FORT COLLINS, Colo. — Three strikes and you’re out.
Marvin Kinsey is no longer a member of Colorado State football, the team announced via press release Monday evening. Kinsey, a senior, was previously announced as “suspended indefinitely” for a violation of team rules prior to the Fresno State win.
Although it is unclear what Kinsey’s specific violation was, as Ram fans know all too well, staying in Mike Bobo’s good graces has been a struggle throughout the eccentric running back’s vexing career.
Coming into the 2019 season, Marcus McElroy was listed ahead of Kinsey on the depth chart — partly because McElroy is very talented — but also because the coaching staff didn’t feel like they could trust Kinsey, a fourth-year back that had three times as many career carries as his counterpart. However, McElroy suffered an ankle sprain in fall camp, which basically resulted in Kinsey taking the starting gig.
At times, Kinsey was the most exciting player on the field this year — in three different games he managed to break free for scoring runs of 70+ yards. And prior to being suspended, the former Atlanta prep star led the Mountain West in rushing. Even after missing the Fresno State game, Kinsey is still in the top 3 with 703 yards on 121 carries.
Despite everything Kinsey did well, though, the problem was that putting him on the field was a gamble. Sure, he could very well take a carry, break a tackle or two and find the end zone. But the odds that he fumbled the football or hurt the offense with an unsportsmanlike penalty were always incredibly high as well. Nobody on the field talked as much trash as Kinsey — even going against his own teammates in practice, the yapping never stopped.
With McElroy injured and struggling to make an impact during the early portion of the 2019 campaign, and no other experienced running backs on the roster, Kinsey had a golden opportunity to prove he had learned from his past mistakes. Maybe the senior could have even impressed an NFL franchise enough to draft him this spring. Despite his past issues off the field and questionable ball security at best, there’s no denying that Kinsey is athletic enough to play in the league.
Much like on the football field, though, Kinsey dropped the ball. Instead of seizing the moment, Kinsey proved that he’s still immature and has a ton of growing up to do. It’s not a unique problem in college football, Kinsey certainly isn’t the first talented player to blow his opportunity. He won’t be the last either. Hopefully he can use this difficult moment to grow as a person and reflect on the choices that he has made in his career.
As frustrating as Kinsey can be, the truth is that he is also a joy to be around. In just about every interaction that I’ve ever had with him, Kinsey has had a smile from ear to ear and enough energy to power a small building. But unfortunately, as we all learn in the crazy process of life, our actions have consequences — and right now it’s time for Kinsey to pay the piper.
Some day down the line, if Kinsey can prove that he is the kind of guy a professional team can trust, he may ultimately get a chance at the next level. But if he can’t use this as a wakeup call, then who knows where he’ll end up. The world is filled with one-time great athletes that are now working day jobs just like anyone else.
Without Kinsey in the lineup, look for McElroy to continue receiving the bulk share of the touches. After his breakout performance against Fresno State, the junior from Denver, Colo., has a chance to really assert himself as the lead horse.
Even with the comfort of knowing their team has someone capable of stepping up, the Ram faithful will always be left with the nagging feeling of “what if”. What if Kinsey wouldn’t have gotten hurt in 2016? What would have happened if he could have stayed on the right path? And what kind of success could the offense have had if he did? We’ll never know — and that’s a bitter pill to swallow.
