Kyle Van Noy: Mormon Athlete
Kyle Van Noy is a professional football linebacker. He started his professional career with the Detroit Lions and played for three seasons. He then played four seasons for the New England Patriots, one with the Miami Dolphins, then rejoined the New England Patriots (2021–). He is a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Van Noy was born on March 26, 1991, in Reno, Nevada, and adopted by Layne and Kelly Van Noy when he was four months old. He played football in high school and was an all-state linebacker and receiver. He led his football team to a perfect 14-0 record and a 4A state championship in 2008. He also lettered in basketball, baseball, and track. ESPN ranked him as the 63rd best high school athlete.
During his junior year at Brigham Young University, he was a third team All-American. He was named to the Bednarik Award Watch Lists, and received the Bronko Nagurski Trophy and the Lombardi Award. He was National Linebacker of week 3. He earned the 2012 College Football Performance Award (CFPA) trophy for overall best defensive player of the year, and the 2012 Linebacker trophy. As a senior he was named to the watch lists for the Butkus Award, the Rotary Lombardi Award, the Bronko Nagurski Trophy, the Walter Camp Award, the Bednarik Award, and the Lott Trophy. He was a Phil Steele, USA Today, and SI.com Preseason All-American, and finished the season All-American to the Walter Camp Second Team, the Athlon Sports Third Team, and the CBSSports.com Third Team. He was also named to the All-Independent First team and was the All-Independent Defensive Player of the Year.
He was drafted by the Detroit Lions in the second round of the 2014 NFL draft. In early September 2014, the Lions placed Van Noy on the Reserve/Injured-Designated for Return list after a surgery to repair a core muscle. He was expected to be out for eight weeks.
In October 2016, the Lions traded him to the New England Patriots. Since being traded, he participated in Super Bowl LI, Super Bowl LII, and Super Bowl LIII; the Patriots won two of those three games (2017 and 2019). After 3 1/2 seasons with the Patriots, he moved to Miami on a four-year, $51 million deal. In moving to Miami, he reunites with second-year Dolphins head coach Brian Flores. Van Noy was released by the Dolphins after one season on March 10, 2021. On March 19, 2021, the Patriots signed Van Noy to a two-year deal worth up to $13.2 million.
Van Noy earned his bachelor’s degree in history in 2013. He married Marissa Powell, Miss Utah USA 2013, in June 2014. They are the parents of one son, born in 2019.
