Javin Kilgo - Never One to Quit

Javin Kilgo is a quarterback for the Salina Liberty. He stepped up big in Week 13, earning the league's Real American Beer Player of the week award. He completed 24 of 38 passes for 319 yards and seven touchdowns. He added 18 yards on the ground, all in one run, and led his team back from down 16 to win and keep their season alive. 

Every Sport but Football

Javin Kilgo, who was raised in Ypsilanti, Michigan, played just about every sport as a kid except for football. He tried it once in sixth grade and wasn’t much of a fan. He wanted to play quarterback. They moved him to tight end, and that was the end of that. His main sports were basketball, baseball, and soccer. It was some good old-fashioned backyard football that got him into the game. They were having a field day at his school back in eighth grade, and the middle school coach had pulled him aside after seeing him throw the ball around. The coach gave him some tips, and loving a good challenge, it stuck with Kilgo. He wanted to make himself better at it. 

When his sophomore year of high school rolled around, Javin was looking for a change of pace. He was a little burned out on basketball, so he tried out for football. Javin shared a funny story about this, the day he’d told his mom he wanted to play football, she laughed at him. She reminded him of what had happened the last time he tried to play football and how poorly that had gone. “Her follow-up question was, alright, well, what position are you going to play? You thought she was laughing before.” Kilgo laughed as he retold the events. Of course, Mom was in full support of Javin trying it again, and it’s a good thing she was! She took him to camp that evening, and when she picked him up, he was pleased to tell her he was now the starting quarterback for the JV team. 

He started the whole season for the JV team and went to work hardcore in the offseason to work on his mechanics. One thing you’ll quickly learn about Javin is that he isn’t afraid to recognize when something needs improvement, and he quickly puts his mind to it. He spent his junior season behind a senior quarterback as he continued to work on his game. As a senior, he tossed the ball for almost 1500 yards and 16 touchdowns. 

A Football Journey

He had a few different offers to continue playing quarterback in college and chose to begin his career at Ellsworth Community College in Iowa. After an injury, he ended up at the College of the Sequoias in California. After graduating there it was on to Midwest State University in Texas. “My whole career has been about betting on myself and taking chances even when the odds are stacked against me.” Despite not playing as much as he wanted, he looks back on that time and some of the adversity he faced and believes it helped him a ton. His first professional opportunity came at a tryout in Tulsa with Ask Elite. The Duke City Gladiators gave him a call, and that began his professional career as a football player. 

Kilgo bounced around playing a little bit here and there before the Salina Liberty Head Coach Heron O’Neal gave him a call. That changed everything for Kilgo. “He gave me a shot when I needed it the most,” Kilgo recalled. “It was all God’s timing, honestly. He needed a quarterback; they were struggling offensively but hitting on things defensively.” “He gave me a fair opportunity, and the rest is history.” The Liberty, a member of the Champions Indoor Football League at the time, went on to win the 2022 title with Kilgo leading the charge. Kilgo took 2023 off for the birth of his son and then decided to stay home with the Duke City Gladiators in 2024. When 2025 was approaching, Coach O’Neal called Kilgo back up to reunite the championship-winning duo in the new Arena Football One League. 

Calm in Face of Adversity

As he has most of his football life, this season brought some challenges for Kilgo and once again tested his strength and resilience. After a slow start to the season and things not clicking how the team wanted, they brought in Rakeem Cato to take over the starting job from Kilgo. “I’ll be honest with you, it’s been tough. This whole season didn’t go as planned at all.” “I’ve kind of learned to roll with the punches and take the cards that I’ve been dealt,” Kilgo said. “I always feel like there’s a lesson in it nonetheless.” “I’m a realist, and not an egotistical guy when it comes to realizing my faults.” “I understand changes HAD to be made.” He emphasized. 

“I wanted to be given that chance to continue to grow.” “The only thing I could do at that point was run away, or I could get better.” “I’ve never been one to quit.” It’s not his first time being in this type of situation, and Kilgo has never run from the adversity. “I know when there is a lesson to be learned.” “It was rough to start, but man, I love these guys, I love football.” “I have a son I know will be watching later on in life and asking a lot of questions about this part of my journey, I’d rather be transparent with him and let him know I learned.” 

The ultimate team player, Kilgo never stopped working hard, never stopped being prepared. When his number was called, with the season on the line, he didn’t disappoint. Rakeem Cato went down with an injury, and Kilgo’s number was called. Down 25-9 with just 37 seconds left in the first quarter, Coach O’Neal turned to his trusted veteran. Kilgo stepped in like he’d never missed a beat. By halftime, the lead was cut down to just nine points for the Storm. Kilgo then went ballistic in the second half. In total, he racked up 319 passing yards, going 24 for 38 and throwing seven touchdowns in just three quarters of play. He only ran the ball one time, but he made the most of it, scrambling for 18 pivotal yards. In the end, he set up Bailey Hale with that opportunity to win the game and keep his team alive. Kilgo’s preparedness and willingness to do whatever is best for the team is inspiring. That, combined with his absolutely baller performance in Week 13, is everything that is deserving of the Real American Beer Player of the Week.