by JOHN MOOREHOUSE
TriCitiesSports.com
August 3, 2014
KINGSPORT -- With the exception of those fortunate few athletes you see greeting Roger Goodell at the podium during the first round of the NFL draft, life in the National Football League in the first few years is hardly glamorous. Or lucrative.
Russell Wilson, for example, just quarterbacked the Seattle Seahawks to the Super Bowl. And he'll make just over $500,000 in 2014—a real bargain compared to some of the exorbitant salaries elsewhere in the league.
If Wilson's salary can be considered a pittance, then the annual compensation Daniel Kilgore received in his first three years in the NFL constitutes pocket change.
Not any longer.
Kilgore signed a three-year extension with the San Francisco 49ers back in February. Not only did Kilgore receive a raise in pay, he also banked a signing bonus reported at $1.35 million.
That's a big windfall for almost anyone, but especially a guy like Kilgore who spent his first years in the NFL splitting an apartment with some other rookies and second-year players to help keep costs down.
Kilgore, who's considered the front runner to start at center for the Niners this fall, said the money won't change him.
“I took my family on vacation. I did finish out my man cave here at my house in Tennessee. Other than that, I still drive the old pickup truck. I didn't go out and buy any 4-wheelers or anything,” Kilgore said.
Kilgore also recognizes that, with the big contract, come big expectations. That's especially true in his case as he's the favorite to replace Jonathan Goodwin, a three-year starter at center for San Francisco who signed with New Orleans this offseason.
In an exclusive interview with Tricitiessports.com before leaving for training camp, Kilgore discussed the prospect of becoming a starter in the NFL and much more.
“It is definitely exciting,” Kilgore said. “You kind of approach every day the same, like you always have since your rookie season.”
“I've been building for this moment for the past three seasons. I believe it is my time to start. But then again nothing is handed to me. You've got to earn everything at this level. I'm prepared, and I'm ready for it.”
Kilgore is no stranger to the center position. He played that spot during a standout high-school career at Dobyns-Bennett. Then, he signed with Appalachian State and proceeded to play every position along the offensive line except center. As his collegiate career wound down, however, Kilgore would work on his snapping technique on his own knowing he projected best as a center at the next level.
“The more tools that you have in your shed, the better off that you are and that's the way I look at it. The more prepared at different positions that I am, the more chances of me getting on the field,” Kilgore said.
Getting on the field shouldn't be a problem any longer. Kilgore has put in the study time for what promises to be his most important professional season yet.
“I'm very prepared in the classroom, but then also I can pick up on tendencies a lot quicker,” the Kingsport native said. “I can read defenses a lot better. That's one thing that has changed.”
As would Kilgore's “relationship status”, if he had an active personal Facebook page (he doesn't). Kilgore got engaged this spring to Megan Tolly, and they look to get married next year.
It's just another indication of Kilgore's continued strong ties to his hometown. He still can be found at and around the D-B football facility in the spring and summer. And, if he comes through as a starter at the NFL, it will bring more notoriety to a program with standout alums that include former NFL defensive back turned ETSU assistant Gerald Sensabaugh, current Tennessee Titans defensive back Coty Sensabaugh, and current Vols like Malik Foreman and Devaun Swafford, and Wake Forest offensive lineman Ty Hayworth.
What needs to happen to get players in the Tri-Cities a legitimate look from major college programs on a regular basis?
“We just need guys to actually go to the college program and stick it out. Don't go for a year and come back home,” Kilgore said. “It does help when you have guys that have gone on and played at big college schools and played in the NFL. Not many guys from California, on the San Francisco 49ers, had even heard of Kingsport. I'm a proud Kingsport native and everybody knows about my high school.
“This is home for me. I will always come back home. I will always represent where I come from. I try to do my best to represent my family, my friends, the best way I can and also represent Kingsport. These are my people and this is really where I do come from. I stay true to my roots, I love it here. I hate to have to go back so soon, but everybody has a job to do. I'm going to go do that and at the same time represent everybody in the Tri-Cities area the best that I can.”
