Ka’imi Fairbairn, born January 29, 1994, is a professional kicker for the Houston Texans in the NFL.
A former standout at UCLA, he won the Lou Groza Award in 2015 and holds the Pac-12 record for career points scored.
After going undrafted in 2016, he became the Texans’ starting kicker in 2017.
Fairbairn has had a successful career, including a peak performance in 2023 with a 96.3% field goal success rate.
However, he faced challenges in 2024, hitting only 85.7% of his attempts due to a previous quad injury.
Parents
Ka’imi is the oldest child of John and Rochelle Fairbairn, who have two other children, Kona and Kiara.
The Fairbairn family emphasizes their Hawaiian heritage, with Ka’imi’s name meaning “seeker of wisdom” in Hawaiian.
Rochelle works as an early childhood teacher, while John maintains a private professional life.
The family has been supportive of Ka’imi’s football career, contributing to his success as an NFL kicker for the Houston Texans.
Career
Fairbairn has established himself as a prominent kicker for the Houston Texans since joining the team in 2017.
He had an impressive college career at UCLA, where he became known for his strong leg and accuracy.
Fairbairn set the Pac-12 record for career points scored by a kicker, amassing 400 points over his four years.
In 2015, he won the prestigious Lou Groza Award, which is given annually to the best placekicker in college football.
His performance included several game-winning kicks, and he consistently ranked among the top kickers in the nation.
After going undrafted in 2017, Fairbairn quickly earned the starting kicker position for the Texans and has been a reliable scoring option for the team.
In the 2018 season, he set a franchise record with 37 field goals, showcasing his ability to perform under pressure.
His contributions did not go unnoticed; he was recognized as the AFC Special Teams Player of the Week multiple times throughout his career, highlighting his impact during critical games.
In March 2024, Fairbairn signed a three-year contract extension worth $15.9 million, making him one of the highest-paid kickers in the league.
This extension underscored his importance to the Texans’ special teams unit.
In the 2023 season, he achieved a remarkable field goal success rate of 96.3%, demonstrating exceptional accuracy and reliability.
However, in 2024, he faced challenges due to a quad injury that affected his performance, resulting in an 85.7% success rate on field goals.
