There is more to 49ers Javon Kinlaw, the 49ers first-round pick, than his combine measurables. Though they are mighty impressive — 6-foot-6, 310 pounds.
Here are five other things you may or may not know about Kinlaw.
1. He will be just the sixth Trinidad & Tobago native to play in the NFL.
2. His family was homeless for parts of his youth. “Pretty much we (Javon, his mom and brother) were homeless, living in basements,” he said during a news conference before last season’s Senior Bowl game. “We went without electricity. No water or things like that. We had to use the neighbor’s water and fill up totes of water. We would take them back into the house.” This was how they cooked and bathed.
3. It was no big deal to Javon, who didn’t know any better. “At a young age you just thought that was normal,” he said. “That’s how we were living. We didn’t know how other people were living and we were cool with that.”
4: His dad is a lifelong 49ers fan. He rolled off his chair and onto the floor after his son was officially drafted on Thursday night.
5: More than a couple fans online would like to see Kinlaw’s story portrayed in a sequel to “The Blind Side,” the movie featuring Michael Oher, a homeless teen who wound up playing offensive tackle for the Baltimore Ravens.
