New Orleans Saints Forums - blackandgold.com - The Advocate How Saints WR Keith Kirkwood went from basketball star to NFL rookie

BY NICK UNDERHILL | nunderhill@theadvocate.com Nov 26, 2018 - 9:18 am

Keith Kirkwood was going to be the next Stephen Curry.

A high school basketball star, Kirkwood had multiple scholarship offers and intended to go to Davidson where planned to become the next 6-foot-3 guard to lead the school to the big stage.

College hoops. NBA. Stardom. The dream was reasonable. He starred on an AAU team alongside Karl-Anthony Towns, DeAndre' Bembry, Wade Baldwin and Malachi Richardson, all of whom now play in the NBA. That's just what people did.

After leading his high school to a New Jersey state title game as a junior by averaging 14 points per game, Kirkwood had plenty of opportunities. Scholarships started coming in. Ivy League schools were interested in the National Honor Society member. So, instead of letting his dreams come into focus, he decided to try something new.

“I didn’t want to leave senior year saying I didn’t play football,” Kirkwood said. “It was something I wanted to just do for fun.”

It was a thought former Neptune High School football coach Mark Ciccotelli planted in his head – an idea that improbably took hold, sprouted and eventually led Kirkwood to New Orleans, where he caught a touchdown pass last week against the Atlanta Falcons.

It wasn’t uncommon for Ciccotelli to try and recruit players from the basketball team. There are only so many guys with Kirkwood's size and athleticism walking the halls, after all. But Ciccotelli never thought Kirkwood would take the risk until he did.

“This sport is a lot tougher than basketball,” the coach told him. “There’s collusions every down and things of that nature. It’s not a couple charges and some loose balls. Are you sure?”

Kirkwood did not hesitate. He was all the way in. The problem: His parents thought it was too dangerous and feared the game would end up costing Kirkwood a basketball scholarship.

He had to figure some things out.

FLIPPING THE SWITCH

There might not be a story to tell if Kirkwood's aunt hadn't gone rogue.

While parents and son argued about which path he should take, Kirkwood’s aunt forged his mother’s signature on a permission slip so he could start playing. That’s when the shooting guard played wide receiver in his first 7-on-7 tournament.

That's when the dream changed. It is a day both Kirkwood and Ciccotelli speak about in tones that explorers and treasure hunters likely use to talk about life-changing discoveries. But they had to fight through some things to get to the good stuff.

Kirkwood didn't know anything about playing football. He worked as a kicker in a youth league one year. But he didn’t know how to line up or the names of any routes. On one play, Ciccotelli told him to run a shallow.

Kirkwood looked at him and said, “What’s that?”

“Just run 2 yards in front of the football, where it’s going to be snapped,” the coach replied.

Kirkwood caught the ball and ran it something like 60 yards for a touchdown. On the ensuing 2-point attempt, Ciccotelli told Kirkwood to go to the corner of the end zone and act like he’s taking the ball off the top of a basketball rim. Kirkwood did just that when the ball came. It worked.

The highlight of the day was a catch Kirkwood made where he spun around and caught the ball while parallel to the ground. That play was when everyone realized they might have tapped into something special.

“To have that type of body control for a kid that’s 6-foot-3, that athletic. I think that’s when he came back to the huddle and asked how he did,” Ciccotelli said. “I said, ‘I think you can be in the NFL someday.’”

When those words hit the air, Kirkwood's path started to change. He became a football player at that moment.

“As soon as my coach told me, it was like something clicked,” Kirkwood said. “I said, ‘Man, I could really be something special,’ you know? I believed in him.”

Kirkwood pieced together an impressive season, collecting seven touchdowns and 737 yards as the team went 9-3 and reached the state finals. He also produced two believers – his mother and father. His family eventually supported his decision, and after one game, Kirkwood’s father, Kevin, approached Ciccotelli and said, “Coach, I never thought he’d be this good. This is awesome.”

Kirkwood continued to play basketball as a senior, but the situation flipped. He held back in games, fearful that basketball could negatively impact his plans to play college football, though finding the right opportunity took some time.

It was hard to generate interest in Kirkwood after just one season. Penn State looked at Kirkwood but wanted more tape. Rutgers came in late but was only offering a priority walk-on spot.

Finally, Ciccotelli used a connection with Hawaii special teams coach Chris Demarest to get him to take a look at Kirkwood’s tape. He called Ciccotelli to tell him he was going to show it to head coach Norm Chow and that he'd be in touch the next day.

The phone rang 10 minutes later. It was Demarest. After watching three plays, Chow was ready to make Kirkwood an offer. The football player accepted but only spent one year at the school, where he caught 12 passes for 250 yards.

After getting to Hawaii, Kirkwood quickly realized he was too far away from his daughter, Aria. With each trip back and forth costing close to $1,000, a fortune to a college student, he decided to transfer to Temple. Instead of going out with his teammates, Kirkwood made the 90-minute drive home every night to see his daughter. It kept him focused and away from trouble.

On the field, Kirkwood flashed some big-play ability his final two seasons, racking up 648 yards on 42 catches as a junior and 671 on 45 catches as a senior. While he didn’t get drafted, his tape was good enough to catch the attention of the Saints, who signed Kirkwood as a free agent.

Ciccotelli’s prophecy was fulfilled. He cried Thursday night when Kirkwood got in the end zone.

MAKING GOOD

Kirkwood lines up behind Michael Thomas every practice and mimics his every move. His choice in models makes it clear where he is trying to take his game.

If Thomas puts his hand on his leg while waiting for the ball to be snapped, Kirkwood does the same. If Thomas readjusts his feet, so does the man behind him. Kirkwood never wants to waste a moment during practice. Every snap — even the ones he is not part of — is an opportunity to improve.

His effort paid off three weeks ago when he was called up from the practice squad to the 53-man roster for a game against the Bengals. In three games, he has six catches for 83 yards and is heading in the right direction.

“He’s been trending up week after week,” Thomas said. “I feel like even though that was his first (touchdown), I feel like he’s made a ton of key plays the last two weeks. I feel like eventually that was going to come. We’re just going to keep building his arsenal and getting him ready to make more plays. He’s a tremendous player.”

He has to keep making plays. New Orleans is suddenly crowded at wide receiver. Along with Thomas and Kirkwood, the team has Brandon Marshall, Tre'Quan Smith, Austin Carr and Tommylee Lewis on the roster. Ted Ginn Jr. is also expected to return from injured reserve soon.

That means every snap will need to be earned. So far, Kirkwood is making the right impressions with the right people.

“I think he can be a great part of this offense,” quarterback Drew Brees said. “From where he started, coming in as an undrafted free agent, and working his way now into the lineup. I have just seen him progress and get better and better.”

He has a lot working in his favor. Not only can Kirkwood play every receiver position, which is a major benefit in this offense, he's proving to be a quick study.

Brees said Kirkwood isn’t afraid to ask him what he’s expecting on specific plays, which has helped the two quickly build trust on the field. His fellow receivers say the same thing — he’s always asking questions in meetings and has a strong desire to learn everything he can learn.

“From the jump, since he got here, you can tell he’s a quick learner,” Lewis said. “He’s a guy who wants it. He’s hungry. Kirkwood’s different.”

That is a good way to put it. Kirkwood is different. That's what got him here.