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He was just coming into the apex of his college career, and now it might be over.
Michigan defensive end Kwity Paye was a little-known recruit from Warwick (RI) Bishop Hendricken before he arrived on campus in 2017, but entering his senior season, he was listed as college football’s freakiest athlete by The Athletic‘s Bruce Feldman. But now with the Big Ten 2020 season on hold, Paye has some decisions to make.
It may have seemed like a foregone conclusion to some that he would come back for his final season of intercollegiate eligibility, but that wasn’t the case. In a conversation with the Detroit Free Press‘ Orion Sang, Paye shared just how close he was to joining the ten others who wound up in the NFL via the annual draft.
“I thought I could’ve been drafted last year, let’s say that, but I came back because I still had some things I wanted to develop and things I wanted to work on,” Paye said. “This past summer, even in quarantine, there was no rest for me. There was no taking my foot off the pedal.
“This season was going to be my opportunity to show scouts that I worked on that. But COVID messed everything up. I feel like I’m NFL ready. Last year, I could’ve been alright, but this year, I feel prepared for sure.”
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Now, he’s unsure what he’ll do.
The Big Ten says it’s pushing the fall season to spring, but the NFL hasn’t announced any changes to the impending 2021 draft. Additionally, as Paye notes, that would put him in a situation where he’d be playing two seasons in one year — one at the college level, then another in the NFL. For him, that’s a suboptimal experience and a lot of wear on the body with little recovery.
Players such as Ohio State’s Justin Fields are petitioning the conference to reinstate the season, as have parents of players at Michigan, Ohio State, Iowa and Penn State — but the chances of success seem minimal at this juncture.
With all of that in mind, Paye has to make a decision for himself — which might include never wearing the winged helmet in competition again.
“There’s so much uncertainty,” Paye told the Free Press on Monday. “I want to be with my brothers and I want to help this team and make this team the best it can be, but at the same time, you’ve got to look after yourself. I’m the provider for my family. I’ve gotten this far because I want to give my family a life that we’ve never had before.”
That might not be the case for all, but it certainly is for some college football players.
They’re trying to create a career path where they can be providers, helping themselves and their families rise out of potentially dire living circumstances. Now, with the Big Ten’s decision, players like Paye have some tough decisions ahead, none of them easy.
“I’ve talked to my mom a bit about it, but I haven’t talked to her a whole bunch about it,” Paye said. “At the same time, she doesn’t really understand a lot of the stuff. I’m not alone, but I really have to make the decision myself.
“I want to be able to send my younger brothers to private schools and give them the best education and retire my mom, let her relax. I want them to have the life I never had growing up. I love my teammates, but I’m the man of my family. I’ve got to do what’s best for us at the end of the day.”
READ MORE on Kwity Paye and his current mindset at the Detroit Free Press.