| Intro | American football offensive lineman |
| Is | American football player |
| From | Cameroon |
| Type | Sports |
| Gender | male |
| Birth |
21 July 1993, Cameroon |
| Age | 27 years |
Cyrus Berenice Kouandjio (/ˈkwɑːndʒoʊ/ KWAHN-joh) (born July 21, 1993) is a Cameroon-born American football offensive tackle for the Buffalo Bills of the National Football League (NFL). He was drafted by the Bills in the second round of the 2014 NFL Draft. He played college football at Alabama.
High school career
Kouandjio attended DeMatha Catholic High School in Hyattsville, Maryland. He competed in the 2011 Under Armour All-America Game. Kouandjio, a five-star and consensus top offensive line prospect in the nation by Rivals.com, ESPN, Scout.com, and SuperPrep, received offers from over sixty schools, including: Alabama, Auburn, New Mexico, USC, and Iowa. He was the fourth-ranked prospect in the recruiting class of 2011.
On National Signing Day, Kouandjio announced on ESPNU that he would attend Auburn University. Later that day it was reported that he had second thoughts about his choice and was still undecided. Then on February 5, 2011, three days later, Kouandjio’s brother Arie announced on his Twitter account that Cyrus would attend the University of Alabama.
College career
In 2011, Kouandjio contributed as a true freshman, playing in eight games until a knee injury in the second half against Tennessee ended his season.
In 2012, Kouandjio started all 14 games at left tackle. He had the least number of career starts on the Alabama offensive line in 2012. In the 2013 BCS National Championship Game against Notre Dame, Alabama repeatedly ran to the left behind Kouandjio, contributing to 265 net yards rushing and 5.9 yards per rush. On Alabama’s third drive Kouandjio pancake blocked Notre Dame defensive end Sheldon Day. Kouandjio ended the 2012 season ranked as the top offensive tackle from the 2011 recruiting class.
As a junior in 2013, Kouandjio was a first-team All-Southeastern Conference (SEC) selection. After the season he entered the 2014 NFL Draft.
Professional career
As early as April 2013, Kouandjio was projected as one of the top selections in the 2014 NFL Draft.
| Ht | Wt | Arm length | Hand size | 40-yd dash | 10-yd split | 20-yd split | 20-ss | 3-cone | Vert | Broad | BP | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 ft 6¾ in | 322 lb | 35⅝ in | 10¼ in | 5.59 s | 1.93 s | 3.19 s | 4.84 s | 7.71 s | 27½ in | 8 ft 0 in | 21 reps | ||||||||
| All values from NFL Combine | |||||||||||||||||||
He was drafted by the Buffalo Bills in the second round of the 2014 NFL Draft. He became the fifth Alabama offensive linemen selected in the first two rounds in six years, after Andre Smith, James Carpenter, Chance Warmack, and D. J. Fluker.
Kouandjio suffered an ankle injury near the start of the 2016 season, causing him to miss multiple weeks. He went on to play 12 games with five starts in 2016.
On January 26, 2017, Kouandijo suffered a non-football hip injury after falling in his home and underwent surgery. He is expected to be ready for training camp.
Personal Life
Kouandjio’s older brother, Arie, played at Alabama and plays offensive guard for the Washington Redskins. Cyrus is married to his college girlfriend, Elizabeth Van Zandt who was also an athlete at the University of Alabama. .