North Texas star receiver spent early years here

mgsteve · September 21, 2006

By DAN SERNOFFSKY

Daily News Sportswriter

Lebanon Daily News

He didn’t start in his first collegiate football game, but considering that the North Texas Eagles were playing Oklahoma, it wasn’t a tough decision to give him some playing time.

The Mean Green lost that game, 37-3, but red-shirt freshman Johnny Quinn caught two passes for 37 yards. And earned himself a starting spot.

That was in 2003. Quinn has started every game since that opener, now 39 and counting. He’s also caught at least one pass in every one of those games. Only one player in NCAA Division IA has a longer consecutive-game receiving streak than Quinn — Toledo’s Steve Odom, who has caught passes in 40 straight games.

With 143 career receptions for 2,238 yards and 17 touchdowns and another 939 career yards returning punts and kickoffs, Quinn’s stock is on the rise in the National Football League futures market, which means he could one day wind up with the Steelers.

Which would somehow be rather fitting.

He is, after all, the great-grandson of the co-founder of the Lebanon Steel Foundry.

Johnny Quinn, officially John Quinn III, is the great-grandson of Thomas Quinn, who co-founded the Lebanon Steel Foundry with William Worrilow in 1911. Among Thomas Quinn’s three sons was John, who served as president of the business for 15 years.

John Quinn also had three sons, the eldest of whom was John II. A Lebanon High School graduate, John II attended Elizabethtown College and later began working for AMP in Harrisburg. It was while he was working there that he and his wife, Terri, also a Lebanon High School graduate, became the parents of Johnny.

The family moved to McKinney, Texas, in 1990, and at McKinney High School, Johnny became a stellar athlete. As a senior, he was named to the Class 5A All-State team after leading the state in total receptions (80) while finishing second in touchdown receptions (15) and third in receiving yards.

Quinn wasn’t highly recruited, although Texas Tech and Illinois State showed interest. But the University of North Texas, located in Denton, about 30 minutes west of McKinney, offered him a grant-in-aid two days before the national letter-of-intent signing date, and Quinn accepted. It’s a decision he hasn’t regretted.

“It’s been a blessing,” Quinn said in a phone interview. “It couldn’t have worked out any better. This is a special place, and they’ve really welcomed me.”

Quinn has been repaying that welcome with his performance. The team’s leading receiver in each of the last three seasons, and the leader through three games this season with the addition of his return yardage, Quinn has also ranked second on the team in all-purpose yardage in each of his first three seasons.

He’s also contributed on the track, running the 100 and 200, and anchoring the 400 relay team for the Mean Green, lettering in each of his four seasons. The work on the track, Quinn said, translates well to the football field.

“I’ve been labeled a possession receiver,” he said, “but I pride myself in being a complete receiver — speed, catching, and getting out and blocking.”

He can also take pride in his ability in returning punts and kickoffs. He has 37 career punt returns, including one for a touchdown, and 34 kickoff returns.

“It’s exciting to play another position besides receiver,” he said. “I love returning. It’s a lot of fun.”

But Quinn isn’t satisfied.

“There’s always room for improvement,” he said. “I have to continue working on my routes and on my blocking.”

North Texas (1-2), which sandwiched losses to Texas (56-7) and Tulsa (28-3) around a win over SMU (24-6), will be at Akron this week, then returns home to host Middle Tennessee in its Sun Belt Conference opener. For Quinn, the focus will be on doing what he can to help the Mean Green win and not on his pass-catching streak.

“I try not to worry about that stuff,” he said. “We run the ball, and that makes it easier to open up the passing game. And as long as I can be the best receiver I can be, that’s all that matters.”

Quinn will graduate in January with a degree in criminal justice, but he probably won’t be entering the job market immediately.

“I plan on making a run at the NFL,” he said.

And maybe squeeze in a visit to Lebanon.

“We try to get back at least once a year,” he said. “That’s where all our family is. I enjoy it, because we always get some Lebanon bologna.”