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By Times staff writer
© St. Petersburg Times, published September 22, 2000
NEW PORT RICHEY -- Before Ryan Kaller was lost in a sea of screaming green, before he had a chance to celebrate his touchdown, before he even got around to doing his best impersonation of the Deion Sanders Touchdown Dance, the Gulf junior showed the kind of heads-up thinking that makes him a coach's favorite.
He blew cheerleader and girlfriend Bobbi Chavez a kiss.
Smart kid.
"Then I did a Deion," Kaller said.
The dance was a bonus. After his first touchdown earlier in the game, Kaller only blew Chavez the kiss. The second, however, was a bit more special.
"Huuuuuuge," coach Keith Newton said. "The second one was bigger. That's when we needed something to put them away when we were struggling on offense."
Kaller's touchdowns (65 and 66 yards, respectively) came on interception returns, marking the first time Newton can ever remember a Buc taking two in for scores.
But Kaller's timing was so impeccable that the touchdowns were, well, easy. Both came on passes thrown right to him, swing passes too casually tossed into the night air. Kaller said he knew they were coming. The Bucs had practiced against similar plays all week, and that practice made for a perfect play.
Or two.
"The first one I caught and saw nothing but green," Kaller said. "I felt like I was running for like 15 seconds. It was like in those sports movies, and the end zone was moving (away from me).
"The second one I turned one way, juked another and then scored."
For Kaller, his two picks for scores mark the apex of his athletic career, including three years of varsity football and a lifetime of soccer. It was as a soccer player, in the eighth grade, that Kaller perfected his Deion Dance after goals. He just never thought he'd get to use it in the sport in which the dance was invented.
Oh, he'd scored before -- as the Bucs placekicker. "But this," Kaller said, "was a lot more fun."
Kaller is the Bucs' free safety, kicker and plays receiver. He is an unsung do-all player, who is sixth in the county in scoring with 19 points, fifth in receiving with five catches for 99 yards, second in interceptions with two and second on the team with 22 tackles.
Not bad for 5-foot-10, 135-pound finespun junior coaches have nicknamed "Bones."
"He's one of those kids you call an overachiever," said Newton. "An average person would look at him and not think of him as a football player -- he's a soccer player. But he gives his whole body up when he plays football. He takes on a lot of responsibilities for us."
Always has. As a freshman, he was called up a few games into the season to take over the kicking duties. Last year, he subbed in for Jesse Bailey at strong safety. This year he does a little everything, including things never thought of.
"I've seen kids with two interceptions, but never seen one return two," Newton said. "He made comment on the bus back: my name is not Ryan Kaller, my name is Deion."
At least for one week, he's earned the nickname.