Biography

BIOGRAPHY

Javon Kinlaw was born 3 October 1997 in Trinidad and Tobago. He is a defensive tackle in the NFL.

Kinlaw spent part of his childhood homeless in Washington, D.C. after immigrating from Trinidad and Tobago with his mother and two siblings. He attended Goose Creek High School in Goose Creek, South Carolina.

inlaw played one year at Jones County Junior College in 2016 before transferring to the University of South Carolina. In his first year at South Carolina in 2017, he played in all 13 games with 10 starts and had 20 tackles. In 2018, he started all 12 games and had 38 tackles and 4.5 sacks. Kinlaw returned to South Carolina for his senior season in 2019.

Kinlaw was drafted by the San Francisco 49ers in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft with the 14th overall pick. The 14th overall pick was acquired originally from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers after the 49ers traded down with the first round pick (13th overall) they originally acquired in the DeForest Buckner trade. He signed his four-year rookie contract with the team on 26 June 2020.