Terrence Kiel
Encyclopedia
Terrence Dewayne Kiel was an American
safety in the National Football League
. He played his entire career for the San Diego Chargers
(2003–2006) after being drafted by them in the second round of the 2003 NFL Draft
. He played college football at Texas A&M
.
. As a senior at Lufkin High School
, he posted 115 tackles, five interceptions, and three recovered fumbles. He scored four returning touchdowns, including three on punt returns. He also blocked five kick attempts, including three PATs
. He received Class 5A all-state mention honors for his efforts.
at Texas A&M University
from 1999–2002. In his freshman year, he played in 11 games, posting nine tackles, including seven solo. As a sophomore, he started in 10 of 11 games, making 57 tackles (41 solo). He also defended six passes and tied for the team lead with his four interceptions. For that season, he received honorable mention All-Big 12 honors by the Associated Press
. As a junior, he started in all 12 games, posting 92 total tackles, including a team-high of 65 solo hits. He recorded one interception and broke five passes. He also had four games where he posted double-digit tackles. In his senior year, he received all-Big 12 honorable mention honors by the league's coaches and Associated Press after posting a team-high of 95 tackles. In the same season, he helped the team upset then-#1 Oklahoma
by intercepting the Sooners' final pass of the game.
. Over his four seasons with the Chargers, he played in 59 games and started
51. He posted 278 tackles, 2 sacks, 4 interceptions, and 2 forced fumbles. He was cut on March 1, 2007, and was declared a free agent
the following day.
incident at a southwest Houston
mall parking lot. The assailant, described as a man in his young teens or early 20s, fled the scene. None of Kiel's injuries were serious and he was shortly released by the hospital.
In September 2006, Kiel was arrested for multiple drug charges including possession, possession with the intent to sell, and transportation of a controlled substance
. Police came to the Chargers practice facility and arrested him. He was released after posting a $1,550,000 bond.
In January 2007, he was cited for publicly urinating outside a San Diego nightclub, but the city dropped the charge. In February 2007, he plea
ded guilty to felony
and misdemeanor
drug charges for shipping codeine-based cough syrup
to Texas
. He was released by the Chargers after his plea and was sentenced to three years of probation
. The felony charge was dropped after he volunteered for 175 hours and underwent counseling for gambling.
police reported that Kiel had died in a car crash. He was driving back home from a party thrown by Chargers player Stephen Cooper when his 2004 Chevrolet Monte Carlo
hit a wall and he was thrown from the car.
The autopsy report stated that Kiel died due to mechanical asphyxia
. His funeral was held in his hometown, Lufkin, Texas
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
safety in the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
. He played his entire career for the San Diego Chargers
San Diego Chargers
The San Diego Chargers are a professional American football team based in San Diego, California. they were members of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
(2003–2006) after being drafted by them in the second round of the 2003 NFL Draft
2003 NFL Draft
The 2003 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. The draft is known officially as the "NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting" and has been conducted annually since 1936. The draft was held April 26–27, 2003 at the Theatre at...
. He played college football at Texas A&M
Texas A&M Aggies football
The Texas A&M Aggies football team represents Texas A&M University in college football. The Aggies have competed in the Big 12 Conference since the conference's inception in 1996. They will join the Southeastern Conference in July 2012. Texas A&M football has earned one national title and 18...
.
Early years
Kiel was born in Lufkin, TexasLufkin, Texas
Lufkin is a city in Angelina County, Texas, United States. Founded in 1882, the population was 35,067 in 2010. It is the county seat of Angelina County, and is situated in Deep East Texas.-History:...
. As a senior at Lufkin High School
Lufkin High School
Lufkin High School is a public secondary school located in Angelina County, Texas . It serves the Lufkin area as part of the Lufkin Independent School District. The current Lufkin High School was formed in 1970 by consolidation of Lufkin High School and Dunbar High School, the formerly...
, he posted 115 tackles, five interceptions, and three recovered fumbles. He scored four returning touchdowns, including three on punt returns. He also blocked five kick attempts, including three PATs
Extra Point
Extra Point is a twice-daily, two-minute segment on ESPN Radio that covers generic sports-related topical news and opinion. The AM edition airs Monday through Saturday at various times between 6 a.m. and 10 a.m. ET, and the PM edition airs Monday through Friday between 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. ET...
. He received Class 5A all-state mention honors for his efforts.
College career
Kiel played college footballCollege football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
at Texas A&M University
Texas A&M University
Texas A&M University is a coeducational public research university located in College Station, Texas . It is the flagship institution of the Texas A&M University System. The sixth-largest university in the United States, A&M's enrollment for Fall 2011 was over 50,000 for the first time in school...
from 1999–2002. In his freshman year, he played in 11 games, posting nine tackles, including seven solo. As a sophomore, he started in 10 of 11 games, making 57 tackles (41 solo). He also defended six passes and tied for the team lead with his four interceptions. For that season, he received honorable mention All-Big 12 honors by the Associated Press
Associated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
. As a junior, he started in all 12 games, posting 92 total tackles, including a team-high of 65 solo hits. He recorded one interception and broke five passes. He also had four games where he posted double-digit tackles. In his senior year, he received all-Big 12 honorable mention honors by the league's coaches and Associated Press after posting a team-high of 95 tackles. In the same season, he helped the team upset then-#1 Oklahoma
Oklahoma Sooners football
The Oklahoma Sooners football program is a college football team that represents the University of Oklahoma . The team is currently a member of the Big 12 Conference, which is a Division I Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletic Association...
by intercepting the Sooners' final pass of the game.
Professional career
Kiel was selected by the Chargers with the 62nd overall pick, in the second round in the 2003 NFL Draft2003 NFL Draft
The 2003 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. The draft is known officially as the "NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting" and has been conducted annually since 1936. The draft was held April 26–27, 2003 at the Theatre at...
. Over his four seasons with the Chargers, he played in 59 games and started
Starting lineup
A starting lineup in sports is an official list of the set of players who will actively participate in the event when the game begins. The players in the starting lineup are commonly referred to as starters, whereas the others are substitutes or bench players.The starters are commonly the best...
51. He posted 278 tackles, 2 sacks, 4 interceptions, and 2 forced fumbles. He was cut on March 1, 2007, and was declared a free agent
Free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player whose contract with a team has expired and who is thus eligible to sign with another club or franchise....
the following day.
Off-the-field problems
In July 2003, Kiel was shot three times during an alleged attempted carjackingCarjacking
Carjacking is a form of hijacking, where the crime is of stealing a motor vehicle and so also armed assault when the vehicle is occupied. Historically, such as in the rash of semi-trailer truck hijackings during the 1960s, the general term hijacking was used for that type of vehicle abduction,...
incident at a southwest Houston
Houston, Texas
Houston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ...
mall parking lot. The assailant, described as a man in his young teens or early 20s, fled the scene. None of Kiel's injuries were serious and he was shortly released by the hospital.
In September 2006, Kiel was arrested for multiple drug charges including possession, possession with the intent to sell, and transportation of a controlled substance
Controlled substance
A controlled substance is generally a drug or chemical whose manufacture, possession, or use are regulated by a government. This may include illegal drugs and prescription medications ....
. Police came to the Chargers practice facility and arrested him. He was released after posting a $1,550,000 bond.
In January 2007, he was cited for publicly urinating outside a San Diego nightclub, but the city dropped the charge. In February 2007, he plea
Plea
In legal terms, a plea is simply an answer to a claim made by someone in a civil or criminal case under common law using the adversary system. Colloquially, a plea has come to mean the assertion by a criminal defendant at arraignment, or otherwise in response to a criminal charge, whether that...
ded guilty to felony
Felony
A felony is a serious crime in the common law countries. The term originates from English common law where felonies were originally crimes which involved the confiscation of a convicted person's land and goods; other crimes were called misdemeanors...
and misdemeanor
Misdemeanor
A misdemeanor is a "lesser" criminal act in many common law legal systems. Misdemeanors are generally punished much less severely than felonies, but theoretically more so than administrative infractions and regulatory offences...
drug charges for shipping codeine-based cough syrup
Purple drank
Purple drank is a slang term for a recreational drug popular in the hip hop community in the southern United States, originating in Houston, Texas. Its main ingredient is prescription-strength cough syrup containing codeine and promethazine. Cough syrup is typically mixed with ingredients such as...
to Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
. He was released by the Chargers after his plea and was sentenced to three years of probation
Probation
Probation literally means testing of behaviour or abilities. In a legal sense, an offender on probation is ordered to follow certain conditions set forth by the court, often under the supervision of a probation officer...
. The felony charge was dropped after he volunteered for 175 hours and underwent counseling for gambling.
Death
On July 4, 2008, San DiegoSan Diego, California
San Diego is the eighth-largest city in the United States and second-largest city in California. The city is located on the coast of the Pacific Ocean in Southern California, immediately adjacent to the Mexican border. The birthplace of California, San Diego is known for its mild year-round...
police reported that Kiel had died in a car crash. He was driving back home from a party thrown by Chargers player Stephen Cooper when his 2004 Chevrolet Monte Carlo
Chevrolet Monte Carlo
The Chevrolet Monte Carlo was an American-made two-door coupe introduced for model year 1970, and manufactured over six generations through model year 2007. It was marketed as a personal-luxury coupe through most of its history, with the last model version being classified as a full-sized coupe...
hit a wall and he was thrown from the car.
The autopsy report stated that Kiel died due to mechanical asphyxia
Asphyxia
Asphyxia or asphyxiation is a condition of severely deficient supply of oxygen to the body that arises from being unable to breathe normally. An example of asphyxia is choking. Asphyxia causes generalized hypoxia, which primarily affects the tissues and organs...
. His funeral was held in his hometown, Lufkin, Texas
Lufkin, Texas
Lufkin is a city in Angelina County, Texas, United States. Founded in 1882, the population was 35,067 in 2010. It is the county seat of Angelina County, and is situated in Deep East Texas.-History:...
.