Kennedy could be Jeannette’s next great dual-threat quarterback

By: HSSN Staff
Monday, August 14, 2017 | 4:54 PM

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Robert Kennedy grew up watching Jeannette football games when Terrelle Pryor was bringing crowds to their feet and putting exclamation points on scoring drives for the Jayhawks during the program’s most recent championship runs.

But Kennedy never imagined a day would come when he would be Jeannette’s quarterback. That time is now, and he gets his shot this season.

The Jayhawks opened training camp Monday, and Kennedy is their guy.

“Honestly, I didn’t really like football until I saw Pryor play,” said Kennedy, who moves from wide receiver after leading the team in receiving last season. “I’d always go watch him. I liked how he stiff-armed guys. When he had people in his way, he’d just outrun them. I marveled at Pryor.”

Jeannette has produced a number of other standout quarterbacks over the past decade, including Demetrious Cox and most recently, Gio Vonne Sanders. Kennedy (5-foot-11, 185 pounds) thinks he can follow in their footsteps.

His grandmother called him “Poogie” when he was a baby, and the nickname stuck. Kennedy is fine with the name but wants to go by another label: dual-threat quarterback — just like his predecessors.

“A lot of people around town have asked me how I like playing quarterback and if I am ready to take over (the position),” Kennedy said. “I love the pressure that comes with that.”

Jeannette will have one its tallest teams in recent history, with 6-4 Marcus Barnes, 6-3 Tre Cunningham, and 6-2 Melik Gordon out wide. Kennedy can throw the ball 60 yards downfield. He just hasn’t had to show his arm strength before.

Last year, Jeannette used balance to score touchdowns: short and long passes, sweeps and end-arounds that were jolted with bursts of speed.

This year, Kennedy said, teams will have to respect the deep ball.

“We’ll be able to go over the top on a lot of teams,” Kennedy said. “And with me and (Gordon), we should be able to run on anybody.”

Kennedy, one of the team’s strongest weightlifters, is eager to play defense, too. He will play safety and cornerback, utilizing his 4.5-second 40-yard dash speed and quick hands to bat down passes.

And how’s this for goals?

“I want offensive and defensive player of the year in the conference,” he said.

Colleges have been interested in Kennedy since last season when he caught 22 passes for 429 yards and rushed for 480 yards and eight scores. He has Division I offers from Albany, St. Francis (Pa.), Robert Morris and Howard.

“There may be a little pressure there, but he has seen what (Sanders) did for us and his strengths, plus the things he needed to work on,” Jeannette coach Roy Hall said of Kennedy. “He’s a leader. As a defensive coach, Poogie is the kind of QB you hate to see. He’s done pretty well in 7-on-7’s.”

Jeannette runs the wing-T and option offenses, and Hall said Kennedy is the perfect quarterback for both.

“He can really throw the ball,” Hall said. “He’s been working on his touch. He’ll throw a bullet on a 5-yard out. When they put nine in the box, we can let him throw. We could go back to the old run-and-shoot with some of the receivers we have.”

Kennedy thinks Jeannette has a strong chance to challenge 13-time WPIAL champion Clairton, a team it has lost to five consecutive times, including in the last two Class A championship games.

“This will be the most competitive year for the (Eastern) conference,” Kennedy said. “With us, Clairton and Imani Christian, it will be tough. Out of all the years, this is our best chance (at Clairton).”

Bill Beckner Jr. is a Tribune-Review staff writer. Reach him at bbeckner@tribweb.com or via Twitter @BillBeckner.

Tags: Jeannette