Javon Kinlaw could hear his name called in the first round of April’s NFL Draft after starring as a defensive tackle at South Carolina. The moment will surely be gratifying, especially considering the journey Kinlaw had to take to being an NFL Prospect.
Tuesday at the Senior Bowl, Kinlaw shared a glimpse of the struggles he endured with his family growing up in the Washington, DC area.
Kinlaw’s mother, Leesa James, moved from Trinidad and Tobago to Washington, DC in 1995. In 2008 a failed business venture left her and her children, including 10-year old Kinlaw, homeless.
They bounced around from house-to-house from Hyattsville, Maryland to Washington, DC. They lived in family and friends’ basements.
By 2013, wanting more stability in his life, Kinlaw’s mother sent him to live with his father in South Carolina.
Kinlaw would star at Goose Creek High School. However, his grades slipped and his relationship with his father remained a struggle. Meanwhile, he was in and out of trouble and in danger of wasting a great deal of football potential.
Fortunately with the help of a teammate’s dad, his high school coach, mother and encouragement from South Carolina head coach Will Muschamp, Kinlaw refocused on football and his grades. He landed at JUCO, Jones County, in Mississippi and transformed his game as well as his grades.
After one season at Jones County, Kinlaw landed offers from Division I programs such as Alabama and South Carolina. He ultimately leaned on his relationship with Muschamp in choosing the Gamecocks.
He has since thrived in three seasons at South Carolina. In the process, building his NFL resume that may make him a first-round pick.
