New Orleans Saints Forums - blackandgold.com - The Advocate Saints WR Keith Kirkwood is learning and growing behind the scenes

BY NICK UNDERHILL | nunderhill@theadvocate.com Oct 19, 2018 - 5:36 pm

Keith Kirkwood is ready and waiting.

The rookie wide receiver out of Temple impressed during training camp as an undrafted free agent, earning a spot on the team’s practice squad, and now he is working to cut his teeth behind the scenes and be ready whenever the spotlight shines on him.

“I’m just waiting on my opportunity,” Kirkwood said. “I know everything. I’m just waiting on my opportunity to go out there and show them what I can do.”

You can see it during practices. The rookie isn’t just an observer. He stays active, listening in on play calls and then lining up behind one of the receivers as they go out and run their routes.

Kirkwood says he is doing whatever he can to learn and use the resources that are afforded to him to elevate his game. His goal is to learn all of the receiver positions so he can fill in wherever the team needs him.

“I love Mike’s hard work and the way he attacks every single day,” Kirkwood said. “I couldn’t tell you a specific guy, but a guy I do idolize often is Mike Thomas. I do follow his routines, his steps, the way he carries about his day.

“But it’s just everywhere, to be honest with you. It’s every position because my number could be called at any time.”

Kirkwood has managed to be one of the few players on the practice squad to stick around as the team has turned over the personnel there in recent weeks.

It is clear the team thinks a lot of him. If he gets a chance to show the rest of the world why he's determined to be ready for the moment.