Kayne Farquharson excels on field and off it

Kayne Farquharson played well on the field for the Nebraska Danger.

The former University of Miami player leads the Danger with 57 catches for 668 yards and 21 touchdowns for the 4-6 Danger, who play at Wichita on Saturday night. That touchdown total is the third best in the Indoor Football League and is just two behind league leader Andre Piper-Jordan of Everett with 23.

“I’ve pretty much taken advantage of my opportunities,” Farquharson said. “I’m a confident guy. If the ball comes my way, I think I’m coming down with it.”

But as good as Farquharson has been on the field, he’s been even better off the field. That’s because he enjoys telling people his story, especially the kids, whenever he has the chance.

“His story is just fascinating about making good choices and doing the right things and putting yourself in position to make good choices,” Danger general manager Mike McCoy said. “If you go to a place you know there’s going to be potential trouble, then you’re putting yourself in position to make a bad choice.”

Farquharson had the chance to go the wrong way when he was a youngster growing up in Miami, but he made the right choices and those choices had nothing to do with athletics.

“He didn’t even play football in high school. He couldn’t,” McCoy said. “He had to come home every day and babysit his younger sisters because his mom was working three jobs and living in projects in downtown Miami, so he helped her out as much as possible.”

Those were the choices Farquharson made, and he knows they were the right ones. He had to take care of his little sisters, now 18 and 19 years of age, instead of doing many of the things that high school boys like to do.

“When I came home from school, instead of going out and hanging out with my home boys, I had to get their hair done, feed them, get their clothes ready for the morning,” Farquharson said.

His athletic career actually started after high school when he found his way to El Camino Junior College in Torrance, Calif. He played football there, and after two years and a number of receiving records, he had numerous offers from major colleges around the country.

Farquharson choose the University of Miami.

“I had 40 scholarships and chose to go back home,” he said. “It worked out well. We were a below-average team. It wasn’t like the glory years, but I don’t have any regrets.”

He also met a couple of teammates — offensivee lineman Cedric Mack and receiver Corey Surrency at El Camino who are both are now here with the Danger, although Surrency will leave soon to join Toronto of the Canadian Football League.

Danger running back Tavares Pressley also attended El Camino while Mack and Surrency were there but missed Farquharson by one year.

Now Farquharson is doing his best to give back to the community here in Grand Island and around Central Nebraska, and he’s a natural at it.

“He’s just so much fun to be around,” McCoy said. “He just beams. People are just dawn to him. Every place we go he’s just so much fun because little kids just flock up to him and he’s so gracious with them. He’ll high five them and shake their hands. When I intro him to those classes, you could hear a pin drop. He starts talking and it’s just so much fun.”

Farquharson just tries to pass on a positive out look and to let people know that no matter where they’re at in life, they can make things better.
“It’s not how you start, it‘s how you finish,” Farquharson said. “Sometimes the chips are stacked up against you, but that’s no excuse to go out there and do the wrong things and make the wrong decisions.

“It’s giving back to the community. What goes around comes around.”

Farquharson is just one of a number of Danger players who regularly make public appearances. McCoy, quarterback Rocky Hinds and receiver Austin Tolliver went to the senior center in Central City on Tuesday.

“It’s great watching our players relate to people, high-fiving, shaking hands, signing autographs and taking an interest in what they’re doing,” McCoy said. “These guys understand how important it is to make appearances like that. I’m sure we lead the league in appearances. I don’t think anybody else goes out like we do.”

Farquharson would be making appearances no matter where he was playing football, but he said Grand Island has been special.

“It’s been a great experience,” Farquharson said. “Grand Island is starting to grow on me, so who knows what the future holds, but I’m loving every second of it now.”


(theindependent.com)