Joe Starkey, writing for ESPN.com, does a piece on Derek Kinder’s emergence as one of the top WRs in the country.
A 6-foot-1, 205-pound junior, Kinder earned a letter as a freshman because of his intense special teams play. He relishes contact, kind of like this city’s other star receiver, Hines Ward.
“Don’t get confused — I still want the ball as much as possible,” said Kinder, who leads the Big East in receiving yards per game and total receiving yards. “But I’m no prima donna. I started off on special teams. That’s how I got my foot in the door, so by no means am I going to try to get off that.”
…
Shortly after he’d earned the No. 3 spot, Kinder had a good talk with [WR Coach Aubrey] Hill, his position coach and a guy who’d played at Florida under pass-happy coach Steve Spurrier.
“Derek said, ‘Coach, I really appreciate having the No. 3 spot, but I don’t just want that. I want the No. 2 spot and the No. 1 spot,’ ” Hill said. “That was a defining moment with me, letting me know he was really sincere about being the best player he could be.”
Hill compares him favorably to his old Florida teammates Ike Hilliard and Willie Jackson as complete receivers.
Kinder is also from NY. It seems he grew up as a Syracuse fan, but was not heavily pursued by the Orange. So, a paper upstate has an opportunity to point out another whiff on a local product and try to push the revenge storyline.
Kinder, 20, grew up a Syracuse fan and had hoped to play for the Orange. But former SU coach Paul Pasqualoni dragged his feet in offering a scholarship, and when Kinder visited Pitt and saw the new facilities and met with the players, he decided the Steel City was where he should be.
The Orange, beset by receiving problems in the past several seasons, definitely could have used him.
Though he downplays the significance of playing in the Carrier Dome, you know there’s a part of him that would like to make the Orange pay for the oversight. He had eight catches, including an 11-yard TD reception, in last year’s decisive win against SU.
Kinder is going to have a sizable contingent of friends and family at the game, but he insists he will be focusing on the game. Given his performance to date, there is no reason to doubt that.
but no …not real sure on the exact no. of scholars[hips]. Though I understand there’s less free-rides to go around in the ‘07 Class. Also, don’t discount Connor Lee *snatching what will acct. for a min. 16 ‘rides’.
(*The word‘s a little too revealing, perhaps, at having been idiotic enough to double-click/ hit the GD vid-pic of ass at the very top of the “advertise here†column. (Thanks for the cookies/consequent hackers/computer failure embedded in that rather promiscuous Link, Chas.)
Reed, I’m thinking Dokish could readily answer your Ques. In RE to this year’s quota, I’m thinking there’s a more important Q at this pt., however: Why in hell aren’t the local papers (in the very least) talking it up about X. Stinson’s verbal. I’m having real difficulty understanding the general ambivalence surrounding a Very Good-to-Excellent prospect that…CHOSE US, over offers from Auburn, Iowa, the Vols, and with further entreaties by Wisconsin and smaller programs who ‘know’ Fla. talent when they see it (e.g., Old Miss.)
Really, unless there are ton of articles I failed to notice this morning, there’s virtually no press on Xavier Stinson’s Word to Pitt.
Am I the only one excited about this guy??
_________________________
Pitt 37 – SU 1
I feel that this ’07 class, while not as loaded up with big names as last year’s was, is turning out to be very good so far – and after that slower start that had people questioning whether DW could do it two years in a row. _______________________
Pitt 33 – SU 13
Stories last year had DW offering a scholarship to him at the same time he was recruiting Kevin.
It’s funny – this season isn’t even halfway finished and already I’m looking forward to next year when all these young players (and incoming recruits) can really start to shine. We’ll miss Palko & Blades, but our talent level keeps going up and up. Also, if we keep rolling up the wins, I think we’ll get some more blue-chippers committing this year. Last week’s haul of Duhart & Stinson was great to see also. I’m wondering if anyone knows how many scholarships are available this year. I guess a spot opened up with Derron Thomas leaving, but I’ve lost track of how many more HS seniors we can sign.