 Paye with theMichigan Wolverines in 2018 | |||||||||||||
| No. 51 – Indianapolis Colts | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Position | Defensive end | ||||||||||||
| Roster status | Active | ||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||
| Born | (1998-11-19)19 November 1998 (age 27) Guinea | ||||||||||||
| Height | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) | ||||||||||||
| Weight | 265 lb (120 kg) | ||||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||||
| High school | Bishop Hendricken(Warwick, Rhode Island, U.S.) | ||||||||||||
| College | Michigan (2017–2020) | ||||||||||||
| NFL draft | 2021: 1st round, 21st overall pick | ||||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||||
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| Awards and highlights | |||||||||||||
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| Career NFL statistics as of 2024 | |||||||||||||
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Kwity Paye (/ˈkwɪtiˈpeɪ/KWIT-eePAY; born 19 November 1998) is a Liberian professionalAmerican footballdefensive end for theIndianapolis Colts of theNational Football League (NFL). He was born inGuinea as a refugee of theFirst Liberian Civil War and immigrated to the United States as a baby. Paye playedcollege football for theMichigan Wolverines and was selected by the Colts in the first round of the2021 NFL draft.
Paye was born on 19 November 1998, to aLiberianKrahn mother in arefugee camp inGuinea in the aftermath of theFirst Liberian Civil War.[1][2][3][4] His mother named him Kwity after his maternal grandfather, who was killed during the war, and brought him and his brother Komotay toProvidence, Rhode Island in the United States when he was six months old.[5][6]
He and his brother found an affinity forAmerican football growing up there, with Kwity later attendingBishop Hendricken High School inWarwick, Rhode Island.[5] Playingrunning back anddefensive end, he was named Rhode Island'sGatorade Football Player of the Year as a senior in 2016.[7] Paye originally committed to playcollege football at Boston College, but later switched to theUniversity of Michigan.[5][8]
As a true freshman at Michigan in 2017, Paye played in nine games and had five tackles and one sack. As a sophomore in 2018, he started four games and recorded 29 tackles and two sacks.[9] As a junior he started 11 games and finished with 50 tackles and 6.5 sacks.[10] Paye returned to Michigan for his senior year in 2020 but only played in four games due to the season being affected by theCOVID-19 pandemic.[11]
| Year | GP | Tackles | Fumbles | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Solo | Ast | Total | Loss | Sack | FR | FF | ||
| 2017 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 1.5 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 2018 | 10 | 21 | 6 | 27 | 5.5 | 2 | 0 | 1 |
| 2019 | 12 | 26 | 24 | 50 | 12.5 | 6.5 | 0 | 0 |
| 2020 | 4 | 12 | 4 | 16 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Career | 28 | 59 | 38 | 97 | 23.5 | 11.5 | 0 | 1 |
| Height | Weight | Arm length | Hand span | 40-yard dash | 10-yard split | 20-yard split | Three-cone drill | Vertical jump | Broad jump | Bench press | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 ft2+1⁄2 in (1.89 m) | 261 lb (118 kg) | 33 in (0.84 m) | 10 in (0.25 m) | 4.52 s | 1.54 s | 2.61 s | 6.37 s | 35.5 in (0.90 m) | 9 ft 10 in (3.00 m) | 36 reps | ||
| All values from Michigan'sPro Day[12][13][14][15] | ||||||||||||
Paye was selected by theIndianapolis Colts in the first round (21st overall) of the2021 NFL draft.[16] He signed his four-year rookie contract on 6 May 2021.[17] In his rookie season, he finished with four sacks, 32 total tackles (16 solo), one pass defended, and one forced fumble.[18] He was named to the PFWA All-Rookie Team.[19]
In the 2022 season, Paye appeared in 13 games. He finished with six sacks and 45 total tackles (32 solo).[20]
In 2023, Paye started 16 games, recording 52 tackles and finished second on the team with 8.5 sacks.[21][22]
In 2024, the Colts exercised the fifth-year option on Paye's rookie contract, extending him through the 2025 season.[23]