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Jul 23, 2023

Reggie Skinner enjoying son Quentin's success at Kansas

Editor’s note: This is the final story in a multipart series examining Quentin

Editor's note: This is the final story in a multipart series examining Quentin Skinner's rise to stardom for Kansas football.

LAWRENCE, Kan. – When Kansas football visited Norman on Oct. 15, Reggie Skinner faced a peculiar conflict of interest.

Should he don his alma mater's colors once more, displaying his pride in his past career with the University of Oklahoma, or should he bite the proverbial bullet and side with his son Quentin Skinner – a standout receiver for the Jayhawks – and swap his crimson and crème for something a little bluer?

The elder Skinner's football roots run deep in Oklahoma.

He was a megastar in high school, rushing for more than 8,000 yards and scoring a then-national record 156 touchdowns at White Oak in Vinita. According to IWasAtTheGame.com, his 8,119 career rushing yards sits at fifth all-time in Oklahoma history, and though his touchdowns mark has been surpassed, he still holds the state record in that category and is No. 13 nationally as of 2021.

With numbers like that, it was no wonder he took his talents to Norman to play for OU.

Off-field issues kept him from becoming a breakout player for the Sooners, though, and Reggie Skinner finished his career with 314 yards rushing and a touchdown on 61 carries from 1997-1999. In his final game wearing the crimson and crème, he carried the ball one time for zero yards in a 27-25 loss to Ole Miss in the Independence Bowl on Dec. 31, 1999.

However, he holds fond memories of his teammates and his time in Norman, even routinely wearing his bowl ring.

In fact, Quentin Skinner was named after Reggie Skinner's backfield mate Quentin Griffin, who played for OU from 1999-2002 before enjoying a short career in the NFL and overseas.

"A lot of people don't know that," Reggie Skinner said. "Me and Quentin were pretty close. We were good friends, along with De’Mond Parker and the rest of the guys. He (my son) has not gotten to meet him yet. We were planning on doing that when he was in Houston, but with him (Quentin Skinner) traveling with the team, he's gotta come back every time with them. We couldn't take the time out to do it, but we’re gonna make it happen."

Despite the history involved, when it came time to choose which team's gear he would wear on that October morning, the decision was easy.

There was really only one option, after all.

"I gotta choose my son," Reggie Skinner said. "That's who I support. It's just like he told me, he said, ‘Dad, you gotta take the ring off to support me when you come down.’ And I did it. I wore the shirt and everything, and everybody was kind of on me. ‘Oh, are you going to put on the KU shirt?’ ‘Yes. He asked me to, so I’m wearing it.’

"It's his time and his glory right now. Everything is about Quentin right now."

The 2022 season has certainly been a glorifying journey for Quentin Skinner.

Through 10 games, he has 21 receptions for 338 yards and five touchdowns while also taking a pair of carries 41 yards. That effort has earned him a nomination for the Burlsworth Trophy, which is given to the most-outstanding player who began their career as a walk-on.

His best game came against Texas Christian on Oct. 8 when he caught four passes for 98 yards and two touchdowns in a 38-31 loss.

Against his dad's alma mater the following week, Quentin Skinner tallied one catch for 7 yards and managed a 20-yard rush.

"I’m very proud of Quentin, and I’ve always been proud of him for what he's accomplished and what he's still accomplishing right now," Reggie Skinner said. "We’ve talked about this for so long – from him being in eighth or ninth grade – telling him that when you get the opportunity to be somewhere, you’re gonna have to work your butt off for it. Something bad happened to him in 12th grade where he gets hurt, and that is when he started digging in. And here we are at KU two years later, and we’re starting and making some noise. I’m just so excited for him. Sometimes I’m at a loss for words for a lot of it – it's just crazy. He's going to keep going; I know he is.

"Anything that he puts together kind of throws me because it's surprising. I like how he's beating those corners and safeties off the line, too – killing ’em."

As far as his favorite plays go, a few stand out.

The game-winning touchdown in overtime at West Virginia is high on the list, as well as Quentin Skinner's diving grabs in the end zone against TCU that resulted in scores of 38 and 29 yards.

However, the thing that stands out the most to Reggie Skinner when he analyzes his son's games is how he demonstrates the habit of being a team player.

"If you ever go back and watch any of the old film, he's always around the ball. He's always there to congratulate the next person that was moving the ball. He just wants to be a part of it. That's in him. That's instilled in him; you can't teach a lot of that stuff.

"We know he's got it in him, he's just gotta keep pushing and stay healthy."

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