Kimo von Oelhoffen
Encyclopedia
Kimo K. von Oelhoffen (ˈkiːmoʊ vənˈoʊlhɒfɨn; born January 30, 1971) is a retired American football
defensive tackle. He was drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals
in the sixth round of the 1994 NFL Draft
. He played college football
at Boise State
.
He also played for the Pittsburgh Steelers
, New York Jets
, and Philadelphia Eagles
.
which did not have a football team. He played one season of high school football at Moanalua High School, which is located on the Hawaiian island of Oahu, in 1985.
Von Oelhoffen started playing at the University of Hawaii, transferring to Walla Walla Junior College the next year and finally settling at Boise State University
. He suffered a number of injuries in college that slowed his development including a stress fracture in is foot in 1992 and a sprained ankle in 1993.
selected Von Oelhoffen with the first pick of the sixth round of the 1994 NFL Draft
. In his first three seasons, he was largely a reserve, moving into the starting lineup in 1997. The next season, Von Oelhoffen became a mainstay of the defensive line, starting every game and finishing second in tackles among defensive linemen.
, he signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers
as an unrestricted free agent
on a four-year $11 million contract. Pittsburgh initially inserted him as the starting nose tackle and converted him to defensive end
. Von Oelhoffen would start all but one game from 2000-2005. He won a Super Bowl
ring in 2005 in his final season as a Steeler.
on a three-year $9.2 million deal. He spent one season with the Jets, viewed somewhat as a disappointment given his $3.2 million signing bonus.
. He would appear in eight games for them during that season. He was later released and has retired from the NFL.
against Cincinnati, Von Oelhoffen hit Bengals quarterback
Carson Palmer
's left knee after being blocked by Eric Steinbach
. The injury to Palmer was severe, including damage to his anterior cruciate ligament
, medial collateral ligament
, and posterior cruciate ligament
.
Von Oelhoffen later apologized publicly for the hit. Though Palmer confirmed that von Oelhoffen never contacted him personally to apologize, Palmer forgave him stating that the injury was, "just part of the game."
During the off-season, the NFL Rules Committee modified the rule regarding low hits on quarterbacks. The so-called "Kimo Clause" now requires that defenders take every opportunity to avoid hitting a quarterback at or below the knees when the quarterback is in a defenseless position looking to throw with both feet on the ground.
, he opened a sports bar restaurant named 'Kimo's', near Bateman Island on the Yakima River
delta
of the Columbia River
. The restaurant is also the home of Rattlesnake Mountain Brewing Company, a microbrewery
specializing in craft brewing.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
defensive tackle. He was drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals
Cincinnati Bengals
The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional football team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the AFC's North Division in the National Football League . The Bengals began play in 1968 as an expansion team in the American Football League , and joined the NFL in 1970 in the AFL-NFL...
in the sixth round of the 1994 NFL Draft
1994 NFL Draft
The 1994 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 24-25, 1994. The league also held a supplemental draft after the regular draft and...
. He played college football
College 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 Boise State
Boise State Broncos football
This page discusses the Boise State football program. For more Boise State athletics, see Boise State Broncos.The Boise State Broncos football program represents Boise State University in college football and compete in the Football Bowl Subdivision of Division I as a member of the Mountain West...
.
He also played for the Pittsburgh Steelers
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team currently belongs to the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Founded in , the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC...
, New York Jets
New York Jets
The New York Jets are a professional football team headquartered in Florham Park, New Jersey, representing the New York metropolitan area. The team is a member of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
, and Philadelphia Eagles
Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
.
College career
Von Oelhoffen graduated from Moloka'i High SchoolMoloka'i High School
Moloka'i High School is located on a expanse in a Hawaiian Homestead community approximately seven miles from Kaunakakai town where the state and county offices, hospitals, doctors' offices, banks, library, family-owned grocery stores and gas stations are located. All four elementary schools and...
which did not have a football team. He played one season of high school football at Moanalua High School, which is located on the Hawaiian island of Oahu, in 1985.
Von Oelhoffen started playing at the University of Hawaii, transferring to Walla Walla Junior College the next year and finally settling at Boise State University
Boise State University
Boise State University is a public university located in Boise, Idaho. Originally founded in 1932 as a junior college by the Episcopal Church, the university became an independent institution in 1934, and has been awarding baccalaureate and master degrees since 1965...
. He suffered a number of injuries in college that slowed his development including a stress fracture in is foot in 1992 and a sprained ankle in 1993.
Cincinnati Bengals
The Cincinnati BengalsCincinnati Bengals
The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional football team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the AFC's North Division in the National Football League . The Bengals began play in 1968 as an expansion team in the American Football League , and joined the NFL in 1970 in the AFL-NFL...
selected Von Oelhoffen with the first pick of the sixth round of the 1994 NFL Draft
1994 NFL Draft
The 1994 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 24-25, 1994. The league also held a supplemental draft after the regular draft and...
. In his first three seasons, he was largely a reserve, moving into the starting lineup in 1997. The next season, Von Oelhoffen became a mainstay of the defensive line, starting every game and finishing second in tackles among defensive linemen.
Pittsburgh Steelers
After a strong 1999 season, where he recorded 24 tackles and four sacksQuarterback sack
In American football and Canadian football, a sack occurs when the quarterback is tackled behind the line of scrimmage before he can throw a forward pass, or when the quarterback is tackled behind the line of scrimmage in the "pocket" and the intent of what he was going to do is unclear...
, he signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team currently belongs to the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Founded in , the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC...
as an unrestricted 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....
on a four-year $11 million contract. Pittsburgh initially inserted him as the starting nose tackle and converted him to defensive end
Defensive end
Defensive end is the name of a defensive position in the sport of American and Canadian football.This position has designated the players at each end of the defensive line, but changes in formations have substantially changed how the position is played over the years...
. Von Oelhoffen would start all but one game from 2000-2005. He won a Super Bowl
Super Bowl XL
Super Bowl XL was an American football game pitting the American Football Conference champion Pittsburgh Steelers against the National Football Conference champion Seattle Seahawks to decide the National Football League champion for the 2005 season...
ring in 2005 in his final season as a Steeler.
New York Jets
For the 2006 season, Von Oelhoffen signed with the New York JetsNew York Jets
The New York Jets are a professional football team headquartered in Florham Park, New Jersey, representing the New York metropolitan area. The team is a member of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
on a three-year $9.2 million deal. He spent one season with the Jets, viewed somewhat as a disappointment given his $3.2 million signing bonus.
Philadelphia Eagles
After being released by the Jets in training camp, Von Oelhoffen signed a one-year deal with the Philadelphia EaglesPhiladelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
. He would appear in eight games for them during that season. He was later released and has retired from the NFL.
Carson Palmer's injury
During the 2005 Wildcard Playoff gameNFL playoffs, 2005-06
The National Football League playoffs for the 2005 season began on January 7, 2006 and led up to Super Bowl XL on February 5, 2006 at Ford Field in Detroit, Michigan....
against Cincinnati, Von Oelhoffen hit Bengals quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
Carson Palmer
Carson Palmer
Carson Palmer is an American professional football quarterback for the Oakland Raiders of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals first overall in the 2003 NFL Draft. He played collegiately at the University of Southern California and won the Heisman Trophy in 2002...
's left knee after being blocked by Eric Steinbach
Eric Steinbach
Eric Steinbach is an American football player who currently plays for the Cleveland Browns in the National Football League. He was selected by the Cincinnati Bengals in the second round in the 2003 NFL draft. He played college football for the University of Iowa.-High School years:Steinbach is a...
. The injury to Palmer was severe, including damage to his anterior cruciate ligament
Anterior cruciate ligament
The anterior cruciate ligament is a cruciate ligament which is one of the four major ligaments of the human knee. In the quadruped stifle , based on its anatomical position, it is referred to as the cranial cruciate ligament.The ACL originates from deep within the notch of the distal femur...
, medial collateral ligament
Medial collateral ligament
The medial collateral ligament of the knee is one of the four major ligaments of the knee. It is on the medial side of the knee joint in humans and other primates. It is also known as the tibial collateral ligament, or abbreviated as the MCL.- Structure :It is a broad, flat, membranous band,...
, and posterior cruciate ligament
Posterior cruciate ligament
The posterior cruciate ligament is one of the four major ligaments of the knee. It connects the posterior intercondylar area of the tibia to the medial condyle of the femur...
.
Von Oelhoffen later apologized publicly for the hit. Though Palmer confirmed that von Oelhoffen never contacted him personally to apologize, Palmer forgave him stating that the injury was, "just part of the game."
During the off-season, the NFL Rules Committee modified the rule regarding low hits on quarterbacks. The so-called "Kimo Clause" now requires that defenders take every opportunity to avoid hitting a quarterback at or below the knees when the quarterback is in a defenseless position looking to throw with both feet on the ground.
Personal
Kimo Von Oelhoffen is married to his wife Tondi with three daughters, Jalyn, Kamri, and Talia. His father is German-Hawaiian, and his mother is Hawaiian-Portuguese. Because of family connections in Richland, WashingtonRichland, Washington
Richland is a city in Benton County in the southeastern part of the U.S. state of Washington, at the confluence of the Yakima and the Columbia Rivers. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 48,058. April 1, 2011 estimates from the Washington State Office of Financial Management put the...
, he opened a sports bar restaurant named 'Kimo's', near Bateman Island on the Yakima River
Yakima River
The Yakima River is a tributary of the Columbia River in south central and eastern Washington State, named for the indigenous Yakama people. The length of the river from headwaters to mouth is , with an average drop of .-Course:...
delta
River delta
A delta is a landform that is formed at the mouth of a river where that river flows into an ocean, sea, estuary, lake, reservoir, flat arid area, or another river. Deltas are formed from the deposition of the sediment carried by the river as the flow leaves the mouth of the river...
of the Columbia River
Columbia River
The Columbia River is the largest river in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. The river rises in the Rocky Mountains of British Columbia, Canada, flows northwest and then south into the U.S. state of Washington, then turns west to form most of the border between Washington and the state...
. The restaurant is also the home of Rattlesnake Mountain Brewing Company, a microbrewery
Microbrewery
A microbrewery or craft brewer is a brewery which produces a limited amount of beer, and is associated by consumers with innovation and uniqueness....
specializing in craft brewing.