Gamecock Gala Awards: Dodie Academic Male MVP - Javon Kinlaw

Javon Kinlaw is set to live out his childhood dream in the NFL, but the recently graduated defensive lineman has worked hard at more than just football and embodies what perseverance is all about. Kinlaw spent part of his childhood homeless, but he committed himself in the classroom and the gridiron to help he and his family have a better life. In addition to becoming a force on the defensive line in the SEC, Kinlaw has also worked tirelessly on his academics and graduated in December with a degree in interdisciplinary studies. For his efforts, Kinlaw has been chosen by South Carolina Athletics as the male recipient of the Dodie Academic MVP Award, which is presented annually to a student-athlete who has shown commitment to academic excellence and perseverance through steady improvement and academic benchmarks.

“I just stuck with it. I just had to,” Kinlaw said of his academics work. “I had no choice. It was definitely hard.

“You just have to keep moving forward. You can’t worry about what’s going on behind you. The past is for you to forget about stuff like that. You have to keep going. Don’t stop. Continue to make progress. Make your way up every day. Some good will come out of that.”

“To see Javon make it, means everything, honestly,” said Katie Christensen, Associate Director of Academics. “I am so incredibly proud of him for continuously finding a way in all aspects of life. Words don’t always do justice to articulate the amount of time and effort he put forth in the Dodie and the sacrifices he made to do so. He is a major testament to not only hard work, but an open mind to step outside of one’s comfort zone and trust us and our plan to best support him along the way. The kid is tough as nails and resilient as the day is long. There were a lot of times when graduation was something we put on a pedestal and talked about as if it was so far down the road, and then before we knew it, the diploma was coming in the mail.”

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. There were times when simple things most people take for granted, such as food and electricity were tough to come by. 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.

“Tough situations don’t bother me because I always try to find the good in everything.”
– Javon  Kinlaw

Upon his arrival in Columbia, Kinlaw worked hard and lost roughly 40 pounds off his 6’6″ frame, which helped his game tremendously. He earned All-America honors from various organizations in 2019 and was also a First Team All-SEC selection.

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 last year, 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 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. With the motivation of where he came from and what his future holds, Kinlaw is always positive.

“It’s just how I’m wired,” Kinlaw said. “I just always look at the bright side, and I guess I’ve always been that way. Tough situations don’t bother me because I always try to find the good in everything.

“Going through so much and seeing so many things, it makes you want to be somebody or do something with your life. I had the mindset that I was always going to be somebody, no matter what happened. Football is what I love, but it’s not who I am. Football happens to be the way I became somebody. Whatever I put my mind to, if I set out to do it, I’m going to do it. That’s the type of person I am.”

With degree in hand, Kinlaw is thankful for the people and the resources at South Carolina’s Dodie Anderson Academic Enrichment Center and all the time he spent there to stay on track.

“All day. All day, but I got it done,” Kinlaw said.’ “I’d come home from a long day of school, lay in the bed, and there’s that feeling of relief. I’m glad I got it done. I couldn’t have done it without her (Christensen) help. I appreciate it more than you know.

“Being at the Dodie really helped with a lot of character issues. It built a lot of character things in me in trusting people more and wanting to open up and talk to people more. It definitely helped me to communicate with people more and understand that it’s cool to have conversations with people and just talk. When I first came to South Carolina, I didn’t really talk. I appreciated everything at the Dodie from the meals, to the help and support; it’s an all-around thing over at the Dodie!”

“I truly am so excited to see where life takes him because he deserves nothing but the best and has a very bright future ahead of him,” Christensen said. “He came in one summer as a shy, junior college student that we knew had an unlimited potential, but what we at the Dodie were not prepared for was the impact he would leave on us for life. He truly is a testament to hard work and buying into all that South Carolina has to offer in the holistic student-athlete experience.”