Oklahoma TE Kaden Helms Overcame Two Years of Injuries, Surgery to Reach End Zone Against Maine

The Sooners sophomore will go to sleep with many new fans after scoring his first touchdown in Memorial Stadium, but he had already made a locker room full of them.

Kaden Helms (left) working a drill during fall camp. / John E. Hoover / Sooners on SI

NORMAN — Redshirt-sophomore tight end Kaden Helms has made himself a hard person to root against inside Oklahoma’s locker room.

“Kaden Helms, what a great story,” interim Sooners Offensive Coordinator Joe Jon Finley said Saturday after OU’s 59-14 throttling of Maine. “He came back. What a hard injury. He fought back for over a year, year and a half, two years. Man, he put his head down and went to work and it was a great story.”

Helms caught his first career touchdown during the second quarter of Saturday’s win via a 9-yard connection from sophomore quarterback Jackson Arnold to extend OU’s lead to 49-7 and retire the starting unit for the day. Helms called the moment “surreal,” but somebody in Memorial Stadium familiar with his history could have called it inspiring.

Helms, a Nebraska native, was a four-star prospect at Bellevue West High School and picked OU over Miami, Auburn and North Carolina, among others. He was groomed to become a fixture in OU’s offense, but after appearing in three games his true freshman year, Helms missed the entirety of his redshirt freshman year with a knee injury and consequent surgery. After one setback came another. Helms suffered a hamstring injury that forced him to miss time during the spring and summer of ‘24.

“I've never had a major surgery like that,” Helms said. "I never missed a game all four years of high school, and then coming in my freshman year I was healthy the whole year and I kind of, it was just kind of a hard process getting back into things. I wouldn't say I was thinking about walking away, but I definitely had some days that were rougher than others and definitely questioned myself a little bit.”

He never questioned his football future nor succumbed to despair. While he couldn’t practice during his recovery, he caught balls from the JUGS Machine — “on a dang scooter,” said Finley, and garnered a reputation as a workhorse, maintaining a sharp focus on his responsibilities in the weight room and in meetings.

“I got a little emotional in the box just because I knew how hard he’s worked,” Finley said.

“That’s my best friend,” Sooners defensive back Robert Spears-Jennings said during a post-game media scrum, imploring reporters to give the mic to Helms. “All the hard work he puts in, like, he deserves it, for real for real. That moment right there was very special for all of us.”

A Maine defensive lineman tipped the pass intended for Helms. Like always, he maintained focus and hauled it in at the front of the end zone.

“It was a pretty surreal moment honestly,” Helms said. “It's been a long time coming. The journey hasn't been easy but it's been worth it for sure. I'm just happy to be out there with my guys and happy to score my first one for sure.”

“I think I saw a stat, that was his first reception since 2022,” Arnold said. “Almost ever since I’ve been here he’s been injured so it was awesome for him to go out and get his first touchdown today.”

The reaction from his teammates was indicative of the force his presence has become within the club. Starting tight ends Bauer Sharp and Jake Roberts were two of the first to rush towards Helms in celebration. Another, Kade McIntyre, followed soon after. Perhaps nobody on the team better understood Helms’ perseverance than those in his meeting room.

“This is one of my favorite tight end rooms I've ever been a part of,” Helms said. “I think that was kind of a testament to that. Bauer and Jake running onto the field, Kade was tight there next to me when it happened. It's a great feeling knowing where I came from injury wise and just kind of the battles I've fought through that they have my back.”

Helms attributed his fortitude through difficult circumstances largely to his Christian faith.

“Honestly, there was a point in time where I didn't [see myself scoring], but I want to give thanks to my Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. He's really the main... Him, my friends, family, teammates obviously really kept my spirits up when times were getting rough last year with my knee injury and then I had some hamstring issues spring ball and summer so I was really out for almost two years,” Helms said. “It was definitely hard on the mental but like I said, God just got me through it. I think He gives his hardest battles to his toughest soldiers. I just kind of kept that mindset, kept pushing and I'm glad I did.”

“For him to catch it on a tipped ball, all those JUGS paid off,” Finley said. “I’m extremely happy for him.”