EXCLUSIVE: Kwity Paye details move to the United States and subsequent rise to the NFL

Kwity Paye has a much more unique background than most NFL players. Most players are born in the United States and have generations of family in the country. However, Paye has Liberian roots and was born in Guinea. He came to America as a baby.

Paye was born on November 19, 1998, in a refugee camp following the First Liberian Civil War. He was given the name Kwity after his maternal grandfather, who was killed in the war.

In an exclusive interview with Sportskeeda, the budding pass rusher detailed his path from Liberia to the NFL. Here's how he put it:

"When I came [I was] six months old, I had my first birthday in the States. All of my family's back in Liberia, but Guinea was a place where it was like a stop before we came here. So that's where a bunch of the refugees were placed before they moved on."

When asked what it was like for Paye's family to watch him go to the NFL, he said it was a relief more than anything:

"It was really relieving to be in a better situation. Just not having to look over your shoulder all the time. Just to be in a place where you can just seek opportunity, do some work, and try to better your life without worrying about suddenly being killed."

Paye claimed that his mother pushed him to do what he wanted and chase his dreams:

"And then when we came here, [my mom] was seeking opportunity and she just really sacrificed a lot to give me and my siblings the best [chance] we could have to fulfill our dreams to just do what we wanted to do."

Paye also said his success validated her sacrifices over the years:

"For me to get to the highest level of what I really wanted to do, that just solidifies her trying to sacrifice everything to give us the best opportunity with the best of it."

Next, he went into what got him into football in the first place:

"Me and my older brother, we were in track. We had a bunch of friends and they were going to football practice. I remember one day me and my brother, we had football practice, but then we saw how they were playing and we thought it was really fun."

Lastly, he explained that he was quickly promoted to a bigger league after joining the sport at an entry-level.

"I went straight to junior peewee and quickly found success. After that, it just took off. After a while we figured out that we were really good, that's when football became the sport that we wanted to get to the highest level of."

Kwity Paye's college football past and NFL future

2021 NFL Draft

Kwity Paye went to the University of Michigan between 2017-2020. He was essentially red-shirted the first year but managed to earn a sack in two games of action. In 2018, he played in 10 games, recording 27 tackles and two sacks.

2019 was his breakout year. In 12 games of action, he posted 50 total tackles and 6.5 sacks. COVID-19 disrupted the 2020 season, but he played four games, earning two sacks and 16 total tackles.

In the spring of 2021, Paye was drafted 21st overall by the Indianapolis Colts. In his first year, he played 15 games, earning four sacks.

Heading into 2022, a potential breakout year, expectations are high for the pass rusher. Will he live up to his draft position and become one of the faces of the franchise on the heels of a monster season?

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