Exit Kyler Murray

Kyler Murray’s last game for Allen High looked similar to most of his games, 22 out of 32, 316 yards, 5 TD’s.  The difference this time was that he will never again take the field for the Eagles.  Between start #1 and start #42 what Murray achieved was stunning: 42-0 as a starter, 3 state championships, 3 championship game MVP awards, a Gatorade National Player of the Year award, twice Texas player of the year, named as an Under Armour All-American, being tabbed a 4-star recruit (#54 in the US), and finishing 4^th in the prestigious Nike Elite 11 QB competition.  The Dallas Morning News last week proposed that he was the most accomplished QB coming out of DFW in the last 40 years, and that was before title #3. 

The record will show that Kyler Murray threw for 10,386 yards and 117 TD’s, and ran for 4,139 yards and another 69 TD’s.  His career completion % was 64% and his average completion went for over 16 yards.  Amazing numbers.  For me, I will remember him as the most skilled high school player I’ve ever seen and the most consistent.  I won’t soon forget the shock of seeing Westerberg unleash Murray in the first game of his junior year against Southlake; going deep time and again, this little dude we thought was just a running QB.  He played QB like a 22-year old instead of a 17-year old.  It may just be that he peaked early, having a QB Dad in the house.  Time will tell.  But I won’t judge Kyler Murray on whether he succeeds in the SEC.  I feel privileged to have watched him for 2 and a half years.  He never mailed in a game, or let the team down once.  He sort of became a mythical figure in his own time; the fans here just came to believe that Kyler Murray could not lose.  I told everyone who would listen: appreciate this while you can.

I will likely see players in the future as quick or as fast as Murray, or with a stronger arm.  But I don’t expect to see anyone play their position at a higher level at this age.  It will be a shock to go to an Allen game in the future and not see number 1 at the helm, calmly waiting and zipping a ball down the field, or breaking free of the rush up the middle and zig-zagging through the secondary.  When I look back it will always be the last 9 minutes of the 2013 state semi-final against DeSoto that defined Murray.  Down 15, playing into a north wind, fans drifting out, he first delivered a stunning 68-yard post pattern into that wind for a momentum-changing TD, then another quick 15 points in front of a shivering and dazed crowd to walk off a 42-35 winner.  It was the kind of 9 minutes that create legends in Texas, and Murray, undefeated, and with 3 rings, will now pass into that realm.

maxpreps.com/athlete/kyler-murray

yahoo.com/ncaa/football/recruiting/player-Kyler-Murray

247sports.com/Player/Kyler-Murray

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