Monday, April 21, 2014

Nice Surprise

Kyran McKinney-Crudden was not a name that turned up while doing Internet searches for Dartmouth football recruits but an emailer who knows the game and follows recruiting closely believes the Big Green has gotten a good one in the 6-foot-1, 200-pound Glastonbury, Conn., standout who will walk on in Hanover next fall.

The (New London) Day had a story about McKinney-Crudden last fall that termed him, Glastonbury's Mr. Everything. From the story LINK:
McKinney-Crudden is an H-back, linebacker and defensive back this season.
He's also played (deep breath) running back, tight end, receiver (at either the outside or the slot), quarterback and long snapper and, new for this season, punter. 
The incoming freshman has good football genes. His father, Anthony McKinney, was a tight end at the University of Connecticut who got looks from the Minnesota Vikings, Green Bay Packers and Detroit Lions and also spent time with NFL Europe's Rhein Fire. His grandfather, Brian Crudden, is the highly regarded football coach at Windham HS in Connecticut. An uncle wrestled at Brown after starring as a high school quarterback.

Check out McKinney-Curren's HUDL page and senior film here.
The season-ending loss at Dartmouth apparently continues to eat at Princeton judging by a story on the Princeton Football blog. Said quarterback Quinn Epperly after being named a Tiger co-captain:
"I am honored you voted me as captain. But with that, I’m not accepting anything less than an undefeated season next year.  I want a gold ring. We are going to be the first (Princeton) team undefeated since 1964.”
Fellow co-captain and linebacker Mike Zeuli had this to say:
“No way we lose a game. It’s unacceptable if we lose a game next year.” 
A recap of the Yale spring game from the New Haven Register makes it sound as if a transfer from Clemson who took a long look at Dartmouth coming out of high school, will be at the controls in New Haven next fall.

From the story:
Morgan Roberts certainly made a strong case as to why he should be Yale’s next starting quarterback. He found his receivers down the sideline, over the middle and displayed his elite speed as well.
And . . .
 After transferring in from Clemson last season, Roberts, a sophomore, struggled with the transition and did not play well for the Bulldogs. He’s clearly settled in and came into his own since then, proving that during the spring.
Once again this spring Dartmouth is not tackling in practice and will not tackle in the spring game a week from Saturday. The "get 'em to the fall," and then, "get 'em to Saturday," approach worked last year but spring practice videos from Harvard and Week One opponent Central Connecticut suggest those schools are taking a different approach.
It is always fun seeing an old friend making good on the national stage. During the ESPN Sunday Night Baseball broadcast this commercial came on for an "Intel powered table," and lo and behold, the star of the commercial (and narrator) was wildlife photographer Paul Souders.

When I was the sports editor of a newspaper in Pennsylvania Paul did a bunch of freelance photography for me and we've remained friends ever since. Mrs. BGA and I visited him when we were in Alaska and he came through here several years ago when he was building his catalogue of domestic photos on a cross country trip from his Seattle home. Paul was the 2013 National Geographic grand prize and nature winner for a marvelous photo of a polar bear just under the water. LINK Paul is a ridiculously talented photographer who will go to any length to make great pictures all over the globe. Check out his website.

Another old friend who has gone on to bigger things is screenwriter Kevin Hench, who I hired at the local daily here in the Upper Valley when I was assistant sports editor and the sports editor was on sabbatical. Kevin co-wrote and produced the movie The Hammer, did a podcast with retired NBA player John Salley called Spider and the Henchman, appears on NPR's Only A Game and, scoring above his pay scale, married actress and screenwriter Heather Juergensen of Kissing Jessica Stein fame. One of the enduring memories I have from my days at the newspaper was waiting for the first run to come off the press at 1 a.m. or so and Kevin having all of us rolling on the floor laughing at his stories – most seeming to involve him and one girl or another.
The Big Green returns to the field Tuesday afternoon for the seventh of 12 spring practice sessions. Check BGA Premium tomorrow night for full coverage.