron Suburban League Championship 2009 - Final Results (Raw)". Ohio MileSplit. Retrieved April 1, 2024.
  5. ^ Connolly, John (April 26, 2013). "Professional approach by Kyle Juszczyk". Boston Herald. Retrieved April 27, 2013.
  6. ^ "Kyle Juszczyk NCAA FB Stats – Season & Career Statistics". www.foxsports.com. Retrieved April 11, 2018.
  7. ^ "Kyle Juszczyk, Harvard Crimson, Tight End". 247Sports. Retrieved May 27, 2020.
  8. ^ a b "Kyle Juszczyk, FB, Harvard, 2013 NFL Draft Scout, NCAA College Football". draftscout.com. Retrieved January 1, 2017.
  9. ^ "2013 NFL Draft Listing". Pro Football Reference. Retrieved April 11, 2018.
  10. ^ "Harvard Players/Alumni". Pro Football Reference. Retrieved April 11, 2018.
  11. ^ "Pro-Football Reference: NFL Draft History: Harvard". Pro Football Reference. Retrieved January 21, 2018.
  12. ^ a b "Spotrac.com: Kyle Juszczyk contract". Spotrac.com. Retrieved January 21, 2018.
  13. ^ "Ourlads.com: Baltimore Raven's Depth Chart: 9/1/2013". ourlads.com. Retrieved January 1, 2017.
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  34. ^ Links, Zach (March 8, 2017). "49ers Expected To Sign Kyle Juszczyk". profootballrumors.com. Retrieved January 21, 2018.
  35. ^ Monson, Sam (July 7, 2017). "The secret superstars on every NFL roster". Pro Football Focus. Retrieved February 1, 2022.
  36. ^ Fann, Joe (August 18, 2017). "Free Agency, Football and a Fiancé: The Busy Offseason of Kyle Juszczyk". 49ers.com. Retrieved February 1, 2022.
  37. ^ Fucillo, David (March 8, 2017). "49ers interested in free agent FB Kyle Juszczyk". ninersnation.com. Retrieved January 21, 2018.
  38. ^ "49ers Agree to Terms with Seven Free Agents". 49ers.com. March 9, 2017. Archived from the original on December 14, 2017. Retrieved January 1, 2022.
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  40. ^ "NFL announces 2018 Pro Bowl rosters". NFL.com. December 19, 2017. Retrieved February 1, 2022.
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  45. ^ "Kyle Juszczyk 2018 Game Log". Pro Football Reference. Retrieved March 14, 2019.
  46. ^ "Kyle Juszczyk 2019 Game Log". Pro Football Reference. Retrieved January 29, 2020.
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  48. ^ "Mahomes leads Chiefs' rally past 49ers in Super Bowl, 31–20". ESPN.com. Associated Press. February 2, 2020. Retrieved February 2, 2020.
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  52. ^ "2021 NFL Top 100". Pro Football Reference. Retrieved November 8, 2022.
  53. ^ "49ers Sign FB Kyle Juszczyk to Five-Year Extension". 49ers.com. March 15, 2021. Archived from the original on March 15, 2021. Retrieved March 15, 2021.
  54. ^ Gordon, Grant (March 14, 2021). "49ers FB Kyle Juszczyk signs five-year, $27M deal". NFL.com. Retrieved March 15, 2021.
  55. ^ "Kyle Juszczyk 2021 Game Log". Pro Football Reference. Retrieved November 8, 2022.
  56. ^ "2021 NFL Pro Bowlers". Pro Football Reference. Retrieved November 8, 2022.
  57. ^ "2022 NFL Top 100". Pro Football Reference. Retrieved November 8, 2022.
  58. ^ "Kyle Juszczyk 2022 Game Log". Pro Football Reference. Retrieved February 18, 2024.
  59. ^ McDonald, Briana (December 21, 2022). "Kyle Juszczyk Makes 2023 Pro Bowl Roster". 49ers.com. Retrieved September 29, 2023.
  60. ^ "Kyle Juszczyk 2023 Game Log". Pro Football Reference. Retrieved February 18, 2024.
  61. ^ "Super Bowl LVIII – San Francisco 49ers vs. Kansas City Chiefs – February 11th, 2024". Pro Football Reference. Retrieved February 18, 2024.
  62. ^ Bonilla, David (July 6, 2019). "49ers fullback Kyle Juszczyk got married this weekend". 49ers Webzone. Retrieved December 9, 2020.
  63. ^ Henderson, Cydney (February 10, 2024). "Kristin Juszczyk is in a league of her own creating NFL merchandise women actually wear". USA TODAY. Retrieved February 11, 2024.
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