Undersized and Underrated, Jon Kitna's QB Son, Jordan, Chasing 1st Offer

Three inches. Nine pounds.

If Jordan Kitna was roughly three inches taller and nine pounds heavier, he would stand 6'3" and weigh 210 pounds. The stories he hears about not having the college quarterback's size on a daily basis—as a rising quarterback with tons of potential and an NFL pedigree—might be nonexistent.

If Kitna wasn't the 6'0", 201-pounder he is, would he still be without a scholarship offer entering the month of April and preparing for his final year of high school? If he had those measurables college recruiters wanted, chances are, there wouldn't be any reason why a quarterback who threw for 3,702 yards and 55 touchdowns as a junior would have an issue with the recruiting process.

It's a weird fact considering Kitna's been a starting quarterback since his sophomore year. Even more weird considering he's the son of former NFL quarterback Jon Kitna.

If Jordan Kitna was three inches taller and nine pounds heavier...

But he's not. And he's OK with that. All he asks is that you watch him work on the field.

"I'm six foot. I'm not the 6'3", 6'4" quarterback that recruiters are looking for," Kitna said. "Usually, that doesn't matter if you have speed, but I'm not the fastest guy in the world, either.

"I'm more of a gamer type of guy, not really a great tester. In the game, something just clicks. I'll do anything to win. I'm a competitive guy. I'm not afraid to take the game in my hands or take the blame if we lose."

All he's asking for is an opportunity.

LM Otero/Associated Press

Benefiting from "detailed information"

So who is Jordan Kitna? In addition to being the coach's son and the son of an NFL quarterback, he's an athlete who takes the field with a chip on his shoulder.

As of Thursday morning, Kitna doesn't have a rating by any of the four major recruiting sites—247Sports, Rivals.com, Scout.com or ESPN. He uses that as silent motivation.

"I want to be a guy who is remembered as someone who gave everything he had on the field," he said. "I'm competitive, but I'm not rubbing it into your face. I want to be someone who played his heart out but everybody says he's a good dude off the field."

Kitna said the recruiting process can be frustrating at times, but he does all he can to make sure it doesn't bother him. Getting wins with his team trumps a lot. Enjoying the life as an NFL quarterback's son has its perks as well.

The knowledge Kitna acquires from his father makes him understand the quarterback position from multiple angles. Kitna called the tutelage "detailed information," as his father is very thorough when working with him, mentally and physically.

"We'll talk about moving my ankle a little more left or right, changing my arm slot, changing the way I hold the football, taking my drops, being able to read defenses and knowing the difference between Cover 2 and Cover 4," Kitna said.

"A big part of my stats was him teaching me details. It means something for a receiver to line up one yard inside or outside or having the running back check to the right or left. Everything is very detailed and thought through. It's really helped me."

What's even more impressive is that Jon Kitna said he and his son didn't discuss much about playing quarterback until he got to the ninth grade. Jordan was a two-way athlete, playing quarterback and linebacker. Jon said he was very careful to not push his son into something he didn't want to do.

"I kept thinking, 'Son, I know you like playing defense, but you've got a lot of natural quarterback in you," Jon said. "Since we got [to Waxahachie], his desire to want to learn more and why things happen has grown. He wants to know why should you change your play if the defense is in a Cover 2 or why you may need to check down for whatever reason."

Waxahachie is hoping the Kitnas can turn things around. The program was 2-8 this past season.

Making the move

Jon Kitna was introduced as the new head football coach of Waxahachie High School in Waxahachie, Texas, on Jan. 22. He spent his final four NFL seasons with the Dallas Cowboys, and after coaching three seasons at his alma mater, Lincoln High School in Tacoma, Washington, he's moved back to North Texas to coach a program that has won seven district championships since 2002.

Jordan Kitna has handled quarterback duties since sophomore year, and Lincoln finished 11-1 last season, advancing to the Washington Class 3A state quarterfinals. The team lost to the eventual state champion, Eastside Catholic of Seattle suburb Sammamish.

Moving from Washington to Texas in normal circumstances wouldn't be much of an issue for Jordan. He's lived with his father every time he moved to play for a new team. Jon Kitna played in Seattle, Cincinnati, Detroit and Dallas.

Moving midway through his junior year, however, was something that required additional adjustment for Jordan. Waxahachie has a population of roughly 32,000, whereas Tacoma has more than 203,000 and is more diverse.

"The city's a lot smaller here. Everything's within 5-10 minutes," Jordan said. "It's a very tight community. Everybody knows everybody. There's only one school system here, whereas there are five high schools in Tacoma.

"One thing I can say, there's a lot of pride here. You've got that small-town feel here, kind of like the Friday Night Lights feel."

Making the 2,100-plus-mile trek, Jordan said was tough, as he had to leave friends he's known since middle school. The move, however, came with a perk. Jon was able to bring a few assistant coaches with him, including Evan Brady, who is the father of 2016 tight end Devan Brady.

"It was definitely nice to have another friend come down, someone you can talk to and hang out with if there's no one else to hang with," Jordan said of Devan. "He also knows the playbook, and he's someone you know will make something happen when he gets his hands on the ball. Plus, he's a great friend in general."

Jordan added that the transition has been made smooth with the help of his new teammates. His first day in Waxahachie, he connected with teammates via Instagram and got some throwing work in.

"About 50 kids showed up," he said. "It was a great time. They all introduced themselves and were really nice. They were really receptive."

Tons of stats, zero offers

Jordan answers similar questions constantly. Everybody wants to know what it's like being the son of an NFL quarterback. Some want to know how many of his father's old teammates is he close to? Others want to know if Jon brings the same intensity as a coach as he did as a quarterback for the Seahawks, Bengals, Lions and Cowboys.

But then, there's the question Jordan can't answer: Why is he without an offer?

Jon is the first to defend his son, describing Jordan on the field as "cerebral" and someone who could go to an NFL combine now and mentally be ready to hold his own.

"We're preparing him to be an NFL quarterback, not a college quarterback," Jon said. "There are schools enamored with guys who can run around and throw it now and then; that's not who he is. He's cerebral. I feel that I can take him to an NFL camp, and he can throw any route they give to him.

"He's not 6'4", No. 1. We've seen the quote, end quote short quarterbacks like [Russell] Wilson, [Drew] Brees be successful, but it is what it is. A lot of people are making decisions in the college game and, quite honestly, are just following the template. We're trusting that God will have the right place for him."

Jordan's stats don't lie: His 55 touchdowns last year are proof that he knows how to find his receivers. Few performances hold a candle to what he did in October. Jordan completed 12 passes for eight touchdowns to lead Lincoln to a 91-0 rout against Mount Tahoma.

What's scary is that he only played one half.

"We played to the best of our abilities, and that's all my dad and the coaching staff asked for," Jordan said. "We played to our ceiling. It didn't matter what the scoreboard said; you play to do your best. We took out all the starters at halftime and put in the freshmen. We scored twice before a minute even went off the clock."

Jordan finished his junior year completing 66 percent of his passes (227 of 342) and averaging better than 370 yards per year, according to MaxPreps.com. During that span, he was able to garner attention from multiple schools, including Wake Forest, Harvard and the majority of the Pac-12 schools.

An offer, however, never came. So until then, Jordan said he'll continue to work hard and stay hungry. He's done his part, showing his skill set at The Opening Dallas regional last month, and he's looking to take in a few summer camps. He was part of a group of 10 from Washington state last summer to attend six camps in six days—Texas, Texas A&M, Baylor, LSU, Auburn and Georgia.

"The coaches said they liked the way I threw and my mental side of the game," Jordan said. "They like my footwork, too. It was the height and the speed that they are most concerned about. They think my mechanics are there, but the physical attributes are the question."

Jon added: "There are certain things he can't control, but he can control his work ethic, his leadership and his faith in God. He also can just enjoy the game. The whole recruiting process is mind-boggling, but this may (be) a good thing for him. You don't want to cloud the picture by having 20 or 25 schools to choose from."

Credit: 247Sports

Learning from the best

How many recruits can say they've had proper tutelage from an NFL quarterback? Or any NFL athlete for that matter?

In addition to having his dad teach him the ins and outs of the quarterback position, he's also had other professionals offer tips here and there to help him improve. Young wide receivers seemed to take a liking to Jordan, as he had good relationships with Joey Galloway, Chad Johnson in Cincinnati, Roy Williams in Detroit and Dez Bryant in Dallas.

Having wide receiver Calvin Johnson in his life while his dad played in Detroit was a big boost.

"He was one of the most impressive guys I've seen, and I had a chance to see a lot of impressive guys," Jordan said. "The way he ran and caught passes, to see how he played made me want to play just as hard. Plus, he was good at baseball. He was my baseball coach in fourth grade."

Of all the lessons taught by the multiple athletes, Jordan admits that it's the lessons from his father that stand out most. Jon stresses faith, love for his family and academics over all. Jordan has a 3.7 grade-point average and is taking AP courses.

Everything else, Jon said, will take care of itself. And even though recruiting isn't going the sprinter's pace the Kitnas hoped, they both feel Jordan's story will have a happy ending.

"I think I'm a good leader, and I think I have the quarterback mechanics down," Jordan said. "I know how to read defenses and change plays at the line. That's just some of the things coaches have to see in person. It's not something they'll see in tests."

Jon added: "I think he realizes that he doesn't have any pressure. He really has just tried to live out everything for the Lord. I have a feeling the game is getting easier for him, and this dude loves his teammates. I always tell him, would you rather be the No. 1 quarterback in the country coming out of high school, or would you rather have character and be someone who knows the Lord?"

If all goes Jordan's way, he'll have all of the above soon. And by February, he'll sign with an FBS program who recognizes his talent.

Damon Sayles is a National Recruiting Analyst for Bleacher Report. All quotes were obtained firsthand. All player ratings are courtesy of 247Sports' composite rating. Follow Damon via Twitter: @DamonSayles