Check out our series highlighting 2022 new player signings for the Houston Texans.
Get to know DB Kendall Sheffield, acquired via waivers May 17, 2022.
Full name: Kendall Sheffield
Position: Defensive back
Height/Weight: 5-10, 212
Hometown: Missouri City, Texas
School: Ohio State
- Drafted by Atlanta in the fourth round (111th overall) of the 2019 NFL Draft, Sheffield played three seasons (2019-21) with the Falcons. He appeared in 38 games with 20 starts and recorded 97 tackles (69 solo), six passes defensed and one forced fumble.
- As a rookie, Sheffield also forced a fumble on special teams against the Philadelphia Eagles on Sept. 15, 2019.
- Sheffield grew up in Missouri City, Texas and attended Thurgood Marshall High School. In track and field, he won the 2014 Texas state 5A 110-meter and 300-meter hurdles championships and repeated as 110-meter champion in 2015.
- In football, Sheffield was an all-USA first-team selection by USA Today and a first-team Associated Press Texas 5A all-state selection in 2014. Sheffield signed with Alabama and then redshirted the 2015 season with the Crimson Tide before transferring to Blinn College in Brenham, Texas.
- Rated the No. 1 cornerback coming out of junior college by ESPN, Rivals and 247Sports, Blinn played defensive back and scored touchdowns on both punt and kickoff returns for Blinn in 2016.
- After his stint with Blinn, Sheffield played two seasons (2017-18) with the Buckeyes. He earned 2018 All-Big Ten honorable mention honors after recording a team-high 10 passes defensed and finishing with 34 tackles (26 solo), two tackles for loss, two interceptions and one forced fumble in 14 starts at cornerback.
- In 2018, Sheffield was named fastest player in college football by NFL.com after breaking the Ohio State track and field school record in the 60-meter dash with a time of 6.663. The previous record had stood for 23 years.
