Northwestern University Athletics
Two-Minute Drill
9/24/2008 12:00:00 AM | Football
Sept. 24, 2008
Keegan Kennedy just wanted to see the field again. With his junior season winding to a close, the playing time that he had experienced as a freshman and a sophomore on the defensive line had begun to dwindle.
With the crispness of late fall settling in, he saw his days as a Wildcat at a crossroads. While some players might be willing to just ride out the final couple weeks of the regular season, Kennedy did something dramatic--he asked for a position change.
This wasn't just any position change, however. It would be a switch to the offensive line and a position he had never played before. In addition to playing defensive line in high school, Kennedy's previous experience on the offensive side of the ball came as a fullback.
"I really wanted more playing time and contribute," Kennedy said. "I just wanted to help the 'Cats, so I went into Coach Fitz and said, `Coach, I'll do anything for you. I'll hold kicks, I'll play fullback; I'll do anything you want me to do.' He gave me the opportunity to try out for the o-line and I took it from there."
They say you can't teach an old dog new tricks, but nonetheless Kennedy was willing to do just about anything other than fetch a stick, and he certainly wasn't about to play dead.
"I knew I had to get a lot of work in," he said. "(Offensive line) Coach (Bret) Ingalls has been great. He's been a great coach. He's had a lot of patience. I feel really natural coming off the ball and staying low from my defensive background. On the other side of things, I think my pass protection is a little too aggressive so I have to learn to hold back a little bit."
Despite being the new kid on the block in terms of his position, Kennedy still sees himself as a leader by virtue of now being in his fourth season in the program.
"I've been around all the guys a lot," he said. "We've all worked hard and I definitely feel like I can lead them. I think I've been doing pretty well with the position and I think they look up to me a little bit."
The Wildcats are faced with the challenge of replacing three starters up front this season and chemistry is always viewed as a key component of a successful offensive line. So far Kennedy has liked what he has seen with how the group has come together.
"Since I made the move full-time in the spring, from hanging out with them all the time and doing all the extra work together, we've really become a close group of people," he said. "We're all good friends. I think the chemistry is great. We're still working and we'll continue to develop throughout the season, but I think we're really close and I think we're starting to understand how each other plays."
With his senior season now upon him, Kennedy has a renewed sense of optimism and his hard work has paid off as he has put himself in position to be a starter at one of the guard spots.
"It's been really great. I took it and I ran with it. I've worked really hard and I'm really looking forward to the season."
