We at Bobcats Insider join the rest of our Bobcat Family as we mourn the loss of Texas State Football star Khambrail Winters. Our prayers and deepest condolences go out to Khams’ family; His family both on and off the field. A lot of families are hurting this Thanksgiving, and we all should take a moment to truly be THANKFUL for things we often take for granted. Things that can be taken so quickly.
A young mans life can’t be quantified in an irresponsibly daft ESPN headline. Kham was more than a phenomenal football player. He was a son who made his family proud, he was a great teammate & an even better friend. He was a promising scholar and then, lastly… He was a damn good football player.
His impact on the field was recognized when he earned an All-SunBelt Honorable Mention after starting nine games as a true freshman last season. He totaled 52 tackles in the 11 games he played. His impact off the field was immeasurable, it can only hope to be summarized by those who knew & loved him most.
We are deeply saddened & I personally felt gutted at the loss of such a talented & inspiring young man. His hard work would inspire you to work harder! I ran into Kham more than a few times on the sidelines or at practice. He was always so focused on what his brothers were doing, so locked in on the game. Analyzing each play with the same laser focus he had during his workouts. You could see the fire in his eyes wishing he could be out there with his teammates. I saw that same fire & focus everyday at practice as he rapidly progressed through his rehab from a pre-season injury. Just this week he was jogging on an ACL he tore just 3 months ago.
Funny enough I met Kham as he was handing me my phone that he had found on the field. He somehow knew me, somehow he knew it is was mine. I still remember being so surprised that he even knew who I was. Such a big time player with eyes on much bigger things. Yet that small generous interaction typified how genuine of a person he was.
I often told him I couldn’t wait to photograph his comeback, I couldn’t wait to see him finally free and able to continue perfecting his craft at full speed. Secretly I was worried I wouldn’t be able to keep up with him through the lens. I couldn’t wait to try and capture that same passion & fire he showed in this image from the first scrimmage of fall camp.
Kham loved this game, he loved this team. It was evident in his passion, in his practice, and in his play last season. Equal only to the outpouring of love from his brothers.
Kham will be missed… on the field, in the locker room… but most of all in our hearts. We grieve with his family, especially during this already challenging holiday season. We mourn with his teammates & coaches. We remember him, and we honor his legacy in how we move forward. How we play harder, How we work to perfect our craft just as passionately as Kham worked to perfect his.
We offer our deepest condolences to his parents Kevin and Esther, as well as his friends and family.
Once a Bobcat, always a Bobcat
#LongLive1
