Bangally Kamara overcomes injury, preparing for West Virginia
When the injury report came out this week Bangally Kamara’s name was missing. That is not something people inside the program expected when he was injured in practice a few weeks ago.
When Kamara went down in practice earlier this month, there was real concern inside the program. Head coach Lance Leipold admitted they feared Kamara could be lost for an extended stretch. Instead, the senior fought his way back, returning just a week later to suit up against Missouri.
“Obviously when the injury happened, I wanted to know how long it was gonna keep me out,” Kamara said. “Somebody said a guy had the same injury before and came back in a week. So, I was just like, shoot, I’m shooting for the same thing. I really tried my best to get out there, and it worked out for the best.”
The injury itself was a freak, non-contact setback.
“Just regular motioning,” he said. “I was just walking through, planted the wrong way, and things like that kind of happen.”
In the moment, Kamara admitted he feared the worst.
“I was concerned,” he said. “I’m gonna lie, I was devastated. I was like, oh, nah, this can’t be. But I’m just happy it wasn’t as serious as I thought. I’m blessed that was the situation.”
Playing through pain
Despite the initial scare, Kamara knew he had to give himself every chance to be on the field. With no more eligibility remaining, he described it as “all or nothing.”
“I mean, got no more years left,” Kamara said. “As long as I got an opportunity to be on the field and I’m not hurting my team, I feel like I can go out there. I’ve played through injury before. This was obviously a different injury, but I’m not used to not playing in those circumstances.”
Although he got himself ready to play, he admitted he wasn’t at full strength against Missouri.
“Obviously it’s limited because it’s such an important ligament on your body,” he said. “I made some plays, missed some plays, but I came out of the game knowing the healthier I get, the better I’ll play. We had the bye week after that, so my focus was on getting better.”
Getting ready for West Virginia
Two weeks later, Kamara says he feels much improved.
“I’m feeling really good, honestly,” he said. “Step by step, getting better every day. I feel better than I did the week I played Missouri, so that’s all I can ask for.”
His play at linebacker will be needed for the Jayhawks as they face a challenge in West Virginia, one of the fastest tempo offenses in the country. Kamara said the key is communication and alignment.
“Getting lined up is the most important,” he noted. “You don’t want to be offsides or on the wrong side of a blitz. Once you make some plays, you can slow their tempo a little bit. Tempo is tempo, man. I’ve seen it all, so it’s just another game to prepare for.”
Preparation has also come from Kansas’ own scout team, who have worked to replicate West Virginia’s speed.
“The scout team guys do the tempo really good,” Kamara said. “That’s one thing that prepares us — simulating as best as possible what West Virginia does. Obviously, it won’t look like the real thing, but that’s all we can ask for right now.”
