A Dunedin High football player will test his skills and nerves Sunday in a jam-packed NFL stadium.
By BOB PUTNAM
Published January 10, 2004
[Times photo: Douglas R. Clifford]
At age 15, Evan McKeon, a Dunedin High freshman football player, will perform before a huge crowd at the Colts-Chiefs NFL playoff game Sunday in the finals of the annual Pass, Punt and Kick competition.
PALM HARBOR - There are three seconds left in the Super Bowl and Evan McKeon imagines running onto the field for the game-winning field goal.
He pictures himself taking three medium steps back and two small steps to the left. Then the ball is snapped and he puts his leg into the kick. He looks up after the ball leaves his foot. The kick is good. His team wins.
This is McKeon's fantasy, even though it will not happen any time soon.
But the Dunedin High School freshman will get to do the next best thing this weekend when he travels to Kansas City to participate in the finals of the NFL Pepsi Punt, Pass and Kick competition.
McKeon, 15, is one of 32 kids who will face off in the national finals before the Indianapolis Colts-Kansas City Chiefs playoff game on Sunday. Championship trophies are awarded in four age divisions: 8-9, 10-11, 12-13 and 14-15.
McKeon will get one shot at throwing a pass, punting a ball and kicking a field goal. The totals from all three will be accumulated to determine the winner. If McKeon wins the 14-15-year-old age group, he will be honored between the third and fourth quarter of the AFC playoff game.
"It'll be a different type of atmosphere," McKeon said. "It's a place I'm not familiar with, and I won't know too many people in the stands. But I don't think I'll be too nervous."
Performing on football's biggest stage is nothing new to McKeon. In 1999 and 2001 he made it to the team championships of the punt, pass and kick competition. He competed at Raymond James Stadium both years and was one step away from the final.
"It was frustrating being so close," McKeon said. "But I was more prepared this time around."
For the past two years, McKeon played football in youth leagues at Dunedin and in neighborhood pickup games. This past season, he played junior varsity football at Dunedin High before being moved up to varsity.
"I've known about Evan for a while," Dunedin High coach Mark Everett said. "My wife (Sandy) is a P.E. teacher at Ozona Elementary and was the one who got him involved in this competition. I've kept tabs on him since and knew that he was going to be a pretty good place kicker.
"It's neat to see how far he's been able to go."
McKeon performed in the team championships before the Buccaneers home game against the Houston Texans Dec. 14. He won that competition and advanced to the final by placing in the top four nationally.
As one of the four finalists in his age group, McKeon received airfare, accommodations and tickets to the playoff game. The competition will take place at the Chiefs indoor practice facility before the game and the finalists also will perform an exhibition at Arrowhead Stadium.
McKeon and his parents, Diana and Bob, will leave Saturday and return Monday.
"This is my last year to compete, so hopefully I win," he said.
