ALLEN PARK — Tom Kennedy has done enough to cement his role returning kickoffs for the Detroit Lions.
But once Kalif Raymond is cleared for action, expect to see the two-time All-Pro back in his role as punt returner. Dave Fipp, the team’s special teams coordinator, said it’s a great problem to have.
“I can’t tell you how ecstatic I am for Tom Kennedy. I mean, there’s nobody who deserves the attention and the recognition more than him in this building,” Fipp said. “I mean, a guy who’s just worked his tail off every single day the whole time he’s been here. Never ever complained about the reps he’s getting, the opportunity he’s getting. Whether he knows he can do something better than maybe some other guy who’s getting his shot before him.
“And then for him to get the opportunity and then go out there and make the most of it, you’ve got to give him a lot of credit. Obviously, there was a bunch of guys blocking for him who were competing also. But I always say that in the return game, it starts with the returner, and the great returners make great blockers. And the better that guy does with the ball in his hands, the better those blockers end up doing.”
Fipp went back to a lesson his father, who was a pilot during the Vietnam War, taught him when he was growing up. That lesson? They would spend all this time and money on training and testing other pilots, but at the end of the day, “They have not figured out how to measure what’s in your heart and what’s in your mind. And that’s the greatest thing about this game, too, you just can’t measure that stuff.”
In his first chance to replace Raymond, Kennedy became the first Lions player since Mel Gray in 1991 to have a kick return of more than 30 yards, a punt return of more than 20 yards and a 20-yard catch in the same game. Then this past week against the Dallas Cowboys, Kennedy returned another punt for 21 yards and handled three kickoffs for 120 yards.
Fipp was asked if Kennedy would continue to return kicks, even with Raymond working back into practice this week before heading to Los Angeles. The special teams coordinator said he’s earned the right on kickoffs, but that Raymond is the likely punt returner.
Raymond has been a second-team All-Pro as a punt returner in two out of the last three seasons. He’s returned a punt for a touchdown in three out of the previous four years, including earlier this season. Raymond’s punt-return average has dropped from 13.8 to 7.3 yards this season, but he’s been banged up at different times.
“I mean, Kalif’s obviously an incredible player for us, so I would see him starting off as our punt returner, and I would definitely see Tom Kennedy being part of the kick return game,” Fipp said. “But yeah, if we get (Raymond) Leaf back, I would see him returning punts for sure.
“And that also helps balance Leaf’s (work)load. He plays a lot of offense for us … That does take something out of you when you’re playing a lot of reps. Now, those guys can still turn it on and make a difference on any play, but that will help balance his workload, too.”