Kody Russey

BIOGRAPHY

Kody Ray Russey, born May 14, 1998, is an American football player recognized prominently for his position as Lineman. Born and raised in the streets of America, Russey’s journey in football began at a young age and later landed him into the world of professional football.

His college stint started in 2016 when he got enrolled at Louisiana Tech and begun his football career as a robust college player. However, Russey was not your regular college newbie. Rated as a three-star recruit by the renowned 247Sports, Kody signed with Louisiana Tech on February 3, 2016, marking an impressive start to his football expedition.

In 2016, Russey redshirted as a true freshman. However, the following year marked his launch into college football as he featured in all 13 games with 10 starts. His agility on the field did not go unnoticed as he was picked for the Conference USA all-freshman team — a testament to his prowess on the football pitch. Russey was once again the starting man for all 13 games in 2018. His performance was commendable and earned him an All-Conference USA honorable mention.

In the 2019 season, Kody continued his dominance in college football, starting every match out of the 13 games played. His accolades increased as he received another All-Conference USA honorable mention. The 2020 season saw Russey start all 10 games, a football year shortened by the COVID-19 outbreak.

Regardless of the turmoil, he proved his staying power, getting selected all-conference and to the C-USA Football All-Academic Team — a reflection of his academic and athletic balancing act. With the close of the fruitful season at Louisiana Tech, Kody felt the need for a change and consequently transferred to the University of Houston in 2021.

His final year was spent at Houston where he played all 14 games, holding down the fort at center and serving as the team’s captain. His contributions led to him being picked for the All-American Athletic Conference Second-Team — a massive achievement at the close of his college career.

In 2022, NFL Scouting Combine overlooked Kody, leading to him going undrafted in the 2022 NFL Draft. However, the New England Patriots recognized his potential, signing him as an undrafted free agent. Although he did not start in the Patriots’ preseason games, he played all of them and was later released at the final roster cuts.

Kody was re-signed to their practice squad but elevated to the active roster for games against the New York Jets and Indianapolis Colts in late 2021. He was then made a permanent member of the active roster but remained inactive for each game.

After a lukewarm spell, on August 29, 2023, Russey was waived by the Patriots, only to be re-signed to the practice squad. He, unfortunately, missed out on the team’s list of players signed to reserve/future contracts in 2024, leading to the expiration of his practice squad contract and his entry into the free agency.