A Pro's Pro Already
Mar 06, 2018 | Football
INDIANAPOLIS – Texas A&M receiver Christian Kirk has not played a down in the NFL yet, and already he acts like a 10-year veteran. In fact, one NFL general manager referred to Kirk as "a coach."
"He was one of the most impressive guys I've ever interviewed at the combine," the general manager said. "He knew everything we threw at him."
Kirk drinks liver shakes and eats a strict 2,400-calorie-a-day, high-protein, low-carb diet. He uses acupuncture, the cold tub and cupping for recovery. He stretches. He watches film. He studies his playbook. He gets his rest.
Kirk is a pro's pro already.
"I didn't miss any games my whole entire college career, but my freshman year about game five or six, that's when the hits really started taking a toll and my body was just kind of getting used to it," Kirk said. "So I'd be dinged up here and there, and I just had to find some way to be able to get 100 percent. So that's when the acupuncture, the cold tub, the cupping and changing my diet gave me a lot more energy, the stretching. I really just dove into that and pretty much became obsessed with it, and it helped me a lot and really credit it to not missing any games when I was at A&M."
Kirk measured 5-10 3/8 at the NFL Scouting Combine, so other than questioning whether Kirk is too small to play as an outside receiver, scouts are sold on him.
"Christian Kirk is polished for a player who spent three years in college," said Dane Brugler, a senior draft analyst for NFLDraftScout.com. "He understands what it takes to be a professional at a young age. He was really impressive coming out of high school in Arizona as one of the top recruits. He chose A&M because he wanted to play in the SEC; he wanted to play against the top competition week in and week out.
"Even though the production declined since his breakout freshman year, he was a player that defenses had to game plan for. He needs to get better in a few areas, tighten up some routes. The big question will be: Can he play on the outside? He was almost exclusively at slot receiver for the Aggies, so can he consistently play on the outside? We know he has the speed, but does he have the ability to use his routes, control his gears and get away from press coverage to separate along the perimeter?
That will be the big question for him and something he'll want to try and convince NFL teams of during this process."
Alabama's Calvin Ridley will come off the draft board first among the receivers, but Kirk has a chance to keep the Aggies' streak of first-rounders alive.
A&M has had a first-round draft choice for seven consecutive drafts, with Myles Garrett going No. 1 overall last year. The Aggies have had nine first-rounders over the past seven seasons, with three first-rounders in 2014.
Kirk has begun the process of convincing scouts he is worth one of the top 32 choices. He ran a 4.47 in the 40-yard dash and produced 20 reps in the 225-pound bench press at the NFL Scouting Combine. Does his size matter?
"I think he's a natural slot receiver, so for me, he's more of an inside receiver," NFL Network draft analyst Mike Mayock said. "You've got to be tough to be inside. I was fine with his speed.
"I think what he brings to the table is a starting slot receiver who can play some outside. He's a really good route runner. I love his return game. I love this toughness. He catches the football. I think everybody I've talked to who knows the kid loves the kid. So from my perspective, all he did was help himself [at the combine]."
Despite playing with six quarterbacks in three seasons with the Aggies, Kirk still produced 234 catches for 2,856 yards and 26 touchdowns to rank among the top three in school history in all three categories. He also averaged 21.3 yards on 44 kickoff returns and 22.0 yards on 37 punt returns with seven total return touchdowns. His 4,838 all-purpose career yards rank third in A&M history.
Still, scouts continue to ask whether he can play outside.
"That's [been asked] during my formal interviews, if I can do it," Kirk said. "I just smile because I know I can do it.
"Whenever a coach tells me to do something, I'm going to do it to the best of my ability, and I have the confidence I can go outside and win one-on-one and get off of press [coverage]. At Texas A&M, I was asked to play in the slot, and that's what I did. If they were to ask me to play outside, I believe I would've thrived there as well."
Kirk caught 13 passes for 189 yards and three touchdowns in his final game with the Aggies, a 55-52 loss to Wake Forest in the Belk Bowl. It was his best last memory of wearing the maroon No. 3.
"It was awesome," Kirk said. "It was probably my favorite game of my collegiate career, just because it's my last one and to take the field one last time in that uniform. That university and that program did so much for me as a person and set me up big-time for the future. All those guys, especially all the young guys I was fortunate to play with, definitely was awesome to see them grow and take the field with them one more time. It meant a lot."
While he had hoped for more wins, Kirk said he has no regrets as he leaves College Station. He just wants to uphold one more Aggie tradition as he departs -- hearing his name – and his school – called in the first round on draft day.
"I definitely want to be able to keep the streak [of the school's first-round picks] alive," Kirk said. "It's definitely something special to be able to do that and what every kid dreams of, and it's definitely my goal. I've always worked to be a first-round draft pick, and it's something special. But I'll see. None of that matters once you step on the lead and you lace up the cleats. But it definitely would be nice to be able to keep that streak alive and keep on the A&M tradition because we have great football players over there and we develop great football players."
"He was one of the most impressive guys I've ever interviewed at the combine," the general manager said. "He knew everything we threw at him."
Kirk drinks liver shakes and eats a strict 2,400-calorie-a-day, high-protein, low-carb diet. He uses acupuncture, the cold tub and cupping for recovery. He stretches. He watches film. He studies his playbook. He gets his rest.
Kirk is a pro's pro already.
"I didn't miss any games my whole entire college career, but my freshman year about game five or six, that's when the hits really started taking a toll and my body was just kind of getting used to it," Kirk said. "So I'd be dinged up here and there, and I just had to find some way to be able to get 100 percent. So that's when the acupuncture, the cold tub, the cupping and changing my diet gave me a lot more energy, the stretching. I really just dove into that and pretty much became obsessed with it, and it helped me a lot and really credit it to not missing any games when I was at A&M."
Kirk measured 5-10 3/8 at the NFL Scouting Combine, so other than questioning whether Kirk is too small to play as an outside receiver, scouts are sold on him.
"Christian Kirk is polished for a player who spent three years in college," said Dane Brugler, a senior draft analyst for NFLDraftScout.com. "He understands what it takes to be a professional at a young age. He was really impressive coming out of high school in Arizona as one of the top recruits. He chose A&M because he wanted to play in the SEC; he wanted to play against the top competition week in and week out.
"Even though the production declined since his breakout freshman year, he was a player that defenses had to game plan for. He needs to get better in a few areas, tighten up some routes. The big question will be: Can he play on the outside? He was almost exclusively at slot receiver for the Aggies, so can he consistently play on the outside? We know he has the speed, but does he have the ability to use his routes, control his gears and get away from press coverage to separate along the perimeter?
That will be the big question for him and something he'll want to try and convince NFL teams of during this process."
Alabama's Calvin Ridley will come off the draft board first among the receivers, but Kirk has a chance to keep the Aggies' streak of first-rounders alive.
A&M has had a first-round draft choice for seven consecutive drafts, with Myles Garrett going No. 1 overall last year. The Aggies have had nine first-rounders over the past seven seasons, with three first-rounders in 2014.
Kirk has begun the process of convincing scouts he is worth one of the top 32 choices. He ran a 4.47 in the 40-yard dash and produced 20 reps in the 225-pound bench press at the NFL Scouting Combine. Does his size matter?
"I think he's a natural slot receiver, so for me, he's more of an inside receiver," NFL Network draft analyst Mike Mayock said. "You've got to be tough to be inside. I was fine with his speed.
"I think what he brings to the table is a starting slot receiver who can play some outside. He's a really good route runner. I love his return game. I love this toughness. He catches the football. I think everybody I've talked to who knows the kid loves the kid. So from my perspective, all he did was help himself [at the combine]."
Despite playing with six quarterbacks in three seasons with the Aggies, Kirk still produced 234 catches for 2,856 yards and 26 touchdowns to rank among the top three in school history in all three categories. He also averaged 21.3 yards on 44 kickoff returns and 22.0 yards on 37 punt returns with seven total return touchdowns. His 4,838 all-purpose career yards rank third in A&M history.
Still, scouts continue to ask whether he can play outside.
"That's [been asked] during my formal interviews, if I can do it," Kirk said. "I just smile because I know I can do it.
"Whenever a coach tells me to do something, I'm going to do it to the best of my ability, and I have the confidence I can go outside and win one-on-one and get off of press [coverage]. At Texas A&M, I was asked to play in the slot, and that's what I did. If they were to ask me to play outside, I believe I would've thrived there as well."
Kirk caught 13 passes for 189 yards and three touchdowns in his final game with the Aggies, a 55-52 loss to Wake Forest in the Belk Bowl. It was his best last memory of wearing the maroon No. 3.
"It was awesome," Kirk said. "It was probably my favorite game of my collegiate career, just because it's my last one and to take the field one last time in that uniform. That university and that program did so much for me as a person and set me up big-time for the future. All those guys, especially all the young guys I was fortunate to play with, definitely was awesome to see them grow and take the field with them one more time. It meant a lot."
While he had hoped for more wins, Kirk said he has no regrets as he leaves College Station. He just wants to uphold one more Aggie tradition as he departs -- hearing his name – and his school – called in the first round on draft day.
"I definitely want to be able to keep the streak [of the school's first-round picks] alive," Kirk said. "It's definitely something special to be able to do that and what every kid dreams of, and it's definitely my goal. I've always worked to be a first-round draft pick, and it's something special. But I'll see. None of that matters once you step on the lead and you lace up the cleats. But it definitely would be nice to be able to keep that streak alive and keep on the A&M tradition because we have great football players over there and we develop great football players."
Players Mentioned
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