Kyle Rudolph began to show that he belonged to the world of American football at the tender age of two. Born Kyle Daniel Rudolph on November 9, 1989, he now plays in the National Football League (NFL) for the Minnesota Vikings as a tight end. Rudolph was born in Cincinnati, Ohio to his parents – father, Dan Rudolph, who sells sporting items, and mother, Jamie Rudolph, who earned a living as a domestic worker.
He is not an only child but the oldest of three children. He has a brother named Casey and a sister named Kori. His sister is also an athlete and plays volleyball while his brother was born with a type of cancer called Neuroblastoma which he survived after he underwent a series of chemotherapy and also had his organs – kidney and adrenal gland – surgically removed.
He attended a popular high school in his hometown – Elder High School in Cincinnati, Ohio – where he was heavily involved in sports. He played both basketball and football and he excelled in both. Choosing to further his college education at Notre Dame, despite more juicy offers from Michigan, Virginia, Ohio State, and Tennessee, he became a standout college football star with the Fighting Irish team.
Kyle Rudolph Football Career
High School
At Elder High, Kyle Rudolph’s basketball prowess was evident for all to see. Playing as a center for the Panthers, he became the team’s second-highest scorer and set the record for most rebounds. He was named Conference Player of the Year three times among other records and recognition he amassed in his time with the team.
This was the story with the football team where he played as a tight end. He earned the first-team All-city and All-conference honors as a junior and was also named first-team All-American by USA Today as a senior. After his senior year in 2008, he also participated in the U.S. Army All-American Bowl hosted in Texas.
Rivals.com and Tom Lemming rated him the best tight end plus other excellent ratings, little wonder, football teams from different colleges all lined up to get him to enroll in their school and be part of their football program. In the end, he chose to attend the University of Notre Dame.
College
Rudolph started all 13 games of his freshman season, including the season opener against San Diego State and he was the first rookie to do so. He went on to have an impressive rookie season with the Fighting Irish. In his sophomore season, he started only 9 games while participating in 10 games in total due to an injury he sustained on his shoulder.
His junior season which started on a brilliant note, with Rudolph starting all first 6 games, was cut short as a result of a season-ending injury (hamstring). Having opted to skip his senior year for an attempt at professional football, he was up for the 2011 NFL Draft and was selected by the Minnesota Vikings in the second round (43rd overall) on January 4, 2011.
NFL Career – Minnesota Vikings
Even though Kyle Rudolph started in eight out of the fifteen games of his rookie season, his second season with the Vikings was a major year for him in terms of his performances and game time. His third season was cut short after just eight games due to an injury (foot) he sustained against the Dallas Cowboys. In 2014, the Vikings offered him a five-year contract extension that could be worth $36.5 million (which could go up to $40 million). This made him the fifth-highest-paid tight end in NFL history.
Family – Who is Kyle Rudolph’s Wife? Kids
Kyle Rudolph is married to Jordan Nine who he met as a college student at the University of Notre Dame in the midst of a progressing collegiate football career. They were introduced at a party when he was in his sophomore year and the interesting part is that Jordan’s last name was the same as the number on Rudolph’s football jersey in Notre Dame – Nine. They dated for five years and in 2016, Rudolph proposed in front of family and friends, and then months later, they were wedded at a picturesque beach in Los Cabos, Mexico.
The couple was blessed with a set of twin girls named Andersyn Kate and Finley Claire (also dubbed the Rudy Twins) on October 4, 2016. Jordan Rudolph is a graduate of St. Mary’s College where he majored in Communication studies. She owns and runs a blog called First Steps & First Downs, where she lets the public into her family life.
Kyle Rudolph Body Stats – Height, Weight
The Viking’s tight end is blessed with a good physique which he always tries to keep in shape with workouts and an appropriate diet. His available body stats are as follows:
Height: 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)
Weight: 120 kg (265 lbs)
Arm Length: 34 in
Hands: 103/4 in
