The first thing you notice about Kenjon Barner is not his ‘FroHawk’ hairstyle or his bulging biceps, though both are quite prominent, instead the thing that is hardest not to notice is his smile which begins at the corners of his eyes and extends all across his face. Barner is up to 196 and looks every bit of it and has an effervescent personality, raved about Coach Kelly.
“The man’s a genius.” And regarding his first practice when Kelly was elevated to head coach, “It was real different than under coach Bellotti, before, we’d run a play, take a little break and run another play. With coach Kelly it was just go,go, go-speed, speed and more speed, we were just bent over dry-heaving. Coach Kelly pushes you to a limit you didn’t know you had. It was ugly at first but it became beautiful and by the first game it was a masterpiece.”
He also stated confidently that he felt he could be a three-down back, “I am an every down back, I can run the ball, I can catch the ball, I understand pass pro[tection]. I want to show my speed and strength. I feel I can help a team in a lot of ways. I can help in special teams.” When asked if he was prepared to be a third down back, he was positive in that regard. ” I feel that plays to my strengths, I’ll do what ever they ask me to do.”
When he spoke about his influences and heroes at the position he mentioned that he had watched and admired Gale Sayres and Barry Sanders. Kenjon Barner is one of the fastest players in this draft class and if he brings the same joy and energy to every play as he does to all of his interviews he should have a long and successful career.
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