Wake Forest Athletics
Five Questions with KJ Brent
5/11/2020 12:39:00 PM | Football, Les Johns
"Coach (Dave) Clawson or (wide receiver) coach (Kevin) Higgins — I owe them so much. They were open to accepting me. " - KJ Brent
By Les Johns
K.J. Brent took the grad transfer route to Wake Forest, hauling in a career-best 42 catches for 583 yards in his sole season with the Deacs in 2015 — just the second season in the Dave Clawson era.
Brent successfully parlayed a great final collegiate campaign into a four-year NFL career, splitting time between the Oakland Raiders, Indianapolis Colts and Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
He's now settled in Charlotte with his wife Chelsea and the couple is expecting their first child in July. They're in the process of setting up the nursery for their daughter, while Brent is looking for his next career opportunity in a challenging environment.
"I'm trying to network as much as I can virtually, trying to find the right spot," he said. "Something could pop in the next month or so. I'm looking for a place to grow professionally, while also growing as a husband and a father."
Deacon Sports Xtra caught up with Brent for this Q&A feature:
What led to the start of your "The Untamed Mind" blog and what do you hope to accomplish with it?
Brent: "I've always been into writing, which started around middle school. I always kept journals and notebooks. Whenever I got to that adolescent and teen stage where I wasn't quite as social, I'd be cooped up in my room after school. Whenever I got done with homework, I would either draw, sketch, rewrite lyrics, or write short stories or poems. I've always been a creative writer. I was in a lull back in college at South Carolina. College is where we all try to find ourselves and find the right balance between football and school.
"After I got to Wake I got back into writing. Last May, I started thinking about the whole blog thing, but didn't realize how easy it was to start your own website and get a blog. I do like having conversations, as you can probably figure out on my Twitter. I don't really buy into the whole 'it's too controversial, so we can't talk about it' theory. I like touching on those things and giving my opinion. But I also like touching on what's going on in me and my wife's life, my career and everything in between. It's a way for me to get away from anything that might cause any type of stress and just write how I want to write. I'm also working on a podcast and I'll start that branch. It's a great outlet for me, and I'm looking forward to continuing. I'm now going to interview some people I respect and give them a chance to tell their stories in the podcast."
Why is the panda your favorite animal?
Brent: "The panda is my favorite animal, by far. I love pandas. I'm mixed. I'm biracial. My mother is white and my father is black. Our group text on iMessage is 'PandaFam.' That's a little background as to why the panda was solidified as my favorite animal choice. It was kind of a joke in our family, then I started watching a lot of panda stuff — like live feeds of pandas over in Asia. They're goofy, cool looking, and black and white like me. I just fell in love with them."
Are the Harry Potter films better than the Marvel Cinematic Universe?
Brent: "We all have our own opinions. For all those who think the Marvel Universe series is better than Harry Potter, they're entitled to their own wrong opinion. I love the Marvel Universe, but I read the Harry Potter books when I was a kid. I didn't really realize until the second time reading them how much I truly loved them. At first, it was just my parents trying to get me to read. Then the movies started coming out. I remember, with the creative mind I have, reading them and trying to envision how I thought those characters would look. Now, I can't not watch the movies. I finally got my wife on board, and she'll put on 'Goblet of Fire' or 'Prisoner of Azkaban,' and it's just one of the best things in the world. We can always have it going on in our house."
How did the move to Wake Forest impact you?
Brent: "I tell whoever I talk to about the situation, whether that's coach (Dave) Clawson or (wide receiver) coach (Kevin) Higgins — I owe them so much. They were open to accepting me. They were a new staff, and were trying to build their team and culture. To be open to adding a grad transfer to that team, knowing I wasn't going to be there for four years meant a lot. It did a whole lot for me. I always wonder if I didn't make that switch to Wake Forest what my life or career would have been like. I'm extremely forever grateful to them. To be able to start and get more film gave me a chance for an opportunity at the next level."
What did you learn most about yourself during your professional football journey?
Brent: "I learned a lot about the business side of the NFL. The reason I had some hesitation with transferring is when I invest myself in a team, I do get loyal. Before I matured, I worried about what it would look like if I transferred, having been there for four years. Is it selfish? But the NFL helped me realize that you have to worry about yourself, while also being a team player and a loyal teammate. I was able to do that. I focused on myself as a business and a professional athlete. I learned that I do have more patience than I ever realized, and I can handle more adversity. I grew a lot in my first year-and-a-half in the NFL. That was truly a huge point of maturing for me, being on my own and being in a world with a lot of spotlight. I learned a lot about myself. Chelsea and I learned a lot about our relationship through what I experienced in the NFL. There was a lot of growth and eye opening situations, but it was all worth it."
