THE SEA CALLS Norman North's Kemmet signs with Merchant Marines
BNORMAN o Kemmet walked into the football offices of the United States Merchant Marine Academy last October and met football coach Bob Toop. Toop scanned Kemmet's vital statistics. “You're a 6-foot-2, 248pound tight end from a 6A program in Oklahoma? I have a jersey for you,” Toop said. Kemmet had a dream for Toop. Kemmet always has wanted to be on the water, he's always been committed to service and he's always wanted to play college football. He applied to the U.S. Naval Academy, the Merchant Marine Academy and the Coast Guard Academy. When Kemmet received an appointment to the Merchant Marine Academy and an offer to join the football team, it seemed like a perfect fit. Wednesday in the Norman North gymnasium, Kemmet signed the papers that made him a Mariner. “This is a dream of his,” said North coach Justin Jones. “He wanted to go to an academy and he wanted to play football. One of the most high-character kids I've ever been around. Everywhere in our school you look, Bo has some kind of positive influence.” Growing up, Kemmet heard his dad's tales of the ocean. Detective Rob Kemmet, now a 21-year member of the Oklahoma City Police Department, spent six years in the Marine Corps, of which two years were spent on ships. And when Bo himself has been on the ocean, he feels at home. It's a good thing. As a sophomore, he'll spend
100 days at sea. As a junior, 200 days. The Merchant Marine Academy, located on Long Island in Kings Point, New York, trains officers for the U.S.
Merchant Marine, branches of the military and the transportation industry. They are trained in marine engineering, navigation, ship's administration, maritime law, international law and customs. Graduates owe at least five years to the U.S. Merchant Marine, or eight years of reserve duty, and then often enter lucrative jobs in the shipping industry. All of which sounds good to Kemmet. “Something about being on the water is more comforting for me,” Kemmet said. “It's like everything is out front of me. No limits. I'm really excited about it.” Football is comforting, too. Kemmet was North's punter and kicker this season, while also playing a variety of positions. The Merchant Marine Academy, a Division III football program that competes in the New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference, plans to use Kemmet as a punter and a defender. The Mariners don't often get their hands on a 248-pounder, because of height and weight restrictions. Ship quarters aren't built for massive men. “Football has been the foundation of how I approach everything in my life,” said Kemmet, Norman North's senior class president. “How I study, how I solve problems. The brotherhood in a football team is unmatched. “The opportunity to do what I love is something that's real important to me. I'm going to get to play college football at a U.S. military academy.” And be on the water. Dream fulfilled.
Berry Tramel: Berry can be reached at 405-7608080 or at btramel@ oklahoman.com. He can be heard Monday through Friday from 4:40-5:20 p.m. on The Sports Animal radio network, including FM-98.1. You can also view his personality page at newsok. com/berrytramel.