Kyle Trask
A quarterback who seized his lone college starting opportunity to become a Heisman finalist, now learning behind Tom Brady's successor in Tampa.
Born 1998 (age 28)·American football player·Birthday: March 6·Generation Z
Biography
Kyle Trask led the nation in passing yards as a Heisman Trophy finalist in 2020. At the University of Florida, he did not start a single game from high school through his first three college seasons. His opportunity arrived when starter Feleipe Franks suffered a season-ending injury in 2019. Trask stepped in with pinpoint accuracy and calm command of the Gators' offense. He rewrote Florida's record books. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers selected him in the second round of the NFL draft. In Tampa, he shared a quarterback room with Tom Brady. Now the primary backup to Baker Mayfield, Trask's career demonstrates that a player's story can change with one snap.
Generation Z
1997–2012
Born into smartphones, social media, and school shootings. The most diverse generation in history. Pragmatic about money, fluid about identity, anxious about the climate. They do not remember a world before the internet.
Kyle was born in 1998, placing them squarely in the Generation Z. The events that shaped this generation — social media, climate anxiety, and a pandemic — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Kyle Was Born
The biggest hits of 1998
#1 Movie
Saving Private Ryan
Best Picture
Shakespeare in Love
#1 TV Show
Seinfeld
Kyle's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1998Born
Google founded; Clinton impeachment
Gas: $1.06/galHome: $107,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Too Close" — NextBest Picture: Shakespeare in Love
2003Started school
US invades Iraq; Human Genome Project completed
Gas: $1.59/galHome: $146,000Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"In Da Club" — 50 CentBest Picture: The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
2011Became a teenager
Osama bin Laden killed; Arab Spring sweeps the Middle East
Gas: $3.53/galHome: $138,400Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Rolling in the Deep" — AdeleBest Picture: The Artist
2014Could drive
Russia annexes Crimea; Ebola outbreak in West Africa
Gas: $3.37/galHome: $160,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Happy" — Pharrell WilliamsBest Picture: Birdman
2016Could vote
Donald Trump elected president; Brexit vote
Gas: $2.14/galHome: $181,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Love Yourself" — Justin BieberBest Picture: Moonlight
2019Turned 21
First image of a black hole; Hong Kong protests
Gas: $2.60/galHome: $224,400Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Old Town Road" — Lil Nas XBest Picture: Parasite
2026Age 28 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Finished as a Heisman Trophy finalist in 2020 after leading the nation in passing yards.
- Set the University of Florida single-season record for passing yards (4,283) and touchdowns (43) in 2020.
- Was selected by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the second round (64th overall) of the 2021 NFL Draft.
- Earned SEC All-Second Team honors in his breakout 2020 season.
Did You Know?
He did not start a single varsity football game in high school, sharing time with future Miami Dolphins quarterback Reid Sinnett.
He was a backup at Florida until his fourth year in the program, when an injury to the starter gave him his opportunity.
In his first career college start, he threw for 282 yards and led a comeback victory over Kentucky.
“I just had to stay ready so when my number was called, I could go out there and execute.”
