LI's Kensil was born to play football
Brian Kensil is a wide receiver for St. Anthony's High School. (Oct. 30, 2010) Credit: Patrick E. McCarthy
If there was ever a boy destined to play football, it's Brian Kensil.
His father, Mike, was a longtime vice president of operations for the Jets and now serves the same role for the NFL. His late grandfather, Jim, was the former Jets team president. So the fields at Hofstra, where Brian's been practicing in preparation for tomorrow's Empire Challenge All-Star game, are a familiar spot for Brian.
"It was an eye-opening experience," the St. Anthony's wide receiver said of his childhood days around the Jets, who used to hold training camp at Hofstra. "Everywhere I went, there were NFL players left and right."
In the Friars' run-first offense, especially early in the season when quarterback Charlie Raffa was nursing a shoulder injury, Kensil flew under the radar. He didn't catch his first touchdown pass until the fourth game, but as Raffa got healthy, so did Kensil's stats.
In the CHSFL Class AAA final against Iona Prep, Kensil caught five passes for 155 yards and three TDs. In the semifinal, he had four catches for 100 yards and two TDs. Raffa threw eight TD passes on the season, seven to Kensil.
"When we had to throw it, we threw it to him," said St. Anthony's coach Rich Reichert, who coincidentally is the Long Island team's receivers' coach. "In the championship game, we just isolated him."
Kensil isn't the fastest receiver, but he's extremely sure-handed and tall, allowing him to overpower defensive backs. Reichert said, "You can't teach 6-6."
And don't expect the Massapequa resident to be star-struck by all the talent on the field -- he's been to multiple Super Bowls.
"I went to the last two or three and a few others when I was younger," Kensil said nonchalantly, yet without a hint of arrogance. "My friends definitely think it's pretty cool that I can walk on the field level to watch games."
Despite his football background, Kensil, like so many others on LI, found his niche in lacrosse. He was a standout attack for the CHSAA champs, and will play at Jacksonville next year. Yet Reichert doesn't think his football days are over just yet.
"I wish he was playing college football, and I think eventually he will," the coach said. "He's got tremendous upside, and one thing that's very noticeable is, he catches everything in his hands."
Just like you'd expect from a kid who has spent his whole life around NFL players.
