A six-time All-America sprinter in track at LSU, Eddie Kennison seemingly ran 40 yards faster than he could sign his name.
And with 98 receptions for 1,554 yards in three seasons, while also setting a school record for punt returns with 947 yards, he clearly had good hands, as well.
The third wide receiver selected in the first round of the 1996 NFL Draft at 18th overall, Kennison was the second player picked by the Rams that year, 12 slots behind Nebraska running back Lawrence Phillips.
"I knew that it was a lifelong dream come true, and I knew immediately that it would have the capability to change the trajectory of my family," he said. "And so I was super excited."
As were Rams head coach Rich Brooks and wide receivers coach Mike Martz.
"Rich and Mike both obviously had expectations. I was two weeks late getting into camp because of contract negotiations, but once I got there, we dialed in pretty good," Kennison said. "Mike is a stellar man and a coach, and we put the work in every single day the rest of camp and throughout the rest of the season to get me ready to play."
Was there hope he'd contribute as a wide receiver alongside third-year veteran and future Hall of Famer Isaac Bruce, more so than as a kick- and punt-returner?
"I think it was a little both," Kennison said. "With receiving, they wanted me to step in right away and contribute and help Isaac out as much as I could. It was never any thought process for me, whether they thought it or not, to have one be more significant than the other. I valued both of them as the same as me stepping on the football field and helping our football team win.
"So expectation was to start immediately and make an impact immediately."
Well, his fourth game was soon enough to make an impact. When the Rams traveled to Arizona on September 29, the Cardinals were forced to punt late in the opening quarter. The rookie returned the ball nine yards, but Arizona was called for holding and had to punt again. This time Kennison had a 66-yard return for his first NFL touchdown.
"It was in Sun Devil Stadium, so we were outside and I remember it being like 109, 110 degrees out on the field," Kennison said. "It was a hot day, but it was a fun day."
He had more fun in the third quarter when his only catch of the game was a 34-yard touchdown reception. Kennison would have another two-touchdown performance five games later against Atlanta, when he scored on a 78-yard punt return and a 1-yard reception.
Facing the Falcons again in Week 15, Kennison tripled down. He caught three touchdown passes from fellow rookie, quarterback Tony Banks – 77-, 72- and 41-yards – helping the Rams win, 34-27. What clicked for him that afternoon in Atlanta?
"I think it had a lot to do with understanding a little bit more of the offense, and then obviously having Tony Banks, as you know, a young, exciting, energetic, firearm quarterback who also understood the offense," Kennison said.
"Tony and I were clicking in practice and getting extra work in after practices, and it just so happened that game was like a breakout game for both Tony and myself. With those three touchdowns, it was one of those fun games that just so happened to open up for us."
With the Rams for three seasons, collecting 96 receptions for 1,562 yards and 10 touchdowns, as well as 103 punt returns with a 10.5-yard average and three touchdowns, Kennison was traded to New Orleans prior to the 1999 draft for the Saints' second-round pick.
And after playing nine seasons with New Orleans, Chicago, Denver, and Kansas City, he made his way back to St Louis after the 2008 season began, signing as a free agent.
"Al Saunders was our offensive coordinator in Kansas City, and when (head coach) Dick (Vermeil) retired after the '05 season, Herm Edwards came in and Al Saunders became the offensive coordinator in St. Louis, and he was still there in 2008," Kennison said.
"St. Louis had a rookie wide receiver, Drew Bennett, who got injured (during a preseason game). I knew Al's offense pretty well and Al, I believe, was the advocate to bring me back to St Louis to come in and play until he got healthy again."
Playing in three games that season, Kennison then hung up his cleats after 13 seasons, four with the Rams.
"I was the Rams Rookie of the Year, and I was also the NFL fastest man leading up to my rookie season," he said. "So it was a pretty cool career. And then, obviously, I got to play with all my teammates and I still have relationships with a few of those guys, even to this day. Those things are great memories.
"And the thing that I'm most proud of is the growth from day one. The ultimate relationships that I was able to obtain from those 13 years, from the teams I played with, and building those relationships I still hold on to those to this day."
These days, Kennison makes his home in Baton Rouge, LA, where he previously was the Director of Player Development for LSU football on former head coach Ed Orgeron's staff. He was more recently a senior account executive with LSU Sports Properties.
Kennison's now doing something he understandably finds more personally rewarding.
"I have a 12-year-old son, Griffin, and I'm a full-time single dad," said Kennison, who also has two adult sons: Karrington and Jisiah; and two grandchildren. "I help coach my son's football and track teams in his middle school, and I get to bring him to all of the LSU events: football, men and women's basketball, volleyball games, beach volleyball. I get to be a dad. That's my full-time job every single day and I love every minute of it.
"I get to share my experiences in life and what God has done in my life to this point with my youngest son through laughter and journey. And him sitting in rooms with teammates that I went to school with, track and football at LSU, he gets to hear these stories that my teammates and I tell. Just sitting around and creating even more with my son."
He also has plans to relaunch a podcast he originally began two years ago – Geaux 2 Legends.
"God put this idea in my heart," Kennison said. "It hadn't been done here in Baton Rouge, a podcast to talk to LSU legends. And it's not just football; it's all of the sports at LSU – divers, swimmers, men and women's basketball, football, baseball, talking to all former athletes because everyone has a really cool, interesting story that they can tell about how they ultimately got to LSU.
"Everyone's path is totally different. It's stories of people that impacted their lives, and then what ultimately led them to make the decision to come to LSU, and the impact they had in their particular sport. What are they are doing at this current moment? God put that in my heart and people get pretty excited about it.
"I put it on hold for a little bit, but I've been asked about it a lot. The podcast is absolutely getting ready to come back into fold."
