Thursday, October 2, 2008
Jayhawk broadcaster Bob Davis calls him “Old Reliable.” Quarterback Todd Reesing refers to him as “Old Faithful.”
But for junior wide receiver Kerry Meier, calling him by his name would be just fine.
“I don’t know about old,” Meier said. “But I guess you can call me faithful.”
Meier has been both reliable and faithful for the Jayhawks in 2008. His 37 catches are tops in the nation — an average of 9.25 per game that just edges out James Casey of Rice, who is averaging 9.0.
“It’s still kind of strange to me,” Meier said of leading the nations in receptions. “It’s not what I thought was going to happen.”
Meier’s success at the wide receiver position is truly remarkable when you realize that he only spends about 30 minutes of each practice working with the wide receivers. He still spends almost two hours of each practice working on his job as the back-up quarterback.
“I’m still learning a lot at quarterback,” Meier said. “In college football, you never know what’s going to happen on the next play. I have to be ready.”
Meier’s college career got off to a rocky start when he was injured for part of the 2006 season before losing his job to Todd Reesing a year ago. Instead of transferring, Meier made the unusual transition to wide receiver and has become the Jayhawks’ go-to receiver through the first four games of the season.
After never lining up at receiver and catching a pass before last September, Meier now has thoughts of playing in the sport’s ultimate destination: the NFL.
“I still have all of this year and all of next season as well, but that’s why I came to college football — to play in the NFL,” Meier said. “If it’s not in your mind, then I don’t really know why you’re playing the game. It’s always been a goal of mine.”
Meier’s oldest brother Shadley played at Kansas State and went on to play six years in the NFL as a tight end for both the Tennessee Titans and the New Orleans Saints. He has another brother, Dylan, who plays professionally in Germany.
Meier’s switch to wide receiver may be the best decision he will ever make. The former Sports Illustrated cover boy now has become one of the most crucial pieces to the Jayhawks success in 2008. A guy that continues to learn every day, Meier is just going to sit back and see where his magical ride will take him.
“It’s just like life; anything can happen,” Meier said. “You just have to roll with the punches and keep coming at it. In the end, hopefully you will be happy with the outcome.”
— — Edited by Kelsey Hayes
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