Few expected Oregon multi-sport athlete Jordan Kent to succeed in football. Although no one could deny his sheer athleticism, Kent had never played organized football in his life. How could he be expected to contribute on a major Division I program?
Sure, Kent had sprinter speed and basketball hops, but could he catch a ball while being hit from behind by a strong safety?
With the determination to help out an Oregon receiving corps plagued by injuries and the realization that football might open professional doors, Kent strove to make himself better and prove skeptics wrong.
When considering the possibility of playing football last year, Kent’s only aspirations were to make the team. The NFL was far from his mind.
“You stand back at times and soak it in and realize that you’ve come a long way,” Kent said. “But I still have a long ways to go. I haven’t reached my peak and that’s what’s exciting about it.”
Kent’s inexperience wasn’t a concern for Oregon coach Mike Bellotti. Bellotti saw his potential and knew he could be a factor on the team.
“He has some athleticism and a work ethic that you don’t see everyday,” Bellotti said. “That, combined with certain talents, gave him the opportunity.”
“Obviously you’re athleticism helps – that you’re pretty tall and got some speed and things like that. That does make certain things easier,” Kent said.
Still, Kent was certain to be a constant work-in-progress. When he first came out to football practice in the summer of 2005, he had a hard time securing his helmet, let alone trying to catch bullet passes.
“He was horrible, he was terrible. We’re like ‘Oh, it’s going to be a long project’,” junior wide receiver Cameron Colvin said. “But he made due. He came out here everyday in the offseason and we worked on some things together.”
Since that first day at practice, Kent has made himself a prominent player on the football team but still needs to improve in certain areas to give himself a better shot at being drafted.
“He’s gotten better and he still can get better. He’s still such a young neophyte in terms of tackle football,” Bellotti said.
Specifically, Bellotti believes Kent needs to improve “how to handle contact both during the route and at the point of contact.”
“He was a stranger to those situations before. He’s getting better now,” Bellotti said.
Kent’s improvement earned him the admiration of his teammates who have seen the level of work he’s put into his improvement.
“I told him in the locker room the other day that I’m proud of him,” Colvin said. “He’s made a lot of big strides and you don’t really see people that can do that.”
Colvin was also one of the players who helped Kent with his development. Receivers’ mistakes are often obvious and it’s easy to put blame on them. If they miss a catch it can affect their ability to receive the next pass.
“(I told him to) play with confidence,” Colvin said. “You drop a ball, well, you’ll get another shot to make it happen – don’t worry about it.”
That kind of support helped ease Kent’s transition to the sport and made him appreciate his newfound friendships.
“You don’t know what to really expect being the new guy, but they welcomed me with open arms and showed me the ropes,” Kent said. “That’s the best part about it – having that kind of brotherhood with these guys.”
Now with one more college game left, Kent has to make a decision soon on whether to try to stake his future in the NFL or to return to playing basketball under his father, coach Ernie Kent.
It’s not an easy decision considering the potential of the basketball team this year. Kent said he was jumping up and down while watching Oregon’s victory Wednesday night over then-No. 18 Georgetown.
“If I did (go back to basketball) that’s something that would require a meeting with the team and talk to them. I’m not going to try and do anything to throw off any great chemistry they have,” Jordan Kent said. “If I’m a practice player, then I’m a practice player, if it means they need me to play 20 minutes a game, I’ll play 20 minutes a game. Whatever it takes to help the team.”
This decision wasn’t one the Kent family planned on having. They didn’t ever consider that there was the possibility making the NFL.
“It surprised both of us. But he’s been really encouraging and supportive about it,” Jordan Kent said.
Still, Jordan wants to keep his options open and won’t make a definitive decision until after the bowl game. He said that if he gets through the bowl game in one piece, he plans on attending the NFL combine in February where he will be tested by NFL scouts from every team.
“From what people are saying, I’ve got a a chance and that’s what I was hoping for,” Kent said. “They see the potential but I’ve got to sharpen a lot of things.”
Kent’s certainly come a long way from the player who struggled with his equipment during his first practice.
Although he was already considered a great athlete being a two-sport in basketball and track, his transition to football has helped certify his spot in Oregon athletic lore.
And while it was a surprise for most that Kent made himself into a good football player, did anyone expect him to be worthy of the NFL?
“With his speed, yeah,” Colvin said. “You know talent when you see it.”
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