“If we believe we belong here, then we belong here!” That’s what Kennan Gilchrist kept telling his teammates before taking the field at Neyland Stadium on September 1st, 2016 – and they did. The image of Kennan Gilchrist viciously burying his helmet in Joshua Dobbs’ ribcage just outside the goal line became App State lore before the sun rose on September 2nd. That type of effort had thousands of Mountaineers leaving Neyland Stadium with pride swelling in their chest…even with the bitter sting of defeat mixed in.
We’ve known about Kennan’s “motor” before he ever strapped on the Black and Gold. Former App State WR coach Justin Stepp had to keep from drooling every time he spoke about his prized recruit from Abbeville, SC. Stepp swore he’d make a difference instantly. Even Kennan’s teammates have talked about his 110% effort.
That’s why it’s refreshing to see people outside of the App State bubble notice the exact same thing. Jonah Tuls of Cowboys Blitz wrote a glowing piece on Kennan’s motor, saying “If Gilchrist is not giving 100 percent on each snap, he is giving 110 percent. That is the way he is wired, and I am not sure that is a teachable trait.” Click here to read Jonah’s piece on Kennan and his chances of making the Cowboy’s 53-man roster.
Kennan joined the show shortly after he signed with the Dallas Cowboys as an Undrafted Free Agent. We knew he would be a great interview but we didn’t know we’d be getting a motivational speech you normally have to pay to hear.
The road to the NFL is incredibly hard – even more so for an Undrafted Free Agent as Jonah Tulus mentions in his article: “With his status as an undrafted free agent, Gilchrist is going to need something to catch the coaching staff’s eye in order to stick around, and I think his endless and relentless motor will be his calling card.” But one thing is for certain: Kennan Gilchrist continues to give App State football players a reputation for being NFL quality and giving 100%… and that’s a beautiful thing!
