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FINALS GUIDE
Mann's Motivation: His son's fight for survival
SHANE JACKSON
@jacksonshane3
W while his teammates were set to take on Oklahoma in Norman, Okla., in November of 2014, Kansas running back De'Andre Mann was taking on his own challenge. It wasn't one based off wins or losses, but a matter of life or death.
After driving to a Topeka hospital, De'Andre would hold his newborn son, Alijah De'Andre Mann, in a single hand. Born two months and two weeks premature, Alijah weighed a mere two pounds as the effect of preeclampsia, a disease De'Andre's wife Olivia dealt with throughout her pregnancy.
Preeclampsia can prevent the placenta from receiving enough blood, causing the baby to be born very small. The disease isn't curable, but it can be managed if it's caught early. Luckily for Olivia, it was.
"I made it to Topeka in 45 minutes," De'Andre said. "I was so nervous for my wife and son driving back [to Topeka]. But she fought through and I got to see the birth of my son; that was really cool."
De'Andre spent the majority of his days in early August under the beating sun during the grind of fall camp. He studies the latest playbook, implemented by the new coaching staff, for hours. The running back meeting room almost became a second home.
After taking a battering at the hands of the Jayhawks' defense, he went home and taking on even more. From the moment he steps in the door, De'Andre has no chance to relax on the couch; nine-month-old Alijah makes sure of that.
"I let him just jump on me," De'Andre said. "He's a ball of energy. All he likes to do is eat, and then he wants to jump and play."
Although Alijah seems healthy now, the newest Jayhawk in the Mann family faced a barrage of medical issues last winter.
"I knew it was going to be a battle for them, so I just prayed," De'Andre said of his wife and son. "They both fought. It's been inspiring to me to see the development of my son. He's 21 pounds now."
De'Andre's other family - the Kansas running
backs — has been a part of Alijah's life as well. De'Andre constantly finds himself asking Reggie Mitchell, the running backs coach, for not only football advice but family advice as well.
Alijah has become accustomed to visits from Ke'aun Kinner, and Taylor Cox. Co-mined that Alijah was going to be an athlete — a much better one than Alijah's father.
"That boy loves to jump," Cox said. "He's going to be able to dunk by the time he is 12."
Kinner said that he had a soothing effect on Alijah.
Missu Minear/KANSAN
Senior football player DeAndre Mann admires his son during an interview Sunday evening at the Rock Chalk Choice Awards. Mann recieved the Crimson Climb award.
"Usually when I'm over and I'm holding him, he's calm," Kinner said. "I do stuff to make him laugh. I've never seen him cry. Alijah is something else."
On the football field, De'Andre, was something else as well. He was the leader of the backfield in his senior campaign. He ran for 387 yards on 76 carries and had a touchdown as well. He was second on the team in rushing yards. It was eerily similar to his first ride with Kansas
In his first year with the Jayhawks after spending two years at Hartnell College, he came through with 85 carries for 399 yards - a 4.7 yards per carry average in nine games. De'Andre's veteran experience at the collegiate level led him to a leadership role in the running back meeting room throughout his career.
But perhaps the main reason for that had less to do with his ability on the field and more with his maturity off of it.
"I like how mature and
grown [De'Andre] is," Kinner said. "I like seeing how good he is with Alijah and that's inspiring."
That maturity came from struggle. During spring ball, De'Andre would only get an hour or two of sleep most nights between class, football and his new family.
"I look old now," De'Andre said, "but in the spring, I was looking really old."
Now the former Jayhawk has another challenge in front of him. This fall Mann will attempt to make a NFL team. After the conclusion of the 2016 NFL Draft he signed with the Atlanta Falcons. He was the first Jav Hawk to sign with a
professional team. However, since he wasn't drafted it is a long shot that he makes a professional team come next fall.
But then again the challenges of the upcoming season don't seem so intimidating for De'Andre. Not after everything that his son went through.
If at any point doubt seems to have crept into the back of his mind, however, all he needs to do is look up into the stands and see his two biggest fans watching him do what he loves best.
- Edited by Kate Miller