It feels like yesterday when Kenneth Gainwell played his first game for the Philadelphia Eagles. In no time, he emerged as a dominant rusher and even helped the Eagles win Super Bowl LIX in 2025. Undoubtedly, the Pittsburgh Steelers‘ RB has made a name for himself. But way before the championship glory and big paychecks, two people were counting on him since day one. That’s his proud mum and dad. Who are Kenneth Gainwell’s parents?

Who is Kenneth Gainwell’s father?

The onetime Super Bowl champion’s father is Curtis Gainwell Sr. As of October 2025, there isn’t substantial information about Curtis’ professional and personal life. Earlier this year, he attended and helped set up an event at Kenneth’s elementary school. Number 14 greeted the kids over a Zoom call and dropped some words of wisdom. 

In an interview with WLBT3, Curtis weighed in on his son’s journey.

“Our community … everybody is talking about Kenny Gainwell, and they said they want to watch this big game and hopefully that the Eagles can pull this thing off Sunday. Know me and his mom and brothers. We are very proud of him. The accomplishment that he had made in this community,” he said.

Additionally, the Pittsburgh Steelers rusher’s dad invited an anchor from WJTV 12 News over to catch the 2024 NFC championship game. David Edelstein, who hosts the program The Sports Zone, visited the Gainwell household right before the league finale. “This is a dream come true for me once again. He going back to the Super Bowl once again,” Curtis said. The 2024 NFL season marked the athlete’s comeback to the Super Bowl stage for the second time since 2022.

In 2020, Gainwell Sr. revealed that his son had skipped the 2020 college football season. According to The Commercial Appeal, Curtis attributed it to losing four family members to the COVID-19 pandemic. “He decided that he didn’t want to take any chances with the coronavirus going on, You don’t want to to get out there and get sick and bring it to us, his brother or his teammates,” he said. 

Curtis also set the record straight about his son’s decision on whether or not he’ll try for the 2021 NFL draft. “I’m going to let him make his own decision that fits him,” he said. 

Who is Kenneth Gainwell’s Mother?

It’s not just Kenneth’s dad who has been supporting him all this time. His mum cheers for him just as much. Monica Gainwell is the mother of the Memphis standout. While there are no viable details available about her life, it’s safe to say that Monica loves watching his son play.

During her interview with David Edelstein, she poured her heart out to his son. “He makes me feel overjoyed.. I’m so proud of him to see the things that he have accomplished in life and I’m so glad kids come up to him and say they wanna be like Kenneth,” Monica said.   

Back in 2020, Gainwell took to Instagram to share a picture of himself and his mother. Kennith captioned the post, “Happy Mother’s Day ma love you so much 😍.”

What is Kenneth Gainwell’s Parents’ Ethnicity And Nationality?

Kenneth Gainwell’s parents are American. We can’t verify their ethnicity, but the Gainwells raised their kids in Yazoo City, Mississippi, which is in the United States. 

The couple also has a younger son, Kory, who also followed in his brother’s footsteps. He enrolled in the University of Memphis and competed on the college football team in 2019. Back at Yazoo County High School, he served as a defensive back and a running back. 

Undoubtedly, Monica and Curtis have the backbone of their kids’ journey. Their contribution to Kenneth’s newfound football stardom is unparalleled.