Igniting the spark

Kenyon Hines’ off-the-field interest in cars draws parallels in the game.

 If his teammates are the gas and his coaches the gas pedal, then Hines is the spark plug. 

“Whatever side of the ball he’s on in practice, he tips the scale to that side,” Spain Park head coach Shawn Raney said. “I think he’s a game-changer on both sides of the ball.”

The Spain Park High School senior is playing both ways on the football field in 2018, chasing passes as a wide receiver on offense and hunting ball carriers as a linebacker on defense.

“I’m pretty sure I’ll get tired, but seeing my brothers out there fighting will keep me from thinking about being tired,” Hines said. “The drive is really my teammates and coaches.”

Hines will see a lot of time at linebacker this fall. Raney sees it as his potential position at the college level. Exclusively at wide receiver in 2017, Hines caught 28 passes for 350 yards andfour touchdowns.

“He’s an elite athlete,” Raney said. “I think he’s a Division I athlete on either side of the ball.”

Spain Park senior quarterback Mason Pronk sees this future for Hines, too.

“Kenyon is one of the most versatile players and special talents I have ever played with,” he said. “Since seventh grade, he has grown as a player every year. I am so excited to have him as one of my main targets this year and even more to have him as a teammate and friend. He always knows how to keep everyone laughing but can put on a game face when the time comes.”

Hines, a football player since age 9, said his family, friends, coaches and teammates motivate him to be the best. 

“I love the game because it brings people together that you would have never known in your life, and it brings responsibility,” Hines said. 

Hines describes himself as a player who keeps “pushing through with nicks and bruises and pain,” and that may relate in part to one of Hines’ off-the-field interests. 

“I took an interest in working on vehicles while watching and helping my grandfather,” Hines said.Hines runs errands to the parts store like he runs a flag route. He is the strong helper in the middle to replace a fuel pump like he plays the linebacker position. 

“I personally think this type of work correlates with football because it’s physical, requires attention to details and requires you to communicate and deal with multiple people and personalities daily,” Hines said.

Raney said Hines drives an old Ford pickup truck, but there is more he can compare with as an athlete.

“He’s kind of got the toughness of an old Ford pickup but the skill set of a Camaro,” Raney said. “I guess that’s the best way to explain it.”

The Jags are sometimes underdogs in Class 7A, Region 3 against the likes of rival Hoover, Thompson and Hewitt-Trussville. Hines has looked forward to his senior season, a chance to prove that he belongs on a roster at the college level. Raney said he routinely receives compliments from teachers about the type of kid Hines is in class, and he has seen his star athlete mature over the years. A kid who once forgot socks for practice as a middle school player has become a budding star at the high school level. 

“He’s a kid that started out like that and really has matured,” Raney said. “He’s a kid that’s so talented.”

Hines will play at the next level, according to his head coach. He’s too good of an athlete and an impact player not to. 

Hines’ ambitions are high.

“[The] most important thing is getting out of high school, going to college, and some day play in the NFL,” Hines said.