Southern Illinois running back Kayleb Wagner, who was born without a left hand and forearm, scored a touchdown on his first career carry in a Salukis uniform. (Photo by SIUSalukis.com)
By Barry Bottino
Kayleb Wagner remembers his first carry as a Southern Illinois running back in 2023 like it was yesterday. How could he forget?
The three-yard touchdown run featured a spin move, a memorable celebration and a rowdy reaction from his teammates.
“It was a big moment that I’ll remember forever,” Wagner said.
Born without a left hand and forearm because of a birth defect, Wagner has achieved plenty on the football field. He broke NFL running back Derrick Henry’s high school career rushing record in Florida and met the All-Pro before a game in Jacksonville, where Wagner was honored. He also starred in basketball and track and field.
But inspiring others is among his biggest accomplishments.
Wagner has a strong relationship with NubAbility Athletics, a charitable organization based in DuQuoin – the hometown of SIU head coach Nick Hill – that offers camps and experiences for limb-different young athletes.
“Being a mentor to those kids allows me to be what I wish I had. It’s really rewarding,” he said.
Wagner shares how he still communicates Henry, prefers Culver’s for a postgame meal and would like to coach high school football in our Moving the Chains Q&A series.
Your first career game as a college player was in 2023 against Austin Peay and you scored a touchdown on your first carry. What do you remember about that play?
It was a great experience, getting into my first game as a true freshman and my first carry being a touchdown. Those don’t come all the time. It was an inside zone play and I kind of blacked out.
I remember coming off to the sideline and my friend said, ‘You spun off (a tackler).’ I don’t remember that at all. I just remember crossing the goal line and thinking, ‘Wow, that just happened.’
It’s cool because going back to high school, my first carry on varsity was a touchdown. My last carry on varsity was a touchdown. My next carry – my first carry here – was a touchdown. Hopefully I can continue that and make my last carry here a touchdown.
Do you remember the celebration after the touchdown?
I stuck my left arm up in the air and ran around. (Laughs) To me, that’s who I am. I was embracing it. In a way, it was letting everybody know, ‘Yeah, I have one arm and I’m still out here doing things that most people thought I couldn’t.’
You missed last season with an injury. How was the recovery process?
We found out during last year’s fall camp that I had a (foot) fracture on the fifth metatarsal. The only way to get better was to put a screw in it. I had surgery in September. The process was rough. With the year we had and everybody getting hurt, potentially I could’ve gotten my first real opportunity to step up. That was hard.
I learned a lot about how to be there for my teammates and encourage them.
I had surgery Sept. 20, which was a Friday, and the next day I was at our game (against Southeast Missouri).
What did you focus on last season while you were away from the field?
I tried to take full advantage of getting to know the playbook fully and getting to know the plays. That way, when I came back, I knew what I was doing and I could play less robotic. I came from a Wing-T offense in high school, so just learning the spread and a pro-style offense was a lot different. My redshirt year was learning that.
The condition that caused your left arm and hand to not develop is called amniotic band syndrome. How do you explain it to others?
I get asked all the time. People are curious. The way I explain it is when you’re in the womb, (parts of the amniotic sac) can get wrapped around a limb (and restrict the limb’s development). When people say, ‘Oh,’ I tell them that fortunately it got wrapped around my arm. Some people, it gets wrapped around their neck. I was fortunate that it was my arm and not my neck or my leg.
You’ve told your story many times. Is there still a power in sharing your story with others?
Lately, I’ve been meeting with a mentor and talking to him a lot. I’ve always wanted to inspire others. With everything that happened in high school, I was inspiring people, and they were reaching out to me. When I got here, you get redshirted then you have surgery and miss the next year. It knocks your confidence down. I’m not playing. I’m not where I want to be on the depth chart. I feel like I’m not being called to do what I was called to do.
The mentor told me that’s not the case. I realized that there are still guys on the team when we’re in the weight room, they’ll say, ‘I don’t know how you do what you do. Every day, you inspire me.’ For me, it’s just my every day. I learned that doing what I do every day inspires people.
Many SIU coaches and teammates say you inspire them. Who inspires you?
My mom inspires me the most. Everything she’s been through in life, with addiction and fighting those problems. Nothing really gets to her too much where she can’t wake up and fight today’s problems. She inspires me every day. There was a time where she was without a house. She was bouncing around house to house, staying in a car. She’s found a way and now she’s in a house again. That’s my inspiration. She’s pushed me harder than everybody else. ‘Couldn’t’ was never allowed to be in my vocabulary. Her famous saying is, ‘Can’t never could until you try.’ With workouts in high school, it was never, ‘I can’t do this.’ I said, ‘I’m going to find a way for me to be able to do it.’ I still do my own style of pullups. My mom instilled that in me.
Even today, there was a (teammate) in the weight room who said, ‘You’re an inspiration.’ I said, ‘Thanks, bro. I’m just working out.’
What has your connection with NubAbility meant to you?
NubAbility has meant a lot to me. Where I’m from, the only person I knew who had one arm was (former NFL player) Shaquem Griffin, the linebacker who played at UCF. When I got introduced to NubAbility, you see all these kids and once again, it gave me a chance to inspire. I tell them, ‘No matter what people say to you guys right now, I’m living proof and there are other coaches here that played sports. Your dreams are possible as long as you work hard.’ Being a mentor to those kids allows me to be what I wish I had. It’s really rewarding. It makes you realize how good you have life. I have guys on the team who go with me (to volunteer) and they say, ‘Wow, that was a really humbling experience. I needed that. It was good for me.’ Coach Hill does a good job making sure the guys know all about it. We have a good number of guys who go every year. Sam Kuhnert, who runs NubAbility, does a great job organizing it all. There’s a lot on his plate, but it really benefits the whole community of Southern Illinois.
When you work with kids and they become more confident, what does that do for you?
So far in life, that’s been the most rewarding feeling – more than even scoring a touchdown, more than getting a good grade. The confidence those kids gain at such an early age, it’s a big thing for them. It could determine what kind of road they go down.
In high school, there was a kid whose mom reached out to me, and they wanted to come to a game. It’s a crazy connection. The mom was my physical therapist who helped me when I hurt my back. Her husband made both mine and their son’s prosthetics. She came to a game with her son and said he was hiding his arm and had his jacket sleeve down. After he heard my name on the PA a couple of times, he rolled up his arm sleeve and he wasn’t scared to show his arm anymore.
That’s the motivation for me to wake up and do it again tomorrow. No matter how bad my day is, I’ve got to keep doing it for the kids like that who are watching me. If I give up, what are those kids going to think?
After football, what’s your ideal job?
I don’t know right now, to be honest with you. (Laughs) If I had to pick, it would be coaching, simply because I’ve been through a lot. My mom being an addict, bouncing around from house to house with my grandparents or my friends, my dad not being around and not really having a father figure, battling things with my arm and the insecurities.
Being able to give back to the community (is important). The coaches who poured into me in high school are the reason that I’m the person I am today. Without those coaches, I don’t know if I am where I’m at today. I just want to be that for the next generation.
If I can determine a kid’s future by letting him stay on my couch or giving him a meal and letting him know there’s good in the world, maybe this kid will be a great husband and a great father one day.
That’s more rewarding than anything money can buy.
What kind of doors have Southern Illinois University and Carbondale opened in your life?
It’s just the connections I’ve made since I’ve been here. NubAbility opened a door for me. The people I’ve met in class. The friendships I’ve made here are something I’ll have forever.
What’s your major and why did you choose it?
I’m majoring in sports administration. I want to go back to high school and coach. I did some research, and with the sports administration program, I can get my master’s degree in a year here. I can be done after five years and go look for a job with my master’s instead of a bachelor’s.
You’ve been interviewed on national TV and met NFL star Derrick Henry. Are there things about your life that still amaze you and others?
People ask me about Derrick. He still reaches out. We still have a line of communication. I’ll post on my Instagram story, and he’ll slide up and spark a conversation. We’ll talk here and there. Just having somebody like that in my life still is cool. In the weight room, when I’m bench pressing and things like that, it surprises people.
If you weren’t playing college football, what sport would you be playing?
My favorite sport was basketball growing up. My dad held some basketball records back in high school. My mom loved basketball growing up. When I was growing up and going through a hard time after losing my grandma – who was one of the main people who helped raise me – basketball was my go-to. I fell in love with it then. I happened to just be better at football.
What position did you play in basketball and what events did you compete in for track and field?
With basketball, I played a little of everywhere. Up until my senior year, I played point guard and shooting guard. My senior year, I played forward and big man. My senior year was probably my favorite. My sophomore year in football, we won a state championship and went undefeated. I turned around and went to basketball, and we won one game. That was a little rough.
In track, I ran the 4×100 relay and went to state for that my senior year. We broke our school record. I went to state for shot put two or three years in a row. My freshman and sophomore year, I ran the 100 and the 200 but I learned that I didn’t want to run that much.
In Florida, we have spring football in high school. So I would practice football, then go to track. That was killing me. With the 4×100, I loved doing my part and helping the team succeed.
The only reason I went to shot put was because me and the coach got in a little disagreement about the running situation. (Laughs) He said, ‘Go throw shot put. Get out of my hair.’ It turned into a great thing for me.
Among your Saluki teammates, who would make the best relay team in track and the best starting five in basketball?
On the relay, I’d go with (wide receiver) Jaythen Jones, (quarterback) ET Harris, (running back) Quade Chatmon and (wide receiver) Vinson Davis.
V.D. would start, ET would be my anchor, Jaythen would be the second leg and Quade would run the corner (on the third leg).
In basketball, they all say they’re good. (Laughs) D.J. Williams is a quarterback so I’d let him run it at point guard. (Wide receiver) Tae Marrero Jr. would play the 2, (tight end) Ryan Schwendeman would be my 3. I’d put Jaythen Jones at the 4. I’ll put (offensive tackle) Jimmy Lansing at the 5.
Do you have any game day rituals or superstitions?
I’ve worn the same pair of underwear on game days since high school. They’re blue. When you think of blue, you think happy, good feelings so it calms you down. It doesn’t get you too anxious.
What’s your favorite pre-game meal and post-game meal?
I don’t eat very big before a game. We will have some mashed potatoes, baked chicken and green beans.
The post-game meal we get that I really like is Culver’s.
What’s the best visiting stadium that you’ve played in?
BYU. It was beautiful. The atmosphere was crazy. We were warming up and they came running out of the tunnel. It was like a huge roar. The student section was right there. You couldn’t even hear what was going on. It was a great atmosphere.
Barry Bottino is a co-founder of Prairie State Pigskin and a 19-year veteran of three Illinois newspapers. He has covered college athletics since 1995.
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