University Southern California Trojans
Days With DK
June 26, 2017 | Football, Trojan Outreach, USC Ripsit Blog
A quick search of the hashtag #DaysWithDK on Instagram shows the highlights of a young man making the most of every moment.
Former USC linebacker Devon Kennard used his career at Troy to make his way to the Big Apple, where he's a rising star for the New York Giants with a passion for bettering not only himself, but the community around him.
During his time at USC, Kennard started 32 games, racked up 195 tackles and earned All-Pac-12 honors. The Phoenix, AZ native also excelled in the classroom -- earning a bachelor's degree in communication and a Master's in communication management, while boasting the team's highest GPA in 2013.
Kennard wanted to take advantage of every opportunity afforded him in college, so he jumped at the chance to travel to Haiti in 2012 with 15 of his teammates. Over the course of five days, the Trojans built four homes for families affected by the devastating 2010 earthquake.
"I think it sparked something in me that I'm going to continue to do for the rest of my life," Kennard said at the time, and he's come through on that promise countless times since.
Just two months after returning from the life-changing trip, Kennard suffered a season-ending pectoral injury. Though a disappointing setback, the injury allowed Kennard to reconsider his priorities, especially in light of his recent experience in Haiti.
"I started to question my identity, because I associated my identity so much with 'football player,'" Kennard said. "There were times that I felt depressed, sad, mad -- I had all those feelings. And I realized I never wanted to make football my entire life and feel this way again. It made me look into 'What else am I interested in? What else am I passionate about? What things do I enjoy doing?' I think that was the turning point for me."
Kennard redshirted that year and came back stronger in 2013, being named a team captain, earning the team's Most Inspirational Player award and performing well enough to be drafted by the Giants in the fifth round (174th overall) of the 2014 NFL Draft.
Despite being a late-round pick, Kennard has carved out a starting role with the Giants, as well as an important role in the community. As soon as he settled down in East Rutherford, Kennard started finding different ways to give back. He's attended Salute to Service events, NFL Play 60 events, NFL Draft parties with fans and more. He's involved himself with the Joyful Heart Foundation, which supports victims of domestic violence and sexual assault, as well as A Call to Men, which educates young men about how to practice a "healthy and respectful manhood." And earlier this month, he announced a campaign called Reading With DK, created to encourage children to read this summer.
"I have a passion for kids, so anything involving youth education or anything like that, I enjoy," says Kennard.
Last year, Kennard took that passion to the next level when he began volunteering with New City Kids, a Jersey City-based organization that helps low-income elementary schoolers complete their homework, learn to play instruments, practice their faith and more. After his very first visit, Kennard says he "immediately fell in love" with the children and the structure of the program.
"They created a really cool system where the younger kids grow up and become the hired counselors," Kennard explained. "The older kids walk [the younger kids] through their whole college application, so 100 percent of the kids that go through their whole program go to college. And things like that are really important, especially in low income areas, where kids don't have as much opportunity."
During the 2016 NFL season, Kennard spent his one off-day every week mentoring kids in the program, and has continued to do so throughout his offseason.
So how does Kennard find the time to fit all his commitments in his busy schedule?
"I think it comes down to priorities," he says. "My biggest hobby is investing in myself. And by that, I mean I'm not big on video games -- I don't even own a video game console. I haven't since, like, middle school. When I'm not training, watching film, I'm trying to get better in another way. I'm reading books, trying to take meetings and meet new people, doing stuff in the community to give back. It's all about what you find is important. Things that are important to you, you find time for."
Despite writing a business plan for his own nonprofit while in graduate school, Kennard has decided that for now, he can maximize his impact by working with programs that have already built the foundation to do good work in the community.
Next up on Kennard's ever-evolving to-do list is coming back to USC to share his advice with current student-athletes.
"I want to go back to USC and talk to the guys next season about networking, meeting people, taking advantage of opportunities and building a network outside of your football world. I think that's really important."
Follow Kennard on Twitter and Instagram to stay in the loop on his achievements on and off the field.
Former USC linebacker Devon Kennard used his career at Troy to make his way to the Big Apple, where he's a rising star for the New York Giants with a passion for bettering not only himself, but the community around him.
During his time at USC, Kennard started 32 games, racked up 195 tackles and earned All-Pac-12 honors. The Phoenix, AZ native also excelled in the classroom -- earning a bachelor's degree in communication and a Master's in communication management, while boasting the team's highest GPA in 2013.
Kennard wanted to take advantage of every opportunity afforded him in college, so he jumped at the chance to travel to Haiti in 2012 with 15 of his teammates. Over the course of five days, the Trojans built four homes for families affected by the devastating 2010 earthquake."I think it sparked something in me that I'm going to continue to do for the rest of my life," Kennard said at the time, and he's come through on that promise countless times since.
Just two months after returning from the life-changing trip, Kennard suffered a season-ending pectoral injury. Though a disappointing setback, the injury allowed Kennard to reconsider his priorities, especially in light of his recent experience in Haiti.
"I started to question my identity, because I associated my identity so much with 'football player,'" Kennard said. "There were times that I felt depressed, sad, mad -- I had all those feelings. And I realized I never wanted to make football my entire life and feel this way again. It made me look into 'What else am I interested in? What else am I passionate about? What things do I enjoy doing?' I think that was the turning point for me."
Kennard redshirted that year and came back stronger in 2013, being named a team captain, earning the team's Most Inspirational Player award and performing well enough to be drafted by the Giants in the fifth round (174th overall) of the 2014 NFL Draft.
Despite being a late-round pick, Kennard has carved out a starting role with the Giants, as well as an important role in the community. As soon as he settled down in East Rutherford, Kennard started finding different ways to give back. He's attended Salute to Service events, NFL Play 60 events, NFL Draft parties with fans and more. He's involved himself with the Joyful Heart Foundation, which supports victims of domestic violence and sexual assault, as well as A Call to Men, which educates young men about how to practice a "healthy and respectful manhood." And earlier this month, he announced a campaign called Reading With DK, created to encourage children to read this summer.
"I have a passion for kids, so anything involving youth education or anything like that, I enjoy," says Kennard.
Last year, Kennard took that passion to the next level when he began volunteering with New City Kids, a Jersey City-based organization that helps low-income elementary schoolers complete their homework, learn to play instruments, practice their faith and more. After his very first visit, Kennard says he "immediately fell in love" with the children and the structure of the program.
"They created a really cool system where the younger kids grow up and become the hired counselors," Kennard explained. "The older kids walk [the younger kids] through their whole college application, so 100 percent of the kids that go through their whole program go to college. And things like that are really important, especially in low income areas, where kids don't have as much opportunity."
During the 2016 NFL season, Kennard spent his one off-day every week mentoring kids in the program, and has continued to do so throughout his offseason.
So how does Kennard find the time to fit all his commitments in his busy schedule?
"I think it comes down to priorities," he says. "My biggest hobby is investing in myself. And by that, I mean I'm not big on video games -- I don't even own a video game console. I haven't since, like, middle school. When I'm not training, watching film, I'm trying to get better in another way. I'm reading books, trying to take meetings and meet new people, doing stuff in the community to give back. It's all about what you find is important. Things that are important to you, you find time for."
Despite writing a business plan for his own nonprofit while in graduate school, Kennard has decided that for now, he can maximize his impact by working with programs that have already built the foundation to do good work in the community.
Next up on Kennard's ever-evolving to-do list is coming back to USC to share his advice with current student-athletes.
"I want to go back to USC and talk to the guys next season about networking, meeting people, taking advantage of opportunities and building a network outside of your football world. I think that's really important."
Follow Kennard on Twitter and Instagram to stay in the loop on his achievements on and off the field.
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