Ka’imi Fairbairn Bio
John Christian Kaʻiminoeauloamekaʻikeokekumupaʻa Fairbairn, known professionally as Ka’imi Fairbairn, is an American professional football placekicker for the Houston Texans of the National Football League (NFL). Standing 6 feet 0 inches tall and weighing 183 pounds, he has spent his entire NFL career with the Texans since signing as an undrafted free agent in 2016. Fairbairn owns a career field goal percentage of 87.6 percent, ranking among the most accurate kickers in league history, and is widely regarded as one of the league’s most consistent long-range specialists.
Early Life and Background
Fairbairn was born in Kailua, Hawaii, to John and Rochelle Fairbairn. Since childhood, he has gone by the name Kaʻimi, forgoing his given first name John Christian. In Hawaiian, Fairbairn’s name means “seeker of wisdom,” a meaning he has spoken about with pride, noting that Hawaiians carry a long ancestry and that a name shapes a life. His Hawaiian heritage and upbringing on the islands shaped his early identity before football became his central pursuit.
As a young athlete, Fairbairn was a kicker in football but preferred catching the football. He attended Punahou School in Honolulu, where he became a two-sport star in football and soccer. Playing central defender in soccer, he earned two-time first-team all-state honors, and the soccer team captured two state championships. Fairbairn did not initially play football at Punahou and once tried out for water polo, but he nearly drowned and quickly returned to the gridiron.
As a sophomore, Fairbairn was named second-team all-state, and he earned first-team all-state recognition as both a junior and a senior. At Punahou, he was teammates with defensive lineman DeForest Buckner and was ranked nationally as the No. 4 recruit at kicker coming out of high school.
Path to American Football
Fairbairn won the kicking job at UCLA as a true freshman in 2012, becoming the first Bruin to score at least 100 points in each of his four seasons. His college career opened inauspiciously when his first two extra points were blocked against Rice, and he initially struggled from long range, missing a 52-yard field goal at the end of the 2012 Pac-12 Championship Game against Stanford. As he developed under coach Jim Mora, Fairbairn grew into one of the most reliable scoring weapons in the Pac-12 Conference.
By his senior season in 2015, Fairbairn had blossomed into a national star. He made a 60-yard field goal against California, the first 60-yard field goal in the Football Bowl Subdivision since 2012, and later set the Pac-12 record for most career points scored, surpassing former UCLA kicker John Lee’s previous mark of 390. He finished the regular season converting 20 of 23 field goal attempts, was awarded the Lou Groza Award as the nation’s top college kicker, and was named a consensus first-team All-American.
Ka’imi Fairbairn Career
Early Career (2016)
After going unselected in the 2016 NFL draft, Fairbairn signed with the Houston Texans as an undrafted free agent. His rookie season was derailed before it began, however, when he spent the entire 2016 campaign on injured reserve with a quadriceps injury. Despite the setback, the Texans remained committed to his development heading into the next season.
Texans Breakthrough (2017-2018)
In 2017, Fairbairn beat out Nick Novak to become Houston’s starting kicker, winning the role on the strength of a stronger leg and deeper kickoffs during the preseason. He made an immediate impact, highlighted by a Week 4 performance against the Tennessee Titans in which he converted all three field goal attempts and six of seven extra points. As a rookie starter, he converted 32 of 35 extra point attempts and 20 of 25 field goal attempts.
The 2018 season established Fairbairn among the league’s elite. During a Week 15 victory over the New York Jets, he kicked five field goals and two extra points, earning AFC Special Teams Player of the Week, and he later earned AFC Special Teams Player of the Month for December. He did not miss a kick inside 40 yards, led the NFL in points scored with 150, and set a franchise record with 37 made field goals. The Texans won the AFC South with an 11-5 record and advanced to the playoffs, where Fairbairn made his postseason debut against the Indianapolis Colts.
Houston Texans Era (2019-Present)
On March 10, 2020, Fairbairn was signed to a four-year, $17.65 million contract with the Texans, cementing his long-term role. In 2019, he finished the season converting 20 of 25 field goals and 40 of 45 extra points, then drilled a game-winning 28-yard field goal in overtime to beat the Buffalo Bills in the Wild Card Round. The 2020 season saw him convert 37 of 40 extra points and 27 of 31 field goal attempts, and in 2021 he set a Texans franchise record with a 61-yard field goal against the Seattle Seahawks.
After converting all 24 extra points and 29 of 31 field goal attempts in 2022, Fairbairn battled a quad injury in 2023 but still converted 21 of 22 extra points and 27 of 28 field goal attempts in only 12 games, including a 54-yard overtime game-winner against the Tennessee Titans. On March 6, 2024, he signed a three-year, $15.9 million contract extension through 2026 and produced another strong year, highlighted by a 59-yard game-winning field goal against the Buffalo Bills as time expired in the fourth quarter.
Driving Style and Strengths
Fairbairn is widely respected for his accuracy from inside 50 yards and his booming leg on kickoffs and long-range field goals. His calm mechanics and ability to perform in high-pressure moments have made him a trusted weapon for the Texans in close games and overtime scenarios.
Notable Events and Milestones
Signature moments include his Pac-12-record 60-yard field goal at UCLA, his overtime winner against the Buffalo Bills in the 2019 playoffs, his 61-yard franchise-record field goal in 2021, and his 59-yard walk-off against the Bills in 2024. He also led the NFL in scoring in 2018, becoming the Texans’ all-time leader in made field goals.
Ka’imi Fairbairn Career Wins
Fairbairn has been one of the most productive kickers in Houston Texans history, leading the team in scoring for nearly a decade. His combination of accuracy, range, and clutch performance has produced numerous game-winning kicks across the regular season and playoffs.
Houston Texans Highlights
Since taking over as Houston’s starting kicker in 2017, Fairbairn has surpassed 1,000 career points and made 255 field goals on 291 attempts, including 268 of 287 extra points. He led the NFL in scoring in 2018 with 150 points and has continued to deliver in pressure moments, including overtime winners against the Buffalo Bills in both the 2019 playoffs and the 2024 regular season.
Other Wins & Performances
At UCLA, Fairbairn became the Pac-12 Conference’s all-time leader in points scored, won the Lou Groza Award, and earned consensus first-team All-American honors as a senior. He was a two-time first-team all-state soccer player at Punahou School and helped his soccer team win two state championships.
Ka’imi Fairbairn Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Fairbairn was raised in Kailua, Hawaii, by his parents John and Rochelle Fairbairn. His Hawaiian middle name, Kaʻiminoeauloamekaʻikeokekumupaʻa, reflects his deep family ties to Hawaiian culture and ancestry.
Personal Life
Fairbairn continues to embrace his Hawaiian heritage and has spoken publicly about the meaning of his name. He makes his home in the Houston area during the NFL season and returns to Hawaii in the offseason.
2025 Season Performance
The 2025 season marked the finest year of Fairbairn’s professional career. Despite missing two games, he tied David Akers for the NFL record for field goals made in a single season, converting 44 of 48 field goal attempts. He also went a perfect 28 of 28 on extra point attempts, setting a new career high with 160 total points scored.
His accuracy and range remained elite, and his production provided the Texans with one of the most dependable kicking games in the league. Fairbairn’s consistency played a key role in Houston’s late-season push and postseason positioning, reinforcing his value as the centerpiece of the team’s special teams unit.
On March 10, 2026, Fairbairn signed a two-year, $13 million contract extension with the Texans, a deal that made him the highest-paid kicker in the league and confirmed his status as Houston’s long-term answer at the position. With multiple seasons still ahead on his contract, Fairbairn enters the coming years as one of the NFL’s most accomplished and highest-paid kickers.