Kelvin Joseph Jr (born November 11, 1999) is an American professional

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...

cornerback A cornerback (CB) is a member of the defensive backfield or secondary in gridiron football. Cornerbacks cover Wide receiver, receivers most of the time, but also blitz and defend against such Play from scrimmage, offensive running plays as sweep ...

for the

DC Defenders The DC Defenders are a professional American football team based in Washington, D.C. The Defenders compete in the United Football League (2024), United Football League (UFL) as a member of the XFL Conference. The team was founded by Vince McMaho ...

of the United Football League (UFL). He was selected by the

Dallas Cowboys The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football team based in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The Cowboys compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. T ...

in the second round of the

2021 NFL draft The 2021 NFL draft was the 86th National Football League draft, the annual meeting of National Football League (NFL) franchises to select newly eligible players for the 2021 NFL season. The draft was held in Cleveland, Ohio from April 29 to May ...

. He played

college football College football is gridiron football that is played by teams of amateur Student athlete, student-athletes at universities and colleges. It was through collegiate competition that gridiron football American football in the United States, firs ...

LSU Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, commonly referred to as Louisiana State University (LSU), is an American Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Baton Rouge, Louis ...

and

Kentucky Kentucky (, ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north, West Virginia to the ...

Early life

Joseph grew up in

Baton Rouge, Louisiana Baton Rouge ( ; , ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of Louisiana. It had a population of 227,470 at the 2020 United States census, making it List of municipalities in Louisiana, Louisiana's second-m ...

, and attended

Scotlandville Magnet High School Scotlandville Magnet High School (SMHS) is a public high school in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, United States. Scotlandville High is part of the East Baton Rouge Parish Public Schools. The school serves the Scotlandville neighborhood of Baton Roug ...

. As a junior, he tallied 67 tackles, 3 interceptions (2 returned for touchdowns) and 12 pass breakups, while contributing to the team winning the 5A state title. He received All-District, District 4-5A Co-Defensive MVP, All-Metro and Class 5A All-state honors. As a senior, he had 113 tackles, 12 tackles for loss and three interceptions. He was named class 5A All-State and played in the

All-American Bowl The All-American Bowl was an annual postseason college football bowl game played at Legion Field in Birmingham, Alabama from 1977 to 1990. The game was known as the Hall of Fame Classic from 1977 to 1985. In 1986, the National Football Foundatio ...

. He scored a combined 13 touchdowns, from punts, kickoffs and interception returns over the course of his high school career. He also practiced

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appro ...

and was a teammate of

Javonte Smart Javonte Dedrick Smart (born June 3, 1999) is an American professional basketball player for the Osceola Magic of the NBA G League. He played college basketball for the LSU Tigers. High school career Smart attended Scotlandville Magnet High Sch ...

. Joseph committed to play

over offers from

Alabama Alabama ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Deep South, Deep Southern regions of the United States. It borders Tennessee to the north, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gu ...

Florida State Florida State University (FSU or Florida State) is a Public university, public research university in Tallahassee, Florida, United States. It is a senior member of the State University System of Florida and a preeminent university in the s ...

, Auburn, and

Florida Florida ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders the Gulf of Mexico to the west, Alabama to the northwest, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the north, the Atlantic ...

College career

As a true freshman, he played in 11 games, making 12 tackles and breaking up a pass. He had 4 tackles against the

University of Mississippi The University of Mississippi (Epithet, byname Ole Miss) is a Public university, public research university in University, near Oxford, Mississippi, United States, with a University of Mississippi Medical Center, medical center in Jackson, Miss ...

. He entered the transfer portal after being suspended from playing in the 2019 Fiesta Bowl for violating team rules, but later withdrew his name and participated in LSU's spring practices. Joseph re-entered the transfer portal in July 2019 and announced that he would be transferring to the

University of Kentucky The University of Kentucky (UK, UKY, or U of K) is a Public University, public Land-grant University, land-grant research university in Lexington, Kentucky, United States. Founded in 1865 by John Bryan Bowman as the Agricultural and Mechanical ...

the following month. Joseph sat out his sophomore year due to NCAA transfer rules. As a

redshirt Redshirt, Red Shirt, or Redshirts may refer to: Sports * Redshirt (college sports) Redshirt, in United States college athletics, is a delay or suspension of an athlete's participation in order to lengthen their period of eligibility. Typically ...

sophomore, he started in 9 games and was a part of a defense that had 5 players selected in the

. He recorded 9 starts, 25 tackles, a tackle for loss, one pass breakup and tied for second in the SEC with four interceptions in his only season of playing time with the Wildcats. He opted out of the last game left in the regular season, in order to focus on preparing for the

Professional career

Dallas Cowboys

Joseph was selected by the

in the second round (44th overall) of the

, after dropping because of character concerns. He signed his four-year rookie contract with Dallas on June 10, 2021. He missed most of the OTAs after contracting

COVID-19 Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. In January 2020, the disease spread worldwide, resulting in the COVID-19 pandemic. The symptoms of COVID‑19 can vary but often include fever ...

. He suffered a groin injury in the last preseason game against the

Jacksonville Jaguars The Jacksonville Jaguars are a professional American football team based in Jacksonville, Florida. The Jaguars compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division. The team ...

. He was placed on injured reserve on September 2, 2021, to start the season. He was activated on October 30. He spent most of the season playing on

special teams In American football, the specific role that a player takes on the field is referred to as their position. Under the modern rules of American football, both teams are allowed 11 players on the field at one time and have "unlimited free substitu ...

. He played his most defensive snaps in the fifteenth game against the

Washington Football Team The Washington Commanders are a professional American football team based in the Washington metropolitan area. The Commanders compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) East division. ...

. He started the last two games of the season. In the season finale against the

Philadelphia Eagles The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia. The Eagles compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. The team plays its ...

, quarterback

Gardner Minshew Gardner Flint Minshew II (born May 16, 1996) is an American professional American football, football quarterback for the Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League (NFL). He began his college football career with the Northwest Mississipp ...

threw the ball to the sideline, where Joseph anticipated to make a play on the ball, but it bounced off his hands into the air, only to be caught by wide receiver

DeVonta Smith DeVonta Smith ( ; born November 14, 1998) is an American professional football wide receiver for the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Alabama Crimson Tide, where he recorded over 1,800 ...

. He appeared in 10 games, collecting 13 tackles (one for loss), 2 pass breakups and 2

tackles. In 2022, he was expected to compete for a starting role against Anthony Brown, but finished instead as a core

player. He played a lot against the

Green Bay Packers The Green Bay Packers are a professional American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Packers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. They ar ...

, after Brown suffered a concussion and Jourdan Lewis was lost to injury in the previous contest. He entered in the third quarter of the twelfth game against the

Indianapolis Colts The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. The Colts compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division. Since the 2008 India ...

, in place of Brown who suffered a torn Achilles tendon, but Joseph allowed a touchdown catch. In the thirteenth game against the

Minnesota Vikings The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis. The Vikings compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. Founded in 1960 as ...

, he committed a pass interference penalty on his first play and left at halftime because he got sick. He started in the fourteenth game against the Jaguars, but gave up two touchdowns and was benched in favor of

Nahshon Wright Nahshon Wright ( ; born September 23, 1998) is an American professional football cornerback for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League ( NFL). He has previously played for the Minnesota Vikings and the Dallas Cowboys. He played col ...

. After playing 37 defensive snaps in that game, he played just two in the final 3 contests of the season. He fared much better as a gunner on

. In the NFC Divisional playoff round against the

San Francisco 49ers The San Francisco 49ers (also written as the San Francisco Forty-Niners and nicknamed the Niners) are a professional American football team based in the San Francisco Bay Area. The 49ers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member ...

, he forced Ray-Ray McCloud to fumble on a punt return early in the third quarter. He appeared in 16 games, registering 13 defensive tackles, two pass breakups, one forced fumble and 7

tackles (third on the team). In the 2023 preseason, Joseph was worked at the nickel corner and safety positions, behind second-year player

DaRon Bland DaRon Bland ( ; born July 12, 1999) is an American professional football cornerback for the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Sacramento State Hornets before transferring to the Fresno State ...

Miami Dolphins

On August 29, 2023, the Cowboys traded Joseph to the

Miami Dolphins The Miami Dolphins are a professional American football team based in the Miami metropolitan area. The Dolphins compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East division. The team ...

in exchange for former first round draft choice Noah Igbinoghene. He appeared in 4 games as a backup cornerback and had 2 tackles. Joseph was released on November 14.

Seattle Seahawks

On November 26, 2023, the

Seattle Seahawks The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle. The Seahawks compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC West, West division. The club entered the NFL a ...

signed Joseph to their practice squad. He was elevated to the active roster for the Week 16 game against the

Tennessee Titans The Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee. The Titans compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division. They play the ...

and had one tackle. He was released from the practice squad on January 15, 2024.

Kansas City Chiefs

On January 17, 2024, Joseph signed a reserve/future contract with the

Kansas City Chiefs The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Chiefs compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) West division. Established in 1959 ...

. On February 11, the Kansas City Chiefs defeated the

Super Bowl LVIII Super Bowl LVIII was an American football game played to determine the champion of the National Football League (NFL) for the 2023 NFL season, 2023 season. A rematch of Super Bowl LIV four years prior, the American Football Conference (AFC) 20 ...

and Joseph earned a ring. He was waived on August 26.

Indianapolis Colts

On September 10, 2024, the

signed Joseph to their practice squad, but released two weeks later. He re-signed with the Colts practice squad on October 1. He was released on October 29.

Minnesota Vikings

On December 4, 2024, Joseph was signed to the

practice squad. He was released on December 26.

DC Defenders

On February 24, 2025, Joseph signed with the

of the United Football League (UFL).

Personal life

Joseph has released rap records under the pseudonym "YKDV Bossman Fat". YKDV stands for "You Know Da Vibe". In April 2022,

Dallas police The Dallas Police Department, established in 1881, is the principal law enforcement agency serving the city of Dallas, Texas. Organization The department is headed by a chief of police who is appointed by the city manager who, in turn, is hir ...

announced that they were seeking to speak with Joseph as a "person of interest" in their investigation of a fatal shooting that had occurred in March. Video footage of an altercation at a nightclub in the city's Lower Greenville neighborhood that preceded the murder showed that one of the men involved was wearing a "YKDV" necklace. In an interview with the

Dallas Morning News ''The Dallas Morning News'' is a daily newspaper serving the Dallas–Fort Worth area of Texas, with an average print circulation in 2022 of 65,369. It was founded on October 1, 1885, by Alfred Horatio Belo as a satellite publication of the ' ...

on April 15, an attorney stated that Joseph was not the shooter but was a passenger in the vehicle from which the fatal shots were fired. A day after Joseph met with investigators, two men from his hometown of Baton Rouge were arrested in connection with the incident. On June 7, 2025, Joseph was arrested and charged with DWI and collision involving personal injury or death after he was involved with a fatal collision with a motorcycle.

References

External links

LSU Tigers bioKentucky Wildcats bio
{{DEFAULTSORT:Joseph, Kelvin 1999 births Living people Players of American football from Baton Rouge, Louisiana American football cornerbacks Kentucky Wildcats football players LSU Tigers football players Dallas Cowboys players Miami Dolphins players 21st-century African-American sportsmen Seattle Seahawks players Kansas City Chiefs players Indianapolis Colts players Minnesota Vikings players DC Defenders players