He doesn’t have gaudy rushing or receiving numbers, he doesn’t have any rushing or receiving numbers, but that’s just fine for junior offensive lineman Kevin Boothe. In his mind you don’t measure success by yards or touchdowns.
“Football is the ultimate team game, so I feel that I’m just as important — the offensive line is just as important — to the success of the team or the points that are being scored as a running back or a quarterback,” Boothe said. “I guess it’s just the fact that I’m a part of it, and it’s anywhere that I can help, that’s where I want to be. Where I can help our team win.”
With that attitude Boothe and the rest of the line provided the holes and blocks for an average of nearly 300 offensive yards per game. For his 2002 season efforts, he was named second team All-Ivy. While the award served as confirmation for the Cornell coaching staff that Boothe had arrived, it was also a warning notice for the rest of the league.
“I’ll bet you, if you ask any of the coaches or any of the players in the league, ‘who’s one of the best guys?’ [They’ll answer] Kevin Boothe,” said head coach Tim Pendergast. “The guy is just what you want. He’s a great talent.”
Boothe, however, wasn’t born with the talent —