After dominating Senior Bowl practice, Gamecocks DT Javon Kinlaw shuts it down for rest of week
South Carolina defensive tackle Javon Kinlaw has been quite the buzz this week in Mobile, Alabama.
Kinlaw, who was already largely projected as a first-round pick in this spring’s NFL Draft, has been the most impressive player during Senior Bowl practices, and after two days of dominating the competition, he’s already shutting it down.
According to the NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, Kinlaw has been dealing with a little tendinitis in one of his knees and won’t risk further injury. That’s obviously a smart move, because at this point his draft stock can only go lower due to injury.
After a dominant two days, South Carolina DT Javon Kinlaw is done for the week at the Senior Bowl, sources say. He’s been dealing with a little tendinitis in one of his knees. Just being smart with a first-round talent.
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) January 23, 2020
The 6-foot-6, 310-pound First-Team All-American could venture into top 10-pick territory after his impressive showing. He would join former Gamecocks stars Hayden Hurst, Jadeveon Clowney, Stephon Gilmore and Melvin Ingram as first-round picks over the last 10 years.
Kinlaw told the unbelievable story about his upbringing this week to the media at the Senior Bowl, and it inspired many around the country.
“We had a gas stove, we would light the stove with a little match or something,” Kinlaw said, according to video from Mike Gillespie of ABC-Columbia. “Get a tall pot, boil the water, mix it with some cold water, put it in a bucket, take it upstairs, take a shower like that. But at a young age, we just thought that was normal. That’s how we was living, we didn’t know how everybody else was living.”