Blake Anderson offered each of his Arkansas State football players this weekend off, a chance for one last break before everybody reports to campus Wednesday and the start of fall practice Thursday.
Record-setting wide receiver J.D. McKissic passed on the chance for a break, instead choosing to stay in Jonesboro to get in a few more workouts with strength and conditioning coach Matt Shadeed.
At a glance
NAME J.D. McKissic
POSITION Wide receiver
YEAR Junior
HEIGHT 5-11
WEIGHT 193 pounds
HOMETOWN Phenix City, Ala.
NOTEWORTHY Voted first-team All-Sun Belt Conference as a wide receiver and a kick returner. … His average of 121.2 all-purpose yards per game is the most among returning Sun Belt players. … Has accumulated 2,600 all-purpose yards in two seasons at ASU. … Has four 100-yard receiving games, tied for third-most in ASU history. … Honorable mention All-American last season by Sports Illustrated.
"We just had a break," McKissic said Monday at Sun Belt Conference media day. "I'm just going to stay and do some body maintenance, take care of myself and get ready."
The extra conditioning won't hurt, considering what Anderson plans to put him through.
McKissic was voted preseason first-team All-Sun Belt Conference as a receiver and a kick returner Monday after averaging 121.2 all-purpose yards per game last year. Listed as a receiver, McKissic lined up in the slot and the backfield and also returned kickoffs and punts last season for former coach Bryan Harsin.
Anderson doesn't plan to lighten McKissic's load as he puts the finishing touches on an up-tempo, no-huddle offense that he envisions going "as fast as the officials will let us."
In fact, Anderson said McKissic is what every one of his past offenses has needed to succeed, a versatile athlete who plays what Anderson calls the "A-Back."
"He will fit us perfectly," Anderson said. "We'll hand the ball to him. We'll throw it to him. He needs to get a lot of rest and a lot of fluids during the week because we're going to make sure we get all of it we can on Saturdays."
That's fine with McKissic, who in two seasons is already climbing ASU's record lists.
"I'm honored to be back in that role [of] touching the ball," McKissic said.
McKissic said he felt a brief bit of anxiety last December after Harsin left for Boise State and before Anderson arrived from his post as offensive coordinator at North Carolina because he wasn't sure if the expanded role he had enjoyed as a sophomore would continue. He was quickly relieved once he learned of his new coach and dug a bit deeper into the Tar Heels' offense.
While McKissic caught 82 passes for 662 yards and scored touchdowns rushing, receiving and by kick return last year, T.J. Logan was doing similar things for the Tar Heels. Although Logan was listed as a running back, he filled Anderson's "A-Back" role and averaged 129.8 all-purpose yards per game.
In other words, he looked a lot like what Anderson has now in McKissic.
"He is exactly what we look for," Anderson said. " We know how special he is. We're better when he's got the ball in his hands."
McKissic has put on almost 10 pounds -- he's listed at 193 pounds -- in preparation for the heavier workload and said the 4.48-second time in the 40-yard-dash he ran this summer is personal best.
Now he's setting his sights on record books. McKissic, recruited by former coach Hugh Freeze out of Phenix City, Ala., is on pace to set most of ASU's receiving marks. Along with career receptions, McKissic has tied ASU marks for receptions in a game (15 at Missouri last season) and receptions in a season (103 in 2012).
His career receiving yards total of 1,672 is seventh on ASU's all-time list with two seasons left to catch Lennie Johnson, who gained 2,730 yards in 1995-1998. McKissic's nine career touchdown receptions are tied for eighth, seven behind the school-record 16 Taylor Stockemer caught in 2009-2012.
"I'd love to be called one of the best receivers, one of the best players ever [at ASU]," McKissic said. "I've got two more years to do that."
Sports on 07/25/2014