Kerby Joseph: From Fighting Illini to NFL Interception Leader
Kerby Joseph, born on November 14, 2000, is an American professional football safety currently playing for the Detroit Lions of the National Football League (NFL). His journey to the NFL began with a successful college career at the University of Illinois, where he earned All-American honors. The Detroit Lions selected Joseph in the third round of the 2022 NFL Draft.
Early Life and High School Career
Joseph attended and played at Jones High School in Orlando, Florida, where he participated in track and field and volleyball in addition to football.
College Career at Illinois
Kerby Joseph played college football for the Illinois Fighting Illini. In 2021, he logged 57 total tackles, five interceptions, two fumble recoveries, and 1.0 sack. Following his impressive performance, Joseph declared for the 2022 NFL Draft. Media named Illini safety Kerby Joseph to all-Big Ten first team on defense.
NFL Draft and Initial Years with the Detroit Lions
NFL draft analysts had a wide range of projections for Joseph, varying from as early as a late first-round pick to possibly a third or fourth-round pick. Scouts described him as "one of the longest, rangiest-in-coverage safeties in this class" noting his hip-fluidity and speed.
The Detroit Lions selected Joseph in the third round (97th overall) of the 2022 NFL Draft. Some analysts noted that Joseph is a Dan Campbell and Aaron Glenn type of player who loves to play the game. Throughout training camp, Joseph competed against Will Harris, Ifeatu Melifonwu, and others for a spot on the roster.
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Joseph made his professional regular season debut on September 11, 2022, in the Detroit Lions' home-opener, recording one tackle in a loss to the Philadelphia Eagles. After Tracy Walker was placed on injured reserve in Week 3, defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn named Joseph the starting strong safety heading into Week 4. In Week 4, he earned his first career start and made three solo tackles during a 45-48 loss to the Seattle Seahawks.
On November 6, 2022, Joseph had a standout performance, recording ten combined tackles (five solo), three pass deflections, and two interceptions off pass attempts by Aaron Rodgers during a 15-9 win against the Green Bay Packers. He became the first rookie safety in team history with a two-interception game since 1986. Joseph won the Pro Bowl fan vote for NFC safeties as a rookie but was not selected to the game due to the NFL's recent change in rules where the fan voting only constituted one-third of the new selection process.
Joseph entered training camp slated as the starting strong safety for the 2023 season. Head coach Dan Campbell named Joseph and C. J. Gardner-Johnson the starting safety tandem to begin the season. He was inactive for two consecutive games (Weeks 3-4) due to a hamstring injury. In Week 7, he collected a season-high ten combined tackles (nine solo) during a 6-38 loss at the Baltimore Ravens. The Detroit Lions finished the 2023 NFL season first in the NFC North with a 12-5 record and clinched a playoff berth. On January 14, 2024, Joseph started in his first career postseason game and recorded two solo tackles and deflected a pass in the Lions' 23-24 victory against the Los Angeles Rams in the NFC Wildcard Game. The following week, the Lions defeated the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 31-23.
Ascendancy to NFL Interception Leader
He returned as the starting free safety to begin the season and was paired with strong safety Brian Branch. On September 28, 2024, Joseph collected a season-high nine combined tackles (five solo), a pass deflection, and an interception on a pass attempt by Geno Smith to Jaxon Smith-Njigba as the Lions defeated the Seattle Seahawks 42-29. On November 3, 2024, he made four solo tackles, two pass deflections, and returned an interception thrown by Jordan Love for 27 yards and scored his first career touchdown during a 24-14 victory at the Green Bay Packers. Joseph became the first Lions player to record an interception in seven of the first 10 games of a season since Bob Smith in 1949.
In Week 17, Joseph had six combined tackles (five solo), two pass deflections, and set a season-high two interceptions on passes by Brock Purdy in the Lions 40-34 win at the San Francisco 49ers. His performance brought his interception total to nine, making him the NFL interceptions leader in 2024. He started all 17 games for the first time in his career and finished the 2024 NFL season with a total of 83 combined tackles (58 solo), 12 pass deflections, nine interceptions, and a touchdown.
Read also: Saint Joseph's University Requirements
Contract Extension and Recognition
He received an overall grade of 91.0 from Pro Football Focus, which ranked first among all safeties in 2024. On April 23, 2025, the Detroit Lions made Joseph the highest-paid safety in NFL history, signing him to a four-year, $86 million contract extension that includes $36.12 million guaranteed, $24.38 million guaranteed upon signing, and an initial signing bonus of $10.01 million.
Read also: Alumni of Saint Joseph's
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