WATCH: Video surfaces of Ravens' Bilhal Kone suffering horrifying leg injury in preseason game vs. Colts

Bilhal Kone has been in the NFL for barely three months, yet his season has ended before it could truly begin. On Thursday, a fan captured footage of the Baltimore Ravens cornerback breaking his leg while contesting a catch with Indianapolis Colts wideout Ashton Dulin during a preseason game.

He was later reported to have torn his ACL and MCL, ending his season.

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This is not the first injury Kone has suffered in his short NFL career. Last month, he had to leave practice after suffering a shoulder injury. He returned the following week alongside Jalyn Armour-Davis.

Kone initially committed to Iowa Central and recorded 47 tackles and three interceptions. In 2022, he transferred to Indiana State and had 34 tackles, six deflections, and a fumble recovery. He joined Western Michigan in 2023 and tallied 112 tackles (three for loss), 17 pass breakups, and two interceptions over two seasons.

The Ravens selected him in the sixth round of this April's draft.

Bilhal Kone has faced adversity throughout his life

As it turns out, a leg injury is not the only piece of adversity Bilhal Kone has had to put up with in his life.

Born in Apple Valley, Minnesota, he and his family struggled with poverty in his youth, to the point that he was sent back to Cote d'Ivoire to live with his grandmother. When he returned Stateside, however, he learned that his younger brother Hamza had lymphoma.

"He was just a kid that had energy wherever he was," he recalled in an interview with NFL.com in May. "When he was in the room, you knew he was there. Everybody loved him. When they saw him, they saw me, they saw my older brother. We were really tight and always together."

Hamza died in May 2016, and shortly after that, Kone's elder brother Mohamed suggested that he move out of their house. This led Kone to a camp hosted by the University of Minnesota, where he met former Colts cornerback and undergraduate assistant Donald Celiscar.

Celiscar later recruited him to Western Michigan, beginning his football career in earnest.

About the author

Andre Castillo is an NFL journalist at Sportskeeda who holds a Bachelor’s degree in English and Master’s degree in Journalism. He has over seven years of working experience and has also covered MMA with FanSided, wrestling with The Sportster, and automobiles with Hot Cars.

Andre follows the New York Jets and the Washington Commanders, mostly because he likes their colors. His favorite position is tight end, and players like Mark Andrews and Travis Kelce have always drawn Andre's attention when watching a game. Bill Belichick is his favorite coach, and his all-time favorite Super Bowl is the XLII edition, when the underdog New York Giants upset the then-undefeated New England Patriots.

If he can change one moment in NFL history, it will be from the NFC Championship Game in January 2019. In that game, a highly controversial no-call cost the Saints what would have been Drew Brees' second Super Bowl visit, where he would have faced Tom Brady and the Patriots.

Andre is always on the lookout for fresh perspectives in a story and ensures complete factual accuracy by double-checking all information before using it in his articles. He has an innate understanding of how to present information in an efficient and compelling way.

Outside the writing realm, Andre is a professional licensed teacher. His hobbies include watching UFC, MotoGP, playing the piano, and travelling.

Know More

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Edited by Andre Castillo