Anthony Kendall aiming to be next D-III NFL draft selection
Editor’s note: The New York Jets invited DB Anthony Kendall to their rookie Mini Camp as an undrafted free agent.
BEREA, Ohio (BVM) – Not many Division III football players get the opportunity to suit up in the NFL. Currently, there are only six former D-III players in the league and only a few have ever made it into the league spotlight such as Augustana University’s Ken Anderson, Coe College’s Fred Jackson, John Carroll’s London Fletcher and Montclair State College’s Sam Mills. Anthony Kendall, a defensive back from Baldwin Wallace University, hopes to be the next member of this exclusive group.
“I’m very excited, I’m blessed, I’m humbled,” Kendall said. “I’m just taking it day by day and being grateful to be in the mix with the NFL has always been a dream. I’m thankful for the opportunity.”
The 6-foot, 180-pound defender finished his fifth and final season with the Yellow Jackets with 56 tackles, 12 pass breakups, four tackles for loss, three interceptions, one sack and one forced fumble over 10 games. This past season helped Kendall finish his Baldwin Wallace career with 127 tackles, including 10 for a loss, 20 pass breakups, six interceptions, one forced fumble and one sack in 31 games.
“I always could play, I came here my freshman year and the coach put me at nickelback and I got on the field for varsity and made an impact,” Kendall said. “But my senior year I kind of took a different approach as far as taking it day by day and really honing in on what I needed to do to be a great teammate and player.”
His performance during his senior year was enough to earn Kendall All-American honors from the Associated Press, American Football Coaches Association and D3football.com.
“It was a goal I set for myself coming into BW,” Kendall said. “It meant a lot to achieve that goal.”
It also helped bring scouts to the defensive back’s pro day where he further impressed. During the event, Kendall recorded a 4.44 40-yard dash, 7.01 three-cone drill, 4.35 short shuttle, 39.5-inch vertical and an 11-foot-1-inch broad jump. His broad jump and three-cone drill would have placed him fourth among cornerbacks at the NFL combine in the drills and his vertical would have ranked sixth. Given his standout performance as a D-III player, it didn’t take long for his performance to go viral.
“I knew if I got in front of some NFL scouts I would do what I needed to do,” Kendall said. “I didn’t even know about it [going viral] until later that day and people kept sending it to me and I was like, ‘Man, this is doing numbers.’ It was cool to see and cool to see the support from people who didn’t even know me.”
Anthony Kendall, a D3 cornerback, is reportedly drawing interest from several NFL teams after a stunning Pro Day workout.
Kendall was an All-American at Baldwin Wallace University and stands at 5’10”, 180 pounds.
At his Pro Day, Kendall jumped 11’1” in the broad jump, which… pic.twitter.com/juMW5DmJgx
— NFL Rookie Watch (@NFLRookieWatxh) March 28, 2023
A self-described “late bloomer,” Kendall wasn’t heavily recruited out of River Ridge High School in Port Richey, Florida. A Yellow Jackets coach was sent down to visit the school and met with Kendall, thinking that there would be no chance of landing the standout player.
“He came and visited and you looked at him you were like ‘There’s no way he will be here at BW,’” Baldwin Wallace head coach Jim Hilvert said.
But to the team’s surprise, Kendall committed to Baldwin Wallace and the rest, as they say, is history.
“A coach actually came down to visit me down in Florida and we took a visit, saw the place, saw the facilities and got to know a couple of the coaches as well as the academic side and thought it would be a great fit, a home away from home,” Kendall said.
“He was just a good fit,” Hilvert said. “As soon as he got on campus, he made an impact for us right away his freshman year.”
Now, Kendall has the chance to be one of the best alumni in the history of the Yellow Jacket program. Though he is from a small school, he has had the opportunity to meet with multiple NFL teams including the Cleveland Browns, whom he visited. He was also able to attend the Tampa Bay Buccaneers‘ local pro day where he was able to get a firsthand look at the team facilities.
“Sitting in the office with the Browns, being able to talk with them about the whole process and feeling that much closer to the league [was cool],” Kendall said. “Getting invited to the Tampa Bay Bucs local day, they brought us into the facility and locker room, and that was a really cool experience. I got to meet the whole coaching staff and that was one of the coolest moments too.”
“I’ve gotten calls from the LA Rams, the Atlanta Falcons, the Miami Dolphins, the Dallas Cowboys and the Arizona Cardinals. I know that 10 teams have reached out.”
Baldwin-Wallace defensive back Anthony Kendall (5-10, 180), 4.44 40-yard dash, 7.01 three-cone drill, 4.35 short shuttle, 39 1/2 inch vertical, 11-1 broad jump drawing interest from #Browns #Cardinals #Cowboys #Rams #Dolphins per a league source #NFLDraft2023
— Aaron Wilson (@AaronWilson_NFL) March 28, 2023
While Kendall’s path to the NFL may not be a well-traveled one, it is far from impossible. Given his dedication to the game and his natural athletic ability, many feel he will at least get the opportunity to show his value to an organization.
“Just after talking to people, I think he’s going to get a chance,” Hilvert said. “He’s created his own chance at his pro day and if he’s able to get the right opportunity I know he will make the most of it.
“I think he could help an NFL team first of all on special teams. I think he’s a guy who could help in all phases on special teams and make a difference. I think who could add depth and add to the nickel spot. I know a lot of NFL teams use that nickel a lot, cause the NFL, they throw the ball a lot, so he’s a guy whose a ferocious tackler, isn’t afraid to tackle you and be able to cover guys one-on-one or in zone and he can do that kind of stuff because of how gifted he is.”
Whether Kendall is selected in the month’s NFL draft or not, he is ready to join a team and make an impact. He plans on going in and making plays to hopefully put him in a spot to be remembered for generations to come.
“I go out there and want to be the best and compete,” Kendall said. “I’m going to play with relentless effort and go out there and try to make a play and play my game. I love this game and I’ve been playing it all my life. It would be a dream come true [to make it to the league] and it would be cool to give hope to other kids growing up that it is possible no matter where you go that they will find you.
“[Expect] a lot of plays and a lot of highlights and my name to be up there, maybe even in the Hall of Fame.”
