Kimo von Oelhoffen
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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| Free Agent — No. | |
| Defensive tackle | |
| Date of birth: January 30, 1971 | |
| Place of birth: Kaunakakai, Hawaii | |
| Height: 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) | Weight: 299 lb (136 kg) |
| National Football League debut | |
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| 1994 for the Cincinnati Bengals | |
| Career history | |
| College: Boise State | |
| NFL Draft: 1994 / Round: 6 / Pick: 162 | |
Teams:
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| Career highlights and awards | |
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| Stats at NFL.com | |
Kimo K. von Oelhoffen (pronounced /KEE-moe von OHL-hawf-fen/) (born January 30, 1971 in Kaunakakai, Hawaii) is an American football defensive tackle who is a free agent of the NFL. He is of German, Hawaiian, and Portuguese decent.
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[edit] Career
Von Oelhoffen graduated from Moloka'i High School which did not have a football team. He had never played competitive football until attending the University of Hawaii.
Von Oelhoffen started player at the University of Hawaii, transferring to Walla Walla Junior College the next year and finally settling at Boise State University. He suffered a number of injuries in college that slowed his development including a stress fracture in is foot in 1992 and a sprained ankle in 1993. [1]
The Cincinnati Bengals selected Von Oelhoffen with the first pick of the sixth round of the 1994 NFL Draft. In his first three seasons, he was largely a reserve, moving into the starting lineup in 1997. The next season, Von Oelhoffen became a mainstay of the defensive line, starting every game and finishing second in tackles among defensive linemen.
After a strong 1999 season, where he recorded 24 tackles and four sacks, he signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers as an unrestricted free agent on a four-year $11 million contract. [2] Pittsburgh initially inserted him as the starting nose tackle and converted him to defensive end. Von Oelhoffen would start all but one game from 2000-2006. He won a Super Bowl ring in 2006 in his final season as a Steeler. [3]
For the 2006 season, Von Oelhoffen signed with the New York Jets on a three-year $9.2 million deal. He spent one season with the Jets, viewed somewhat as a disappointment given his $3.2 million signing bonus. [4]
After being released by the Jets in training camp. Von Oelhoffen signed a one-year deal with the Philadelphia Eagles.
[edit] Carson Palmer's injury
During the 2005 Wildcard Playoff game against Cincinnati, Von Oelhoffen collided with Bengals quarterback Carson Palmer's left knee while being blocked by Eric Steinbach. [5] The injury to Palmer was severe, including damage to his anterior cruciate ligament, medial collateral ligament, and posterior cruciate ligament.
Von Oelhoffen later apologized publicly for the hit. Though Palmer confirmed that von Oelhoffen never contacted him personally to apologize, Palmer forgave him stating that the injury was, "just part of the game."[6][7]
During the off-season, the NFL Rules Committee modified the rule regarding low hits on quarterbacks. The so-called "Kimo Clause" now requires that defenders take every opportunity to avoid hitting a quarterback at or below the knees when the quarterback is in a defenseless position looking to throw with both feet on the ground. [8]
[edit] References
- ^ Dave Reardon and B.J. Reyes, Kimo von Steeler, Star Billetin, 2/1/06
- ^ Pat Bigold, Steelers made Von Oelhoffen an offer he couldn’t refuse, Star Bulletin, 2/15/00
- ^ Pittsburgh Steelers Player Page, steelers.com, Accessed on 9/2/07
- ^ Dave hitchinson, Wadsworth Likely a Cut, Star Ledger, 9/1/07
- ^ Leonard Shapiro, The Steelers Carry On, Washington Post, 1/9/06
- ^ Von Oelhoffen offers apology after Palmer's injury, ESPN.com, 1/9/06
- ^ Graham Bensinger, Palmer has lofty expectations for 2006, ESPN.com Weekly Conversation, 1/15/06
- ^ Graham Bensinger, Palmer has lofty expectations for 2006, ESPN.com Weekly Conversation, 1/15/06
