McKinley grad Peterson coming into his own in Denver
By Steve Doerschuk
CantonRep.com staff report
Posted Sep 17, 2009
Kenny Peterson
BEREA ?
Kenny Peterson was a late bloomer at Ohio State. Maybe the same thing happened for him in the NFL.
For the first time in his seven-year NFL career, Peterson, at age 30, began a season as a starter. The McKinley High School graduate played defensive end for Denver in the Broncos? opener at Cincinnati, helping hold the Bengals scoreless until the final minute.
It was all good ? his team came back to win, 12-7, on a miracle pass.
Coming into 2009, Peterson had played in 60 NFL games but made just one start.
Ring a bell?
In Columbus, Peterson didn?t become a full-time starter until his senior year. His breakthrough was glorious.
He was a Fiesta Bowl force in the 2002-03 national championship game against Miami, stopping three runs for losses, sacking quarterback Ken Dorsey twice and forcing a fumble.
There was speculation he would be a first-round pick, but his stock leveled off. The Packers took him in the third round, No. 79 overall.
It was slow going at first. Peterson played in about half the games his first two seasons, with just a smattering of tackles.
Then came progress. He sacked Minnesota?s Daunte Culpepper in the 2004 playoffs. He played all 16 games in 2005, achieving several career bests. Then ...
The Packers cut him late in the 2006 preseason.
He caught on with Denver but played just 10 games in 2006 and 2007. Finally, he worked his way into a big role on the 2008 team, playing 15 games as a backup and making his first NFL start at Kansas City, where he had a sack.
Regime changes can wreck careers. In Peterson?s case, Denver?s was the best thing that could have happened.
The new head coach is Josh McDaniels, Peterson?s former McKinley teammate.
It could be a case of a coach believing in a player and that player taking off. Peterson is preparing for his third NFL start against the Browns.
Of the three players from McKinley?s 1997 state championship team who went on to the NFL ? Mike Doss and Jamar Martin are the others ? Peterson is the one still playing. Ben McDaniels, a junior quarterback on that ?97 title team, is a Denver assistant coach.
Josh McDaniels sounds nothing like a boss doing an old pal a favor.
?Kenny has been a joy to coach,? the Broncos head coach said. ?I look forward to having him here going forward.?
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