KENNY BRITT LEAVES LEGACY BEHIND AT RUTGERS

April 13, 2009


by Matt Whitfield



While Rutgers basketball fans hope Mike Rosario and Greg Echenique are the two local high school standouts that are credited with turning around the basketball program by staying home for their college careers, the RU football program might be able to look back at a local star who stayed home and see where their college football odds turned.

Kenny Britt left Rutgers as its most decorated wide receiver, but what he helped do for it was perhaps even more impressive. Despite out of state offers, Kenny stayed in the Garden State and became a major part of the revitalization process in Piscataway. In Britt’s three years at Rutgers he helped lead his team to a 27-12 record (the team was 16-19 in the three prior years), while amassing a school record 3,043 yards and 17 touchdowns. After earning All-America and All-Big East honors his junior year, Britt declared for the NFL Draft.

The 6-3, 215 pound Britt is expected to be one of the top Wide Receivers taken in this year’s NFL draft, and some even expect him to be a first round pick. NBE caught up with Britt’s former High School Coach Rick Rodriguez and discussed many things from Britt’s potential in the NFL to Britt’s high school days as a Bayonne Bee.

“A tall kid, he was 6’3, very fast, physical and once he got onboard with the off-season training program that’s when I knew he was definitely going to be a big time ball player,” said Rodriguez of what stood out to him most about Britt in high school.

However, getting Britt onboard took some doing. Rodriguez said he had to throw Britt off the team for ‘two or three weeks’ his sophomore year because of Britt’s ‘lack of commitment’.

According to Rodriguez, this changed him and by his junior year Britt caught fire. As a junior Britt amassed 28 catches for 630 yards and 10 touchdowns. In one game that season against a tough North Bergen team, Britt ran back a punt 80 yards for a touchdown, caught a touchdown pass, and had 145 yards receiving on top that helping his squad to victory. With Britt’s dazzling play came an assortment of college offers from Illinois, Rutgers, West Virginia, North Carolina State, and Virginia. Syracuse had even offered prior to that season, according to coach Rodriguez, as Britt went against a Syracuse recruit in 7 on 7 drills at Syracuse Camp and, “made him look silly,” thus forcing then Syracuse coach Paul Pasqualoni to offer him on the spot.

Rodriguez left the Bees program in 2005 and with that so did Britt’s production. That year the Bees fell to a mediocre 5-5 record on the season as Britt only hauled in 11 receptions all season long. Despite all this Britt’s eventual college decision came down to Illinois and Rutgers. Rodriguez who still keeps in contact with his former player told NBE that, “I believe the final decision was based upon Kenny not wanting to leave the state of New Jersey.”

At Rutgers what Britt did is very well documented. Britt came in as a true freshman and had a good showing against Louisville in what became perhaps one of the biggest wins in school history. Following that game, Britt’s play was consistent and outstanding and he easily became Mike Teel’s favorite target. To Rodriguez this really is no surprise, as he told NBE that the only thing really holding Britt back was his academics saying that, “as long as Kenny’s academics hit,” he would be a success at Rutgers. Britt had by far his best year this past season at Rutgers as he averaged 114 yards a game in helping his team earn its fourth consecutive bowl bid.

After shattering numerous Rutgers receiving records Britt choose to go pro at the end of the 2008 season. This surprised some including Rodriguez.

“I was against it,” Rodriguez said. “I felt if he stayed one more year he’d of been a more polished receiver, [and] also faster and stronger, and definitely a top 10 pick.”

Rodriguez says he feels Kenny will get drafted ‘between late 2nd to the 4th round,’ due to the ‘quality and quantity of receivers in the draft.’

Rodriguez who has always been impressed with Britt’s raw power told NBE that Britt hang cleaned 315 pounds in high school. According to Rodriguez, “physically Kenny can definitely play in the NFL.” However, Rodriguez knows all too well from being a former college player and a friend of NFL coaches that, “the most important aspect in the NFL is the mental phase and the injury factor and that’s what keeps [many] NFL players from excelling or making the team.” Due to Britt’s strength and explosiveness, Rodriguez compares Britt to Terrell Owens saying that, “[Britt] plays like TO, is chiseled like TO, [except] with no TO attitude.”

Regardless, if Britt becomes the next coming of Terrell Owens or not, Rodriguez is very proud of his former player. “His production speaks for itself,” Rodriguez said. “He was third team All America and the best receiver in Rutgers history, and as his coach I’m very proud of those accolades.” Rodriguez and Rutgers fans will see where Britt falls in the NFL Draft.

[Rick Rodriguez was Kenny Britt’s high school coach for three years. As Head Coach of the Bayonne Bees from 2000-2004 Rodriguez led the Bees to a 29-12 record, a state championship in 2002, and three state playoff appearances. Rodriguez also coached former heralded recruit and now linebacker at Linebacker U (Penn State) Jerome Hayes.]