Broke, dead broke, is how South Carolina linebacker Mohamed Kaba described himself when he was back home in May at the start of the summer. He decided then to do something about it.
Kaba said he noticed several of his neighbors had some unkept lawns, and he ended up cutting the grass of an elderly neighbor for no charge. When another neighbor asked for Kaba’s services, he quoted the man just a single $20 bill.
South Carolina’s junior may not have been rolling in the money, but he wasn’t “dead broke” anymore.
Just a couple of weeks later, he’d leave his home town in North Carolina to come back to Columbia where he’d begin his summer workouts, and also be taken care of by those within the program and those outside of it.
But that tweet shows some things about Kaba – his personality, his willingness and his work ethic.
“He’s a great personality. He’s fun to be around,” second-year head coach Shane Beamer said. “The thing I’ve seen with Mo is his maturity and the way that it’s grown in the time that I’ve been here. He really works, really studies. He’s right there with Coach White sitting in the front row very locked into what he’s doing.”
Kaba had a great summer of work and continually got better during preseason camp. While he doesn’t coach Kaba’s position, assistant Sterling Lucas had Kaba as one of two defenders to pop this year.
“Mo Kaba is a dog. That’s my brother,” sixth-year senior Brad Johnson said. “He’s come into his leadership role on this team. He’s really stepped up and a big player for us on defense, and will continue to be a big player for us on defense. He’s a leader for us in the linebacker room. He’s proven me right with everything I thought he could be.”
A native of Clinton, N.C., Kaba earned the starting middle linebacker job. He made his first start since the 2020 season on Saturday in the 35-14 win over Georgia State and finished the game with four tackles, including a half tackle for loss, and one pass breakup.
It wasn’t the perfect start in Kaba’s mind, but he was pleased enough and found plenty to work on, but plenty to build on.
“I like the way I played, but didn’t love the way I played after watching the film,” Kaba said. “I feel like I’m my biggest critic, and I feel like I could have had my presence felt more with my physicality and my speed. I want to have more of an impact on the field and keep doing that every week.”
Kaba said he had some “nerves and jitters” taking the field for the season-opener, but his teammates certainly had confidence in him.
“He’s a strong vocal guy,” Johnson said. “When other people hear him speak, they listen. Whenever people see him do things, they want to follow him. He’s a natural leader. Being who he is, such a strong character, it’s easy for him to lead and it’s easy for other guys to follow him.”
“I’m proud of Mo,” defensive coordinator Clayton White said. “He played hard, played with a lot of energy and set the defense the way we need to be set. He also flew around and had fun.”
Ever since that tweet, Kaba has kept at least a little bit of money in his pocket. It started with the grass cutting, which parlayed itself into a deal with Catoe’s Power Equipment in Columbia. He also inked a deal with Carolina Rise.
His personality helped him make some money, and his on-field ability is helping him earn starts.