Rodney Kinlaw

1 Biography
2 References
3 Related Articles
- 3.1 Recent Rodney Kinlaw ArmchairGM Stories

[edit] Biography

When opportunity came knocking in the middle of the 2005 season, Rodney Kinlaw knew how to respond. Kinlaw had seen limited time as a reserve tailback, but when Derrick Williams suffered a season-ending injury at Michigan, the coaching staff tapped Kinlaw for kickoff return duty and he responded. Two years removed from an ACL tear, the redshirt junior stepped in to accumulate 237 yards on just eight kickoff returns (second only to Williams’ 274) for an impressive 29.6-yard average, tied for fifth-highest in school season history. His average was the best by a Nittany Lion with at least eight kickoff returns since Gary Brown’s school-record 43.0 average in 1990. The talented and quick athlete delivered a pair of huge returns during the Nittany Lions’ drive to the Big Ten title, ripping off a 77-yard return at Illinois and a 58-yard return against Purdue. Kinlaw’s contributions provided a personal boost, a feeling which continued to permeate in off-season conditioning and spring practice. With Tony Hunt and Austin Scott seeing limited time during spring drills, Kinlaw spent much of the spring with the No. 1 offense and earned the appreciation of the coaching staff with his selection as the Red Worrell Award winner, presented to the offense’s most improved player. Kinlaw brings multiple skills to the field and will have an opportunity to play a larger role for the offense this season, in addition to special teams duty. A nephew of former first-team All-American Courtney Brown, Kinlaw tore his right ACL in mid-September of 2003 and took a medical redshirt. He joins brothers Joe and Paul Cianciolo as returning Nittany Lions from South Carolina, a state which has produced former Lion standouts Brown, Shelly Hammonds, Bobby Engram and Wally Richardson in the Big Ten era.

2005 Junior Season The second half of the season provided more opportunities for Kinlaw to be a consistently productive player and he responded. He was inserted onto the kickoff return unit after Derrick Williams suffered a season-ending injury at Michigan and delivered a pair of huge returns among his eight for the season. He totaled 237 yards (second only to Williams’ 274 yards) for an impressive 29.6-yard average, tied for the fifth-highest average in school season history. His average was the best by a Nittany Lion with at least eight returns since Gary Brown’s school-record 43.0 average in 1990. The swift athlete ripped off a 77-yard return at Illinois and a 58-yard return against Purdue to give the offense great field position. Kinlaw ran for 34 yards on 16 carries, gaining 15 yards on three carries with a touchdown against Minnesota. He also had a rushing touchdown at Illinois. He had one reception for three yards. Kinlaw played in seven games, including each of the last five.

2004 Sophomore Season Kinlaw returned to the field after suffering a torn anterior cruciate ligament in September 2003, ending his season. He played in every game and was fourth on the team in rushing, gaining 93 yards on 23 carries. Kinlaw also led the Lions with 10 kickoff returns for 198 yards, including a team season-best 65-yard return against Purdue. Kinlaw rushed for 50 yards on seven attempts against Akron in the season-opener and tallied 21 yards on five attempts against Ohio State. He was on the field for 62 snaps, led by 14 against Akron.

2003 Freshman Season Kinlaw practiced with the first and second-team the first month of the season, but did not see any action. In a mid-September practice, he suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee, an injury that required surgery. He was granted a medical redshirt.

High School Kinlaw excelled at running back and defensive back for Coach Ray Stackley at Stratford HS. During his senior season, he amassed 1,783 yards and scored 30 touchdowns, averaging 8.4 yards per carry. He rushed for 1,071 yards as a junior. Kinlaw earned numerous accolades, including being named the Charleston Post and Courier and Palmetto Touchdown Club Offensive Back-of-the-Year. He was selected an All-American by SuperPrep and was a finalist for South Carolina’s Mr. Football. He also earned Associated Press first-team all-state, All-Low Country and all-region honors.