It’s not hard to wonder sometimes what famous athletes, among others, are like behind closed doors. After all, the rest of the world usually sees someone who acts and looks perfectly put together – hair in place, nails manicured, clothes trendy and matching. But…
Has Tom Brady ever gotten toilet paper stuck to the bottom of his shoe? Does LeBron James eat cold spaghetti while standing next to the sink in the kitchen? Has Tiger Woods ever left the house with his shirt on backwards?
Notre Dame defensive end Khalid Kareem is not at that level of famous – yet – but it’s clear that another persona has developed during his time in South Bend. Not a fake one, mind you, but one that he knows how and when to use. It’s sort like knowing when to use your inside voice and the outside one.
“I’m still the same person, to be honest … still the same goofy kid,” Kareem laughed. “I just know when to turn it on and off.”
Which has come in handy during his Irish football career, especially now that he is one of seven captains for this season’s team.
“I’m very personable with the players,” Kareem explained. “Everyone is an individual and everyone is unique and you can’t just yell at everyone (for example). One person might shut down even though it might help someone else. So having the relationship with the players, whether they’re a starter, a role player, a walk-on … it doesn’t matter. I know when to talk and how. If I’m talking all the time there’s really no point. But if I’m talking during those important moments the message will probably hit a little bit harder.
“So it’s a huge honor just to know that my team holds me in such a high regard to lead this team and set an example.”
What Kareem has never been able to turn off is his affinity for the game. Growing up in Detroit, the senior had a football in his hands by the time he was three and started playing organized football a few years later.
“I was raised around football,” Kareem noted. “My cousins played it. My dad was coaching it. My sisters were cheerleaders for it. So I just kind of naturally fell in love with the game.”
Starting at that early age, Kareem’s dad, Ken Kip, was at least part of the coaching staff of every team for which Kareem played through his sophomore year in high school. It formed a unique bond between father and son which remains to this day.
“He was my position coach, defensive coordinator, and sometimes he wasn’t my exact coach but he was still on the coaching staff of the team I played on,” Kareem explained. “The only time he was my head coach was freshman year in high school when I was on JV with him. That was pretty cool.
“We found a healthy balance. He knows when to be coach and when to be dad. So it’s all good. It’s all love at the end of the day.”
The elder Kareem’s involvement stems in part from his passion for the game, but also due in part to the fact that his own father died the year after he was born. He was determined to be as present as possible in his kids’ lives, and the player-coach relationship that emerged between Ken Kip and Khalid further cemented their bond. It’s one that exists to this day.