An Indianapolis native who turned a transfer from Northern Illinois into one of the ACC's most reliable pass-protecting centers at Louisville.
Pete Nygra built his reputation the hard way, starting as a lightly used freshman at Northern Illinois before transferring to Louisville and becoming one of the ACC's steadiest interior linemen. He signed with the Chiefs as an undrafted free agent after the 2026 draft.
Path to the league
Nygra, a 6-foot-4, 300-pound center from Indianapolis, began his college career at Northern Illinois, where he broke into the starting lineup in 2022 and started 11 of 12 games. He transferred to Louisville in 2024 and started all 13 games in each of his two seasons with the Cardinals. He went unselected in the 2026 NFL Draft and signed with Kansas City as an undrafted free agent.
Career highlights
Nygra closed his Northern Illinois career on a strong note in 2023, not allowing a single sack and giving up just nine total pressures across 12 starts. That level of pass protection carried over to Louisville, where he earned All-ACC honorable mention recognition as a senior.
2025 season recap
Nygra started all 13 games at center for Louisville in 2025, allowing just one sack and 12 total pressures across 464 pass-blocking snaps. Among ACC centers with at least 500 blocking snaps, his 71.3 Pro Football Focus offensive grade ranked third in the conference, earning him All-ACC honorable mention honors.
Sources
- SI.com: Louisville OL Pete Nygra Signs UDFA Deal with Chiefs
- University of Louisville Athletics: Pete Nygra roster bio
Player Profile
Background
- Position
- Offensive Tackle
- Group
- offense
- College
- Louisville
- Hometown
- Indianapolis, IN, USA
- Age
- 23
- Status
- active
