Kayvon Thibodeaux

Born on December 15, 2000, in South Los Angeles, California, Kayvon Thibodeaux quickly rose through the ranks of Football. He attended Susan Miller Dorsey High School for two years before transferring to Oaks Christian School in 2017. During his senior season in 2018, he earned the prestigious High School Football Defensive Player of the Year award from USA Today, recording 18 sacks and 54 tackles. Across his high school career, Thibodeaux compiled 152 total tackles, 54 sacks, and eight forced fumbles, solidifying his reputation as a top-tier recruit. He committed to playing college football at the University of Oregon.

At the University of Oregon, Thibodeaux continued to excel. In 2019, he was honored as the Pac-12 Defensive Freshman of the Year. The following year, an abbreviated season due to the pandemic, saw him win the Morris Trophy for defense and earn first-team All-Pac-12 recognition. He also secured MVP honors in the 2020 Pac-12 Football Championship Game. Despite battling a sprained ankle in his junior year, he recorded seven sacks and was unanimously voted to the 2021 College Football All-America Team. After a standout collegiate career, Thibodeaux declared for the 2022 NFL Draft.

Thibodeaux was drafted as the fifth overall pick by the New York Giants in the 2022 NFL Draft. His rookie season included a notable performance in Week 15 against the Washington Commanders, where he was named NFC Defensive Player of the Week for a game-changing strip-sack, fumble recovery, and his first career touchdown. In his second season in 2023, he led the Giants with 11.5 sacks and recorded three forced fumbles, demonstrating consistent achievement at the professional level. He became the first Giant to achieve double-digit sacks since 2020. In 2025, the Giants exercised the fifth-year option on his contract, reflecting his importance to the team.