NFL draft preview: Kalon Gervin hoping 'remarkable' football journey ends in NFL

They thought he was done.

They couldn’t understand why he decided to play football at a basketball school that hadn’t won more than three games on the gridiron — let alone finish with a winning record — since he was in elementary school.

Even his mom admits now she wasn’t in favor of his choice.

“He could have went to Wisconsin,” Djuna Barker said in a phone interview this week. “We actually went out there and I’m like, stay in the Big Ten. You know me, I’m from Michigan, so I’m like, stay in the Big Ten.”

Kalon Gervin indeed nearly headed to Madison after he entered the transfer portal midway through Michigan State’s 2021 season, but the former Detroit Cass Tech star felt a powerful attraction to perennial Big 12 cellar-dweller Kansas.

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He liked the coaching staff. He believed in what head coach Lance Leipold was building. He felt a turnaround coming and wanted to help make it reality.

Two years later, as he awaits his fate in this week’s NFL draft, Gervin couldn’t be happier with his choice.

He made fewer starts in his two seasons at Kansas (three) than he did in his final two years at MSU (nine), but emerged as a team leader who made good on his pledge to make the Jayhawks a winning program again.

Kansas went 6-7 in 2022 and made its first bowl game in 14 years, then won nine games and beat UNLV in the Guaranteed Rate Bowl last season.

“I saw an opportunity to go change a culture so I took that and said let’s go,” Gervin said. “I’m very proud (of what we accomplished) 'cause I know I had a lot to do with it. It’s luckily a great feeling to know that you changed a culture that was in a slump for years. We definitely made a lot of history, broke a lot of records.”

Gervin likely will have to go the undrafted route to make the NFL, but he earned high enough character grades for his role in Kansas’ football revival and performed well enough at Big 12 pro day — when he opened scouts’ eyes with a broad jump of 11 feet, 4 inches, which would have tied for second among all participants at the NFL combine — that he has a chance despite playing a rotational role most of his college career.

Gervin, who was not invited to the NFL's scouting combine, said he saw interest from teams tick up after his pro day. He met with the Arizona Cardinals that day at the Dallas Cowboys’ practice facility and made a visit to the Detroit Lions earlier this month on local day.

“I think it just kind of showed the scouts that I got the tools to be a good player at the next level,” Gervin said. “I was pretty cool with the numbers that I put up. I mean, I worked hard during pre-draft training getting ready. … I just kind of put my head down and said if I want to give myself the best opportunity, I got to make sure I put on a good showing at Big 12 pro day.”

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Gervin comes from a long line of athletes. His brothers, Kris and Kyle, were standout high school players in Michigan. His maternal grandfather, Ollie Payton, was cousins with Hall of Fame running back Walter Payton. And Gervin’s father, Leonard, who died of heart issues when Gervin was 15, was cousins with NBA legend (and former Eastern Michigan star) George “Iceman” Gervin.

Along with his athletic ability, Barker said, Gervin was blessed with an insatiable competitive drive.

Gervin so emulated his football-playing brothers that Barker signed him up to play in the Detroit Police Athletic League at age 6, a year before he was officially eligible. He routinely practiced one age group up, then played games against teams his own age, as a PAL star. And one year after watching his brother, Kris, qualify for the Junior Olympics in track and field — and crying because he couldn’t compete in the events, too — Gervin spent a year sprint training and made the Junior Olympics himself.

“That’s when I knew something was special with him,” Barker said.

This year’s cornerbacks class is considered relatively deep, with potential starters available into Day 2, though Toledo’s Quinyon Mitchell and Alabama’s Terrion Arnold stand apart atop the position.

The Lions welcomed both players to Allen Park for pre-draft visits and have depth needs at both cornerback and safety.

Gervin grew up rooting for the Lions and playing PAL championship games at Ford Field, and said it would be a dream come true to play for his hometown team, or whoever else is willing to give him a shot in the NFL.

“It’s really been remarkable just thinking about my path, honestly,” he said. “Going from Cass Tech, Michigan State to Kansas, it’s like everything went how it was supposed to go and definitely grateful for every step of the way. Honestly, I’m happy with everything, so whatever happens, I’m happy with it. Definitely excited for the future.”

NFL draft preview: Defensive backs

CBs on the Lions' roster: Carlton Davis III, Amik Robertson, Emmanuel Moseley, Khalil Dorsey, Steven Gilmore, Kindle Vildor, Craig James. Safeties on the roster: Kerby Joseph, Ifeatu Melifonwu, Brian Branch, Brandon Joseph.

Dave Birkett’s top 3 CB prospects: 1. Quinyon Mitchell, Toledo; 2. Terrion Arnold, Alabama; 3. Cooper DeJean, Iowa. Top 3 S prospects: 1. Tyler Nubin, Minnesota; 3. Jaden Hicks, Washington State; 2. Javon Bullard, Georgia.

Other players with Michigan ties: CB: Mike Sainristil, Michigan; Josh DeBerry, Texas A&M (Warren De La Salle); Kalen King, Penn State (Detroit Cass Tech); Kalon Gervin, Kansas (Cass Tech); Jae’Veyon Morton, Morgan State (Detroit King); Josh Wallace, Michigan; Chester Kimbrough, Michigan State. S: Reggie Pearson, Oklahoma (River Rouge); Jordan Anderson, UCLA (Harper Woods).

Day 3 sleepers who could interest the Lions: CB: Qwan’tez Stiggers, CFL. S: Sione Vaki, Utah.

Recent Lions draft picks at CB: 2023 — None. 2022 — Chase Lucas (Round 7). 2021 — Ifeatu Melifonwu (Round 3). 2020 — Jeff Okudah (Round 1). 2019 — Amani Oruwariye (Round 5). Recent Lions draft picks at S: 2023 — Brian Branch (Round 2). 2022 — Kerby Joseph (Round 3). 2021 — None. 2020 — None. 2019 — Will Harris (Round 3).

Contact Dave Birkett at dbirkett@freepress.com. Follow him on X and Instagram at @davebirkett.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: NFL draft: DB Kalon Gervin hoping 'remarkable' journey has pro finish