A gridiron symbolizes something different for everyone. For Bethune Cookman defensive end Kevin Thompson, the field can be a battleground.
“I can be violent a little bit,” Thompson said. “I can take out all of my aggression on the field.”
It’s also his safe haven.
“It’s my place of peace and worship.”
Regardless of the field’s representation, Thompson roams it with his whole heart.
“He’s going to give you everything he has, every play, regardless of the situation,” said Wildcats Head Coach Terry Sims.
“He’s back in the huddle chatting it up,” said BCU linebacker Trenton Bridges. “He likes to talk a lot. He’s a high energy guy so we feed off him.”
Thompson let’s his play do his talking. Thompson’s six tackles for loss help bolster his reputation as one of the MEAC’s top pass rushers. His drive doesn’t come from sacking opposing quarterbacks, it comes from playing for the other ten wildcats around him.
“The drive he has for making sure everybody else is okay,” Sims said. “That’s Kevin Thompson.”
Family has a special meaning for Thompson. His football family comes second to his loved ones in his hometown of Baltimore, MD. Growing up with three older brothers is where ‘KT’ developed both his love for football and his appreciation for family.”
“I watched them and took some of their ways in,” Thompson said. “I try and treat everyone like family because like I said you never know when God is going to call upon one of us to come home.”
It’s a call the Thompson family answered on more than one occasion. The first came when Kevin was eight.
“One of my brothers was killed by robbery,” Thompson said. “That was my first brother, the oldest. He died the worst way. As I got a little older they got killed each a year apart.”
Over a three-year period, all three of Kevin’s older brothers were shot and killed.
“I mean as a kid you don’t really know what’s going on until you start missing a person,” Thompson said. “You notice a person is not there like he used to be.”
With tragedy consuming his personal life, Thompson turned to football for his escape.
“He’s not going to be put in a position to go back and live in those situations,” Sims said.
Thompson made his impact felt immediately upon arrival at BCU emerging as the league’s top edge rusher. After overcoming adversity, Thompson couldn’t avoid injury. A separated shoulder sidelined KT for the majority of the 2017 season.
“Any moment can be taken away now so just play hard and leave everything out there,” Thompson said. “The bounce back is better than what the loss was.”
The bounce back has been as good as advertised. Thompson’s stellar return has drawn the interest of CFL and NFL scouts.
“There’s still teams inquiring about him and I think he’ll have that opportunity when he finishes this year to go and play at the next level,” Sims said.
Next level or not, Thompson’s climb alone is worthy of praise. He refuses to let circumstance dictate his future. Whatever he earns from here on out is for family and no one else.
“It’s the most important thing to me,” Thompson said. “Just seeing my mother smile doing something positive with my life because my brothers’ never got a chance.”