Rookie cornerback Cameron Kinley won’t be able to realize his dream to play in the National Football League after his request to delay his U.S. Navy commission to play for the Tampa Bay Bucs was denied.
Kinley is being required by the Navy to commission as an ensign and is not permitted to appeal the decision. Kinley, a team captain at Navy and class president, signed as an undrafted free agent with the Buccaneers and participated in the team’s rookie minicamp, with the Navy’s permission.
In a statement released Monday, Kinley said that he has “spent the past week processing my emotions, as it is very difficult to have been this close to achieving a childhood dream and having it taken away from me. He also said he “hopes that this situation will soon be overturned and that I can get back to competing on the field and representing the U.S. Navy.”
“As a Naval Academy graduate, football player, and decorated combat veteran I understand Cameron’s commitment,” Divine Sports and Entertainment co-founder Ryan Williams-Jenkins said in the statement. “I also understand there are ways he can fulfill his commitment while representing the Navy and playing professional sports. I played with three-time Super Bowl Champion Joe Cardona, who still serves our country as a Navy reservist. If there is a directive and precedent allowing other service academy athletes to pursue this opportunity, what makes Cameron different? It is important to note that this could have a long-term impact on his mental health going forward. He wants to fulfill both of his childhood dreams, playing in the NFL and honorably serving his country.”
After the Navy’s decision, Kinley, would go on to write a letter last week to Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tennessee, for her help in approaching the Navy to change its decision.
“I am well aware and embrace the commitment that I made to serve when I arrived at the Naval Academy and am not asking to set aside that commitment. Instead, I want to represent my country and the Navy as an NFL player just as other players have been able to do. … If allowed to pursue an opportunity in the NFL, I will use that platform to promote service, respect for the armed services, and show young men that they can succeed in the most demanding professions, no matter their background,” he wrote in the letter.
Click on ‘Follow Us’ and get notified of the most viral NFL stories via Google! Follow Us
Kinley recently made headlines for giving a commencement speech at the Naval Academy’s graduation ceremony at the end of May, where he also introduced U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris.