Kevin Dwayne Winston Jr. (born December 2, 2003) is an American football safety for the Penn State Nittany Lions.
 | |
| Penn State Nittany Lions – No. 2 | |
|---|---|
| Position | Safety |
| Class | Junior |
| Personal information | |
| Born: | December 2, 2003 Columbia, Maryland |
| Height | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) |
| Weight | 210 lb (95 kg) |
| Career history | |
| College |
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| High school | DeMatha Catholic (Hyattsville, Maryland) |
Early years
editKevin Winston Jr. attended middle school at Washington Jesuit Academy in Washington, D.C., where his father is the vice principal.[1][2] His father, Kevin Winston Sr. played football at James Madison University for four seasons, winning a National Championship in 2004.[3][4] Winston Jr. attended DeMatha Catholic High School in Hyattsville, Maryland. As a senior in 2021, he was named the All-Met Defensive Player Player of the Year by The Washington Post after recording 50 tackles, three interceptions and a fumble recovery for a touchdown.[5] He committed to Penn State University to play college football.[6][7]
College career
editAs a true freshman at Penn State in 2022, Winston Jr. played in 12 games and had 16 tackles.[8] As a sophomore in 2023, he started 13 games and had 61 tackles and an interception.[9][10] After the season, Winston was awarded All-Big Ten honorable mention laurels.[4] He was named Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week for week one of the 2024 season following his performance against West Virginia. [11] That same week, he was selected for the Chuck Bednarik Player of the Week Award. [12] Winston Jr. was injured in his second game of the season against Bowling Green. Head coach James Franklin said he would be out for an extended period of time due to a long-term injury.[13]
Winston Jr. plans on majoring in criminal justice at Penn State.[4]
On December 12, 2024, Winston declared for the 2025 NFL draft.[14]
References
edit- ^ Sinclair, Kevin. "Details on Notre Dame S Recruit Kevin Winston Jr". 247 Sports. Retrieved June 10, 2024.
- ^ "Our Faculty & Staff". Washington Jesuit Academy. Retrieved June 10, 2024.
- ^ "FCS Football Championship History". NCAA. Retrieved June 10, 2024.
- ^ a b c "Kevin Winston Jr. Biography". Pennsylvania State. Retrieved June 10, 2024.
- ^ Gallen, Daniel (December 15, 2021). "4-star Kevin Winston Jr. picks up prestigious honor before signing with Penn State". The Patriot-News.
- ^ Sauber, Jon (July 31, 2021). "Penn State football adds its third commitment in six days with safety Kevin Winston". Centre Daily Times.
- ^ Hockensmith, Dustin (August 2, 2021). "What's Penn State getting in 3-star recruit KJ Winston? A high-IQ safety equipped to defend the run and pass". The Patriot-News.
- ^ Flounders, Bob (July 14, 2023). "How good can a rangy second-year safety be in 2023?". The Progress News. Archived from the original on January 20, 2024.
- ^ Collins, Donnie (September 28, 2023). "Winston trying to be himself in starting role for Penn State". The Times Tribune.
- ^ Flounders, Bob (December 19, 2023). "KJ Winston's impressive November could mean big things for Penn State's defense in the Peach Bowl". The Patriot-News.
- ^ Knuppel, Rodney (September 6, 2024). "Big Ten Conference Defensive Player of the Week award goes to Kevin Winston Jr". USA Today.
- ^ Mantz, Tyler (September 3, 2024). "Penn State safety Kevin Winston Jr. earns Chuck Bednarik Defensive Player of the Week Award". The Daily Collegian.
- ^ Mcguire, Kevin (September 19, 2024). "Kevin Winston Jr. sidelined with 'long-term injury'". Yahoo Sports. Retrieved November 28, 2024.
- ^ "Penn State S Kevin Winston Jr. declares for NFL Draft". nbcsports.com. Retrieved December 12, 2024.