McKillop ends stellar career the right way

On Saturday afternoon in Middlebury, Vermont, one senior from Poway, California shone brighter than any other player on the field. From the time his name was announced to the final pass of his career — a 10-yard touchdown to wide receiver Matt Rayner ’12 — Donnie McKillop ’11 was nothing short of astounding. On that Saturday afternoon at Youngman Field, McKillop finished his football career at Middlebury the way he played from his first start to his last – in incredible fashion.
You didn’t need to see Donnie play for four years to know that he was one of the most impressive football players you would ever see play at any level. You didn’t need to see Donnie play for a season, as I did, to know that you were witnessing a player of unrivaled competiveness and determination. You didn’t even need to see his final game on Saturday, in which the senior threw for six touchdown passes and 339 yards, to understand how much he has meant to Middlebury athletics. All you had to do is sit down with head coach Bob Ritter and say, “Tell me about Donnie.”
Coach Ritter, normally poised and ready to answer any question that comes his way had to pause for a few moments before he could answer. “There’s a lot I’d like to ...” he started, before pausing and thinking again. That’s the problem with writing a feature on Donnie McKillop or trying to explain what he’s meant to the Panthers athletic program. How do you encompass four years of excellence on and off the football field in the space of an article or an interview? Do you talk about Donnie’s incredible record-setting 8,748 yards passing or his 62 touchdown passes in just 30 career games? Do you focus on the Middlebury record books where next to every passing record you will see D. McKillop? Or do you talk about his 2007 season when, as a freshman, he led the Panthers to a 7-1 record and a NESCAC title?
According to Ritter and Donnie’s teammates, none of the above. Despite what the 6’0” 215 pound senior can do with a football, his coach and teammates spoke almost exclusively of his leadership and presence in the huddle. “He’s really the consummate team player,” said Ritter. “And it’s rare to find the balance of his abilities and his humility.”
“When we were in the backfield together,” wrote senior running back Andrew Plumley ‘11, “we’d always crack jokes and give looks to each other and laugh about it. Even when things weren’t going well, we had a blast playing. He really loves the game and has a true passion which makes it fun for everyone around him.”
“Just by watching how Donnie carries himself in the locker room and on the field, you can get a sense of how much he loves the game of football and being a part of the Middlebury team,” said co-captain Connor Green ’11.
When you ask Donnie about all the things he has accomplished, he gives credit to his teammates before he says anything else. When you ask Donnie what he will remember most from his career he talks about the teammates he has played with. Whether it was his captain Eric Woodring ’08 his freshman year, his deep threat wide receiver Andrew Matson ’10, or four-year back up quarterback Jack Kramer ‘11, Donnie McKillop has nothing but praise for his teammates.
And the moment that stands out most in his mind isn’t a long touchdown pass or a gutsy first down scramble. It’s not a play he made on his way to becoming a NESCAC champion or the completion that gave him more than any other quarterback in the history of New England Division III football either. “When we won the NESCAC championship and you looked around and saw the seniors’ faces,” McKillop recalls, “that was something that I’ll always remember —seeing our immortal captain Eric Woodring standing on the Tufts Field with that look of satisfaction.”
“The reason I play football is because of how much fun it is and how it takes every guy on your team to make it work,” McKillop said. “The sweetest part about Saturday was the feeling that we had after putting together a complete game. After all the hard work and the sweat that you put in it, it’s just such a great feeling. And singing our fight song at the end of the game and going out victorious – it was done right.”
Donnie McKillop deserved that last look of satisfaction as he left Youngman Field for the final time on Saturday not because he is the most decorated quarterback in the history of Panthers football or because he led Middlebury to a NESCAC championship, but because, looking back at his career, everyone can agree that “it was done right.”