Derwin Gray, Benjamin Watson Defend NFL Draft Prospect KC Concepcion, Mocked for Stuttering

KC Concepcion
Texas A&M wide receiver KC Concepcion. Screengrab from X / @MLFootball

Share

NFL Draft Prospect KC Concepcion: ‘God Has Blessed My Life’

In a statement posted to social media on Sunday (Mar. 1), wide receiver KC Concepcion noted there’s “nothing wrong” with people who have a speech impediment. He’s stuttered for as long as he can remember, he wrote, and he can’t control it.

Concepcion thanked his supporters and urged people not to let outside opinions “get in the way of you being great [or] of you achieving something in life.” The athlete is “blessed” to have a platform, he said, and wants to “help give back” to fellow stutterers who might lack confidence.

RELATED: NFL Rookie Nate Carter Leverages Instagram To Share the Gospel

“I will always stand with you,” Concepcion added. “We are different for a reason. God has blessed my life in a way I couldn’t even imagine in this past year.” He ended by sharing the hashtag #stopthenegativity.

Concepcion’s father, Kevin Concepcion Sr., also excelled in football and dealt with a speech impediment. He shared his son’s message, writing, “I stand with you… I know exactly how you feel. How it feels to struggle speaking in front of people. You did absolutely amazing and you’ve always been my hero.”

Last fall, KC Concepcion said he’s still “getting comfortable” with public speaking. His stutter was “really, really bad when I was a kid,” he told the Associated Press, yet he wasn’t a fan of speech classes. Concepcion quit attending them in middle school; instead, he just practiced talking, like he practiced football.

Concepcion told Our Esquina he’s “trying to set a good example for my little brothers” and “trying to teach them right from wrong.” The athlete also heeds advice from his mother, who told him, “Family always sticks together.”

“You’re only going to have your siblings,” Concepcion said. “And you only got two parents. Enjoy your family. Treat your family the way you want to be treated.”

Continue reading on the next page

Stephanie Martin
Stephanie Martin, a freelance writer and editor in Denver, has spent her entire 30-year journalism career in Christian publishing. She loves the Word and words, is a binge reader and grammar nut, and is fanatic (as her family can attest) about Jeopardy! and pro football.

Read more

Latest Articles