Kendrick Conner didn’t have time to be scared.
With a healthy Kevin Jackson, Conner knew there was someone else the Columbus High School football team could turn to if it needed a big play out of the backfield.
But when Jackson went down with an injury after the first game, Columbus called Conner’s number and asked him to produce.
Conner has shaken off the initial butterflies to give the Falcons (4-1, 1-0 Class 6A, Region 1) a threat in the running game to balance a passing game led by junior quarterback Trace Lee.
Two weeks ago, Conner rushed for 136 yards in a victory against Louisville. Last week, he rushed for 100 yards in a 14-0 victory against Tupelo. Even though he didn’t score a touchdown, Conner showed he was ready to shoulder the load, especially in a power running game that the Falcons used to control the clock.
For his accomplishments, Conner is The Dispatch’s Prep Player of the Week.
“Our line is improving very fast and well,” Conner said. “For me to get 100 yards, you have to give the credit to them. Without a line, you don’t get any yards. My goal is to get over 100 yards every game.”
Conner, a 5-foot-7, 177-pound junior, started the season in position to share carries with Jackson. Senior Quan Latham also figured to be in the mix. But Conner’s emergence has helped the Falcons move on from the injury to Jackson and the loss of another running back to injury. His play also has made a believer out of Stanford.
“He went from being a baby who was scared slap out of his mind to growing up to be a man,” Stanford said. “He has gotten better each week. If he will do that, he is going to be a real good running back for us.”
Stanford said getting Conner in the weight room and bigger and stronger is the next step in his development. Conner admitted he isn’t someone who loves working out in the weight room, but he also said he isn’t one to let his teammates down. In fact, he said he relishes having the responsibility to produce on his shoulders, and said that will motivate him the rest of the season.
Stanford feels Conner already has importance to the team and has picked up his work rate in practice.
“He is trying to learn what we’re doing,” Stanford said. “Sometimes he still wants to run back inside too much when the hole is outside, but he is improving and working hard. He worked through pain when he thought he was dying last week.
“We’re a tailback-oriented offense and he has to tote the mail. He is going to have to suck it up and learn to play hurt or what because there is nothing behind him.”
That doesn’t bother Conner, who watched and learned last season from 1,000-yard rushed Damian Baker. Although his time as a go-to back has come a little sooner than he anticipated, Conner is set to make the most of it.
“When (Kevin) got hurt, to be honest, I didn’t think I was ready for this, to take it upon myself,” Conner said. “It was a big step to come up and to be playing by myself. … I was anxious, shy. The first game was West Point. They hit me and I was like, ‘This is me. I am ready to play.’ I got the hang of it and West Point knocked me out (of the mentality that he wasn’t really sure if he could do it alone). I didn’t really have any choice. I was a backup, and we were taught to play smash-mouth football.”
Conner credits the Columbus High defense for toughening him up and hitting him just as hard, if not harder than what he feels on game days. All of that contact has come fast than Conner expected — or was supposed to. But just like the Falcons are improving every day, Conner is learning and maturing into a better back and a better teammate.
“Sometimes I am like I am not ready for that or I am not ready to go out there,” said Conner, who feels he mental maturation has been his biggest improvement. “Now I am excited to go to practice or to try to run somebody over in practice.”
Adam Minichino is the former Sports Editor for The Commercial Dispatch.
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