A son's journey into adulthood and the pursuit of his professional dreams is always an emotional ride for the parents.
There is always hope. There are always expectations — some unrealistic, some more open to the potential of shortcomings.
Derek Kennard could have been that stereotypical dad that was too hard on his kid, setting the bar far too high, because — after all — he'd been there and done that.
But he wasn't. Derek Kennard wasn't that kind of dad.
And that cannot have done anything but help his youngest son, Devon, make it all way to starting linebacker for the Giants as a rookie.
"I encouraged my kids to do whatever it was they wanted to do," Derek Kennard told The Post. "I didn't try to push them. They made that determination on their own.''
"I've always wanted my dad to just be a dad,'' Devon said.
As a result of Derek's parenting, both of his sons, his oldest, Derek Jr. and Devon, opted to follow their old man's footsteps — straight to the NFL, where Derek played for 134 games in 11 years as a guard. Derek Jr. made a go of the NFL, but he was unable to stick with the Colts so he moved on.
For Devon, the Giants hope the journey only has just begun, that the 4.5 sacks in the last four games are only an appetizer to main course.
Devon, who cherishes the memory of being hoisted on his father's shoulders after the Cowboys won the Super Bowl in 1996, is chasing what his father got out of the NFL: A long productive career and a ring.
"When [the Cowboys] won that Super Bowl, that's one of the only memories I really have from when my dad played,'' Devon said. "And being on my dad's shoulders is something I always have looked back on and I hope to have when I have a kid one day.''
Derek saw Devon play an NFL game in person for the first time two weeks ago, when the Giants beat the Redskins at MetLife Stadium. While roaming the sideline during pregame warm-ups, he said hello to former Giants great linebacker Harry Carson, who told him, "God damn, Kennard, why the hell did you hit me so hard? Damn, man, I remember seeing those eyes inside that cage.''
Derek Kennard joked former Dallas defensive teammates Charles Haley and Leon Lett "thought I was a defensive lineman trapped inside an offensive lineman's body.''
Derek Kennard played in the NFL for 11 years as a guard.Photo: AP
Derek is living vicariously through Devon now, because Devon is the defensive player Derek always wanted to be.
More than he loves to reminisce, Derek Kennard's passion is imparting wisdom to Devon as weaves through the early routes of his NFL journey.
"I just told him how to be a pro," Derek said, "that being a pro is taking care of your body, getting your workouts in, paying attention in the film room, understanding how things work and understanding your role with the team as a team player. I told him that it's nice to be the first in and last out.''
Derek often uses examples of his playing days to illustrate points to his son.
"I learned work ethic from him and I learned from mistakes that's he's told me about that he felt he made; that set a precedent in my life,'' Devon said.
"Of course it does bring me back to my playing days watching [Devon] play,'' Derek said. "I think there are traits that he takes after me on the field. He's soft-spoken, cordial and polite off the field … and then there is a time to turn that switch on and get after it. He's got that fire in his belly. He loves to get after it. I get emotional when I watch him.''
Indeed, a son's journey through the father's eyes is an emotional one — for father and son.
When I was a kid growing up in Connecticut, the moment my father walked into the house from his commute up the New Haven Line from his job in the city, I was at the front door boxing my brother out — like Dennis Rodman in the paint for the Bulls — so I could rip The New York Post out of his hands and devour it.
At that age, I always knew exactly what I wanted to do, where I wanted to be. Once I was finally fortunate enough to make it to The Post, my father, filled with pride, bought The Post religiously, right up until the day he died three years ago in Florida.
For Derek Kennard, who lives in Arizona and has a full-time job that does not allow him to travel to all of Devon's games, DirectTV is what those newsstands down in Florida were to my father: His way of tracking his son's journey and keeping the lifeline of pride alive.
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