Ex‑Sanger standout making plays at Fresno City

Fresno City College DB Kayden McGrew, formerly of Sanger High

FRESNO CITY COLLEGE

Kayden McGrew had a highlight he wished had stood.

The Fresno City College kickoff returner took a kickoff 101 yards for a touchdown, but the play was called back because of a holding penalty during the Rams’ 34-31 loss to Butte on Sept. 19.

McGrew finished the game with five kickoff returns for 138 yards, including a long of 45 yards.

He’ll look to build on that performance when the Rams host American River at 5 p.m. Saturday.

The Bee caught up with the former Sanger High standout to discuss his first season at Fresno City College and more.

Question: Tell me about that kickoff return you had. It looked great on film, but it was called back.

Kayden McGrew: I’ll continue to make those types of plays. Getting it called back did hurt a little, but at the end of the day, I know I can make plays like that happen again and again throughout the season. I’m just glad I have the film to show that I can make those plays, even with the call being brought back.

Q: What have you learned about playing JUCO football at Fresno City? Did anything surprise you?

KM: Coming into my first year of JUCO, my mindset was to be elite the moment I stepped on that field, and I still stand by that. I’ve learned that the game is faster and everyone is competing every day, so you have to stay focused, work hard and take advantage of every opportunity you get.

Q: Tough loss last week, but what can you guys do to use that as motivation for the rest of the season?

KM: We’ll continue to improve. I feel like we get better every day, especially at practice. Now that we’ve experienced that loss, we can learn from it and use it as motivation. We know what we need to fix, and we’re going to keep working to get better for the rest of the season.

Q: How was your time at Sanger High? What memories do you take away from there?

KM: I definitely miss the community and the energy we had at the stadium on Friday nights. It was always amazing playing in front of everyone and building a name for myself there. I’m proud of everything I was able to accomplish at Sanger, and I’m excited to see my little brother, Kendale McGrew, continue that now.

Q: What do you want to prove at Fresno City College?

KM: What I want to prove as a student-athlete here at Fresno City is that all the sacrifices and hard work my parents have put into me were worth it. I want to show that I have what it takes to get to the next level, continue getting better and make the most of every opportunity I get.

Q: What’s on your pregame playlist?

KM: Believe it or not, I’m more of a calm guy before games. I like to relax, stay focused and remind myself who I’m doing it for before the game starts. That usually gets me in the right mindset to go out there and compete.

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