Kevin Eckel
Kevin Eckel has been dismissed from the Navy football team, according to a report on The (Annapolis) Capitol website.
The younger brother of former Navy fullback Kyle Eckel, Kevin Eckel is entering his third year at the Naval Academy. Also a fullback, Kevin was tied for third on the Navy depth chart after spring practice, according to the Capitol.
During his first two seasons at Navy, Kevin Eckel appeared in only six games during his first two seasons at Navy, primarily on special teams, according to his official bio.
Not mentioned in Eckel’s official bio is the an outstanding football career his older brother had at Navy. Kyle Eckel ranks fourth on Navy’s all-time rushing list, piling up more than 2,900 yards and 25 TDs from 2002-2004. He was part of a group of players who helped reverse Navy’s fortunes in the early part of the decade, turning a losing program into a team that hasn’t missed a bowl game since Eckel’s sophomore season.
But Kyle Eckel’s post-academy career in the Navy did not go well. In the fall of 2006, he was kicked out of the Navy. Eckel has never publicly commented on his discharge. After being dismissed from the service, Eckel began a four-year career as an NFL fullback. In 2009 he signed with the New Orleans Saints after an injury to their starting fullback, and he eventually helped the team to its first Super Bowl victory. Eckel was out of the NFL last year.
