THE COLONEL LINE IN THE NFL

by Steve McClain

Coach Roy Kidd’s legacy goes beyond the college ranks. It stretches to the NFL as 36 former Colonels moved on to the pro ranks.

Two of those players, Jason Dunn (1992-95) and Yeremiah Bell (1999-2002), said playing for Kidd and EKU prepared them for successful pro careers.

Bell, from Winchester, walked on with the Colonels after sitting out a couple years working in a steel mill. It was not the usual journey to the NFL and “enjoying the retired life,” as Bell says he is now.

“I was forever grateful for the opportunity and accepting me as a walk-on,” Bell said. “My mentality was to not let him down. I couldn’t ask for anything more.”

The safety readily admits he was a raw talent when he got to EKU. But he said one unique challenge prepared him for the NFL.

“One of the best things that would happen is that every year I had a different defensive backfield coach. Because they were so good, they would come in and then get hired,” he said. “That was the best thing for me. Every coach that came in (taught me) valuable lessons to help me succeed in the NFL.”

Bell ended up playing nine seasons with the Dolphins and one with Cardinals. He was the Dolphins’ leading tackler in 2008 with 120, and in 2009 he recorded 114 tackles and three picks and was named to the Pro Bowl.

“I was living the dream. It was something I never thought would happen, but it is amazing when you set your mind and work hard, what you can do,” he said. “Coming to Eastern was one of the life-changing moments in my life. Without that experience and Coach Kidd, my career doesn’t happen.”

Dunn was another Kentuckian who had a standout career at Eastern and then in the NFL. The Harrodsburg native chose to go to Eastern to stay closer to home since his dad had some medical issues, and Dunn wanted to make sure he could see him play. He came to Eastern as a defensive end and outside linebacker. But that changed one spring afternoon after his second season and a medical redshirt.

“Coach Kidd said, ‘Let me talk to you,’ and while we are talking, he threw some footballs to me. It had a nice tight spiral, and I’m catching them and having a casual conversation about classes and life,” Dunn recalled. “Coach (Jim) Tanara came up and said, ‘What are you doing catching balls? You should have dropped them.’

“Soon, Coach Kidd said, ‘I’d like to move you to tight end and get some playmakers in positions.’ So I made the move my third year, and that’s how I became a tight end.”

Dunn said that was just one example of Kidd’s uncanny ability to move players around.

36 Former Colonels Moved On To The Pro Ranks

“His football knowledge, seeing my ability and to move me to a new position is what made him a great coach. He wanted to utilize a guy’s talent and be able to help the team out.”

Dunn had rare speed for a player his size and was ranked as the top tight end in the nation in Mel Kiper’s draft rankings. He ended up going in the second round to the Philadelphia Eagles, where he played for three years before heading to Kansas City for eight years. And it didn’t take long to see how EKU had prepared him for the NFL.

“Eastern taught us how to work hard, be hungry, passionate and confident, and above all be competitive,” he said. “(Kidd) nurtured an environment all the time that competition is good and pushed us to be better.

“He said if you could lift 300 pounds 10 times, you could do it 12. He credited the little weight room called The Dungeon –– nothing like what Colonel players have now, he said –– for honing his mind and mental state.

“You are always measuring yourself against other players, and you would see guys from Michigan or Florida State, guys with hype, that may have had bigger weight rooms and nicer facilities but didn’t have what the Colonels had.

“They pushed us to be the best, and that is a credit to Coach Jack Ison and the other coaches. There was no quit, no give ever.

“The team embodies the culture of their head coach, and Coach Kidd did a great a job of that,” Dunn continued. “When I would get in the weight room against players from bigger schools, I knew that was my chance to outshine them. Thank God for the coaches and the staff for their leadership.

“I have a lot of respect for Coach Kidd. He is good-natured and good-hearted, but very measured, thoughtful, stern and caring. It had to take Coach Kidd to convince me Eastern was the right place for me. When I sat down with him, and he is wearing his championship rings, you see we win here at Eastern. We win championships. That is what sold me.” n