Wednesday, December 31, 2008
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — The battle went on for months.
It started in spring practice, was called a stalemate by coach Mark Mangino following the spring game, and was still unsettled as the team began fall camp.
But finally, as the first game of the 2007 season approached, Mangino delivered the news to Kerry Meier that he was going with Todd Reesing, not Meier, as the team’s starting quarterback.
Junior wide receiver Kerry Meier participates in an open practice Monday morning in Scottsdale, Ariz. Meier averaged more than 10 yards per reception this season.
“It was definitely tough,” Meier said. “I’m not going to lie. It was tough to swallow.”
Despite losing the job, Meier did what he had done every day prior to that — he came back to practice ready to do whatever he could to help the team. But now, it was as the team’s second-string quarterback.
“That’s the way my parents brought me up,” Meier said. “And just from learning from my brothers, I was going to have to move on. For not only the benefit of the team, but for the benefit of myself. It was definitely a challenge, but I knew I had to just shake it loose and move on if the team was going to move on.”
Mangino didn’t expect Meier to ask for a transfer but was surprised with how well Meier, a Pittsburg native, took the news.
“He loses a very public competition for the quarterback position,” Mangino said. “Nine out of ten guys are in the head coach’s office the next day wanting to transfer. He didn’t say a word. He showed up on the practice field the next day like he did the 30 days prior to it.”
It took only one day for Mangino to realize that although Meier wasn’t going to be the quarterback, he needed to be on the field. Mangino approached offensive coordinator Ed Warinner with an idea.
“I want to try something that’s going to be a little controversial and a little risky,” Mangino told Warinner. “But he’s too good of an athlete to be standing next to me on game day. I would like to move Kerry to wide receiver. See if he is willing to do that.”
So Warinner called Meier into his office and asked him what he thought of the idea. Meier was all for it and began taking snaps in practice at both the quarterback and wide receiver positions the next day.
“Ed called him in and he said, 'Whatever it takes to help the team,'” Mangino said. “He goes out and becomes not just an average receiver, a great receiver. Instead of pouting, instead of complaining about his spot in life, he had lemons and he made lemonade.”
Meier leads the Jayhawks with 87 catches and needs just 68 receiving yards to reach the 1,000-yard plateau. Not bad for a guy who spends virtually all his practice time working with the quarterbacks. Freshman Kale Pick is expected to take over as the team's No. 2 quarterback next season, which means Meier will be able to focus on wide receiver full-time.
“That definitely wouldn’t hurt,” Meier said of the extra time possible to work on his receiving skills.
And though Meier should eventually play in the NFL, probably as a tight end, he’s focused now on helping the Jayhawks finish the season with a win this afternoon against Minnesota in the Insight Bowl.
No longer does he pout or wish he could get under center as the team’s quarterback. He’s a receiver, and proud of it.
“Facing a challenge and controversy like that and having to answer it and move on from it,” Meier said. “It’s really helped me out.”
— — Edited by Tara Smith
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