JK: This is a tough question. There were definitely too many to narrow down to a single one. But I can definitely say senior year FINALLY beating UNH and placing the Brice-Cowell Musket in that locker room is amongst the top!
FTS: What made you choose the University of Maine?
JK: With offers from just about any FCS school, I narrowed my choices down to three, which were UNH, who were #1 in the country at the time, under offensive coordinator Chip Kelly (Editor’s Note: Kelly left UNH to become the offensive coordinator and, later, the head coach at the University of Oregon. Kelly led Oregon to the FBS national title game in 2010 and is currently the head coach of the NFL’s Philadelphia Eagles. It’s more than understandable that a wide receiver like Jeremy would give serious consideration to playing for such an accomplished offensive mind.), Youngstown St and Maine. Even though Maine was the first to offer, I took my visit there last, mainly because I wasn’t trying to go to school anywhere that much colder than Buffalo. But once I got on campus and experienced the tightness and camaraderie of the team, I knew immediately Maine was a good fit. On top of that, we had the most NFL players out of any FCS school at that point in time. “Small school NFL factory” you could say…
FTS: You’re right, the coaching staff has definitely demonstrated the ability to produce and develop NFL-level talent. What was your experience like with Coach Cosgrove and the rest of the coaching staff?
JK: There were plenty of ups and downs through my 5 year career at Maine. But, that being said, our coaching staff made me a better football player. And the foundation that our football program is built upon also made me a better man. As for Coach Cos and me specifically, we had some unique experiences, to say the least. Coach Cos wasn’t always fond of my excessive celebratory antics. But, to make a long story short, one game he actually had to be escorted off the field by ambulatory services after imposing his Irish temper on me after one of my celebrations. Not sure if it was a heart attack exactly, but it was enough to scare the hell out of me. Nonetheless, the following day he was as excited to see me as I was to see him and we both apologized for our actions and it was all good. Although, personally, it was the most horrifying win I ever experienced.
FTS: That’s an amazing story. What do you think makes Coach Cosgrove successful?
JK: Coach Cos is a very blue collar, tough minded individual and those are the characteristics he instills within the program.
FTS: What was the highlight of your playing career at UMaine?
JK: As I stated earlier, the overtime win against UNH at home is definitely atop the highlights. But, not far behind would have to be 2008, watching ESPN as a team in the locker room, anxiously waiting to see “MAINE” scroll across the ticker, securing our bid to the NCAA playoffs. We erupted! That was a great feeling.
FTS: You’ve spent time in both the Canadian Football League and the Arena Football League. Which was harder to adapt to from traditional American football, and why?
JK: Canadian football was definitely the tougher of the two, although I picked up the offense extremely fast. Reading and understanding a defense with 12 people on the field instead of 11 was a little different. The dimensions and gameplay are a little different as well, so the game is played at a much faster rate than American football.
FTS: You graduated from West Seneca High School. Did you grow up as a Buffalo Bills fan? What other pro sports teams, if any, do you root for?
JK: I did not grow up a Bills fan. For as long as I can remember, I’ve always been a Miami Dolphins fan, which I catch a lot of heat for in Buffalo. But if the Bills want to start signing my checks, I’ll be the #1 fan, I can assure you that.
FTS: Smart man. Speaking of signing, you signed a “future/reserves” contract with the Indianapolis Colts at the beginning of 2013. Can you explain to us non-football players what that is?
JK: It’s a standard rookie contract that is termed “futures/reserves” simply because I signed prior to the start of the calendar NFL season.
FTS: What was your experience like with the Colts? Was it mostly positive or negative, and why?
JK: It was absolutely positive in every way, shape and form. It was everything I had been working for since I started playing football at age 7. Obviously, it didn’t completely end up in my favor seeing that I’m not in Indy, but my time there has enhanced me as a player and as a professional. Physically, training camp wasn’t as demanding as most would think, compliments of the new Collective Bargaining Agreement, as practice times and rules are limited during preseason. On top of being a rookie, you spend a lot of time watching and learning. Mentally is where the great players separate themselves at the pro level. It requires an intense focus day in and day out to be at your best, do your job, and to only give attention to those things that are within your control.
FTS: One great player that you got to work with in Indianapolis is Andrew Luck. What makes him such a terrific quarterback?
JK: This is usually the first question people ask me in regards to my time spent in Indy. It’s absolutely his work ethic. Andrew is always the first one in [the training complex] doing whatever it is he needs to do, plus some. A day didn’t go by where I saw him out of routine or not doing some type of extra work.
JK: As much as things seem the same, campus has changed and evolved so much in such a short amount of time. I felt that way after returning only one year after graduation. But the first thing I’d do would consist of a trip through the Fieldhouse. I’d definitely stop in the locker room and reminisce about quick naps in your locker between classes and the endless, most relevant and irrelevant debates amongst teammates that created so many laughs. The Fieldhouse is where the majority of time is spent as an athlete. So many good people that had your best interests from academic advisors to my man Jonesy, the equipment manager. Well, he had your best interest IF you were on his good side. I don’t know what I did right, but I was.
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