Kenbrell Thompkins lifts his right arm and then points to a small scar a few inches north of his elbow on the inside of his bicep.
“I took a bullet to my arm when I was seven years old,” states the Winnipeg Blue Bombers receiver, “and I happened to survive that, so…”
So, this is as good a place as any to start a story about Thompkins’ life, one that has many layers and one that very easily might have ended with a violent conclusion or a long stretch in prison.
That Thompkins, now 30, is still making a living playing football with the Bombers after three years in the National Football League is a testament to his perseverance, his willingness to change and those who helped steer him to the right path.
And because of all that, this is a tale about crime, about opportunity and about faith. Most of all, Kenbrell Thompkins is proud to call this a success story.
Thompkins took his first breaths in 1988, born in the Liberty City neighbourhood of Miami, Fla. It’s an area that was established in the 1930s during the Great Depression, thrived in the 1940s and 1950s, experienced race riots in the late 1960s, and then became one of the most crime-ridden areas in the United States.
It’s also the birthplace to hip-hop star Luther Campbell of 2 Live Crew and NFLers like Chad ‘Ocho Cinco’ Johnson, Willis McGahee, Teddy Bridgewater and Antonio Brown – one of Thompkins’ cousins.
Still, that’s the info about the neighbourhood any Google search can reveal. To really get a feel for the area and to understand where Thompkins came from and what he escaped, it’s best to let him describe life in Liberty City in his own words.
“Liberty City… it’s a lot different now, but back then when I was younger there was a lot of poverty,” said Thompkins. “At that time, the streets were pretty much taken over by the John Doe Gang. They called themselves the ‘Lynch Mob’ and that’s what we saw every day: violence. There was a lot of negativity.
“Growing up in that environment, it was normal to us because we were breathing it every day. That’s what we wanted to do, that’s who we wanted to be: these were the guys with the nice sneakers, the nice cars. A lot of women liked these guys and so that’s who we looked up to. That’s what we wanted to do.
“It was a rough neighbourhood. It is what it is. A lot of guys have the opportunities to make it out now, but back then it was a lot of trouble, trouble that you couldn’t run away from. I just happened to be in that era. I’m blessed to be talking to you right now.”
And the gunshot wound to his right arm?
“Long story, man,” added Thompkins, shaking his head. “But it’s just about being in the wrong place at the wrong time. I was seven and I was playing with a handgun. That’s nothing a seven-year-old should be able to do, or have access to do. It was a bad situation.
“That’s why I keep saying I’m so blessed, so fortunate. It could have been worse. Much worse.”
There’s a long list of those who helped steer Thompkins away from a life of crime to take advantage of his athletic gifts. But before those interventions, some background: Thompkins had been arrested seven times between the ages of 15 and 18, for a variety of offences ranging from trespassing to armed robbery to drug-related charges. He was expelled from Miami Northwestern High School three times.
It was his last offence, at age 18, that landed him in front of Florida Circuit Court Judge Dennis Murphy. Thompkins has been pulled over for reckless driving and a search uncovered powdered and rock cocaine. He was facing jail time for possession with intent to sell.
It was Thompkins’ uncle, a corrections officer, who set him up to meet Murphy. Thompkins made his pitch for another chance, and the judge handed him a two-year probation that included spending time in a boot-camp program and a brief jail stay. Critical in the judge’s decision was the provision for special probation conditions that would allow Thompkins to leave the state and attend and play football at El Camino Community College in Torrance, California.
“If it wasn’t for Dennis Murphy, I don’t think I’d be playing football today,” Thompkins admitted. “When I got in front of him I was able to let him know about my vision. My vision was to play football, to get out of the streets, and try and turn my life around. I gave him my story and I was just blessed and fortunate for him to give me the opportunity. He did a case before me with (10-year NFL veteran receiver) Donte Stallworth… he believed in second chances and gave me the opportunity to go to California to play football.
“He looked me in the eye and told me that if I could go to California and not get into trouble for these years – I’d still be on probation but didn’t have anybody to report to – if I did the right thing he was willing to do this for me. I went to California and it was the best thing that happened to me.”
Murphy, for the record, has a photo in his office of Thompkins in an El Camino uniform.
“I came back to Miami and took that picture to Dennis Murphy,” said Thompkins. “It was so good for him to give me that chance. I’ll always remember that.”
Thompkins posted two 1,000-yard seasons at El Camino, the second after being named a team captain. He then signed with the University of Tennessee to play for then head coach Lane Kiffin, but when Kiffin left for USC, Thompkins attempted to transfer to Oklahoma. The Sooners, however, have a policy of not admitting students with a legal history and Thompkins landed at the University of Cincinnati after several phone calls of recommendation by his cousin, Pittsburgh Steelers star Antonio Brown, to then-Bearcats head coach Butch Jones.
“All those people played a tremendous role in my life,” said Thompkins. “Butch Jones actually gave me a chance when I had a lot against me. Antonio Brown… that’s a guy who has been in my corner since childhood and seeing the success he’s having right now keeps me motivated. Those guys have played a big role in my life.
“I’m grateful in a tremendous way. Opportunities like this I don’t take for granted. I get up each morning and try to approach everything with a thankful attitude no matter what, no matter what odds are against me. I feel like if I look at the positive, I see the positive. The only negative is not being positive. And so, I try and approach each day by just being positive and with a thankful heart and then God will take care of the rest because I’ve shown that I trust Him now.”
Thompkins parlayed two solid seasons with the Bearcats for a free-agent opportunity in the NFL, first with the New England Patriots, then with the Oakland Raiders, back to the Patriots and then the New York Jets. He suited up for 34 games over three years, starting 17 before the Jets released him last September.
His NFL opportunities seemingly exhausted, Thompkins looked north to the CFL and the Bombers. And from his very first day in Winnipeg there has been nothing about Thompkins’ demeanour or his attitude that would suggest he cashed an NFL paycheque. He’s been humble. He’s put his head down and patiently waited for his opportunity, which came following the trade of Adarius Bowman to the Montreal Alouettes.
He’s used the word ‘opportunity’ in almost every sentence of every interview he’s conducted since his arrival. Knowing the details of his life story, it becomes clearer as to why.
“Opportunities… sometimes they’re slim,” he said. “Life is all about choices, the ones you make and how they can shape your life forever.
“Going to California, I just wanted to make myself proud. I always believed that I could do whatever I put my mind to. I wanted to go there and do the right thing, flee away from all evil and all the evil things I was doing before in the past. I needed to renew myself. I didn’t think I had to change, I knew I did. I had to go there with my head on right. There are guys who come from everywhere but take their opportunities for granted. Just by not having the right attitude you can be in a place you shouldn’t be. I had to make sure that everything I was doing was setting me up for a better future and surrounding myself with people that were just as motivated as me.
“Life is about understanding the situation you’re in and gaining wisdom. When I had that opportunity in junior college my mind was made up to do the right thing and fulfill my lifelong dream to play in the NFL and become a professional athlete. I made my mind up then to avoid anything that would jeopardize that for me. By making those choices it has set me up to continue to live that dream.”
During his junior year at Cincinnati, Thompkins experienced another life-changing moment: he became a father and last week Kenbrell II, now seven, visited his dad here in Winnipeg.
“I knew when he was born my task was a lot different,” said Thompkins. “Things became more real. I’ve got somebody looking up to me. Whether I know it or not, he’s looking up at my every move and I’m his role model in whatever I’m doing, so I’ve got to make sure I do the right things. That confirmed to me then that I had to really get it together and whatever negativity I had on my mind or whatever I might have been thinking that wouldn’t set me up for a better future, I had to change it.
“He’s just like me. We have a relationship that’s so close… he’s like my little brother. If you see him, he looks every bit of me. I’m trying to set a good example for him. He’s a great kid, makes all A’s in school and his mom is doing a great job with him.”
Of the many lessons Thompkins has learned in his 30 years one of the most important is to live and appreciate the moment. That hasn’t stopped him from thinking about life after football. He earned, somewhat ironically, a degree in criminal justice and when his playing days are over would like to stay in the game, continue to be in his son’s life, and work with kids.
In short, he’s eager to be the role model he needed growing up and to be a positive influence those who may find themselves at the same crossroads he did when he was 18.
“I just want to be a positive person in the world,” Thompkins explained. “When they say your name, what did you represent? What kind of examples did you set?
“Coming from where I did… That’s why I’m so grateful, so thankful for an opportunity like this.. I go to sleep happy every night. I’m playing football. I know a lot of good athletes who never had this chance, or they let it slip away from them.
“You know, I’m very proud of my story,” Thompkins added. “But I know I’ve still got room to grow and improvements to make. Still, to just to come from Liberty City in the streets of Miami… the odds have already been beaten. And to leave that and be able to play football has meant everything to me.
“But I still don’t take anything for granted. I can’t, man. I just can’t.”
