Kaevon Merriweather
{{Short description|American football player (born 1999)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2025}}
{{Infobox NFL biography
| name = Kaevon Merriweather
| image =
| image_size =
| alt =
| caption =
| current_team = Tampa Bay Buccaneers
| number = 26
| position = Safety
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1999|12|20}}
| birth_place = Belleville, Michigan, U.S.
| death_date =
| death_place =
| height_ft = 6
| height_in = 0
| weight_lb = 212
| high_school = Belleville
| college = Iowa (2018–2022)
| undraftedyear = 2023
| pastteams =
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers ({{NFL Year|2023|2024}})
- Detroit Lions ({{NFL Year|2024}})*
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers ({{NFL Year|2024}}–present)
| status = Active
| highlights =
| statseason = 2024
| statweek =
| statlabel1 = Total tackles
| statvalue1 = 38
| statlabel2 = Sacks
| statvalue2 = 1.0
| statlabel3 = Forced fumbles
| statvalue3 =
| statlabel4 = Fumble recoveries
| statvalue4 = 1
| statlabel5 = Pass deflections
| statvalue5 = 2
| statlabel6 = Interceptions
| statvalue6 =
| statlabel7 = Defensive touchdowns
| statvalue7 =
| pfr = MerrKa00
}}
Kaevon Merriweather (born December 20, 1999) is an American professional football safety for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Iowa Hawkeyes and was signed by the Buccaneers as an undrafted free agent after the 2023 NFL draft.
Early life
Merriweather attended Romulus Senior High School in Romulus, Michigan before transferring to Belleville High School in Belleville, Michigan for his senior year. He starred in basketball in high school, receiving several offers to play basketball before committing to playing football in high school.{{Cite web |last=Batterson |first=Steve |date=September 30, 2022 |title=Merriweather now a lover of football after years of feeding basketball passion |url=https://globegazette.com/sports/college/football/merriweather-now-a-lover-of-football-after-years-of-feeding-basketball-passion/article_161403bd-661e-5e3e-ac09-6de7618dca7d.html |access-date=July 3, 2024 |website=Globe Gazette |language=en}}{{cite web | last=Johnson | first=Jeff | title=Kaevon Merriweather goes from D-I basketball recruit to competing for Iowa's starting free-safety spot | website=The Gazette | date=August 20, 2019 | url=https://www.thegazette.com/hawkeye-football/kaevon-merriweather-goes-from-d-i-basketball-recruit-to-competing-for-iowas-starting-free-safety-sp/ | access-date=October 16, 2024}} He committed to the University of Iowa to play college football after being recruited by Iowa defensive coordinator and longtime defensive backs coach Phil Parker.[https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/1137951/2019/08/15/iowa-football-safety-kaevon-merriweather-detroit-high-school-basketball/ How Kaevon Merriweather went from MAC basketball hopeful to starting Iowa safety]
College career
Merriweather played in nine games as a true freshman at Iowa in 2018, and took a redshirt in 2019 after playing in two games in 2019. In 2020, he started five of nine games, recording 23 tackles. In 2021, he started seven of 14 games and had 42 tackles and an interception as part of a nationally elite defense. Merriweather returned to Iowa as a starter in 2022.[https://www.hawkcentral.com/story/sports/college/iowa/football/2022/09/29/how-iowa-football-kaevon-merriweather-became-leader-hawkeyes-kirk-ferentz-big-10/8090586001/ Leistikow: How Kaevon Merriweather became an impactful leader at an important time for Iowa football][https://qctimes.com/sports/college/football/merriweather-finds-a-home-with-hawkeyes/article_be853d69-3ba0-522e-bb75-50b1084114ee.html Merriweather finds a home with Hawkeyes][https://www.thegazette.com/iowa-football/kaevon-merriweather-is-another-great-gift-to-hawkeyes-from-michigan/ Kaevon Merriweather is another great gift to Hawkeyes from Michigan] He was named a first-team All-American by CBS Sports.[https://hawkeyeswire.usatoday.com/2022/12/06/iowa-hawkeyes-football-all-american-jack-campbell-kaevon-merriweather-tory-taylor/ Hawkeyes Jack Campbell, Kaevon Merriweather, Tory Taylor all named to CBS Sports' All-American teams]
Professional career
{{NFL predraft
| height ft = 6
| height in = 0
| weight = 205
| dash = 4.62
| ten split = 1.58
| twenty split = 2.57
| shuttle = 4.24
| cone drill = 7.14
| vertical = 35.5
| broad ft = 9
| broad in = 10
| bench = 17
| arm span = 31 7/8
| hand span = 9 1/4
| note = Sources:{{Cite web |title=Kaevon Merriweather Draft and Combine Prospect Profile |url=https://www.nfl.com/prospects/kaevon-merriweather/32004d45-5261-9548-c516-7bfed17bf102 |access-date=May 4, 2023 |website=NFL.com}}{{Cite web |title=2023 NFL Draft Scout Kaevon Merriweather College Football Profile |url=https://draftscout.com/dsprofile.php?PlayerId=1022721&DraftYear=2023 |access-date=May 4, 2023 |website=DraftScout.com}}
}}
=Tampa Bay Buccaneers=
Merriweather was signed by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as an undrafted free agent on May 12, 2023.{{Cite web |last=Smith, Scott |date=May 12, 2023 |title=Bucs Officially Announce 18 UDFA Signings |url=https://www.buccaneers.com/news/bucs-officially-announce-18-udfa-signings-2023 |website=Buccaneers.com}} On August 29, 2023, the Buccaneers announced that he had made the initial 53-man roster.{{Cite news |last=Smith |first=Scott |date=August 29, 2023 |title=Bucs Go Heavy on Front Seven in Initial 53-Man Roster |url=https://www.buccaneers.com/news/tampa-bay-buccaneers-53-man-roster-2023-nfl-season |access-date=August 30, 2023 |work=Buccaneers.com}}
On November 18, 2024, Merriweather was waived by the Buccaneers.{{cite web |title=Kaevon Merriweather News: Out in Tampa Bay |url=https://www.rotowire.com/football/headlines/kaevon-merriweather-news-out-in-tampa-bay-586590 |website=Rotowire |access-date=November 21, 2024}}
=Detroit Lions=
On November 20, 2024, Merriweather signed with the Detroit Lions practice squad.{{cite web |last1=Reisman |first1=Jeremy |title=Detroit Lions add safety to practice squad, cut another |url=https://www.prideofdetroit.com/2024/11/20/24301680/detroit-lions-add-safety-kaevon-merriweather-practice-squad-cut-erick-hallett |website=SB Nation |access-date=November 21, 2024}}
=Tampa Bay Buccaneers (second stint)=
On December 3, 2024, Merriweather was signed by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers off the Lions practice squad.{{cite web |last1=Smith |first1=Scott |title=Kaevon Merriweather Returns to Bolster Bucs' Injured Safety Group |url=https://www.buccaneers.com/news/kaevon-merriweather-returns-bolster-bucs-injured-safety-group |website=Buccaneers.com |access-date=December 4, 2024}}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- [https://www.buccaneers.com/team/players-roster/kaevon-merriweather/ Tampa Bay Buccaneers bio]
- [https://hawkeyesports.com/roster/kaevon-merriweather/ Iowa Hawkeyes bio]
{{Tampa Bay Buccaneers roster navbox}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Merriweather, Kaevon}}
Category:Players of American football from Wayne County, Michigan
Category:People from Belleville, Michigan
Category:American football safeties
Category:Iowa Hawkeyes football players
Category:Detroit Lions players