Kilian Zierer (born February 24, 2000) is a German professional American football offensive tackle for the Houston Texans of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the College of the Canyons Cougars and Auburn Tigers.
| No. 66 – Houston Texans | |
|---|---|
| Position: | Offensive tackle |
| Personal information | |
| Born: | February 24, 2000 Munich, Bavaria, Germany |
| Height: | 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) |
| Weight: | 312 lb (142 kg) |
| Career information | |
| College: | College of the Canyons (2018–2019) Auburn (2020–2022) |
| CFL draft: | 2023G / round: 2 / pick: 11 (by Edmonton Elks) |
| Undrafted: | 2023 |
| Career history | |
| |
| * Offseason and/or practice squad member only | |
| Roster status: | Practice squad/international |
| Stats at Pro Football Reference | |
Early life
editZierer was born on February 24, 2000, in Munich, Bavaria, Germany.[1] He played soccer growing up before first watching American football on a visit to the U.S. at age 15.[2] He decided to try out the sport at age 16, joining the Munich Cowboys and playing two seasons for their under-19 squad as a tight end and wide receiver.[3] He then moved to the offensive line and played a season with the Allgäu Comets.[4]
College career
editAfter being offered an opportunity, Zierer choose to play college football in the U.S. for the College of the Canyons Cougars in 2018.[5] In his first year, he was named all-conference at left tackle and helped the Cougars compile a record of 10–0 while being the champions of the SCFA National Division, Northern League.[6][7] He became highly recruited afterwards and was ranked the best junior college recruit at his position by Rivals.com.[8] He repeated as a all-conference left tackle and helped the Cougars win a second straight SCFA National Division, Northern League title.[7]
Zierer committed to the Auburn Tigers.[6] He had suffered a torn ACL towards the end of his second junior college season which resulted in him sitting out the 2020 season with Auburn.[5] He began the 2021 season as a backup but eventually saw action as a starter.[9] He ended the season with nine games played.[5] He then started all 12 games as a senior in 2022.[10] He was invited to the 2023 East–West Shrine Bowl.[7]
Professional career
edit| Height | Weight | Arm length | Hand span | 40-yard dash | 10-yard split | 20-yard split | 20-yard shuttle | Three-cone drill | Vertical jump | Broad jump | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 ft 7+1⁄4 in (2.01 m) |
307 lb (139 kg) |
34+1⁄4 in (0.87 m) |
10+1⁄4 in (0.26 m) |
5.21 s | 1.82 s | 2.91 s | 4.67 s | 7.78 s | 27 in (0.69 m) |
8 ft 7 in (2.62 m) | ||
| All values from Pro Day[11] | ||||||||||||
After going unselected in the 2023 NFL draft, Zierer signed with the Houston Texans as an undrafted free agent.[7] He was also selected in the second round (11th overall) of the 2023 CFL global draft by the Edmonton Elks.[12] Although he performed well in training camp for the Texans, he suffered a sprained ankle in preseason and was placed on season-ending injured reserve on August 24, 2023.[13]
On April 18, 2024, Zierer was designated as the Texans' exempt/international player[a] for the 2024 season as part of the International Player Pathway Program (IPPP).[14] He was waived on August 27, and re-signed to the practice squad.[15][16]
Notes
editReferences
edit- ^ "Kilian Zierer Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Draft, College". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved July 11, 2024.
- ^ Murphy, Mark (March 23, 2023). "The chase continues as Zierer looks to impress NFL scouts". 247Sports.
- ^ Lovi, Dan (September 20, 2018). "COC football adds international players: Part One". The Santa Clarita Valley Signal.
- ^ "NFL: Houston Texans sign German OL Kilian Zierer". American Football International. May 1, 2023.
- ^ a b c Green, Tom (April 5, 2022). "Kilian Zierer is Auburn's 'best pass protector,' but will he earn starting job at left tackle?". AL.com.
- ^ a b Sawyer, Haley (July 22, 2019). "COC lineman Kilian Zierer commits to Auburn". The Santa Clarita Valley Signal.
- ^ a b c d "Former Cougar Kilian Zierer Signs with Houston Texans". College of the Canyons Cougars. May 1, 2023.
- ^ Williams, Charean (April 18, 2024). "Texans place OL Kilian Zierern on the international/exempt list". ProFootballTalk. NBC Sports.
- ^ Hill, Jordan D. (October 28, 2021). "Auburn offensive tackle Kilian Zierer's first start could open the door for even more". Opelika-Auburn News.
- ^ "NFL Draft Profile: Kilian Zierer, Offensive Lineman, Auburn Tigers". Sports Illustrated. February 9, 2023.
- ^ "2023 NFL Draft Scout Kilian Zierer College Football Profile". DraftScout.com. Retrieved May 17, 2024.
- ^ Swane, Brian (May 2, 2023). "Elks Make Pair of Selections in CFL Global Draft". Edmonton Elks.
- ^ Wilson, Aaron (August 24, 2023). "Source: Texans placing rookie Kilian Zierer on injured reserve". KPRC-TV.
- ^ a b Comeaux, Jonathan (April 18, 2024). "Texans Place OT Kilian Zierer On Exempt/International List". NFLTradeRumors.co.
- ^ "Houston Texans Transactions (08-27-2024)". HoustonTexans.com. August 27, 2024.
- ^ "Houston Texans Transactions (08-28-2024)". HoustonTexans.com. August 28, 2024.