As Kalvaraz Bessent begins his career as a member of Auburn’s football team, he’s doing so knowing he’ll be one of the most heavily scrutinized incoming freshmen following an “embarrassing” arrest in February.
“He’s just going to go and play football,” Kalvaraz’s father, Timothy Bessent, told the Opelika-Auburn News on Friday. Kalvaraz wasn’t available for comment as of Sunday afternoon. “There’ll be doubters and people with their own opinion, but the one thing is, he’s still a child and I told him the way to approach it is to live it down. You can’t run from it, you can’t hide from it, but you can live it down.
“His (plan) is to get up to Auburn and put his mind on his education and football. … It’s definitely something he can (grow) from, and he sees it as an opportunity to learn from going forward.”
Kalvaraz Bessent, a four-star cornerback out of St. Mary’s, Ga., graduated from Camden County (Ga.) High on Friday and is expected to arrive on campus Monday to begin summer workouts with the Tigers along with 16 other members of Auburn’s 2014 recruiting class.
Also expected to arrive this weekend are fellow defensive backs Markell Boston (East Coweta, Ga.), Stephen Roberts (Opelika), Nick Ruffin (St. Pius X, Ga.) and junior college transfer Joseph Turner (College of San Mateo); defensive ends Andrew Williams (Eagle’s Landing, Ga.) and Raashed Kennion (First Coast, Fla.); defensive tackles Dontavius Russell (Carrollton, Ga.) and Devaroe Lawrence (Georgia Military); linebackers Deshaun Davis (Vigor) and Tre’ Williams (St. Paul’s Episcopal); offensive lineman Braden Smith (Olathe, Kan.); quarterback Sean White (Hollywood, Fla.); receiver Myron Burton (Peachtree Ridge, Ga.); running backs Roc Thomas (Oxford) and Kamryn Pettway (Prattville); and tight end Jakell Mitchell (Opelika). The lone members of the 2014 recruiting class that aren’t expected to report until next month are defensive linemen DaVonte Lambert (GMC) and Justin Thornton (Vigor).
While there will certainly be plenty of excitement for Kalvaraz Bessent and the other incoming freshmen, Mr. Bessent said his son has been doing more to make sure his mind is right as he embarks on this next stage in life.
“He’s been more diligent trying to prepare himself mentally to get back onto the field and compete,” Kalvaraz’s father said. “He often has conversations with his position coach (Melvin Smith), so he’s excited about it. I think his goal is to go to Auburn University with the mind to get ready.”
But he’ll do that under the watchful eye of Auburn head coach Gus Malzahn, who announced earlier this spring that Kalvaraz would arrive on campus “on a probationary status” following an offseason arrest on since-dismissed drug charges.
Two days after signing with Auburn on National Signing Day, Kalvaraz was one of four occupants of a 2007 Dodge Charger arrested on two felony counts of possession of marijuana of more than 20 grams and intent to sell or deliver following a traffic stop Feb. 7 in Nassau County (Fla.), which neighbors Camden. More than 202 grams of marijuana, digital scales and a loaded .45-caliber handgun were found beneath the vehicle’s front passenger seat, where Kalvaraz was sitting. The Nassau County State Attorney’s office dropped all charges against Kalvaraz on Feb. 14 after it was determined there was no evidence to connect him with the drugs.
Mr. Bessent said the experience was a heavy burden on the entire family.
“It was a devastation. Here your son signs on a Wednesday to attend a major university on scholarship to go play football, then on Friday night, this happens,” Mr. Bessent said. “Of course it was a shock, the whole week of the whole ordeal, with the media exposure and everything, it was somewhat discouraging, embarrassing. But you know, the truth did come out.”
Despite his probation, Kalvaraz and his family are viewing his arrival at Auburn as a chance to prove himself to all those that stood by him during his arrest, including Malzahn and the rest of the Auburn coaching staff.
“This probation is not a punishment, it’s just another opportunity, another chance,” Mr. Bessent said. “That’s what I told him, he could use the probation as either a punishment or another opportunity. … We thank Auburn and Coach Malzahn and the AD, the whole university for standing with us through this whole ordeal.”
Mr. Bessent indicated Malzahn didn’t lay out any specific parameters to his son’s “probationary status” outside of doing what’s expected of him at practice and in the classroom, expectations he’s already made explicitly clear with Kalvaraz.
“Football is an opportunity and going to a major university like Auburn is an opportunity, and like any opportunity, you make the best of that opportunity given to you,” his father said.
“It’s up to him to make the best of the opportunity that has been given to him. Playing football is not a privilege, it’s an opportunity and so that’s my advice to him: See it as an opportunity to go and get an education.
“So my expectations have not changed — go to college, get your degree, and be a man, be the best man, the best individual that he can be.”
Alex is the Auburn University Sports Writer for the Opelika-Auburn News.
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