Keeanu Benton
American football player (born 2001)
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Keeanu Kyrie Benton (born July 17, 2001) is an American professional football nose tackle for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Wisconsin Badgers.
Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
Benton with the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2025 | |||||||||||||||
| No. 95 – Pittsburgh Steelers | |||||||||||||||
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| Position | Nose tackle | ||||||||||||||
| Roster status | Active | ||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||
| Born | July 17, 2001 Chicago, Illinois, U.S. | ||||||||||||||
| Listed height | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) | ||||||||||||||
| Listed weight | 309 lb (140 kg) | ||||||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||||||
| High school | Joseph A. Craig (Janesville, Wisconsin) | ||||||||||||||
| College | Wisconsin (2019–2022) | ||||||||||||||
| NFL draft | 2023: 2nd round, 49th overall pick | ||||||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||||||
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| Awards and highlights | |||||||||||||||
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| Career NFL statistics as of 2025 | |||||||||||||||
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Early life
Benton grew up in Janesville, Wisconsin and attended Joseph A. Craig High School, where he competed in football and wrestling.[1] As a senior, he made 75 tackles, seven tackles for loss, two sacks, and one fumble recovery.[2] Benton committed to play college football at Wisconsin over an offer from Iowa.[3]
College career
Benton played college football at Wisconsin from 2019 to 2022.[4] He played in 13 games and made six starts at nose tackle as a freshman and finished the season with 12 tackles, four tackles for loss, and two sacks.[5][6] He played in seven games and made seven starts at nose tackle during his sophomore season.[7] He was named second team All-Big Ten Conference as a junior after making 25 tackles with five tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks, and two forced fumbles.[8] He was named Third-Team All-Big Ten in 2022.[9]
Statistics
Professional career
| Height | Weight | Arm length | Hand span | 40-yard dash | 10-yard split | 20-yard split | 20-yard shuttle | Three-cone drill | Vertical jump | Broad jump | Bench press | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 ft 3+3⁄4 in (1.92 m) | 309 lb (140 kg) | 33+7⁄8 in (0.86 m) | 9+3⁄4 in (0.25 m) | 5.08 s | 1.79 s | 2.95 s | 4.65 s | 7.34 s | 29.5 in (0.75 m) | 9 ft 3 in (2.82 m) | 25 reps | |
| All values from NFL Combine[10][11] | ||||||||||||
Benton was selected by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the second round, 49th overall, of the 2023 NFL draft.[12] On June 23, 2023, Benton signed a four-year rookie contract with the Steelers.[13] As a rookie, Benton appeared in 17 games and started nine. He finished with one sack, 36 total tackles (16 solo), two passes defended, and two forced fumbles.[14]
On December 8, 2024, Benton recorded his first NFL interception, off Cleveland Browns quarterback Jameis Winston in a 27–14 Steelers win.[15]
NFL career statistics
| Legend | |
|---|---|
| Bold | Career high |