SEATTLE
Johnie Kirton didn’t think his University of Washington career would play out quite like this.
Not when he was an all-state running back at Jackson High School. Not when he was the guy who came within one yard of the state record for rushing yards in a season with his 2,675-yard effort in 2003.
Instead, four years removed from a senior season in which he dominated Wesco foes as a running back, Kirton is a tight end who is battling for playing time with the Huskies.
Just don’t think Kirton has any regrets.
Instead of looking back at his high school glory days and having regrets, Kirton is looking at his new position as his shot at an NFL future.
“It hasn’t gone the way I thought it would,” said the 6-foot-3 Kirton, who added more than 30 pounds as a freshman and now weighs 270. “For the most part, I’m happy though. I found my role on the team as a tight end. I love tight end and I believe I can make money at it some day.”
Kirton’s combination of size and speed would certainly be appealing to NFL scouts, but first he has to prove himself in the college ranks.
His numbers in his first two years at tight end aren’t eye popping, but he has shown potential to become a pass-catching threat. And despite the added weight, Kirton can still make things happen when the ball is in his hands.
“His background as a running back helps,” said Bob Simmons, Washington’s tight ends coach and special team’s coordinator. “When he catches the ball he’s got the nice feet and some good change in direction.”
After redshirting in 2004, Kirton played tight end in 11 games in 2005, starting two. He had 14 receptions that year for 152 yards and one touchdown. Last season, Kirton caught 12 passes for 93 yards and three touchdowns in 12 games, six of which he started. Despite the decrease in numbers, Kirton felt like he continued to improve.
“I think I did progress,” he said. “If you watch film, there are times I could have been thrown to and maybe Isaiah (Stanback) threw to a different person. That’s just the way the game goes sometimes. But as a player I feel like I made a lot of progress heading into this year, so I feel like last year was successful.”
Now, Kirton knows he needs to take another step forward if he wants his career to extend beyond his UW days. Kirton is listed as a senior, per Tyrone Willingham’s policy of listing players by their academic year, but he has another year of eligibility left after this season.
“I’m creeping up on that stage in my career where I need to get to that level where the NFL can view me as a prospect,” he said. “This is the year I need to put my foot in that door.”
Simmons thinks Kirton has a chance to do good things over the next two seasons, and possibly beyond.
“He wants to be one of the best tight ends in the country, and he’s got a couple of years,” Simmons said. “He’s worked at it. He’s worked hard this summer just trying to improve his mechanics and his strength. He’s very open to suggestions and he’s got a great attitude in practice. That’s the first step. He’s a big guy at 270, and if he learns to throw his weight around and be a powerful player, he’ll have a great future in this game.”
Kirton knows there’s still work to do before he gets to that level.
“I need to become more consistent,” he said. “That’s really what the coaches have been telling me, just be more consistent in everything I do. They tell me they see a lot of improvements in the last two years, which is always a good thing, but consistency is really the key right now, and I agree with them on that.”
Kirton hopes improved consistency will earn him enough playing time to shine. Right now the tight end position looks like a three-person race between Michael Gottlieb, Robert Lewis and Kirton.
“It’s very competitive,” Simmons said of the tight end battle. “It was competitive in the spring will continue to be as we get ready for the Syracuse ballgame.”
And while Kirton is comfortable as a tight end, the running back in him won’t quite die. Last season, he had occasional short-yardage carries, something he hopes to continue.
“As long as I get a taste here and there, I’m happy,” he said. “I like it. I know the other team’s defense just looks at it like, ‘Man, I’ve never seen this before.’ It’s fun to see their eyes when I line up behind the line of scrimmage.”
More importantly, however, Kirton hopes to light up some eyes with his play at tight end.
“Being a running back was fun,” he said. “But I’m happy where I am. I’m happy playing tight end.”
John Boyle writes for The Herald in Everett.
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