Hanging in David Kenney’s locker is the five-year-old funeral booklet honoring his grandfather’s death. Growing up without a father, Kenney always wanted to make his grandfather proud. In Wednesday, what would have been his grandfather’s 89th birthday, Kenney decided the best way to pay tribute was to give his verbal commitment as part of UConn’s 2009 recruiting class. Kenney first informed Huskies running backs coach Terry Richardson, then head coach Randy Edsall, of his decision to join UConn. Others hot on Kenney’s trail were West Virginia, Nebraska, Florida State, Alabama and Georgia Tech. “I know it was a long process and had to deal with a lot of (nonsense), but I feel Connecticut is a great place to be at,” Kenney said. “It’s where I want to call home the next four to five years.” Kenney credits the UConn coaching staff for its genuine approach in making him feel at home. It also helped that geographically, UConn allows Kenny’s mother to come see him play. The 6-foot, 209-pound quarterback/strong safety from The Peddie School in Hightstown, N.J., said he’s fallen “out of love” with signal calling. Instead he wants to deliver the hits rather than be on the receiving end. Throw in his 4.3 40-yard dash time and it’s not hard to see why opposing receivers will try to avoid being hits by Kenney. “I try to stay modest, but I can’t wait to bring the wood this year,” Kenney said. ...
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