UNT receiver out to go deep</font>
McKinney graduate Quinn's ultimate goal is to catch on in NFL
12:28 AM CST on Thursday, November 2, 2006
By BRETT VITO / Denton Record-Chronicle
DENTON - Johnny Quinn never gave much thought to the odds that seemed stacked against him when he set goals to become the best wide receiver in North Texas history and play in the NFL.
Quinn knew he was considered too short and too slow even for the major college level when he arrived at UNT in 2002, but he said that he thought he could overcome those shortcomings a little at a time.
"If you look at the big picture, sometimes it can be pretty scary," said Quinn, who will turn 23 on Monday. "If you break it down day by day into what you need to do to make yourself a better player or teammate, after four or five years you put yourself in a position to move to the next level."
A few respected NFL scouts said that Quinn has done enough to give himself that opportunity. He is 59 yards short of breaking UNT's career receiving yardage record and needs 16 catches to become the leader in receptions. His streak of 43 games with at least one catch ranks third nationally.
The former McKinney standout has 167 catches for 2,509 yards at UNT despite playing in a run-first offense, and he is well on his way to leading the team in receiving for the fourth straight season.
"Quinn is going to be in somebody's training camp, and there is no doubt he has a chance to be a late draft pick," said Gil Brandt, the former Cowboys vice president for player personnel who now works as an analyst for NFL.com. "You have to be doing something right to catch a pass in as many consecutive games as he has. His average of 20.9 yards a catch from his freshman year will help him."
Said C.O. Brocato, national coordinator of college scouting for the Tennessee Titans: "From what I have seen, he has a good chance to be in someone's camp. He plays hard and makes a lot of good catches."
Quinn has been a surprise for UNT since coach Darrell Dickey offered him a scholarship two days before national signing day in 2002, despite the fact that Quinn was small for a receiver at 6-0, 181, and had a mediocre 4.67-second time in the 40-yard dash. Running with the track team and spending extra time in the weight room since he arrived at UNT have helped Quinn develop into a 200-pound speedster. He has run a 4.46 40-yard dash for NFL scouts, who are also intrigued by his potential as a special teams player.
Quinn has returned punts and kicks at UNT, skills he hopes will help him realize his NFL dreams.
"When I came here, I told myself I wanted to be the best receiver to come through the program," he said. "It might have been farfetched at the time, but I believed I could do it then and I still do."
