Kimber finds happiness on receiving end

August 25, 2009

By Chad Garner, Worcester Telegram & Gazette

FITCHBURG -  Jeremy Kimber is a quarterback at heart, but his new passion is wide receiver.

The 6-foot-2, 170-pound Kimber, a three-year starting QB at Fitchburg High, has been able to utilize his tremendous athletic ability on the gridiron to convert to wide receiver for the Fitchburg State College football team.

"It was a tough transition because I was used to playing quarterback," said Kimber, a sophomore, who graduated from Fitchburg High in 2008. "But coming here and playing wide receiver, we're in four-wide sets so it's pretty fun. You get to run around a little bit and catch some balls."

Kimber obviously would have loved to play under center at the collegiate level, but switching positions didn't bother him one bit.

"I accepted it right away because people on the team said I could really help out at receiver so I didn't mind it," Kimber said. "I just want to play football. Quarterback is fun, but receiver is fun, too."

Fitchburg junior offensive lineman Logan Johnson, who blocked for Kimber under head coach Ray Cosenza at Fitchburg High, knows first-hand how special Kimber is as an athlete.

"He's one of the most athletic kids I've ever seen," said Johnson, who helped recruit Kimber to FSC. "He's just an athlete. The transition was fine. If you would have put him anywhere else on the field I'm sure he would have done fine, but the best fit was at wide receiver."

As a freshman last season, Kimber quickly started turning heads in preseason camp by displaying soft hands and a knack for catching every ball thrown his way.

But Kimber's promising start turned into a nightmare when he got hit in the stomach in practice and later was diagnosed with a lacerated kidney.

"He's an athlete. As a freshman last year, I would have said he had the best hands in camp," FSC third-year head coach Paul McGonagle said. "Unfortunately he got hurt, he would have probably ended up starting, but he got hurt last fall in camp so he missed the first four weeks of the year.

"As soon as he came back, once we got him back into shape, he ended up starting."

Kimber finished his rookie season with only three receptions for 32 yards, but his best work was done on special teams.

"He's not the biggest kid, but he's a tough kid," Johnson said.

Now, as a sophomore, the speed of the game has slowed down for Kimber, and he has a lot more confidence in his assignments and the intricacies of the spread offense that the Falcons run.

Plus, as a former quarterback, he's able to see the field better than most and recognize defensive coverages a lot faster.

"I'm counting on him to make some plays for us," McGonagle said.

Kimber's hoping this all translates into a breakout sophomore campaign.

"Hopefully, I can start at receiver and make a difference out there," Kimber said. "I'm with the 1s (first team) out there, so hopefully I can stay with them."

So does Kimber still miss being a quarterback?

"I do and I don't, but I'm a receiver now," he said. "I'm trying to learn my routes, trying to get good at that so I can help make a difference on this team."