With the strong talent and intense competition of high school athletics today, becoming a prospect for top Division I football programs is no small feat. Being inches away from death after a freak accident and coming back to play the next season, however, is another story altogether. And becoming a top prospect once again, just one year after your accident -- well, then you have done the impossible.
Meet Conner Kempe of Miami, Fla., a future member of the Class of 2012 and one of Dartmouth's new football recruits, for quarterback. Hailed as one of the top-rated quarterback recruits in Florida by both local and national media outlets, Kempe's story is astounding.
A 6'4", 225-pound, prototypical pocket passer that could have been built by Vince Lombardi himself, Kempe quickly rose in the national prospect ranks as he began his high school career. He became one of only four quarterbacks in Street & Smith's Top 50 national football players and raised eyebrows when he won the EA Sports Golden Gun accuracy challenge at Nike's heralded Elite 11 football camp.
Kempe has started as the varsity quarterback for the Benjamin School in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., since his sophomore year, when he garnered Palm Beach all-area and all-county distinctions.
During his junior season with the Buccaneers, Kempe passed for 2,117 yards and 17 touchdowns and was deemed "one of the top quarterback prospects in South Florida" by Scouts.com. Florida is, after all, the home of several major college programs and some of the best high school football in the country.
He grabbed the attention of major scholarship football programs, such as Auburn, Stanford, Purdue and the University of Virginia. Kempe also caught the eye of Dartmouth's head football coach, Buddy Teevens.
"Dave Shula '81, an old teammate and a friend of mine, told us about Conner," Teevens said. "He followed him through the recruiting process -- we found a nice young man, a great football player who came from a nice family, who valued academics as much as football."
But Kempe's world was turned upside down in November 2006, when fate carried him to what should have been his death.
Kempe was kiteboarding off the coast of Miami when he caught an unusually strong updraft. While updrafts are what give kiteboarders speed and time during a run, this current carried Kempe 60 feet in the air and flew him 300 feet onto shore, smashing him into the side of a building, dragging him to the ground, and throwing him into cars, poles and fences.
Kempe was immediately rushed to the hospital. Along with sustaining a variety of other injuries, Kempe's lung had collapsed and both of his legs were severely mangled. His condition was so severe that doctors brought in a priest to read Kempe his last rites.
But 24 hours later, Kempe was still alive in a baffling medical miracle. A short time later, he was back with the game he loved, throwing passes from his wheelchair to nurses in the hospital.
Four weeks later, the wheelchair was gone. By late February, Kempe was back on the football field.
Though still severely injured following the near-fatal accident, Kempe was itching to get a football back in his hands.
"Those days were the longest I have ever experienced in my life," Kempe said. "I couldn't move my legs, so I would just sit in the hospital, completely immobilized, go through rehab, and just watch TV until my parents came. They were the longest days ever. I just wanted to get out of there."
Kempe returned as though nothing had happened, as if just months earlier he had not been lying in what doctors believed would be his deathbed. But the recovery process was not as easy as he made it look.
His extended time in the hospital had left him weak, uncoordinated and suffering from major balance problems.
Kempe recognizes his family and friends for all of their support in his recovery, but he also gives credit to his coaches, especially his quarterback coach.
"As soon as I could walk, I started working with my quarterback coach, Ryan Smith," he said. "Everything to do with football I devote to him. He took so much time out of his day, coming in to work with me at 5:30 a.m. every morning. He ran me through every drill I could do at times when I understand that he definitely would've like to stay with his family. He took the time out of his day to help me get through it and better the team."
Kempe was cleared to play and was soon back in competitve form. By spring 2007, he was practicing with the Buccaneers. Both Teevens and Kempe's high school coach, Ron Ream, see Kempe's recovery as a testament to his character.
"Conner couldn't wait to come back and play," Ream said. "It would've been very easy for him to bag it and say, 'I don't need this anymore, I know I'm going to go to college.' But, he's a team player and he wanted to get back on the field. It was an outstanding effort on his part."
"It certainly shows he can take a hit," Teevens said. "He experienced a terrible injury, and it's as if he just took a sack, got up, brushed himself off and kept playing."
Less than a year after his accident, Kempe was once again a heralded quarterback prospect in the national rankings and began receiving scholarship offers from major college programs.
So what made him choose Dartmouth, a school that lacks big-name prestige and does not give scholarships to varsity athletes?
"I had a high academic view of college and what type of school I wanted to go to," Kempe said. "I always wanted a highly competitive academic curriculum, and I've wanted to go Ivy for a while. I got some other offers, but it came down to Harvard or Dartmouth."
Kempe cited the atmosphere at Dartmouth as a major reason for his decision to come to Hanover next fall.
"I really like the focus on academics that a lot of other D-I programs don't have, but just the general structure of the school, the size, the buildings and the social life all appeal to me," he said. "They say college is the best time of your life. It'll be good to be able to have fun and walk away with an education like that."
Kempe also highlighted his excitement about playing for Teevens. Kempe had nothing but praise for the former Dartmouth quarterback and cited him as a major factor in his decision to play for the Big Green next year.
"I met with Coach Teevens every time I visited, and he reminded me a lot of [Indianapolis Colts coach] Tony Dungy, with his value system and attitude," Kempe said. "Plus, all of his friends, his connections, they let me know I can be something after college if not a football player. Coach Teevens just really makes me want to do well, and please him in every way I can. He just seems like one of those guys."
Teevens, heading into his fourth year as Dartmouth's head coach after improving from 2-8, 1-6 Ivy in 2005 to 3-7, 3-4 Ivy in 2007, has proven himself to be a master recruiter in the Ivy League. Kempe, however, might just be his greatest achievement yet.
"It's about honesty and sincerity," Teevens commented. "I'm a Dartmouth alum, so I can present an honest, real experience about what it's like and what they can get out of this place. With guys like Dave Shula and people that have pursued different professions, I can show them what Dartmouth can offer, not only for football, but for their careers after the sport."
Teevens may have tapped a goldmine with this strategy. The College has a number of attributes to offer recruits, but probably none are more important than the promise of a successful non-football life after college football.
Athletes know that one freak accident can end a career, and that recoveries don't always go as well as Kempe's. The promise of a future outside of football, of alumni connections and Dartmouth's academic reputation, may be the edge that Teevens needs to continue recruiting players like Kempe who, by all rights, could be playing on the national stage in the Football Bowl Subdivision.
The question remains if Kempe is just a special case and not an indicator of a larger pattern. A good student who took challenging classes in high school, Kempe is something of a rarity -- an outstanding, top-level football player who wants the academic opportunities of an Ivy League school.
Nevertheless, there are sure to be more student-athletes like Kempe out there -- he could mark the beginning of what could be a great upswing for Dartmouth football.
As for Kempe, his high school coaches and Teevens lauded his personality and upbringing.
"He's a nice young man that comes from a great family," Ream said. "He loves the game and he loves to work. You guys are going to love him up there."
"He's a great guy to represent your institution, never mind your football program," added Teevens. "Sometimes you just hit it off -- I think he felt really comfortable here."
As for Kempe's immediate impact on the team, both Teevens and Kempe said he would have to earn his stripes before leading the Big Green offense.
"We have four quarterbacks right now, and Conner is one of two QBs coming in," Teevens said. "So he'll be fifth on the depth chart to start the season. After that, it's anyone's game."
"I'm not going to rule out playing," Kempe added. "People said don't count on it, but I'm still going to give it my best shot for the starting position."
Regardless of the impact he makes as a freshman, it's hard to doubt that Kempe will be a big player for the Big Green, and it is likely to happen sooner rather than later.
According to Ream, Kempe's powerful arm and his great touch, along with his size and overall strength, are huge assets on the field. A cerebral player with an understanding of the game beyond his years, Kempe is a natural playmaker and leader.
Ream also praised Kempe for his work ethic and toughness, both of which are evident in the way Kempe handled the recovery from his accident.
Ream conceded that Kempe will have to learn to step into a larger role as a team leader.
"Kids follow him because he is a great quarterback and a likable kid," Ream said. "But at your level, he's going to have to step it up a notch and gain the respect of his teammates, especially his linemen."
Kempe himself is quick to say that his footwork is sub-standard, and promises to work on it this summer.
Kempe leads a talented group of recruits from the Class of 2012. Nick Schweiger, who also rejected Harvard in favor of Dartmouth, is a first-team all-scholastic tailback. Mark Dwyer, from Massachusetts, is an all-state first team defensive lineman who spurned a scholarship from the University of New Hampshire to join Teevens' program.
Other players to watch for include offensive linemen Brock Middleton and Pat Leahy, as well as Austin Fletcher and J.B. Andriosi.
Dartmouth's coaches are confident that the Class of 2012 will have a positive impact on the team.
As for Kempe, he just wants to get to New Hampshire.
"I'm just excited to get up there," he said. "I think it's the best college in the world. Yeah, I'm pretty stoked."
And for a school that is dying to love the football program but has been given little reason to even attend games in recent years, Dartmouth should feel much the same way about Kempe's arrival. It has been a long time since a player of this caliber has put on a Big Green uniform. Hopefully, Kempe can live up to his potential, and lead the charge to bring the Big Green its first Ivy title since 1996.
