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Akron running back dreamed of playing in 'Shoe
Saturday, September 8, 2007 3:36 AM
By Mark Znidar

The Columbus Dispatch

AKRON -- There was a time when Dennis Kennedy saw himself running through the tunnel to the throaty roar of 100,000-plus fans in Ohio Stadium.

"I won't lie. Going to O-State would have been great," Kennedy said. "But it's something that's in my past. I had to go forward. I could be bitter, but I grew up in a faith-based home. God had a plan for me and that plan was to be at Akron."

So what will be going through Kennedy's mind at kickoff?

"There will be a lot of things," he said. "I'll leave it all on the field. I'll definitely be excited to play there. I signed there. I wanted to play there."

Kennedy, a redshirt junior, has been a hit with the Zips. Last year, he ran for 914 yards and nine touchdowns and caught 39 passes despite sitting out six quarters because of a banged-up shoulder. In a 22-14 win over Army last week, he ran for 72 yards on 13 attempts.

Akron coach J.D. Brookhart said Ohio State shouldn't wear the black hat in regard to what happened to Kennedy.

"We got to know the Ohio State coaches when we worked the senior camp and three-day camp," Brookhart said. "When things didn't work out with Dennis, I got a call from an Ohio State coach. They wanted to get him into another school. It has worked out extremely well for Akron and Dennis. He's a quality young man. He has done everything we've asked."

The problem, Kennedy said, was an honest mistake by the high school.

"It was my transcripts," he said. "Stranahan said I didn't have enough credits to graduate. The problem was corrected. I was told I did have enough credits. There was no issue with my grades. I was OK academically. But by that time Ohio State had released me."

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