Javon Kinlaw Continues to Push Himself to Get Better

Don’t let the smile fool you. Javon Kinlaw is invoking a reign of terror on opposing backfields, but the senior defensive lineman is a little more subdued off the field.

“I’m relaxed all the time,” Kinlaw said with a large grin.

“I’m just a kid trying to make things happen. Not once did I ever think about quitting on myself. I’m proud of myself, but there’s still a lot more work to do. I’m not really where I want to be. There is a lot more work to be done, but at the same time, I have done a lot of work to get to this point in my life.”

Kinlaw overcame a tough childhood, which included living in the basement of a family friend for a while with his mother and two brothers outside of Washington, D.C. He later lived with his father in Charleston, S.C., and he became a standout at Goose Creek High School. He started his collegiate career at Jones County Junior College in Ellisville, Mississippi, and transferred to South Carolina in 2017.

Upon his arrival in Columbia, Kinlaw worked hard and lost roughly 40 pounds off his 6’6″ frame, which helped his game tremendously.

“I’ve just been working, nonstop, every day,” Kinlaw said. “I’ve just been working hard in trying to prove myself and make myself better, on and off the field. It’s kind of paying off now.”

After leading the Gamecocks with 4.5 sacks in 2018 despite battling a hip injury all season, Kinlaw has been on a mission in 2019 and had already surpassed last year’s sack total midway through season. After some inconsistent play early in the season, Kinlaw is proud of the way he and his defensive teammates turned things around.

“It’s the mindset,” Kinlaw said. “It’s everybody’s mindset. We’re just playing for one common goal.”

Kinlaw wasn’t the only one who improved in the offseason on the defensive line.

“We had a big offseason with our strength coach,” Kinlaw said. “(Assistant Director of Strength and Conditioning) Coach (Mark) Campbell, he really tested us mentally. More mentally than physically. He would do things to try to get us uncomfortable. He really broke us down and rebuilt us and reshaped us, especially me.”

“I just care about what the head man says. That’s the only thing that can put a smile on my face.”

After some stellar performances on the field this year, Kinlaw doesn’t bask long in the glory, and he has a simple formula for moving on.

“You sleep and wake up the next day and realize you’ve got another game to play,” Kinlaw said. “We just have another team to play each week. You can’t be dwelling on the past. I just ball it up, throw it away, and get my next sheet of paper out.

“Play by play; that’s all I try to do. I just try to do my job and that’s about it. (The Georgia game) was a confidence boost. We knew we could play.”

Kinlaw isn’t one to take plays off, and he doesn’t like coming out of the game either. After refusing to come out for a rest several times in the game at Georgia, Kinlaw noted that he was happy to push himself harder.

“The best players have got to play,” Kinlaw said. “I just want to be out there all the time. That’s the kind of guy I am. “

Kinlaw’s name is being thrown around by college football experts as potential high first round draft pick, but right now he’s is more concerned with improving his overall game.

“Where can I get better? Pad level. Striking blocks better. Playing my double teams better. Convert from run to pass better. Running after the ball more. I can work on a lot of stuff.

“I just care about what the head man says. That’s the only thing that can put a smile on my face. I couldn’t care less about what anybody says outside this organization. As long as my teammates and the coaches are fine, and if they praise me, that’s the best feeling ever.”

Don’t let him fool you, however. Kinlaw hopes a professional career will allow him to not only take care of his mom, but also take care of the next generation in his family as he became a father last spring and beams when you mention his daughter, Eden Amara.

Kinlaw truly wants to be the best he can be, and he’s not trying to be anybody else, either. When asked which player he models his game after, that boyish grin reappears on his face.

“Right now, Javon Kinlaw.”

Kinlaw is a leaner and more mature version of himself compared to when he first arrived on campus, and while he has no intentions of slowing down anytime soon, he does allow himself to think about what he might do after football.

“Fishing. Shooting some disks. Playing with my kids. Living on some land somewhere,” Kinlaw said quietly with another huge smile. “I could be doing anything. You never know with me.”