When college coaches gazed across the field at Bethlehem (Pa.) Catholic's quarterback, they saw visions of Joe Montana and Joe Namath.
When the ball rolled off high schooler Dan Kendra's fingertips, fans thought of Dan Marino. When he circled his team in the huddle, he seemed like Jim Kelly. In 1994, Pennsylvania's favorite son was just 18 years old -- but he was already counted on to be the next great signal-caller. A surefire Hall of Famer whose father joked that even Joe Paterno wouldn't be tempted to turn this stout athlete into a linebacker.
Before the digital age, back in the era of pogs and Saturday morning cartoons, Kendra might have been the most recognizable high school player in the world. He was USA Today's Offensive Player of the Year, ESPN's Player of the Year, Parade's Player of the Year and SuperPrep's Player of the Year. He was everybody's player of the year.
He was Tom Lemming and Max Emfinger's No. 1-rated quarterback. And National Recruiting Advisor also ranked the square-chinned kid -- who threw for 1,988 yards and 21 TDs and rushed for another 718 yards as a senior -- as the top QB in the country.
And, in December 1994, he was all Penn State's.
When the ball rolled off high schooler Dan Kendra's fingertips, fans thought of Dan Marino. When he circled his team in the huddle, he seemed like Jim Kelly. In 1994, Pennsylvania's favorite son was just 18 years old -- but he was already counted on to be the next great signal-caller. A surefire Hall of Famer whose father joked that even Joe Paterno wouldn't be tempted to turn this stout athlete into a linebacker.
Before the digital age, back in the era of pogs and Saturday morning cartoons, Kendra might have been the most recognizable high school player in the world. He was USA Today's Offensive Player of the Year, ESPN's Player of the Year, Parade's Player of the Year and SuperPrep's Player of the Year. He was everybody's player of the year.
He was Tom Lemming and Max Emfinger's No. 1-rated quarterback. And National Recruiting Advisor also ranked the square-chinned kid -- who threw for 1,988 yards and 21 TDs and rushed for another 718 yards as a senior -- as the top QB in the country.
And, in December 1994, he was all Penn State's.
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