Marquette Made: The Story of Kameron Karp
MARQUETTE, Mich. — Kameron Karp is about to embark on a journey as a rare two sport college athlete, but his story doesn’t start there.
“Well I guess you could sports have, other than friends and family obviously” said Kameron Karp, senior student-athlete at Marquette Senior High School. “Sports have been what I put all my extra time into. I took every chance I to improve my game in whatever sport I was doing. So I guess you could say sports have been me…without sports I don’t know what kind of person I would be today.”
That love for sports…started before Kameron could even walk, and it is a love that has never faded.
“He started playing literally two and half years old.” said Tammy Karp, Kameron’s mother. “He picked up a nerf basketball and shot it on a hoop and I looked at him [Kameron’s father, Gary] and said did you teach how to do that? He said no did you? He’s just been a natural since he was really little.”
His journey, well he wouldn’t trade it for anything…and neither would his teammates.
“We didn’t know each other super well but we were starting to know each other.” said Austin Ridl, Marquette High School quarterback. “I just texted him Happy Birthday, man and he said hey thanks QB 1.”
Kameron has put in the work from the moment he touched the field, surrounded by support from the bleachers…to inside the huddle.
“Even now at the end of my career people are still supporting me, unlike ever before. So to have a support system like that, it only pushes me harder to be better for them,” said Kameron
Kameron always thought his journey would lead him out of marquette, but little did he know that a 2016 football game wouldn’t be his last inside the Superior Dome.
“He joked and said should I just turn around and sign right now? [In regards to getting offers to play football and basketball at Northern Michigan University] I’m like no you need to think about this and make sure this what you want to do. It’s a dream come true for me, and I’m glad it is for him too,” said Tammy
Karp’s high school journey is almost at an end, with only days until graduation he has carried the Redmen to new heights and a winning mentality, however he wants to leave behind a different legacy.
“I want them to talk about my character, I don’t want them to say I was a cocky player or that I was always talking on the court or on the field,” said Kameron. “I want them to be able to say to say that I had an exemplary attitude on the field and on the court, and nothing rattled me to easily. I was always helping teammates and opponents up off the court or off the field. I don’t even care about my athletics, I just want to say I was a good person on and off the court.”