Pat Fitzgerald remembers recruiting Mike Kafka as a junior at St. Rita of Cascia Excessive College on Chicago’s Southwest Facet, noticing an unselfish willingness to play vast receiver to accommodate a senior who clearly was not nearly as good a quarterback.
Fitzgerald, then an assistant coach at Northwestern, was nonetheless on the scouting path the next spring when he watched Kafka play baseball. He witnessed Kafka scoop up a ball deep within the right-field nook, spin and hearth a one-hop throw to nail the baserunner attempting to stretch a double right into a triple.
“I referred to as again to our recruiting workplace and stated, ‘The Kafka child’s obtained a hose,’ ’’ Fitzgerald stated, laughing on the reminiscence.
These are pleased reminiscences for Fitzgerald, who oversaw Kafka’s growth as a quarterback at Northwestern, gave Kafka his begin in teaching, marveled at Kafka’s development as an NFL assistant in Kansas Metropolis and now awaits Kafka’s debut as the brand new offensive coordinator for the Giants.
That's all precursor to what could be inevitable for the 34-year-old Kafka, if his stick with the Giants is auspicious: A head-coaching gig of his personal, someday down the street.
“Completely, there’s no query in my thoughts,’’ Fitzgerald, Northwestern’s head coach since 2006, instructed The Submit on Friday. “To start with, he’s a Northwestern man, so he’s extremely vivid. He was unbelievably devoted and only a relentless soccer participant. He performed at a excessive stage and is aware of what it takes to get there so he’s skilled what the gamers may have skilled.
“And he was keen to grind. He got here right here, he went right into a form of a non-coaching function with the Chiefs and to see the way in which he’s grown up on this occupation, I believe he’s a famous person. I believe he’s gonna do an important job there with the Giants after which the sky’s the restrict for Mike. If it’s being the top coach right here I hope he provides me just a few extra years.’’
First issues first. Kafka isn’t returning to his alma mater to supplant Fitzgerald or getting an NFL head teaching job simply but. He was employed by Brian Daboll, the first-year Giants head coach, regardless of not having any earlier connection to Daboll. Kafka’s activity is big: Repair the damaged Giants offense, assist Daniel Jones turn out to be a successful NFL quarterback and name all of the performs on offense, if Daboll asks him to take action.
“I'll let you know this, the New York soccer Giants are gonna get a terrific individual who's going to grind and do the whole lot he can to assist that group win and I believe simply embodies what New York and Chicago are all about,’’ Fitzgerald stated.
The Fitzgerald-Kafka union was helpful for coach and participant. Kafka’s five-year school taking part in profession ended with a flourish, and a passing orgy. To cap the 2009 season, he accomplished 47 of 78 passes for 532 yards, 5 touchdowns (plus one speeding TD) and 4 interceptions, breaking all types of Outback Bowl information in a 38-35 time beyond regulation loss to Auburn.
Kafka was a 2010 fourth-round draft decide of the Eagles and he launched into his nomadic NFL profession below the care of Andy Reid. Kafka lasted solely two years with the Eagles, then hit the coaching camp and offseason roster circuit with the Patriots, Jaguars, Buccaneers, Vikings, Titans and Bengals. His official NFL ledger: 4 video games (all with the Eagles in 2011), 11 completions in 16 cross makes an attempt, no touchdowns, two interceptions. There was restricted motion on the sector, however Kafka didn't waste a minute of his six years bouncing across the league, so far as setting himself up for what got here subsequent.
“To start with, at the same time as a participant, you’re a backup quarterback, you’re at all times teaching behind the scenes and serving to guys who're the starters on the market,” Kafka instructed the Giants’ web site. “It felt simple to me. It felt snug.’’
It was oh-so-comfortable for Fitzgerald to welcome Kafka again to Evanston in 2016 as an offensive graduate assistant.
“It was a no brainer, proper?’’ Fitzgerald stated. “He was taking part in within the league and he and I had stayed in contact, each offseason because it obtained in direction of the top of his profession, I simply saved placing that bug in his ear and the whole lot simply labored itself out. I kinda had a pipeline the place you begin as a volunteer and work your manner into getting on the sector, however when it was Mike, he skipped all people else in line.’’
After just one yr again on campus, Kafka left the faculty recreation behind. He made such a optimistic impression on Reid the primary time round that Reid, in 2017, employed Kafka because the Chiefs’ offensive high quality management coach.
“I believe he’s wired proper,’’ Reid stated on the time.
Reid entrusted Kafka to work straight with Patrick Mahomes, a rookie who was then sitting and studying behind starter Alex Smith.
“Mike was [Mahomes’] private coach,’’ Reid stated. “He did the whole lot with him.’’
A yr later, Kafka was promoted to quarterbacks coach, the direct conduit to Mahomes, a first-time NFL starter. By the top of their second season collectively Mahomes had thrown 50 landing passes and been named the league’s Most Useful Participant.
Two years in the past, Reid added “passing recreation coordinator’’ to Kafka’s job description. Mahomes is an unusual expertise, however that doesn't imply he's impervious to lapses. He wants teaching and he credit Kafka for serving to within the evolution of his pocket presence.
“I’ve simply continued to work on the basics,’’ Mahomes stated late final season. “Coach Kafka has actually form of ingrained that in me and I believe I’ve gotten higher as of late due to that. Attempting to determine that proper steadiness of when to scramble and run and do this stuff and when to remain within the pocket and make the throw is one thing I’ll at all times work on.’’
Kafka can carry all of the perception he gleaned from Reid with him to the Giants, however he should depart Mahomes behind. Kafka’s pupil now's Jones, coming into the ultimate yr of his contract. The Chiefs have been a thrill-a-minute offense with Reid calling the photographs. The Giants, in 2021, with Jones, after which Mike Glennon and Jake Fromm, have been final within the NFL in producing performs on offense of 20 or extra yards.
“Huge picture-wise, you at all times take into consideration producing these explosive performs,” Kafka stated. “The Kansas Metropolis offense, they’re going to throw it deep. We’re going to do these forms of issues downfield. I believe that’s vital to know and that must be a component of your offense.
“Now, we’ve obtained to take a step again and ensure it matches for our personnel, matches for the quarterback, matches for our offensive line, however I believe you need to have the ability to discover methods to generate explosive performs, particularly at the present time in age within the NFL.”
Kafka has by no means referred to as performs on any stage. That didn't deter Fitzgerald, who stated he wished to carry Kafka again to Northwestern because the offensive coordinator. The Giants obtained him first.
“To start with, Mike’s a terrific human being, he’s obtained an important demeanor, he’s an important household man, he’s extremely clever, he’s simply obtained a relentless work ethic to him, an extremely excessive soccer IQ and he’s obtained an actual unselfish nature about him,’’ Fitzgerald stated. “What he’s been in a position to accomplish with the tutoring and growth of Patrick Mahomes, that’s obtained to get all people in New York excited.’’
Getting everybody excited within the offseason is ok. Kafka’s best problem will probably be to discover a approach to generate that pleasure with the offense all through his first season with the Giants. That can make him a famous person coordinator.
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