Kinder Awaiting His Chance
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Randy Kinder |
On paper, Randy Kinder is a coach's dream.
He runs very, very fast. He carries weight well on his frame. He's
blessed with strength and field vision, can hit the hole in an instant, and
likes contact.
But in reality, Kinder has not yet become a dream come true.
"I haven't done all that I've wanted to," Kinder acknowledges. "I have
more to accomplish, more goals for myself. I just hope I can break through
and make the most of my opportunities."
In his freshman year, Kinder surpassed expectations for a rookie tailback
as Lee Becton's more than capable back-up, posting 537 yards (second on the
team to Becton), a 6.0 yard per carry average, and two 100+ yard games.
With Becton hampered by a groin injury, Kinder assumed a starting role
during his sophomore year. He continued to prove himself as a promising
rusher with a string of four 100+ yard games, including a career high of
143 yards against Purdue. His total yards on the season crept up to 702.
But after Becton returned to the squad, Kinder found the ball in his hands
on fewer occasions, unable to keep his starting spot. Unfortunately, his
solid season was capped by a knee ligament injury, preventing him from
playing in the Fiesta Bowl against Colorado.
"We went through a tough year, my sophomore year," Kinder recalls. "With
Lee injured I was able to get a lot of games in. But when he came back, I
wasn't playing that much anymore. And then I had the knee injury which
ended my season. It was tough."
In the following off-season, disciplinary troubles found Kinder and fellow
tailback Robert Farmer. The two were accused of misconduct dating back to
the night of October 16, 1994, by a female student at Notre Dame. Although
the University conducted an investigation and exonerated the athletes, the
incident placed another question mark on the athlete's shoulders.
In his junior year, Kinder's numbers kept improving as he started eight
games in the backfield for the Irish. He again paced the squad, amassing
809 yards and adding nine touchdowns on the ground, tying Marc Edwards for
the team lead in rushing touchdowns. Once again, though, his season was
marred, as minor injuries and a death in his family kept the speedster from
reaching full acceleration. And filling in nicely was budding star
freshman Autry Denson.
"Last year, I was able to play a lot and get really rolling, but then I was
injured, there's a death in my family, and I miss a game. I come back and
don't get to play as much as I had wanted to. I never really have felt
like I've hit my stride. Last year was the closest I've come, but, again,
I never really got there."
To add to his list of setbacks, Kinder was kept out of Notre Dame's bowl
game for the second year in a row, this time due to a team suspension.
Kinder released a statement to the press apologizing to Notre Dame for his
suspension, pointing to "overindulgence of alcohol and my subsequent
immature behavior" as the reasons for the disciplinary action. The
suspension forced Kinder to miss spring football practices as well.
At Culver Military Academy this past summer, Kinder took snaps again with
the team for the first time in a long time, hoping to start fresh in his
senior season. But before the team played their first game, another
injury, this time a pulled quadriceps muscle, forced Kinder to the
sidelines once again.
He returned to face Texas in the third game of the season, and got in a few
carries before an ill-timed Ron Powlus pitch on the option allowed Texas
safety Bryant Westbrook the opportunity to nearly decapitate the running
back. Although his head somehow stayed on his body, Kinder sat out the
remainder of the game.
Thus far, Kinder's 131 yards on 26 carries only raise a brow, mainly
because people expect better from him. He has so much talent. So much
speed. So much potential.
There's that word again, potential.
"I definitely haven't grown as much as I'd hoped to," Kinder admits. "It's
been a strange career for me; never reaching the top of my game.
"It has been frustrating. But I feel like every time I get out there, I'm
still learning, still getting better. I just hope I get the opportunity to
reach my full potential."
That's the funny thing about Randy Kinder. Chances are, he only needs one
opportunity. If he gets it, if the holes are open for a split second, if a
defender takes a bad angle on a tackle, if he gets some breathing room...
say goodbye, 'cause he's gone.
"I rely on a lot of speed ... God gave me a lot of speed. It's really been
the centerpiece of my game since high school. It still is."
However, Kinder has had his chances on the field. Although he has split
time with Denson and Farmer thus far, some folks believe that success
doesn't come from an excess of opportunities, but from making the most of
the ones you get.
One man with this opinion is running back coach Earle Mosley.
"You can't be inefficient with the chances you get. The fact is, when
you've got the ball, you've got to do something with it.
"Case in point, take Reggie Brooks. He averaged 8.0 yards per carry
(during the 1992 season). On how many carries? Fifteen a game. That's
what being efficient is all about, and that's why Reggie was a good back.
"Randy's got sprinter's speed. I think that he could've gone to the
Olympics if he focused on track. And think about it, he's 200 pounds. He
moves pretty fast for a big man. But he's got to make the most of that
speed when he's got the ball."
"Randy can break one anytime," Denson says. "He's dangerous."
In Kinder's case, being dangerous may be bad. The opposition knows his
speed is his major asset and plays him that way, cutting off chances for
Kinder to take the ball around the ends.
Mosley emphasizes that the way to beat this quandary is to have a good
all-around game.
"Randy came out of high school knowing how to run around end. Sure, he's
fast. But he needed to learn how to do other things, like take it up the
middle and catch passes and block well.
"If an opponent has to prepare for an all-around player, you've got the
advantage. And Randy's a much better back now than he was coming in."
Randy Kinder's collegiate career ends after the next six or seven games.
With 2,179 career yards, he has the opportunity to reach third place on the
all-time rushing list, needing 503 yards to catch up with Jerome Heavens.
God knows Kinder has the speed to catch up.
Behind Kinder on the list of the all-time leading rushers are Lee Becton,
Jerome Bettis, Ray Zellars, and Ricky Watters. He needs 162 more to pass
the Gipper.
Randy Kinder has accomplished quite a few things at Notre Dame. He's
managed to make his mark despite healthy competition from teammates,
injuries, and problems off the field.
It's time for Kinder to break out. To take one play coast-to-coast, maybe
more than one. To make people realize that he is in the process of
realizing his potential. He needs time.
He's got six more games.
