Mychal Kendricks Siblings: All About Chad, Danielle and Eric Kendricks
Former NFL player Mychal Kendricks PHOTO/Boston
Marvin Mychal-Christopher Kendricks, born on September 28, 1990, in Fresno, California, is a former professional American football linebacker who made a significant impact in the National Football League during his nine-year career.
He was renowned for his explosive speed, tackling prowess, and versatility on defense, traits that earned him comparisons to some of the league’s elite linebackers.
Raised in a challenging yet resilient family environment in Fresno, he attended Hoover High School, where he excelled in football, basketball, and baseball, showcasing his athletic versatility from a young age.
Kendricks went on to play college football at the University of California, Berkeley, for the Golden Bears, where he honed his skills as a standout defender before declaring for the NFL Draft.
Off the field, he has been an advocate for family unity and mental health, drawing from his personal experiences, and he briefly explored ventures like meditation and music production during his playing days.
Though retired from professional football as of 2020, Kendricks remains a celebrated figure in the sport, particularly for his role in one of the NFL’s most memorable championship runs.
Siblings
Mychal’s younger brother, Eric Kendricks, born on February 29, 1992, is also a professional linebacker who has carved out a distinguished NFL career, currently playing for the Minnesota Vikings after being selected in the second round of the 2015 draft out of UCLA.
The brothers, just 17 months apart, were inseparable growing up, often competing fiercely on the field, from youth leagues to high school at Hoover High, where they lined up side by side as linebackers, and even in college during a 2011 matchup between Cal and UCLA.
Their sibling rivalry extended to the pros, where they faced off multiple times, including in the 2018 NFC Championship Game.
Mychal’s younger sister, Danielle Kendricks, completes the trio of biological siblings; though she has largely stayed out of the public eye, she pursued higher education at Fresno State University and has been a constant source of emotional support for her brothers, often joining family gatherings during high-stakes games.
The family also includes an older stepbrother, Chad, from their mother Yvonne Thagon’s previous relationship, who played a protective role in the siblings’ early years.
Career
Kendricks’ professional journey began with promise when the Philadelphia Eagles selected him in the second round, 46th overall, of the 2012 NFL Draft, fresh off a stellar college tenure at Cal where he amassed 259 tackles, 13.5 sacks, and four interceptions over four seasons.
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Signing a four-year, $4.5 million contract, he quickly adapted to the pros, starting 14 of 16 games as a rookie and finishing with 75 tackles and one sack, establishing himself as a key piece in the Eagles’ linebacker corps.
His breakout came in 2013 under new head coach Chip Kelly, who shifted the defense to a 3-4 scheme; transitioning to inside linebacker, Kendricks erupted for 106 tackles, four sacks, three interceptions, and a league-high four fumble recoveries, showcasing his ball-hawking instincts and earning widespread recognition as one of the league’s most dynamic young defenders.
He extended his stay in Philadelphia with a five-year, $16.5 million deal in 2014, but inconsistencies in the defensive scheme and a trade request in 2016 led to his release after the 2017 season, during which he contributed to the Eagles’ Super Bowl-winning defense with 52 tackles and 1.5 sacks in 13 games.
Seeking a fresh start, Kendricks signed a one-year, $4 million pact with the Seattle Seahawks in September 2018, immediately bolstering their linebacker depth with three tackles and a sack in his debut against the Chicago Bears.
However, his tenure was derailed by an eight-game suspension later that year for insider trading charges, to which he pleaded guilty and paid a $100,000 fine; he returned midseason, adding 34 tackles and an interception over eight games.
In 2019, he re-signed with Seattle for another one-year deal, posting a career-best 71 tackles, three sacks, and an interception across 14 starts, proving his resilience amid the team’s playoff push.
Kendricks briefly joined the Cleveland Browns in 2019 before the suspension, then moved to the Washington Football Team in 2020 on a one-year contract, where injuries limited him to just one game and nine defensive snaps before an ACL tear ended his season.
Unable to secure a roster spot thereafter, he retired in 2021 at age 30, having played in 104 games with 548 total tackles, 19 sacks, four interceptions, and five fumble recoveries.
Accolades
Kendricks’ crowning accomplishment came as a key rotational player on the Philadelphia Eagles’ 2017 Super Bowl LII championship team, where his contributions in the postseason, including a crucial stop in the NFC Championship win over his brother Eric’s Vikings, helped secure the franchise’s first title in 63 years, earning him a coveted Super Bowl ring and a place in Eagles lore.
In college, he claimed the Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year honors in 2011 as a senior, capping a dominant campaign with 106 tackles, three sacks, and two interceptions that propelled Cal to a bowl berth and solidified his status as a second-round draft steal.
During his rookie 2012 season, Kendricks was named to the NFL All-Rookie Team by Pro Football Focus for his immediate starting role and 75-tackle output, a testament to his seamless transition from the collegiate to professional level.
His 2013 sophomore surge drew further accolades, including a Pro Football Writers of America All-Rookie honorable mention from the prior year evolving into broader praise as he led the league in fumble recoveries, while his career totals, 19 sacks, four interceptions, and five recoveries.
Off the field, Kendricks received the 2014 Ed Block Courage Award from the Eagles for his leadership and community work amid family challenges, and he was a nominee for the Walter Payton Man of the Year Award in 2016 for blending on-field excellence with philanthropy, including youth football camps in Fresno.
Though he never earned a Pro Bowl nod, his role in Seattle’s 2019 defense, which ranked top-five in points allowed.