Kamu Grugier-Hill

Kamu Grugier-Hill

No. 54 – Minnesota Vikings
Position:	Linebacker
Personal information
Born:	(1994-05-16) May 16, 1994 (age 30) Honolulu, Hawaii, U.S.
Height:	6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
Weight:	230 lb (104 kg)
Career information
High school:	Kamehameha Schools (Honolulu, Hawaii)
College:	Eastern Illinois (2012–2015)
NFL draft:	2016 / round: 6 / pick: 208
Career history
New England Patriots (2016)* Philadelphia Eagles (2016–2019) Miami Dolphins (2020) Houston Texans (2021–2022) Arizona Cardinals (2022) Carolina Panthers (2023) Minnesota Vikings (2024–present)
* Offseason and/or practice squad member only
Roster status:	Active
Career highlights and awards
Super Bowl champion (LII) First-team All-OVC (2014, 2015)
Career NFL statistics as of Week 15, 2024
Total tackles: 355 Sacks: 6.0 Forced fumbles: 4 Fumble recoveries: 2 Interceptions: 5 Stats at Pro Football Reference

Caelan Kamuela "Kamu" Grugier-Hill (born May 16, 1994) is an American professional football linebacker for the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Eastern Illinois Panthers, and was selected by the New England Patriots in the sixth round (208th overall) of the 2016 NFL draft.

Early life

Grugier-Hill attended Kamehameha Schools in Honolulu where he played football.^[1][2] Grugier-Hill began playing football in his junior year of high school as a safety and punter.^[3]

College career

Grugier-Hill played for the Eastern Illinois Panthers football team from 2012 to 2015. In his freshman year, he made his first start against UT Martin.^[4] In both 2014 and 2015, he earned First-team All-Ohio Valley Conference honors.^[4] Grugier-Hill reportedly became the first player ejected in the 2014 college football season when he punched a Minnesota lineman in the groin.^[5]

Professional career

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 2+1⁄8 in (1.88 m)	208 lb (94 kg)	30+1⁄2 in (0.77 m)	9+1⁄4 in (0.23 m)	4.45 s	1.52 s	2.53 s	4.20 s	6.89 s	38.5 in (0.98 m)	10 ft 9 in (3.28 m)	15 reps
All values from Northwestern’s Pro Day[6]

New England Patriots

The New England Patriots selected Grugier-Hill in the sixth round (208th overall) of the 2016 NFL draft.^[7] On May 5, 2016, the Patriots signed Grugier-Hill to a four-year, $2.44 million contract that includes a signing bonus of $100,356.^[8] On September 3, 2016, he was waived by the Patriots as part of final roster cuts.^[9]

Philadelphia Eagles

On September 4, 2016, the Philadelphia Eagles claimed Grugier-Hill off waivers.^[10] He recorded his first career tackle and his only tackle of the 2016 season when he brought down Duke Johnson of the Cleveland Browns for a loss of six yards in Week 1 at Lincoln Financial Field.^[11] Because the tackle came on a fake punt, it was technically the only defensive snap which Grugier-Hill played in his rookie year.^[3]

On November 19, 2017, Grugier-Hill filled in on kickoffs for kicker Jake Elliott after Elliott suffered a concussion against the Dallas Cowboys. Grugier-Hill did not attempt a field goal or an extra point as the Eagles went for a two-point conversion after every touchdown. The Eagles went on to win the game 37–9.^[12] Grugier-Hill won his first Super Bowl ring when the Eagles defeated the Patriots in Super Bowl LII 41–33.^[13]

Grugier-Hill recorded his first career interception by picking off a pass from New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning on October 11, 2018.^[14]

Grugier-Hill was placed on injured reserve on December 18, 2019, after being diagnosed with a lower lumbar disc herniation.^[15]

Miami Dolphins

On March 21, 2020, Grugier-Hill signed a one-year contract with the Miami Dolphins which reunited him with head coach Brian Flores, who had previously been the linebackers coach for the Patriots.^[16]

Houston Texans

On March 23, 2021, Grugier-Hill signed a one-year contract with the Houston Texans.^[17]

On December 5, 2021, in a game against the Indianapolis Colts, Grugier-Hill set the Texans' franchise record for tackles in a single game, with 19 tackles.^[18]

On March 24, 2022, Grugier-Hill re-signed with the Texans.^[19]

On October 26, 2022, Grugier-Hill asked for and was granted his release from the Texans.^[20]

Arizona Cardinals

On November 2, 2022, Grugier-Hill signed with the Arizona Cardinals.^[21]

Carolina Panthers

On April 4, 2023, Grugier-Hill signed with the Carolina Panthers.^[22] He played in 17 games with five starts, recording 56 tackles, one sack, and one interception.^[23]

Minnesota Vikings

On March 20, 2024, Grugier-Hill signed with the Minnesota Vikings.^[24]

References

1. Shimabuku, Christian (October 12, 2021). "NFL Hawaii Tracker: Kamehameha's Kamu Grugier-Hill making early impact for Houston Texans". KHON2. Retrieved November 17, 2023.
2. "Kamu Grugier-Hill, Kamehameha , Safety". 247Sports. Retrieved November 17, 2023.
3. Ford, Bob (September 6, 2017). "What makes Kamu Grugier-Hill of the Eagles so special?". Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved November 21, 2017.
4. "Kamu Grugier-Hill - Football". Eastern Illinois University Athletics.
5. DelVecchio, Steve (August 29, 2014). "Kamu Grugier-Hill ejected for nut shot on Zac Epping (Video)". Larry Brown Sports. Retrieved November 21, 2017.
6. "Kamu Grugier-Hill, Eastern Illinois, SS, 2016 NFL Draft Scout, NCAA College Football". DraftScout.com. Retrieved December 10, 2018.
7. Reiss, Mike (April 30, 2016). "Patriots pick Kamu Grugier-Hill in sixth round, highlight growing hybrid trend". ESPN.com.
8. "Spotrac.com: Kamu Grugier-Hill contract". Spotrac.com. Retrieved December 10, 2018.
9. "Patriots reach the 53-man roster limit". Patriots.com. September 3, 2016. Archived from the original on November 6, 2017.
10. "Eagles Claim Three Players Off Waivers". PhiladelphiaEagles.com. September 4, 2016. Retrieved November 17, 2023.
11. "Cleveland Browns at Philadelphia Eagles - September 11th, 2016". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved November 20, 2017.
12. Gantt, Darin (November 20, 2017). "Eagles linebacker Kamu Grugier-Hill overcame rough kicking start". NBC Sports. Retrieved November 16, 2023.
13. Jones, Lindsay H. (February 4, 2018). "Eagles dethrone Tom Brady, Patriots for first Super Bowl title in stunner". USA TODAY. Retrieved February 25, 2019.
14. Frank, Martin (October 11, 2018). "Eagles start strong against Giants, but lose another key defender in Sidney Jones". Delaware News Journal. DelawareOnline.com.
15. McPherson, Chris (December 18, 2019). "Eagles place LB Kamu Grugier-Hill on Injured Reserve". PhiladelphiaEagles.com. Retrieved December 19, 2019.
16. Florio, Mike (March 21, 2020). "Dolphins announce deals with 10 unrestricted free agents". Pro Football Talk. NBC Sports.
17. "Houston Texans Transactions (3-23-2021)". HoustonTexans.com. March 23, 2021. Retrieved November 17, 2023.
18. Sidhu, Deepi (December 5, 2021). "Kamu Grugier-Hill sets team record in tackles". HoustonTexans.com. Retrieved December 5, 2021.
19. "Houston Texans Transactions (3-24-2022)". HoustonTexans.com. March 24, 2022. Retrieved November 17, 2023.
20. "Houston Texans Transactions (10-27-2022)". HoustonTexans.com. October 27, 2022. Retrieved November 17, 2023.
21. Urban, Darren (November 2, 2022). "Cardinals Sign Linebacker Kamu Grugier-Hill". AZCardinals.com. Retrieved November 17, 2023.
22. Gantt, Darin (April 4, 2023). "Panthers Sign Linebacker Kamu Grugier-Hill". Panthers.com. Retrieved November 17, 2023.
23. "Kamu Grugier-Hill 2023 Game Log". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved October 18, 2024.
24. Peters, Craig (March 20, 2024). "Vikings Continue Defensive Additions: Jihad Ward Signs; Kamu Grugier-Hill Agrees to Terms". Vikings.com.

External links

• Career statistics from NFL.com · ESPN · Yahoo Sports
• Minnesota Vikings bio
• Eastern Illinois Panthers bio