By Andy Walter

DOVER — Antquan Kinsey felt the pain as soon as he smashed his right hand into a teammate’s face mask.

But the Delaware State linebacker wasn’t ready to make a big deal out of it.

Soon, though, it was clear the injury was more than just a bruise.

“At first, I was just kind of shrugging it off,” said Kinsey. “It was swollen and it hurt a little bit but I was thinking it was going to go down. After practice, the swelling just kept on building so I knew I had to get it checked out.”

X-rays showed that Kinsey had suffered a metacarpal fracture, or a break in the long bone of his hand.

The remarkable thing wasn’t the injury itself, however. The more impressive thing was that, despite breaking his hand just before the start of the Hornets’ spring season, Kinsey played in all five games.

Now, with his hand completely healed, the 5-foot-11, 235-pound junior is being counted on to do some big things in the middle of DSU’s defense this fall. He was a preseason, first-team All-MEAC pick for the Hornets, who opened preseason practice on Friday.

DelState coach Rod Milstead was a little worried about Kinsey when he first injured his hand.

“I was really concerned,” said Milstead. “Your middle linebacker, his job is to tackle. He makes big hits. I was hoping he could continue to wrap and get guys down. He did a really good job, even with the cast.

“Now without the cast, being totally healed, I’m really excited for him. He’s going to be a big part of our defense stopping the run and defending the pass.”

Kinsey played four of the five spring games with a “club” on his right hand.

According to a Bayhealth press release, DSU team doctor Dr. Terrence Tsui had to fit Kinsey with a short-arm cast each week during the spring. He also cushioned Kinsey’s hand with numerous layers of gauze and athletic tape to both protect and keep the surface soft.

“I definitely wouldn’t recommend this for everyone,” Tsui was quoted in the release. “But from past experience and because he’s a Division I athlete, his break was clean, and his job is to tackle, not catch or throw. I knew that this casting technique would do the trick.”

Kinsey said he never strongly considered not playing in the spring. He’d never been sidelined by an injury before.

“I knew I wasn’t done,” he said. “I’ve never missed a game in my entire life. When I have a game, I expect to play.

“When the doctor first told me I’d be able to play, I just needed to play with a club, once I heard that, I knew I could do it.

“Actually, it was pretty fun,” Kinsey said about playing with a club.

There was one interception that Kinsey said he could have had during the spring if he wasn’t injured. He could only knock down the ball with his left hand.

But Kinsey did manage to run 34 yards on a fake punt.

Long before the spring, Milstead said Kinsey had already proven his toughness.

In a 2019 game at Florida A&M, the Florida native posted five tackles — including one for a five-yard loss — with a forced fumble and a pass breakup.

“He wanted to put on a good show,” said Milstead. “He did a heck of a job against them and that really opened our eyes. He really came out of his shell.

“The spring was just him adding on to what he did in ‘19. Right now, him getting an opportunity to be a preseason first-team MEAC selection has just put more fuel on the flame. We’re expecting big things. Now he has to live up to that.”

The Hornets are excited about their linebacker group. They also return Delmar High grad Brooks Parker, who was a third-team All-MEAC pick in 2019 before collecting 15 tackles — including 3.5 for loss — in the spring.

Also for DSU, juniors Kamari Jackson and Olivier Muembi are both coming off big spring seasons in which they led the team in tackles with 26 and 24, respectively.

Kinsey is excited about DelState’s potential for this season. The Hornets open the season on Sept. 4 by hosting Bowie State.

“I’m just excited to take a step forward,” he said. “The last couple seasons, we’ve won four games. I’m excited to win. I come from a winning program. My whole life I’ve been winning.

“I’m just ready to get that started here.”