Kenny Willekes


Kenny Willekes is an American football defensive end for the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League. He played college football at Michigan State.

Early years

Willekes attended NorthPointe Christian High School in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He played linebacker and running back in high school. He had 423 tackles during his high school football career.

College career

Willekes joined Michigan State University as a walk-on in 2015. He redshirted his first year and played in one game in 2016. In 2017, Willekes became a starter, starting 12 of 13 games. He finished the season with 72 tackles and seven sacks. In 2018, he was named the Big Ten Conference Smith-Brown Defensive Lineman of the Year after recording 78 tackles and 8.5 sacks. Willekes returned to Michigan State his senior year in 2019 rather than enter the 2019 NFL Draft. During the season he broke Julian Peterson's school record for career tackles for loss. He was named the 2019 recipient of the Burlsworth Trophy on December 9, 2019, in Springdale, Arkansas, during a reception hosted by the Brandon Burlsworth Foundation in conjunction with the Springdale Rotary Club at the Springdale Convention Center.

Professional career

Willekes was selected by the Minnesota Vikings with the 225th pick in the seventh round of the 2020 NFL Draft.