Freshman Finding a Home in Panther Backfield
10/15/2001 12:00:00 AM | Football
Freshman Finding a Home in Panther Backfield
10/15/2001
After losing tailbacks Kevan Barlow and Nick Goings to the National Football League, the focus of Pittsburgh's preseason camp was finding a replacement. With six incoming freshmen and one tailback returning who redshirted the previous year, the race for the starting spot was up for grabs.
If the first four games of the 2001 season are any indication, the Panther coaching staff found its man in true freshman Raymond Kirkley, who became only the third true freshman in school history to start in a season-opening game. The only other players to do so were Tony Dorsett in 1973 and current linebacker Brandon Williams in 1998.
"Raymond has been a pleasant surprise for us," Pittsburgh head coach Walt Harris said. "He's done everything we've asked him to do and he's a hard worker. I couldn't ask for much more from him."
Harris couldn't have asked much more than Kirkley gave him in the Sept. 27 contest against Miami. With a national television audience watching on ESPN, Kirkley burst his way to a 30-yard run and ended up with 42 of the Panthers' 44 yards on their first scoring drive. He finished the game with 93 yards on 19 carries.
Kirkley came to Pittsburgh from Madison, Va., by way of Fork Union Military Academy. While the year of prep school helped Kirkley hone his football skills, he says that the most important aspect of it was the improvement in his study habits.
"I improved my work ethic while I was there and I got everything down as far as studying goes," Kirkley said. "I learned to balance everything out, and that's really paying off now in college."
The old tale of small-town man in a big city environment applies to Kirkley, as he played at Madison County High School in Virginia's Group A classification, the smallest in the state, before moving on to big-time college football at Pittsburgh.
"I'm learning a lot, not just about football but about life," Kirkley said.
While at Madison County, Kirkley rushed for 5,362 yards and 87 touchdowns in his career, including 2,963 yards in his senior season. He has proved his abilities early in his career for the Panthers, rushing for 228 yards through the first four games of the season to lead the team in rushing thus far.
According to Kirkley, the hardest part of the adjustment to college football has been the speed of the game.
"You can't judge that by playing high school ball," Kirkley said. "I'm getting adjusted now, and more reps will make me better."
Kirkley's presence was made known to Panther fans in the season-opening 31-0 win over East Tennessee State, when he rushed for 93 yards with a bruising style that reminded many fans of his predecessor, Barlow. Even more interesting is the fact that Kirkley is wearing Barlow's No. 43 jersey.
"Nah, I didn't pick that one out," Kirkley said. "They just gave it to me so I wore it."
Regardless, the 5-foot-10, 220-pound tailback is well on his way to carving his own niche with the Panthers, jersey number aside.
"I just try to prove people wrong. I came from a small school where I didn't get much attention and I just use that as my motivation," Kirkley said.
After also talking with Michigan, Virginia and Clemson among others, Kirkley visited Pittsburgh and committed upon returning home.
"I loved it up here," he said. "I felt very comfortable around the coaching staff and the players, and I liked the campus."
It is safe to say that after a four-game audition, the coaching staff, players and fans alike are also very happy that Kirkley made his decision to become a Panther.