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Thursday, November 14, 2002

By Ray Fittipaldo, Post-Gazette Sports Writer

Penn State defensive tackle Jimmy Kennedy came back for his senior season for a couple of reasons. He wanted to help bring Penn State back among the elite of college football, and he wanted to improve his status for the NFL draft.

	Draft expert Mel Kiper Jr. tabs Penn State's Jimmy Kennedy the No. 2 senior in April's NFL draft. (Lake Fong, Post-Gazette)

Now that he is on the verge of accomplishing both goals, he is impatiently awaiting the end of the season. For Kennedy, it can't come soon enough.

"I'm to the point now where I think about the NFL every day," said Kennedy, a 6-foot-5, 318-pounder. "I personally think I'll be a top-three pick. The NFL people will be impressed with my workouts. God willing, I'll be a top-three pick. I think about it every day."

Kennedy, an Outland Trophy candidate, decided in January to return after the NFL advisory board projected him as a late first- or early second-round selection. According to NFL draft expert Mel Kiper, Jr., Kennedy is the No. 2 senior in April's draft behind only Marshall quarterback Byron Leftwich. Other local players projected on Kiper's senior board are Pitt linebacker Gerald Hayes at No. 11 and Penn State receiver Bryant Johnson at No. 12.

"I sit here when I'm bored and I look at the Internet," Kennedy said. "Me personally, I think I'm a top-three pick. But I'm not the only one. NFL scouts believe the same thing. Sometimes I feel like I'm not appreciated."

When Kennedy announced his decision to return, he talked glowingly of the Penn State experience. He talked about his fondness for campus life, the coaches, teammates and fans. "The experience I've had here has been wonderful. It was hard for me to give that up," he said in January.

Yesterday it was obvious his feelings had changed. A lot has transpired in the past year to alter his outlook. His fiancee, former Penn State women's basketball player Rashana Barnes, is no longer on campus. She graduated and is home in Philadelphia with her family. They are to be married next year.

Kennedy also has clashed with Coach Joe Paterno. After the Iowa game, Kennedy criticized his younger teammates for not being ready to play. When Paterno got wind of the remarks, he questioned Kennedy's leadership.

That led to a Kennedy exile. He was made available yesterday to reporters during the week for the first time since the Iowa game.

"I'm to the point where I'm ready to move on," he said. "I'm ready to start a family with my fiancee. I've grown up since I've come here. It's different things I've had to deal with. I'm ready to be a father and a husband. I didn't leave [after last season] because I didn't want to leave this place a loser. Now it's almost complete. Two games left. I'm already trying to figure out where I'm going to train after the season. On Nov. 25, I'm going to start my new training regimen because I want to drop even more weight before the bowl game."

Kennedy graduated in May, so he doesn't have some of the academic worries of his younger teammates. He does have some worries, such as which agent he will entrust with his future. He is in the process of interviewing prospective agents, an important decision for a potential first-round selection.

"A lot of them are scam artists," Kennedy said. "I think back to the Tank Black incidents. They tell you what you want to hear. I'm just going to have to go with my gut feeling."

Kennedy started the season slow, with 22 tackles and no sacks in the first four games, and his play was fodder for the media and fans. His coaches admitted he got off to a poor start. He began playing better against Wisconsin, when he totaled six tackles and four sacks. He has 67 tackles and four sacks on the season, and Paterno said his play has been stellar since the third or fourth game.

"This season has had its ups and downs," Kennedy said. "Overall, I'm happy with my decision to come back. It would have been great if we could have gotten those three wins [against Iowa, Michigan and Ohio State]. But it feels good to know that I was a part of putting Penn State back on the map."

NOTE -- Quarterback Zack Mills was named one of 14 semifinalists for the Davey O'Brien National Quarterback Award. Mills was the only sophomore to make the list.