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Kmic, Micheli return, vowing to avenge loss in championship game
By Stephanie Storm
Beacon Journal sports writer
Published on Wednesday, Aug 06, 2008
INDEPENDENCE: Nate Kmic and a handful of his Mount Union football teammates went to the Pro Football Hall of Fame Game between the Indianapolis Colts and Washington Redskins on Sunday in Canton.
They went to the game not only as football players and fans, but also to show support for former teammate Pierre Garcon, who in April became the first Purple Raider to be drafted in the NFL's modern era.
''It's a really good thing for all Division III,'' Kmic said of Garcon's post-collegiate success. ''[Garcon] did very well [in Sunday's game]. He definitely belongs there. He's got the right tools, and I think he'll succeed at that level.''
Garcon, a 6-foot, 210-pound wide receiver, was the Colts' sixth-round pick. He will begin his NFL career as a kick returner but also could see time at receiver.
Now that Garcon and a large portion of other Purple Raiders have graduated, the onus falls on Kmic and senior quarterback Greg Micheli to carry on the Purple Raiders' winning tradition.
Despite returning just eight starters from last season, Mount Union was named the preseason favorite in both the coaches' and media polls at the Ohio Athletic Conference's media day Tuesday afternoon.
''I think the only team without a lot of starters back is Mount Union,'' Otterbein head coach Joe Loth said. ''But it
seems like whenever they graduate a lot of guys, they usually do better.''
The poll results came as little surprise in that the Purple Raiders are also the preseason consensus No. 1 team in all of Division III football and have won the last 16 consecutive OAC titles.
''Greg and Nate give us two men to build our offense around and help bring along the new guys on the [offensive] line,'' said Larry Kehres, who is entering his 23rd season as Mount Union's head coach.
''But we also have a lot of young men who haven't been starters yet, but have contributed in backup roles that gave them a significant amount of experience. It may take them a few games to settle in, but they've earned the right to play.''
Kmic said he feels an added motivation to help lead Mount Union to a 17th consecutive league title and another Division III Stagg Bowl Championship.
After going 14-0 last season, favored and No. 1-ranked Mount Union was upset by No.2 Wisconsin-Whitewater in the Stagg Bowl.
''We feel like we owe it to last year's seniors to get back there and win one for them,'' Kmic said. ''Nobody wants to be known as the senior class that didn't win a championship.''
A pretty lofty goal, yet a realistic one for the kid who has already bucked the odds at Mount Union.
With the Purple Raiders in sudden need of depth at running back toward the end of the 2005 season, freshman Kmic burst on the scene and won the Stagg Bowl MVP award.
''I think it's good that I was so naive back then,'' the soft-spoken Kmic said. ''I didn't really understand the significance of what I was doing at the time. I just looked at each game like it was another game.''
Three years later, Kmic heads into his final season with the possibility of putting himself among the all-time Division III career rushing leaders. He's currently 11th on the list with 5,284 rushing yards.
''You can't get complacent,'' he said. ''You have to just keep looking to the future and moving ahead.''
Stephanie Storm can be reached at sstorm@thebeaconjournal.com.
INDEPENDENCE: Nate Kmic and a handful of his Mount Union football teammates went to the Pro Football Hall of Fame Game between the Indianapolis Colts and Washington Redskins on Sunday in Canton.
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