Austin Blythe

Austin Blythe (born June 16, 1992) is a former American football center who played seven seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Iowa, and was drafted by the Indianapolis Colts in the seventh round of the 2016 NFL Draft. He has also played for the Los Angeles Rams, Kansas City Chiefs, and Seattle Seahawks.

Austin Blythe
refer to caption
Blythe with the Los Angeles Rams in 2020
No. 66, 63
Position:Center
Personal information
Born: (1992-06-16) June 16, 1992
Kansas City, Missouri, U.S.[1]
Height:6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
Weight:298 lb (135 kg)
Career information
High school:Williamsburg
(Williamsburg, Iowa)
College:Iowa
NFL Draft:2016 / Round: 7 / Pick: 248
Career history
Career NFL statistics
Games played:75
Games started:49
Player stats at NFL.com · PFR

College career

Blythe was a four-year starter at Iowa, appearing in 52 games. As a senior, he aided the Hawkeyes to a 12–0 start, earning a spot in the Big Ten Championship and the 2016 Rose Bowl. He was a finalist for the Rimington Award, which is given annually to the nation's top center, in his senior season.[2]

Professional career
Pre-draft measurables
HeightWeightArm lengthHand span40-yard dash10-yard split20-yard split20-yard shuttleThree-cone drillVertical jumpBroad jumpBench press
6 ft 2+1⁄8 in
(1.88 m)		 291 lb
(132 kg)		 30+1⁄4 in
(0.77 m)		 9+3⁄8 in
(0.24 m)		5.36 s1.80 s3.04 s4.53 s7.52 s27.5 in
(0.70 m)		8 ft 3 in
(2.51 m)		29 reps
Bold denotes Combine top performer
All values from NFL Combine[3][4]

Indianapolis Colts

Blythe was drafted in the seventh round (248th overall) of the 2016 NFL Draft by the Indianapolis Colts.[5] He signed his rookie contract with the Colts on May 5, 2016.[6] As a rookie in 2016, he served as a backup center behind fellow rookie Ryan Kelly. In the 2016 season, Blythe played in eight games with one start.

On May 15, 2017, Blythe was waived by the Colts.[7]

Los Angeles Rams

On May 16, 2017, Blythe was claimed off waivers by the Los Angeles Rams.[8] He played in all 16 games in 2017 and earned his first start of the season in Week 17 at left guard.[9][10]

Blythe entered the 2018 season as the starting right guard after incumbent starter Jamon Brown was suspended the first two games of the year. Upon Brown's return, Blythe maintained his starting role.[11]

On March 26, 2020, Blythe re-signed with the Rams.[12]

Kansas City Chiefs

Blythe signed with the Kansas City Chiefs on April 5, 2021.[13]

Seattle Seahawks

Blythe signed with the Seattle Seahawks on March 21, 2022.[14]

Blythe played and started 17 games in his one season with the Seahawks. He also started in the wild card round for the Seahawks.

On February 28, 2023, Blythe announced his retirement from the NFL after seven seasons.[15]

Personal life

Blythe is a graduate of Williamsburg (Iowa) High School, where he was a two-time all-state football player at center and a three-time state champion in wrestling.[16][17] He married Kiley Ritchie, daughter of his high school football coach, in 2015. The two had known each other since elementary school, but did not begin dating until college.[18] In June 2016, he and his wife had a son. In January 2020, he and his wife had their second child, a daughter. In October of 2022, the couple welcomed their third child, a daughter, into the world.

References
  1. "Austin Blythe: "Really excited to get to work with everyone here"". Chiefs.com.
  2. "Indianapolis Colts: Austin Blythe". Colts.com. Archived from the original on May 19, 2016. Retrieved May 6, 2016.
  3. "NFL Events: Combine Player Profiles – Austin Blythe". National Football League. Archived from the original on October 25, 2016. Retrieved May 6, 2016.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  4. "2016 NFL Draft Scout Austin Blythe College Football Profile". DraftScout.com. Retrieved June 16, 2023.
  5. "2016 NFL Draft Listing". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved February 25, 2019.
  6. Bowen, Kevin (May 5, 2016). "Colts Agree To Terms With Four More Draft Picks". Colts.com. Archived from the original on August 3, 2016. Retrieved May 6, 2016.
  7. Bowen, Kevin (May 15, 2017). "Colts Make Several Roster Moves Following Rookie Minicamp". Colts.com. Archived from the original on May 19, 2017. Retrieved May 15, 2017.
  8. Langer, Travis (May 16, 2017). "Rams Make Moves to Construct 90-Man Roster". TheRams.com. Archived from the original on August 21, 2017. Retrieved May 17, 2017.
  9. "Austin Blythe 2017 Stats". NFL.com. Retrieved February 14, 2018.
  10. "49ers vs. Rams - NFL Week 17 Game Highlights". Youtube.com. Retrieved February 14, 2018.
  11. "Austin Blythe remains Rams' starting RG, Jamon Brown to be backup". Rams Wire. USA Today. September 21, 2018. Retrieved October 29, 2018.
  12. Alper, Josh (March 18, 2020). "Rams re-sign Austin Blythe". Pro Football Talk. NBC Sports.
  13. McMullen, Matt (April 5, 2021). "Five Things to Know About New Chiefs' Center Austin Blythe". Chiefs.com. Retrieved April 5, 2021.
  14. "Seahawks Sign C Austin Blythe". Seahawks.com. March 21, 2022. Retrieved March 22, 2022.
  15. Alper, Josh (February 28, 2023). "Austin Blythe announces his retirement". Pro Football Talk. NBC Sports.
  16. Batterson, Steve, "Iowa's Blythe an ironman on the offensive line," November 4, 2015. Sioux City Journal, November 4, 2015. Retrieved June 4, 2018.
  17. "2020 Wrestling Stat Book" (PDF). Iowa High School Athletic Association. January 29, 2020. Retrieved September 1, 2020.
  18. Letistkow, Chad, "Hawkeye leftovers: Blythe is married, Greg Davis talk and more," Hawekeye Central, August 3, 2015. Retrieved June 4, 2018.
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