Kyle Long is 6-7, 297 and athletically gifted. A slugging first baseman and a left-handed pitcher with a blazing fastball (clocked as high as 96 on the radar gun), the Chicago White Sox took him 23rd in baseball’s 2008 amateur draft. He had a 1.91 ERA with 95 strikeouts in 50 innings as a high school senior, hitting with power to all fields on his off days. The only reason he didn’t go higher is that he’d already accepted a baseball scholarship from Florida State.
Long was also at football star at St. Anne’s Belfield. In the blue and white jerseys with STAB across the chest, he didn’t play football until his sophomore year, but was a key part of state championship teams as a junior and senior, offered scholarships by nearly every major program in the country, including USC and Ohio State. His father wanted him to play for Jim Tressel. The son chose baseball instead. Tall left-handed pitchers who can throw heat have a one-way ticket to the big leagues, provided they learn to get the ball over the plate. Some never do.
Photo left: Older, wiser and stronger, Kyle Long is eager for his second opportunity to become a major college athlete at a top program (rivals.com photo).
With a dad in the NFL Hall of Fame, Howie Long of the Raiders, Broken Arrow, commercials with Teri Hatcher and a long-running gig on Fox, and a brother Chris who’d won the Ted Hendricks Trophy at Virginia and been picked 2nd overall in the 2008 NFL draft, Kyle was gifted genetically and experientially, uniquely positioned to understand the rewards and pressures of a famous name.
And then he succumbed to them. Like a lot of us, Kyle Long lost his way as a young man. He fell behind in his grades and dropped out of Florida State. He got a DUII in Charlottesville, Virginia, blowing 1.0, just over the legal limit. He decided to enroll in Piedmont Community College, get his grades in order, and enroll at Virginia like his brother, play football instead.
Except he didn’t make it. Long spent a couple of years out of the game, then got the hunger again, maybe the regret many feel over missed chances and wasted potential. He got a chance to come West for a fresh start, enrolling at Saddleback Junior College in Southern California. The Gauchos are a power in California jc football, with good coaching and a championship tradition.
Fifty miles southeast of Los Angeles in Mission Viejo, at a school of 41,000 students, Long got some blessed anonymity and the opportunity to just play football. The first year he played defense, back at end like his brother, recording 16 tackles, two tackles for loss and one sack as the Gauchos went 8-3, losing in the Southern California Bowl to end the season.
This season he moved to offensive tackle, a better fit. Athletic and naturally strong, he anchored the line as the team enjoyed another 8-3 year and made the Golden State Bowl as Southern Conference Champions. College coaches took notice. They liked Long’s physical maturity and his new-found direction. Offers came from all over the country again, including the Trojans and Auburn. He made first team all-conference, helping to power an offense that averaged 40.5 points and 470 yards a game.
In December, father and son made a visit to Oregon practice. They liked what they saw and heard from the Oregon coaches, the pace and organization of practice, intensive training for a possible future in pro football. A week or so later Kyle announced he was going to become a Duck. “I’m fired up,” he told Duck Territory’s Justin Hopkins. Though his eligibilty clock started with his fall 2008 enrollment at Florida State, they’re petitioning the NCAA for an additional year. As it stands, he’ll have one year to play one.
Long has the body of a grown man and elite athleticism. He’ll immediately add depth and technical proficiency to an offensive line that loses starters Mark Asper and Darrion Weems, as well as valuable sub Mana Greig. He’s expected to contribute right away, with next year’s projected starters expected to include Carson York, Nick Cody, Hroniss Grasu, Ryan Clanton and Jake Fisher.
Coming from one of the top JC programs in the country he’s rated a 4-star recruit, with the footwork and strength to succeed in the Oregon blocking scheme in his first season as a Duck. His presence gives promising freshmen like Andre Yruretagoyena and Tyler Johnstone some extra time to develop. The Ducks start next year with three winnable home games versus Arkansas State, Fresno State and Tennessee Tech, giving Steve Greatwood and his group time to hone their cohesion and consistency for a run at a fourth straight PAC-12 title, a run that may begin with a road game at USC, although the conference schedule hasn’t been announced or finalized as yet.
Many young men take wrong turns when they first leave home, struggling with grades or alcohol or choosing a career. Some, like David Paulson or Howie Long, just seem to find their way early. They’re directed and sharp. They get good grades and apply themselves and succeed, marry the right girl and start successful careers. For an athlete, most are either successes or washouts by the time they reach 24. In life, we have a little longer, but either way, there is no greater burden then unrealized potential, great gifts that were never properly opened or used. It will be interesting to see where the rest of Kyle Long’s journey takes him, and Duck fans wish him well.
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