Jayd Kirby

Position:
Linebacker
Height:
6-2
Weight:
222
Class:
Senior
Hometown:
Blooming Grove, Texas
High School:
Blooming Grove
Prev School:
Navarro College

CAREER HONORS
• 2017 Honorable Mention All-Big 12 (Coaches)
• 2017 Third Team All-Big 12 (Phil Steele)
• 2016-17 Second Team Academic All-Big 12

CAREER: A former community-college transfer who shined on special teams his first two years before starting every game as a senior at linebacker.... Played in 37 career games... Was part of a 2017 Senior Class that earned a four-year record of 32-20, advanced to four bowls and pick up two bowl victories.

2017: Started all 13 games at linebacker, leading the team and ranking eighth in the Big 12 with 99 tackles... Of his 99 stops, 76 were solo stops to rank sixth in school history and 12th nationally... Also led the team and tied for ninth in the Big 12 with 11.5 tackles for loss, while he had 4.0 sacks, four passes defended, three forced fumbles and a fumble recovery... Tied for fourth in the Big 12 in forced fumbles... Averaged 7.0 tackles over the first six games of the regular season with 2.5 TFLs and a sack before averaging 8.5 tackles per game and totaling 8.0 TFLs, 3.0 sacks, four passes defended, three forced fumbles and a fumble recovery in the final six games of the regular season... Tallied a career-high 4.0 TFLs at Kansas, the most by a Wildcat since 2015... Also had three forced fumbles against the Jayhawks, the most by a Wildcat since Darren Howard had three against Nebraska in 1999.

2016: Played in all 13 games, primarily on special teams as he totaled three tackles on kickoff coverage and blocked punts against Missouri State and Oklahoma State... Tied for fifth nationally in blocked kicks as he recorded the most blocked punts by a Wildcat since Courtney Herndon also had two in 2008... Recovered an onside kick in the season opener at Stanford... Named a Second Team Academic All-Big 12 performer.

2015: Played in 11 games, totaling eight special teams tackles – all coming on kickoff coverage... Set a season high with three tackles at UTSA, while he recovered a fumble on a kickoff against Louisiana Tech... Also had tackles against TCU, Texas, Baylor, Kansas and in the 2016 AutoZone Liberty Bowl against Arkansas.

COMMUNITY COLLEGE: Played one season at Navarro College under head coach Brian Mayper... Helped lead the Bulldogs to a 7-3 record and a No. 14 national ranking in the final NJCAA Poll... Earned First Team All-Southwest Junior College Football Conference (SWJCFC) honors after finishing the year with 70 tackles, 10 sacks, two fumble recoveries, two pass breakups and one forced fumble... Recorded a season-best 11 tackles and three sacks against Cisco, while he had two sacks apiece against Kilgore and Blinn... Came away with nine tackles, one sack and a forced fumble against Arkansas Baptist.

HIGH SCHOOL: Played for Blooming Grove under head coach Gary Grubbs... Earned All-District 6-2A honors as both a quarterback and safety during his junior and senior seasons.

PERSONAL: Jayd T Kirby was born May 28, 1995, in Bowdle, South Dakota... Son of Kevin and Lori Kirby... Obtained a degree in sociology/criminology from Kansas State in May 2017.