Kyries Hebert Y-ris EH-bare(born October 9, 1980) is an American former professional football player who was a

linebacker Linebacker (LB) is a playing position in gridiron football. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage and the defensive linemen. They are the "middle ground" of defenders, pl ...

and

safety Safety is the state of being "safe", the condition of being protected from harm or other danger. Safety can also refer to the control of recognized hazards in order to achieve an acceptable level of risk. Meanings There are two slightly di ...

. He was originally signed by the

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

as an

undrafted free agent In professional sports, a free agent is a player who is eligible to sign with other clubs or franchises; i.e., not under contract to any specific team. The term is also used in reference to a player who is under contract at present but who is a ...

in 2002. He played college football at Louisiana-Lafayette. In the NFL Hebert has been a member of the Houston Texans and

Cincinnati Bengals The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional American football team based in Cincinnati. The Bengals compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) North division. The club's home ...

. In the CFL he has also been a member

Winnipeg Blue Bombers The Winnipeg Blue Bombers are a professional Canadian football team based in Winnipeg, Manitoba. The Blue Bombers compete in the Canadian Football League (CFL) as a member club of the league's West Division (CFL), West division. They play their h ...

Hamilton Tiger-Cats The Hamilton Tiger-Cats are a professional Canadian football team based in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. They are currently members of the East Division of the Canadian Football League (CFL). The Tiger-Cats play their home games at Tim Hortons Fiel ...

, and

Montreal Alouettes The Montreal Alouettes (Canadian French, French: Les Alouettes de Montréal) are a professional Canadian football team based in Montreal, Quebec. Founded in 1946, the team has folded and been revived twice. The Alouettes compete in the Canadian F ...

Early years

Hebert attended Eunice High School in

Eunice, Louisiana Eunice is a city in Acadia and St. Landry parishes in the U.S. state of Louisiana. The 2010 census placed the population at 10,398, a decrease of 1,101, or 9.5 percent, from the 2000 tabulation of 11,499. The St. Landry Parish portion of Eunic ...

and was a letterman in football,

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular court, compete with the primary objective of shooting a basketball (approximately in diameter) through the defender's h ...

, and

track & field Track and field is a sport that includes athletic contests based on running, jumping, and throwing skills. The name is derived from where the sport takes place, a running track and a grass field for the throwing and some of the jumping eve ...

. In track & field, he set the school record in the high jump.

College career

He attended college in

Lafayette, Louisiana Lafayette (, ) is a city in the U.S. state of Louisiana, and the most populous city and parish seat of Lafayette Parish, located along the Vermilion River. It is Louisiana's fourth largest incorporated municipality by population and the 234 ...

where he was a standout

defensive back In gridiron football, defensive backs (DBs), also called the secondary, are the players on the defensive side of the ball who play farthest back from the line of scrimmage. They are distinguished from the other two sets of defensive players, the ...

for the

University of Louisiana at Lafayette The University of Louisiana at Lafayette (UL Lafayette, University of Louisiana, ULL, or UL) is a public research university in Lafayette, Louisiana. It has the largest enrollment within the nine-campus University of Louisiana System and the s ...

Ragin' Cajuns. In each of his three seasons between 1999 and 2001 he led the team in tackles made. He also played in every game during this period.

Professional career

Minnesota Vikings

In April 2002, Hebert signed with the

. He was released in September at the end of training camp.

Houston Texans

Hebert was signed by the Houston Texans and was on the active roster for their final game of the 2002 season. He was released by the Texans in 2003.

Ottawa Renegades

Hebert then moved up north to Canada where he played in the 2004 and 2005 seasons with the

Ottawa Renegades The Ottawa Renegades were a Canadian Football League franchise based in Ottawa, Ontario founded in 2002, six years after the storied Ottawa Rough Riders folded. After four seasons, the Renegades franchise was suspended indefinitely by the league ...

of the

Canadian Football League The Canadian Football League (CFL; french: Ligue canadienne de football—LCF) is a professional sports league in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football. The league consists of nine teams, each located in a ...

(CFL). He quickly became one of the most feared hitters and Special Teams players in the CFL. In December 2005, Hebert signed a controversial five-year contract with Ottawa that would have made him one of the highest paid defensive players in the CFL. However, the Ottawa organization folded, and it appeared that Hebert was going to become a free agent and eligible to pursue the NFL. Hebert played in 34 games for the Renegades, in 2 seasons with the club. Hebert had 122 tackles, 57 special teams tackles, 1 sack, 5 interceptions, 2 fumble recoveries and scored 3 defensive touchdowns.

Winnipeg Blue Bombers

In April 2006, the

claimed Hebert off waivers from Ottawa just as Hebert was about to sign a new contract with the

.https://calgaryherald.com/sports/football/cfl/Kyries+Hebert+chasing+championship+ring+with/6768562/story.html After appealing the claim with the CFL Players Association, Hebert agreed to a settlement contract for two years with Winnipeg. In the 2007 season, Hebert led defense helped Winnipeg reach the Grey Cup. He played 33 games for the Blue Bombers over 2 seasons and made 86 tackles, 45 special teams tackles, with 7 sacks, 3 interceptions and 3 fumble recoveries.

Cincinnati Bengals

On December 31, 2007, Hebert signed a two-year contract with the

. He was released by the Bengals on September 4, 2010.

Hamilton Tiger-Cats

On October 20, 2010, he signed with the

(CFL). He played in two games making 4 tackles. He was released during the following off-season on March 29, 2011.

Montreal Alouettes

On May 7, 2012, Hebert signed with the

(CFL). Hebert had strong

2012 File:2012 Events Collage V3.png, From left, clockwise: The passenger cruise ship Costa Concordia lies capsized after the Costa Concordia disaster; Damage to Casino Pier in Seaside Heights, New Jersey as a result of Hurricane Sandy; People gather ...

and

2013 CFL season The 2013 CFL season was the 60th season of modern-day Canadian football. Officially, it was the 56th season of the Canadian Football League. The pre-season began on June 12, 2013 and the regular season began on June 27, 2013. Regina, Saskatchewa ...

s with the Alouettes. He contributed 48 tackles, 27 special teams tackles, 3 sacks and 2 interceptions in 2012; good enough to make him a CFL All-Star at the safety position. His 2013 season was arguably even more impressive as he set a career-high in tackles and sacks with 68 and 9 respectively. Despite this he was not recognized as an All-Star. On February 10, 2014, one day before the start of free-agency, Hebert signed a 3-year contract with the Alouettes. On June 28, 2014, Hebert struck reigning Most Outstanding Player Jon Cornish with a brutal, illegal high tackle, resulting in Cornish sustaining a severe concussion. Hebert received the maximum fine for the hit while Cornish never fully regained his health, forcing him to retire at the end of the 2015 season due to the injury. Hebert missed half of the 2015 season with an ankle injury. Kyries Hebert played a full season in 2016 and set a career-high in tackles with 78. Hebert broke his 2016 record the following season, cracking the 100 tackle mark, finishing third in the league with 110. In September 2016, Hebert was fined for a hit to the head of Brendan Gillanders. On August 15, 2017, Hebert again received the maximum fine for an illegal hit on Argos QB, Cody Fajardo. After the Alouettes made a series of additions on defensive at the start of 2018 free agency Hebert, age 37 at the time, requested his release; which was granted by the Als on February 16, 2018.

Ottawa Redblacks

Only a couple hours after being released by the Alouettes Hebert signed with the

Ottawa Redblacks The Ottawa Redblacks (officially stylized as REDBLACKS) (French: Le Rouge et Noir d'Ottawa) are a professional Canadian football team based in Ottawa, Ontario. The team plays in the East Division of the Canadian Football League (CFL). Starting ...

(CFL). Hebert had played in Ottawa with the Renegades from

2004 2004 was designated as an International Year of Rice by the United Nations, and the International Year to Commemorate the Struggle Against Slavery and its Abolition (by UNESCO). Events January * January 3 – Flash Airlines Flight 60 ...

2005 File:2005 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: Hurricane Katrina in the Gulf of Mexico; the Funeral of Pope John Paul II is held in Vatican City; "Me at the zoo", the first video ever to be uploaded to YouTube; Eris (dwarf planet), Er ...

. On June 29, 2018, Hebert received a one-game suspension for a dangerous hit to the head of

Calgary Stampeders The Calgary Stampeders are a professional Canadian football team based in Calgary, Alberta. The Stampeders compete in the West Division of the Canadian Football League (CFL). The club plays its home games at McMahon Stadium and are the third ...

receiver

DaVaris Daniels DaVaris Daniels (born December 18, 1992) is a professional Canadian football wide receiver for the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League (CFL). He played college football at Notre Dame. After going undrafted in the 2015 NFL Draft ...

. Hebert was suspended again in early September 2018 after another dangerous hit, this time on Alouettes receiver

B.J. Cunningham Bryan Cunningham, Jr. (born May 29, 1989) is a Canadian football wide receiver who is currently a free agent. He was most recently a member of the Ottawa Redblacks of the Canadian Football League (CFL). He played college football for Michigan St ...

. He played 11 games for the Redblacks in 2018 and contributed with 51 tackles, two sacks and a forced fumble/recovery. Following the season in December 2018 the Redblacks informed Hebert that they would not be re-signing him, and that he would become a free agent in February 2019.

Philanthropy

On July 15, 2010 Kyries Hebert founded Ky Cares Foundation Inc. The mission of the foundation is to facilitate the relentless pursuit of success in the face of adversity so that youth may know that a person's circumstances do not dictate his or her destiny. They hold a yearly event where proceeds benefit struggling schools in Acadiana areas through

scholarship A scholarship is a form of financial aid awarded to students for further education. Generally, scholarships are awarded based on a set of criteria such as academic merit, diversity and inclusion, athletic skill, and financial need. Scholarsh ...

s and monetary donations. Past

celebrity Celebrity is a condition of fame and broad public recognition of a person or group as a result of the attention given to them by mass media. An individual may attain a celebrity status from having great wealth, their participation in sports ...

participants include

Terrell Owens Terrell Eldorado Owens (; born December 7, 1973), nicknamed T.O., is an American football wide receiver for the Knights of Degen of Fan Controlled Football (FCF). He previously played in the National Football League (NFL) for 15 seasons. Regar ...

and Roman Harper. Hebert was the

2013 File:2013 Events Collage V2.png, From left, clockwise: Edward Snowden becomes internationally famous for leaking classified NSA wiretapping information; Typhoon Haiyan kills over 6,000 in the Philippines and Southeast Asia; The Dhaka garment ...

recipient of the prestigious

Tom Pate Memorial Award Tom Pate Memorial Award, selected annually by the Canadian Football League Players' Association, is awarded to a player with outstanding sportsmanship and someone who has made a significant contribution to his team, his community and Association. Th ...

. This honor goes to the player who demonstrates "outstanding sportsmanship and someone who has made a significant contribution to his team, his community and Association."

References

External links

Montreal Alouettes bio

Official Site of Ky Cares FoundationCincinnati Bengals bioHamilton Tiger-Cats bio
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Hebert, Kyries 1980 births Living people American football linebackers American football safeties American football wide receivers American players of Canadian football Baltimore Ravens players Canadian football defensive backs Canadian football linebackers Cincinnati Bengals players Houston Texans players Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns football players Minnesota Vikings players Montreal Alouettes players Ottawa Renegades players People from Eunice, Louisiana Players of American football from Louisiana Tampa Bay Buccaneers players Winnipeg Blue Bombers players Ottawa Redblacks players Hamilton Tiger-Cats players