As the NFL scouts examine Illinois quarterback Kurt Kittner, he gets smaller. All they can see is a sterling record as a winner. They are looking for more.
“Where will he get better?” one scout asked. “He’s a winner, but is his arm strong enough to drive the ball downfield? Plus, he’s streaky.”
Said another scout: “He’s a system quarterback. Not very good velocity. Smart, but I think he’ll be a journeyman backup.”
The reports sound ominously like descriptions of another former Big Ten winner, Michigan’s Tom Brady, ignored until the sixth round in 2000 only to emerge as the most valuable player for New England in the Super Bowl.
Kittner, once considered the third-best quarterback prospect behind Fresno State’s David Carr and Oregon’s Joey Harrington, has slipped behind Tulane’s stronger-armed Patrick Ramsey on most lists.
Now a second- or third-rounder at best, Kittner doesn’t have the so-called upside of such prospects as Sam Houston State’s athletic Josh McCown or bigger Rohan Davey of LSU and David Garrard of East Carolina. Stanford’s Randy Fasani, BYU’s Brandon Doman and Vanderbilt’s Greg Zolman also intrigue teams with their potential.
What Kittner does have is a track record. Well-coached at Illinois by former Bears offensive coordinator Ron Turner, Kittner is a competitor who understands a pro offense. The bad news is he has a habit of poor starts. The good news is he came from behind to win a dozen times in his four-year career.
“I need to get better at breaking the pocket and throwing on the run,” Kittner said. “Sometimes things get a little tense and I try to throw the ball too hard. It’s not something that’s easy to teach. You just have to go out and do it.”
Kittner sounds as unconcerned with his draft status as he used to sound about early interceptions. The draft is only the first quarter of an NFL career.
“I’m not worried about where Patrick Ramsey is going to get drafted, or Rohan Davey is going to get drafted,” Kittner said. “It doesn’t really matter because messed-up things happen on draft day. You can’t predict who will take you.
“On draft day I’m going to go golfing and watch the spring game [at Illinois] and have my cell phone on me in case I get a call. It doesn’t matter when you get picked. All that matters is when you get into camp [and making] the most of the opportunity when you get there.”
Kittner, from Schaumburg, said he gets his mental toughness from his mother, Lee Trantin, who has multiple sclerosis.
“You learn that if you throw a pick, you don’t play well, it’s not the end of the world,” Kittner said. “You look back home, look what she has gone through and it could be much worse. I’m very excited about everything, but I’m not going to put too much pressure on myself because this is one of the best times of my life.”
Kittner remains ranked well ahead of Northwestern’s Zak Kustok, who didn’t get invited to the scouting combine last month. At 6 feet 1 inch, 210 pounds, he is a tad smaller than the 6-2, 215 Kittner but possesses the same intangibles and won in the Big Ten. One scouting list ranks Kustok 15th, another 38th among quarterbacks.
