When Kinkaid football coach Garry McMillan met R.J. Dabbar for the first time, he described his initial reaction with the word 'awestruck.' Standing before him was a massive young man 6'4" and weighing 275 pounds. McMillan posed a question for this future Falcon athlete. “ Do you play football?”

Dabbar said, “I told him, No, I have played ice hockey for years. That's all it took. McMillan said, ‘Good, then you know how to hit people. You will be fine.’”

And it is all history now. Dabbar is the Falcon’s starting right tackle after one season of football at Kinkaid. The junior offensive lineman has made the adjustments and is ready for the gridiron challenges.

“I think the biggest thing I like about football is that you react and respond to someone’s movement,” Dabbar said. “Both football and ice hockey are hard-hitting sports and I love laying people out.”

Dabbar’s first love for sports began in Russia where he spent seven years of his life. Though he began school briefly in America, Dabbar’s athletic career began abroad.

“Hockey is what got me hooked into the Russian culture," Dabbar explained. "It was a year 'round sport (September-March) and was a lot of fun. I did not know the (Russian) language when we moved there and I was trying to make the adjustments.” 

Unfamiliar with the sport of football, Kinkaid may have been the best fit for Dabbar. McMillan and the Falcon coaching staff have had several kids approach them who have never played the sport. The policy at Kinkaid is very inviting and encouraging for athletes in this situation.

“I will not turn any player away,” McMillan said proudly. “We have a lot of guys come to us, but nobody is run away. I try to teach the game to these kids and work them through the program. “R.J. was one of those kids. He is very bright and has great feet. He will only get better. That’s evident because now he is our starting right tackle.”

As the starting right tackle, Dabbar has had the opportunity to open holes for one of SPC’s leading rushers, Pierce Cohen. Cohen has more than 10 touchdowns and has already broken the 1,000-yard mark for the season.

Dabbar's aggressiveness, intensity, and hand/eye coordination from ice hockey have given him the edge over other SPC opponents. Although his time in Russia is a priceless opportunity he will embrace for a lifetime, it also opened the door to enter America's beloved sport of football with relative ease.

Click here for the Kinkaid vs. Casady game September 29.

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