For Eric Kennedy, no single moment stands out compared to the enormity of what was accomplished this season. In addition to being part of the Wraiths’ best season ever at 10-4, Kennedy also had his best season ever as an overall player, a season so good that it was mired in controversy. Despite being rather mediocre for several seasons, Kennedy’s goal has long been to become respected as a dual-threat both on the ground and in the air. S4 was a big step forward as he rushed for 361 yards (at 3.0 YPC) and put up 66 catches for 503 yards. These aren’t big numbers by any means, but for a player that had struggled since entering the NSFL, it was progress.
This season, the Wraiths found a winning formula. One that nearly broke multiple records. Embracing the slot receiver position for the first time this season, Kennedy was given an opportunity to showcase what he could do. And, as the Wraiths pivoted to a strong passing attack after the rise of Mat Akselsen at QB last season, that increased role in the passing game came with a lot of opportunity. The results spoke for themselves. He broke the current season catch record with 130 catches. He also outperformed the previous total yards record with 1655 yards, though he still came in 2nd place in that category as Bradley Westfield shattered his own record with an amazing 1756 yards. And he walked away with 14 receiving Touchdowns, which is more than twice the number of all-purpose Touchdowns he achieved the previous season.
Of course, success always comes with controversy when it comes out of nowhere. Especially in sports. People had overlooked Kennedy for too long to be able to accept him as an all-star player. Accusations were made. Some claimed that Kennedy was using PEDs while others flat-out accused him of playing dirty on the field. Even the Wraiths were caught in the cross-fire as other teams questioned aloud if they were using illegal means to find success. Fortunately, a deep review by NSFL officials cleared his name even though there was never much evidence to begin with. Success at the highest level tends to be a monopoly in the NSFL and it’s a hard glass ceiling to break, but somehow, Eric Kennedy has found a way to do just that. And now he will be a name that all NSFL fans recognize, not just the Yellowknife faithful. Of course, he’s far too unconventional to receive a positional award. Despite his numbers, he’s not a Wide Receiver and his usage doesn’t match that of a traditional Running Back. However, with over a 1000-yard surplus and double the number of Touchdowns from his last season, it would be hard to argue that Kennedy doesn’t deserve Breakout Player of the Year. Awards aside, though, it has been a long journey to the top for this multi-faceted player. Only time will tell if he can continue to perform at this level for many more seasons or if S5 will turn out to be a magical outlier in an otherwise mundane career.
518 Words
This season, the Wraiths found a winning formula. One that nearly broke multiple records. Embracing the slot receiver position for the first time this season, Kennedy was given an opportunity to showcase what he could do. And, as the Wraiths pivoted to a strong passing attack after the rise of Mat Akselsen at QB last season, that increased role in the passing game came with a lot of opportunity. The results spoke for themselves. He broke the current season catch record with 130 catches. He also outperformed the previous total yards record with 1655 yards, though he still came in 2nd place in that category as Bradley Westfield shattered his own record with an amazing 1756 yards. And he walked away with 14 receiving Touchdowns, which is more than twice the number of all-purpose Touchdowns he achieved the previous season.
Of course, success always comes with controversy when it comes out of nowhere. Especially in sports. People had overlooked Kennedy for too long to be able to accept him as an all-star player. Accusations were made. Some claimed that Kennedy was using PEDs while others flat-out accused him of playing dirty on the field. Even the Wraiths were caught in the cross-fire as other teams questioned aloud if they were using illegal means to find success. Fortunately, a deep review by NSFL officials cleared his name even though there was never much evidence to begin with. Success at the highest level tends to be a monopoly in the NSFL and it’s a hard glass ceiling to break, but somehow, Eric Kennedy has found a way to do just that. And now he will be a name that all NSFL fans recognize, not just the Yellowknife faithful. Of course, he’s far too unconventional to receive a positional award. Despite his numbers, he’s not a Wide Receiver and his usage doesn’t match that of a traditional Running Back. However, with over a 1000-yard surplus and double the number of Touchdowns from his last season, it would be hard to argue that Kennedy doesn’t deserve Breakout Player of the Year. Awards aside, though, it has been a long journey to the top for this multi-faceted player. Only time will tell if he can continue to perform at this level for many more seasons or if S5 will turn out to be a magical outlier in an otherwise mundane career.
518 Words
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Thanks to Jangorhino for the sig.
