HIS OWN ROUTE : SDSU’s Bernard Won’t Play in Pros

Walt Baranski, his high school football coach, was wrong about Kenny Bernard.

Baranski remembers Bernard, the defensive player of the year in 1983 in the City Eastern League who helped lead Patrick Henry High School to its last San Diego Section playoff berth.

He remembers thinking that Bernard, a linebacker, would someday be a professional football player if he continued to work hard and improve.

“But I really don’t want to be a professional football player,” said Bernard, who last year transferred from California to San Diego State. “I want to be a good college player and I want to prove to myself that I can compete at the Division I level. I don’t really have the desire to play in the NFL. Football is great, but it isn’t everything.”

So Baranski was wrong.

But . . .

“Still, I think he could be better,” Baranski said. “I saw him on television the other day and he looked a little reserved out there. He used to run all over the field and show a lot of emotion. Now it looks like he’s not playing with that same kind of intensity. He’s got to figure out what he wants to do.”

What he wants to do is eventually work for the Federal Bureau of Investigation and fight crime, not running backs. Bernard is a criminal justice major at SDSU.

Still, he’s just having fun playing for the Aztecs. The junior linebacker so far has exceeded the expectations of Aztec Coach Denny Stolz.

“When he came here, I figured Kenny would be a backup for at least this season,” Stolz said. “But he’s come along to start the last four games and he’s doing a nice job for us. He’s probably become our most consistent player at linebacker.”

Stolz said Bernard could be the Aztecs’ defensive quarterback next year because he has a good feel for the game.

Bernard, who is about the same size as in high school--6-feet 2-inches, 220 pounds--said: “I’m pretty happy with the way I’m playing, but I know there’s room for improvement. In high school, I was physically superior to a lot of the players. I think Coach Baranski remembers that. But, now there are lot more good athletes out there.”

Bernard went to Cal after graduating from Patrick Henry and started some as a freshman. But he injured his neck in the second-to-last game of the season against Washington State.

“I put a hit on (running back) Rueben Mayes, or actually he put a hit on me,” Bernard said. “I thought my neck was jammed. It hurt, but I played the last game against Stanford and it still hurt.”

Bernard used the winter months to rest, but when spring training started, he felt the same pain.

“It got to be where if I put my helmet on, I couldn’t even tilt my neck back,” he said.

He was tested by several doctors who told him he wouldn’t be able to play football again. As it was, Bernard could not return his sophomore season, and he redshirted. By the end of the year, he became disenchanted with the football program at Cal, and returned to San Diego.

He hadn’t played football in more than a year when he telephoned Baranski and told him that he had the urge to play again. Baranski called Steve Fairchild, a former Patrick Henry assistant coach who was working at SDSU.

Fairchild told Bernard he could come to the school as a walk-on. Last year, Bernard practiced with the team while sitting through his second consecutive redshirt year. And, the neck didn’t hurt anymore.

He impressed the Aztec coaches enough to earn a scholarship for this season. However, he didn’t play much early in the season.

“He had to get used to the system, and, to be honest, since we weren’t having a lot of success with our linebackers, he was able to get some chances to play,” said Tim McConnell, Aztec defensive coordinator.

And now he’s a starter.

“It’s possible that the neck thing is on my mind, subconsciously, when I play,” Bernard said. “But I really don’t worry about it anymore. I’m having more fun than ever before and maybe that’s why.”

McConnell said that Bernard is the kind of guy who doesn’t need to be motivated too much to play well. And that’s saying something, considering how rough a year the Aztec defense has had.

“There’s no question that it’s been difficult for the players on our defense,” McConnell said. “The kids have continually had to read and be reminded about how poorly they’ve done.”

This, too, motivates Bernard.

He’s heard all of the criticism and he’d like nothing better than help get things turned around.

“I’d like to see this defense become dominating,” Bernard said. “I have a great desire for that. I think the troubles we’ve had this year can only make me a better player and better person. It’s all going to pay off in the long run.”

Stolz certainly hopes so.

“He’s very smart and he plays very well against the run,” Stolz said. “If he can improve in his pass coverages, he can be quite a help to us.”

McConnell added: “He’s the kind of player who understands the game real well. He knows what’s going on out there. He can’t rely solely on his physical ability, he has to rely on his instincts. And he does that well.”

Aztec Notes

Running back Ron Slack, San Diego State’s leading receiver with 42 catches for 369 yards, is doubtful for Saturday’s game against Colorado State because of a thigh bruise, trainer Don Kaverman said. But freshman tailback Tommy Booker is expected to play for the first time since he sprained his ankle in the first half against Texas El Paso Oct. 10. . . . Defensive tackle Brad Burton, who missed last week’s game with a possible stress fracture in his foot, should be available to play, Kaverman said.