Yesterday for day 20 we took a look at a running back that owned the Conference U.S.A. while at Memphis. Now today for day 19, we’ll be highlighting a defensive lineman that was recently drafted out of Ann Arbor.
Kwity Paye was born overseas in Guinea in a refugee camp due to the First Liberian Civil War. He emigrated to America in 2004 to Providence, Rhode Island with his mother and brother.
He would go onto attend Bishop Hendricken High School in Warwick, Rhode Island and was named the states Gatorade Player of the Year in 2016. Paye was a standout running back and edge rusher along with a sprinter on the track team.
Paye decided to play for Michigan over Rutgers, Boston College, and BYU. As a true freshman, Paye appeared in two games and recorded four tackles and one sack.
The following season in 2018, Paye competed in ten games where he tallied twenty seven tackle along with two sacks and one forced fumble. The following season was when Paye began to breakout.
In 2019, Paye played in twelve games for the Wolverines where he racked up fifty total tackles and had his best season from a sack perspective where he totaled six and a half sacks. He was named Second Team BIG Ten.
2020 was the shortened Covid-19 season so Paye only played in four games but still put up solid numbers. He recorded sixteen tackles and two sacks. For his efforts, Paye earned his second, Second Team BIG Ten honors.
Paye was selected twenty first overall by the Indianapolis Colts in this years NFL Draft. He’ll have big shoes to fill as he steps in for Justin Houston who was signed over the summer by the Baltimore Ravens.
Tomorrow for day 18, we’ll take a deep dive into a forgotten star of the past ten years that tossed the pig skin in the state of Michigan.