Eric Kendricks is a prominent American professional football linebacker known for his instinctive play, tackling prowess, and leadership on the field.
Born on February 29, 1992, in Fresno, California, Kendricks has carved out a distinguished career in the National Football League (NFL), following in the footsteps of his father, Marvin Kendricks, a former UCLA running back who played professionally in the Canadian Football League.
Raised primarily by his single mother, Yvonne Thagon, after his parents’ separation due to his father’s struggles with addiction, Eric grew up in a close-knit family that emphasized resilience, education, and athletic excellence.
He attended Herbert Hoover High School in Fresno, where he excelled in multiple sports, including football, basketball, and baseball, earning all-league honors and serving as team captain.
Kendricks went on to star at UCLA, where he set school records and earned national recognition before being drafted into the NFL.
Siblings
Eric’s older brother, Mychal Kendricks, born on September 28, 1990, is a former NFL linebacker who enjoyed a nine-year professional career after playing college football at the University of California, Berkeley.
Drafted in the second round by the Philadelphia Eagles in 2012, Mychal became known for his explosive athleticism and hard-hitting style, amassing over 500 tackles, 8.5 sacks, and three interceptions across stints with the Eagles, Seattle Seahawks, Cleveland Browns, Washington Football Team, Buffalo Bills, and Arizona Cardinals before retiring in 2022.
The brothers’ paths famously intersected in high-stakes games, including the 2018 NFC Championship where Mychal’s Eagles defeated Eric’s Vikings 38-7, a moment they later reflected on with pride despite the competitive rivalry.
Eric’s younger sister, Danielle Kendricks, completes the trio, though she has largely stayed out of the public eye.
Career
Selected by the Minnesota Vikings in the second round (45th overall) of the 2015 NFL Draft out of UCLA, Kendricks quickly established himself as a cornerstone of the Vikings’ defense under head coach Mike Zimmer.
In his rookie season, he exploded for 108 combined tackles, four sacks, and an interception returned 77 yards for a touchdown in his debut game against the Tennessee Titans, earning NFL Defensive Rookie of the Month honors for October and a spot on the Pro Football Writers of America’s All-Rookie Team.
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Over eight seasons with Minnesota (2015-2022), Kendricks became the emotional leader of the linebacker corps, consistently ranking among the league’s top tacklers with career highs of 143 combined tackles in 2021 and three interceptions that same year.
His tenure included pivotal playoff runs, such as the 2017 NFC Championship appearance where he faced off against his brother Mychal, and he signed a five-year, $52.5 million extension in 2018, underscoring his value to the franchise.
After being released by the Vikings in March 2023, Kendricks signed a one-year deal with the Los Angeles Chargers, where he reunited with Zimmer as defensive coordinator and posted 98 tackles in 13 games despite a hamstring injury.
In 2024, he joined the Dallas Cowboys on another one-year, $3 million contract, leading the team with 138 combined tackles, his highest total since 2021, while adding 3.0 sacks, two interceptions, three forced fumbles, and a fumble recovery across 17 games.
Now entering his 11th season in 2025 with the Cowboys, Kendricks has appeared in 147 games, accumulating 1,036 tackles, 21.5 sacks, nine interceptions (two returned for touchdowns), 57 passes defensed, five forced fumbles, and six recoveries.
Accolades
At the collegiate level, Kendricks capped his UCLA tenure in 2014 by winning the prestigious Butkus Award, recognizing him as the nation’s top collegiate linebacker, while also earning consensus All-American honors and setting a Bruins record with 410 career tackles.
Transitioning to the pros, Kendricks was named the NFL Defensive Rookie of the Month for October 2015 after a blistering start that included four sacks in three games.
He earned a Pro Football Writers of America All-Rookie Team selection that year and has since been selected to the Pro Bowl twice, in 2019 and 2021, when he led the league’s linebackers with three interceptions.
Kendricks was a finalist for the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award in 2020, an honor that celebrates on-field excellence paired with off-field community impact; he was nominated again by the Vikings that year for his leadership in the team’s Social Justice Committee following the George Floyd tragedy, where he advocated for police reform and racial equity initiatives.
In 2024 with the Cowboys, his league-leading tackle total for the team tied him for 13th in the NFL, further cementing his reputation as a tackling machine.
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