Teresa Varley

Learn more about running back Kenneth Gainwell in this edition of Five Fast Facts.

1. Gainwell was signed to a one-year contract at the start of free agency. He was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in the fifth round of the 2021 NFL Draft, the 150th overall pick, and spent the last four seasons with the Eagles.

2. The Steelers faced Gainwell in a Week 15 matchup against the Eagles in 2024, when he rushed for 20 yards on seven carries, and had three receptions for 40 yards. He also had 63 kickoff return yards, for a total of 123 all-purpose yards in the game.

3. Gainwell played college football at Memphis where he was a teammate of Steelers receiver Calvin Austin III. He appeared in 18 games at Memphis, starting 14, and had 2,212 yards from scrimmage, including 1,550 rushing yards and 662 receiving yards, with 17 touchdowns. He helped to lead Memphis to an AAC Championship in 2019 when he had an FBS-leading 2,069 all-purpose yards and 1,459 rushing yards, which ranked 12th nationally. He became the third player in Memphis history to register 2,000 plus all-purpose yards. He opted out of his final college season in 2020 after four relatives passed away due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

And speaking of family, his cousin is former Eagles legend Fletcher Cox.

4. His brother Curtis is his inspiration. In 2013, when Curtis was just 18 years old, he suffered a ruptured blood vessel in his brain causing a hemorrhagic stroke, requiring four surgeries to save his life. He had to learn to walk and talk, but his recovery has been an inspiration for Gainwell. Gainwell supports the Pediatric Stroke program at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia through My Cause, My Cleats.

5. Gainwell and his wife, Jada, were married just days before he signed with the Steelers as an unrestricted free agent. He also celebrated his birthday just days after he signed.