| Russ Yeast | |
| Current Team: | Houston Texans |
| Position: | Safety |
| Birth Date: | 8 May 1999 |
| Birth Place: | Danville, Kentucky, U.S. |
| Height Ft: | 5 |
| Height In: | 10 |
| Weight Lb: | 191 |
| High School: | Center Grove (Greenwood, Indiana) |
| College: | Louisville (2017–2020) Kansas State (2021) |
| Draftyear: | 2022 |
| Draftround: | 7 |
| Draftpick: | 253 |
| Pastteams: |
|
| Status: | Practice squad |
| Highlights: | |
| Statseason: | Week 8, 2024 |
| Statlabel1: | Total tackles |
| Statvalue1: | 81 |
| Statlabel2: | Sacks |
| Statlabel3: | Forced fumbles |
| Statlabel4: | Fumble recoveries |
| Statlabel5: | Pass deflections |
| Statvalue5: | 5 |
| Statlabel6: | Interceptions |
| Pfr: | YeasRu00 |
Craig Russell Yeast II (born May 8, 1999) is an American professional football safety for the Houston Texans of the National Football League (NFL). He has previously played in the National Football League (NFL) for the Los Angeles Rams and Carolina Panthers. He played college football at Louisville and Kansas State.
Yeast played college football at Louisville from 2017 to 2020 before transferring to Kansas State for the 2021 season.[1] [2]
Yeast was selected by the Los Angeles Rams in the seventh round, 253rd overall, in the 2022 NFL draft.[3] He played largely on special teams during his rookie season with the Rams. He earned an increased role on defense in the final month, and he made his first NFL start in the Rams' season finale against the Seattle Seahawks on January 8, 2023. Yeast left that game early with a pulmonary contusion that kept him in a hospital overnight in Seattle.[4]
After the offseason departures of Rams safeties Taylor Rapp and Nick Scott, Yeast became the Rams' starting free safety during training camp in 2023. He lost his starting job by midseason, being replaced by veteran John Johnson.
After fighting for a roster spot in 2024, he made the final roster as a backup, but was waived on September 14, 2024.[5]
On September 18, 2024, Yeast was signed to the Carolina Panthers practice squad. He was promoted to the active roster a week later.[6] He was released on October 8 and re-signed to the practice squad two days later.[7] [8] He was promoted back to the active roster on October 26, but released two days later.[9]
On November 6, 2024, Yeast was signed to the Arizona Cardinals practice squad.[10] He was released by the Cardinals on November 11.[11]
On November 27, 2024, Yeast was signed to the Houston Texans practice squad.[12]
Yeast's father, Craig, was a star receiver at the University of Kentucky before playing professionally in the NFL and the Canadian Football League. Yeast's mother, Tori Tillman Yeast, played basketball at Kentucky.[13] His sister, Kiyah, is a sprinter on the Louisville track team.[14]