Drue Tranquill

Drue Tranquill's Biography

Drue Tranquill, a current linebacker for the Kansas City Chiefs in the National Football League, was born on August 15, 1995. Born in Fort Wayne, Indiana, Tranquill attended Carroll High School where he began carving out his football career. As a senior in high school, Tranquill demonstrated his early prowess in the game, making 75 tackles, four sacks, and 16 tackles-for-loss as a linebacker. Additionally, he showed his versatility by adding 1,420 yards and 28 touchdowns on 114 carries as a running back. Furthermore, Tranquill made 16 receptions for 348 yards and five touchdowns.

Emerging as a four-star recruit from high school, many major programs made offers to Tranquill, with a large percentage coming from the Big Ten Conference. Initially, Tranquill committed to attend Purdue University to play college football but decommitted and instead signed with the University of Notre Dame. Drue’s younger brother, Justin, also followed in his football steps and played safety for Western Michigan University.

At Notre Dame, Tranquill began his college football journey in 2014. As a true freshman, he played in 11 games, started three times, and recorded impressive stats like 33 tackles, one tackle for loss, an interception, a fumble recovery, and a blocked punt. However, his sophomore season was cut short due to a torn ACL he suffered while celebrating a pass breakup against Georgia Tech. As a result, he collected a medical redshirt for the 2015 season and was able to return to the field as a graduate student in the 2018 season.

Upon his return in 2016 as a junior, Tranquill started all 12 games for the Irish, earning 79 tackles, two tackles for loss, and an interception. His senior year in 2017 saw him start in all 13 games, during which he recorded 85 tackles, 10.5 tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, three fumble recoveries, four passes defended, an interception, and one forced fumble. After a successful season, Tranquill chose to return for a fifth year as a graduate student in Mechanical Engineering at Notre Dame for the 2018-19 season.

Upon finishing college, Tranquill entered the professional league and was picked by the Los Angeles Chargers in the fourth round of the 2019 NFL draft. With determination and unparalleled skills, he earned a position in the PFWA All-Rookie Team as a special teamer in 2019. In the following year, unfortunately, he sustained a broken ankle in the first week of the season, placing him on injured reserve.

Science his injury, Tranquill has continued to excel in his football career. In the wild card round of the 2022 season, he managed to intercept a tipped pass from Trevor Lawrence during a game with the Jacksonville Jaguars. Soon after that season, Tranquill moved to the Kansas City Chiefs, signing his contract with them on March 21, 2023. Tranquill made a significant impact in Super Bowl LVIII, participating in the Chiefs’ 25-22 victory over the San Francisco 49ers.

Signing a three-year, $19 million contract extension with the Chiefs in March 2024, Tranquill solidified his future with the team. Beyond his football achievements, Tranquill is known for his devout Christian faith, and he cherishes his role as a husband to his wife, Jackie, and father to their one son and two daughters. Exhibiting talent off the field, he took home the title for the Chess.com 2023 BlitzChamps II tournament, overtaking the previous champion, Chidobe Awuzie.