Saints WR Keith Kirkwood : "This is just another test for us and we'll be back"
The Advocate: Saints WR Keith Kirkwood : "This is just another test for us and we'll be back"
The key plays by Lattimore and Hill were paid off with a sweet seven points just moments later. Drew Brees connected with a wide-open Keith Kirkwood in the corner of the end zone, beginning the Saints comeback.
ATLANTA - Saints wide receiver Keith Kirkwood just finished his first season in the NFL. The undrafted rookie out of Temple played in eight games this season. He caught 13 passes for 209 yards and 2 touchdowns. Kirkwood suffered a calf injury in the playoff game against the Philadelphia Eagles and missed the NFC championship game against the Los Angeles Rams.
The Advocate caught up with Kirkwood briefly on Friday in Atlanta.
Q: What have the past 12 days been like?
A: It's been tough. It's tough knowing that the New Orleans Saints should have been in the Super Bowl. But like last year, we have to understand that this is another test for us. We'll be back next year. We have some young players, including myself. Everybody is getting accustomed to the system. We'll bring in some rookies and some other guys and I think we'll be in the Super Bowl next year.
Q: What were the first few days after the game like?
A: I was in the building first thing in the morning the next day rehabbing and you could just feel the emptiness. No one was talking. Everyone was quiet. You saw the clip over and over of Tommylee and the hit and how we should have been in the Super Bowl. It really set in. It was a nasty feeling. Not just to us, but to the fans in New Orleans. But I think this is just another test for us and we'll be back. It will be really hard to stop us next year.
Q: What did you think about Roger Goodell's speech on Wednesday?
A: To be honest, I didn't even watch it. I don't even know what he said. I've been staying away from reading about the Super Bowl and what they are saying on social media.
Q: How would you access your rookie season?
A: I think I had a really productive rookie season, being undrafted and never played in the NFL and not understanding it. As the season went on, I gradually progressed. I think this offseason I'm going to work extremely hard to become the most dominant slot receiver in the NFL. However I can to make the best connections with Drew, I'm going to do it. I want to do whatever I can to be the best player in the NFL as a slot receiver.
Re: Saints WR Keith Kirkwood : "This is just another test for us and we'll be back"
Kirkwood impressed me @ camp last year. Big, physical guy who plays hungry as hell.
Worth mentioning that 10 of the 14 receptions Keith had resulted in 1st downs.
Year 2 will be even better for Kirkwood.
Crusader, jeanpierre, 73Saint and 2 others like this.
JP - your insight, overall grade & analysis on Kirkwood ...solid from the jump.
ChrisXVI and darksoul35 like this.
I really hope the team can overcome the NFCCG loss.
Last year I was dreading that they would succumb to the wound of the Minnesota miracle, but they overcame it and were a better team.
This year, I don't know with how all the focus is over the blown non-call. The team itself seemed as devastated by that loss as we did.
We need to start the season on fire and set the tone early to hoist the Lombardi trophy! The Saints need to dominate teams from the first kick off and play angry! We can't come out of the gate slowly or have the defense taking time to gel.
Not me. I want to face them with us coming off a bye and them on short rest. We got screwed, so why not have the NFL screw them back.
Seeing him say that he is definitively working as a slot WR makes me wonder if he is that player we’ve been talking about looking for in free agency. Could we see a Lance Moore/Willie Snead second year leap in production?