QUICK HITTERS
Height: 6'4"
Weight: 278
Born: November 17, 1978, Larchwood, Iowa (pop. 788)
High School: West Lyon, Inwood, Iowa
College: Nebraska Cornhusker
NFL: 9 Seasons
Pro Bowls: 2005, 2007
*Married to Lindsey Vanden Bosch, with three children, a daughter and twin boys.
NFL
A second-round draft (34th overall) choice, KVB spent his first four NFL seasons with the Arizona Cardinals (01-04), with two of those seasons shortened due to ACL injuries – one on each knee. Since signing with the Tennessee Titans as an unrestricted free agent in Spring '05, KVB has become one of the most feared defensive ends in the NFL. KVB is well liked and respected by his peers, too, earning two Pro Bowl invitations. Titans fans are in love with KVB, and KVB bleeds Titans blue. He is a leader in the locker room, on the field, and in the greater Nashville community.
A hard worker who shows relentless effort on the field, KVB has a team-high 35.5 sacks since joining the team and has led the team’s defensive linemen in tackles in three of his four seasons. He gutted out an injury-plagued '08 season, missing six games with a nagging groin injury. Yet, he finished fourth on the team with 18 quarterback pressures and recorded 4.5 sacks, three forced fumbles, and two fumble recoveries in 10 games. KVB is fully recovered and he showed his All-Pro self in the Titans' '09 exhibition games already. He looked so good in his throwback AFL uniform!
In '07, KVB was named as a starter at defensive end in his second career Pro Bowl after leading the team and finishing sixth in the AFC with 12 sacks. He racked up 115 tackles and was a team captain. In '06, he led the Titans with 6.5 sacks, while setting a career high 118 tackles. He added a career-high 30 quarterback pressures, four tackles for loss and one forced fumble. His 118 tackles made up the fourth-highest total by a Titans defensive lineman since 1980 (27 seasons), and his 30 quarterback pressures were the most by a Titans player since Kevin Carter recorded 33 in 2002. In '05, KVB finished second in the AFC and fourth in the NFL with 12.5 sacks and totaled 100 tackles. His sack total was the most by a member of the team since Jevon Kearse’s 14.5 in 1999, and he became the first defensive lineman for the team since 1986 (Ray Childress and Richard Byrd) to post 100 tackles in a season. He was named to his first career Pro Bowl following the season.
KVB is Mr. Titan through and through.
COLLEGE
KVB went from the tip of Northwest Iowa down to Lincoln, Nebraska for college. KVB started final 23 games at Nebraska, closing career with 142 total tackles, 13 sacks, 34 tackles for loss, and 46 quarterback pressures. As senior, he was First-team All-Big 12 Conference. He also was Academic All-Big 12 for the third consecutive year. He set Nebraska single-season record with three blocked kicks—two field-goal attempts and one point-after-touchdown try as sophomore. KVB was also a three-time Nebraska weight lifter-of-the-year (1998–2000). A true student-athlete, KVB graduated with 3.82 grade-point average and bachelor’s degree in finance in December 2000. KVB received the prestigious Vincent dePaul Draddy Trophy, awarded by the National Football Foundation, given to the American college football player with the best combination of academics, community service, and on-field performance. In other words, KVB won the 2000 "Academic Heisman". He typifies what it is to be a "Cornhusker".
HIGH SCHOOL
KVB went to high school (4.0 GPA and National Honor Society) at West Lyon High School of rural Inwood, Iowa, earning High School All-American honors, as well as the USA Today/Gatorade player-of-the-year for Iowa and Midwest Region. He started three years at fullback and four at defensive end at West Lyon. As senior, rushed 136 times for 812 yards, scored 18 touchdowns, recorded 83 tackles, 14 sacks, and one INT, and set school’s scoring record with 264 career points. Can you imagine KVB in the Titans backfield for those short yardage situations?