Waiting For His Father
Celebrating the birth of his first daughter in Pasadena with his family shortly after being drafted, Kevon was told that his father, whom he had only spoken to a handful of times in his entire life, wanted to speak to him on the phone.
“It was a tough journey growing up not having that father figure in my life – something that I always wanted,” said Kevon, whose last name belongs neither to his mother nor father – only the twin brothers have the last name Seymour. “I could be walking down the street and see him walking and wouldn’t even know who he was – like a complete stranger.”
Seymour spoke to his father on the phone, who said he wanted to come by Community Arms and see his granddaughter.
But he never showed up.
“He doesn’t even know her name,” said Seymour. “He [doesn’t] know my second daughter, but I’m not saying all of this to talk bad about him – he just doesn’t know how to be a dad.”
For Seymour, who found father figures in his stepfather Ronnie Donald, coaches and mentors Pearson and Antoine Sims, it’s satisfying knowing his two daughters, Karsyn and Kendall, won’t have to grow up in the same situation he did.
“I take pride in being a father and taking care of my little girls – everyday, I’m there doing things for them as much as I can because I know how it is not having a father and [having] that guidance in your life,” said Seymour, who has the names of his daughters tattooed on each hand.
“I feel like no kid deserves that type of feeling.”
Waiting To Be Healthy
After a year in Buffalo – Seymour couldn’t wait to see the snow when he learned he had drafted to the Bills – Seymour was traded to the Panthers a week before the season started and immediately made an impact, splitting time with incumbent second-year starter Daryl Worley across from James Bradberry during the 2017 season.
“[It was] really just to keep us fresh,” said Seymour about his timeshare with Worley, who would be traded after the season. “You know how the offense [does it] – they’ll put one receiver in and run you on a nine route, put another receiver in and run you on another nine, a go route — and then…put Julio in and go right at you.”
“Pretty much, we had the same type of style in play, it really wasn’t like ‘he’s better than him,’ it was more about who had the hot hand at the time.”
But after Worley was traded for Torrey Smith during the 2018 offseason, it was Seymour who entered offseason workouts and training camp as the starter on the outside opposite James Bradberry.
Soon after his second daughter was born between the second and third preseason games, Seymour got tangled up with rookie wide receiver DJ Moore and his shoulder, which he had been battling with since his sophomore year of college, finally let go – Seymour wouldn’t play in the final two games of the preseason and was told just before the season began that the team would be placing him on injured reserve for surgery on both shoulders.
“Coach just said we’re thinking about the future – you want to think about the future; take care of it now and get healthy so we can have you back here competing for a job,” said Seymour.
So Seymour went under the knife – first the right shoulder, which put him in a sling for six weeks. Then the left shoulder and back into a sling on the other side. Not being on the field was frustrating – but not being able to be a father was even worse.
“Just being a dad, coming home and explaining to my two-year old, like ‘babe, I can’t pick you up,’ I’m sorry. I can’t baby, daddy’s shoulders hurt. I’ve got owies,” Seymour recounted as he gestured to the surgery scars on his shoulders.
Another season of rehab – another season of waiting; but this time the reward would be full health.
And with Phase Two of Panthers’ offseason workouts beginning this week, Seymour is eager to get back on the field and show what he looks like as the healthiest version of himself in almost five years.
“I’m a full go – going to be like a cheetah out there,” said Seymour with flashing eyes. “Fresh legs.”
“We’ve seen his speed, his quickness, his explosiveness,” said Ron Rivera during this week’s OTA sessions. “Here’s a guy that is really fast, that showed he had that ability [and] we had him for a little bit until he got hurt and to see him get back out there and exhibit it on the field, that’s really good and a huge plus for us.”
While Seymour was missing the 2018 season, rookie Donte Jackson was establishing himself on the outside opposite Bradberry – so now Seymour will need to prove that he can contribute wherever needed, whether that’s on the inside or on the outside.
“D-Jack coming in as a young player [and] balling out for us last year – picks, fumble recoveries, sacks….he’s on his way to being a great corner,” said Seymour about his compatriot in the cornerback room as he elaborated on his versatility and what the team has been looking for from him thus far this spring as he competes with Ross Cockrell and Corn Elder for the currently up-for-grabs nickel cornerback slot. “I’ve just been bouncing around – outside, inside, wherever they need me; they’ve pretty much been using everybody the same way. Me, Corn, Ross [are] playing nickel and outside [are] all moving around and stuff.”
“I love nickel – I can play nickel, outside corner, I love playing man in the slot – I’ve got no problem with that.”
Rivera says the team is still “feeling some things out” in terms of where all of the pieces fit together, but mentioned Seymour specifically when asked about who might be able to take a step forward out of the secondary in 2019, with the prospect of retaining the same pieces as they had in 2018 – Bradberry, Jackson, Seymour, Cockrell and Elder – for another season looking extremely appealing.
It won’t be an easy road for Seymour to secure a role in the Panthers’ defense – nothing ever is in the NFL, just as nothing is given in life.
“I like to compare [playing] corner to life because you can have ups and downs and stuff, but it’s all about how you respond – because you’re going to critiqued, you’re going to get judged…You can be having a great game and then you can trip up or you can get a ball caught on you for a key first down and you’re just completely garbage.”
“It’s life. You’re going to have some tough times in life – you’ve just got to respond and keep on going and believe in yourself.”
Believe that the wait might be over and that the good thing is finally here.
For more from Kevon, check out our interview with him on the It Is What It Is podcast.
