Kenneth Gainwell has always put family first. His family means everything to him. He doesn’t just say it, he backs it up with his actions, he lives it. When Kenneth played every down with everything he had in Mississippi and Memphis and then looked into the stands to find his brother Curtis, he did it for family. He did it to honor his older brother. “What he’s gone through, what he’s had to deal with, has only made me work harder, I’m playing for the both of us. To find him (Curtis Jr) in the stadium every time I scored just to see his smile. Every time he smiled it made me smile,” Kenneth continued “I’m just thankful to still have him still here on this earth. I’m proud of him, he’s working real hard.”
When Kenny was 13 his older brother, Curtis, was attempting to become a Southern Miss walk on for the football team when he suffered a life altering stroke while weightlifting. ”I had a headache, I didn’t feel good that day. I knew there was something wrong. I didn’t know it was gonna be a stroke,” Curtis Gainwell recalled in an interview with ESPN. “If I didn’t get to the hospital in time, I could’ve been gone.” He was given three life saving surgeries in one day to stop the brain bleed and has since undergone four brain surgeries. Curtis then endured the daunting task of learning how to walk and talk again. Kenneth, who always looked up to his big brother, was motivated and given strength by Curtis’ resolve. “I said bro feel my pain,” Curtis recalls. “(Kenneth) said I feel it bro, I saw you in that bed, wanting to get out that bed and walk.” Kenneth takes that to the field every time he plays.
And when Kenneth chose to opt out of the 2020 Collegiate season while playing for Memphis just six days before the season opener, once again, he did it for family. Kenneth’s father Curtis Gainwell Sr. spoke to The Commercial Appeal in August of 2020. “He (Kenneth) decided that he didn’t want to take any chances with the coronavirus going on. You don’t want to get out there and get sick and bring it to us, his brother or his teammates,”. The Gainwell’s had already lost four members of their family to this terrible virus. Kenneth explained “You know my family passing away, so it was a tough, tough decision. I love football. So it was really a tough decision to do. So I just had to do what was best for the fam.”
Gainwell was leaving college, but not football. He had set his eyes on the NFL draft. In November of 2020 Kenneth left his family and hometown behind to train and prepare for the NFL alone in Orlando Florida. ”So, basically, the next week after I opted out I started training and I’ve been working out ever since. It’s been basically six months for me working out straight, non-stop. I’ve just been putting in the work, staying down, staying healthy throughout this process.”
He knew he had one amazing season on tape and that if he worked hard, he would get a chance at being drafted in the NFL. As always, his family was at the forefront of his mind. “It will be real special. I’m just ready to see their faces once my name gets called. It’s going to make me want to work even harder, because they had that dream too. I get to live it. They get to live it. So, I’m just excited.”
Kenneth grew up in Yazoo City Mississippi and went to Yazoo City High School. The same HS as his cousin, current Philadelphia Defensive Tackle Fletcher Cox. He was a three year starter at QB for the Panthers. He threw for 3,682 yards with 32 passing touchdowns. Gainwell added another 4,730 yards rushing and 75 rushing touchdowns. He even returned a kickoff to add another touchdown to his impressive TD total of 108. Kenny was named Class 3A Mr. Football his Senior year of High School as he led the Panthers to their first ever Class 3A state title championship game appearance, while compiling an impressive 14–1 record.
After graduating in 2018, Kenneth chose to attend Memphis over Ole Miss. He only played 4 games as a true freshman (he was playing behind future NFL pros Darrell Henderson, Patrick Taylor and Tony Pollard) and decided to red shirt the rest of the season and focus on training.
When he returned in the summer of 2019 it was apparent his hard work had paid off. Gainwell became the feature back, starting 13 of 14 games while rushing for 1,459 yards and 13 scores on 231 carries (6.3 per carry avg). He also was also a valuable weapon as a receiver (51 receptions, 610 yards, 12.0 average, three touchdowns). In fact, his game was was so good that NFL RB Antonio Gibson only received 33 total carries. At seasons end Kenneth was named first-team All-American Athletic Conference and the AAC Rookie of the Year. The ascent to the NFL was finally at hand. All that was left to do was wait and see where he would end up.
Gainwell was selected by the Eagles in the 5th round with the 150th overall pick. By most draft expert estimations this was a late round steal. The dual threat RB was projected to go as high as the second and was easily in almost every mock as a third. Kenneth was grateful his dream to reach the NFL had just become a reality.
“My heart stopped beating for a little bit you know,” he told Sky Sports when he saw the Philly area code on his phone on draft day. “Just seeing the call pop up on my phone, my heart stopped beating and I didn’t know what to say really. I was like ‘I’m just ready to come ball, ready to put in that work’. I’ve been dreaming about this for a long time and getting an opportunity to play for a team that I’m a fan of, I’m really a fan of the Eagles now I’m going to be a student and a guy that is going to show love to the fans. It’s exciting.” He stated he spent his childhood studying the footwork of LeSean Shady McCoy and Darren Sproles, amongst others. He was ready to add his name to the Eagles family of running backs.
Philadelphia was just as excited drafting Kenneth as he was of being selected by them. He immediately impressed in training camp by not only showing everyone in person what was already on tape (the receiving and rushing threat) but, at a reported 5-foot-9 200 pounds, he was standing up tall in blocks. “I’m a rare breed,” he said. “I’m a different one.”
His ability as a receiver might have been what attracted the Eagles to Gainwell. But his willingness to block will be what earns him consistent playing time. “Yeah, he had to show that he could protect.” HC Nick Sirianni said. “Because we know his ability as a pass catcher. We’ve seen his ability as a pass catcher. We’ve seen it even more in practice and all the different drills we do and everything, He’s a tough kid. When guys are tough, and they like football and they really love football and they have talent. Those guys reach their potential.”
”I’m bringing an attitude that is real different, I’m bringing a talent that I feel the Eagles don’t have, a running back you can legit put in the slot and run any routes, a legit guy you can throw all over the field and that can dominate anywhere on the field, that’s what I feel like I bring, I feel dangerous in the backfield, I feel dangerous in the slot, kind of both spots. I’m an athlete, I dominate everywhere, anywhere they put me even if it’s on special teams, everywhere on the field.”
Kenneth has wasted little time showing the world what he could do in the NFL. In the season opener he was on the field during the two-minute drill at the end of the first half against the Falcons as they went down and scored a touchdown and a two point conversion. He then scampered for an 8 yard TD run of his own in the third quarter.
“He has the best hands in our running back room,” Miles Sanders said. “That’s his thing — the two-minute drill. That’s it.”
He showed off those hands again week four against the reigning AFC Champion Kansas City Chiefs with a very productive day. 6 receptions for 58 yards and 3 carries for 31 yards and a TD.
In a season that has started off with its shares of hardships, Gainwell has been a silver lining. Through the first 4 games he has hauled in 13 receptions for 114 yards and rushed 19 times for 84 yards and two scores. Per Pro Football Focus he is currently ranked the top graded overall rookie running back.
Now that he is where he always wanted to be, and playing where he has always wanted to play, not a thing has changed. He’s still the same Kenneth Gainwell that is driven to succeed and daring on the football field. He is also, you guessed it, still doing it all for family.
”I plan on putting my family in situations to be great.”
Nobody is doubting that he will.
David 10/5/21
Follow me @PHLEagleNews