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Victory Vaka had the rug ripped out from under him.
Two months after the Western Kentucky senior defensive linemans mom died suddenly, the university is pulling his scholarship.
Vaka, a transfer from Texas Southern, lost his mom on April 2 and flew home to grieve his loss.
He planned to return to Western Kentucky and play the 2026 season.
His assistant strength coach also passed along a workout program and called him nine days before his mothers funeral to lay out the expectation that Vaka would be back in June.
Yet, when Vaka was not back on May 26, university chief of staff Travis Taylor told the lineman the next day that the Hilltoppers were canceling his scholarship.
I was shocked, Vaka told CBS Sports.
Not only that, the university processed Vaka as a failure to report, which does not allow him to enter the transfer portal through the NCAAs aid reduction or cancellation exemption.
The NCAA also denied Vakas legislative relief waiver.
It leaves Vaka with a semester left to graduate and no way to transfer to use his final year of eligibility.
Its like inhumane what they did, said Vaka.
When some of these coaches say they care, they really dont.
Vaka, 6-foot-3, 335 pounds, went on to explain that head coach Tyson Helton didnt provide a specific return timeline for him and added that he would support Vakas decision if he wished to go elsewhere, especially closer to home in Hollywood, Calif.
Looking back, Vaka has the feeling the Hilltoppers were looking to replace him all along.
I didnt want to leave Western Kentucky, but I had to be back at home, Vaka said.
[Helton] asked me, If you dont come back out here, Im not going to blame you.
That kind of caught me off guard.
I got that feeling they wouldnt be mad if I didnt come back.
In my mind, they were giving me the whole month of May off, Vaka added, citing the assistant strength coach saying he expected him in June.
I think thats where all this went sideways.
The lack of communication from both parties.
Jaykwon Jefferson, Vakas agent, told CBS that various FBS schools would be willing to sign Vaka after the incident if he were able to enter the portal.
For the fallout, Taylor pointed out that Vaka wouldnt be ready to play after being away from the team for two months.
He told Jefferson that there was no ill will but noted that its a business.
We pay them all this money and tell them, All right, now we expect you to be an adult and communicate and do all the things that adults do,' Taylor said per CBS.
On the day of his mothers death, Vaka paid tribute to her through an Instagram post that featured several young photos of him with her, including high school graduation.
Dear momma, I love you so so so so very much.
Im so sorry.
Please watch over me and your babies.
My heart is so broken for you baby.
Youre in such a better place now, he wrote in the caption.
Give grandma and grandpa hugs and kisses for me please.
Whenever you couldnt come to games, I knew what was up.
Id cry after games that youd come to because I didnt know when Id see you again.
You were so sick and you still tried your best because youre the best mother in the world.
Youd tell me you couldnt do long drives anymore and would ask me or your babies to drive you because of your condition.
Youd get us everything we wanted and needed and do it with the biggest smile on your face.
I still aspire to be the person you were and I dont know if I ever will.
My role model frfr.
I will still do everything I said I was gonna do.
And will do it under your watch!! Forever in debt.
I love you so very much momma bear.
In 2025 with Texas Southern, Vaka recorded 12 tackles across nine games.