Day 51: Andrew Kennedy '11
Andrew Kennedy has a lot of experience for a rising junior (CREDIT: Columbia Athletics)
Even in this age of no freshman football, the fact that Andrew Kennedy has appeared in all 20 varsity games of his first two years at Columbia is pretty remarkable for a tight end.
Kennedy came to the Lions in 2007 from Staples High School in Connecticut where he was mostly known as a fierce defensive lineman.
A number of injuries to then-senior tight end Jamal Russell '08 in '07, gave the freshman Kennedy some rare playing time at his position. He finished the season with nine catches for 72 yards.
Kennedy got off to a fast pace last season with four catches for 43 yards and a TD, (Columbia's first TD of the '08 season), against Fordham, but finished below that four-catch-per-game pace with 23 receptions for 183 yards and that one touchdown.
But what the stats don't tell you is anything about the several acrobatic catches Kennedy has made so far in his collegiate career. I have never seen a tight end grab balls out of the air like Lynn Swan, but Kennedy has done that a number of times already.
I don't know how much you can value the preseason All Ivy picks in the football magazines, but Kennedy should be proud that he made Phil Steele's All Ivy Second Team this year.
posted by Jake @ 2:16:00 AM
2 comments
2 Comments:
Kennedy is a very good athlete who accelerates quickly from his tight end position. He's not that big for a tight end, but because of his ability to accelerate quickly and his overall athleticsm he is difficult to defend against. He seems to possess good speed, but has not yet established himself as a breakaway threat as did some of the standout Columbia tight ends of the past such as Bert Biondi. Jake, as you noted, Kennedy has played in all twenty Columbia games the last two years, so he enters his junior season with plenty of experience. With all his talent and experience, he's certainly poised to make a big contribution to the Lion offense.
I agree. For MA to have a big year, Kennedy needs to play a big role. If he pulls away from LBs, then opposing DBs have to start to cover him. Throwing to him will free up AK, Nico and TJos. That in turn frees up the RBs on the run and MA to scramble a bit more. TE is one important cylinder in this V-8 engine.
The Neckman
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