ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – Randolph Kpai had never been to Albuquerque or heard much about New Mexico until his phone rang with an offer he couldn’t refuse. “When I got that call, I was honestly ecstatic because you don’t always get second chances,” said Kpai. “I jumped right on top of the opportunity and two days later I drove 15 hours and here I am.”
The call was to play football at the University of New Mexico for the Lobos. It’s an opportunity Kpai never thought he would get again. “Six months ago, I had the chance to walk away from football, I had a chance to pursue a career in education, and I was doing that because I was a substitute teacher,” said Kpai. “But, I knew I would have a lot of regret if I had just walked away from the game like I wasn’t done yet.”
Kpai came out of high school in South Dakota as the 15th-ranked outside linebacker in all of high school football and the top player in his home state. He committed to the University of Nebraska, but what followed was years of him trying to get well enough to get on the field. A nagging shoulder injury kept him away from any action.
The six foot three inches tall, 220-pound Kpai took a red shirt year in 2021. It was three years of nursing an injury and staying away from competition. “It’s definitely impacted my journey in that I am a lot more confident in who I am, knowing that I can overcome anything that life throws my way,” said Kpai. “You know, I am trying to make the most of it while I am still here and that’s what I tell myself, like I really am still here regardless of the adversity and everything I have been through.” On Saturday, Kpai played in his first game since the 2020 season. He had five tackles in his Lobos debut, a game the Lobos dominated for the better part of three quarters only to lose in the last minute to Montana State 35-31.
It’s on to the next game for Kpai, who is just enjoying the latest chapter in his football journey. “It’s definitely a lot of emotion with it,” said Kpai. “I am excited, like, I really am excited to go out there and play football, like continue to chase the dream, play the game I love, so it’s been a long time.” The Lobos are at Arizona on Saturday for game two.
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