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Kinder wasnÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™t always supposed to be a football player.

His father had other plans for the St. Albans native growing up.

ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥œMy dad very much wanted me to be a professional baseball player, particularly the Cincinnati Reds,ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥� Kinder said. ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥œHe guided my childhood to make me the best possible ballplayer. I ended up as a catcher, pitcher and hitter. That was my dadÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™s dream. He wanted to protect me.ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥�

Kinder eventually put on a helmet and shoulder pads for the St. Albans Red Dragons football team.

He served as the punter and placekicker. KinderÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™s father saw how little his son was getting hit in that role by the opposition.

Kinder played football in the fall, then transitioned to baseball in the spring.

The Red DragonsÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™ play on the diamond caught the eye of WVUÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™s Steve Harrick.

ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥œCoach Harrick had offered me a scholarship to play baseball in Morgantown,ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥� Kinder said.

ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥œWhat I learned later is there was, at that time, no such thing as a freshman baseball scholarship. To take him up on his offer, I had to go to Morgantown on my own dime. I just absolutely couldnÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™t do that. So, I said, ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥˜Thanks, but no thanks. I cannot come unless I can get a scholarship.ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥�

Harrick was relentless in trying to land Kinder out of high school.

The baseball coach went to Gene Corum, the MountaineersÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™ football coach, and his staff with an idea to benefit both teams.

ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥œHe went to the football office and told the football coaches, in this case coach Corum, that I also kicked,ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥� Kinder said. ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥œI was a lousy kicker. My punting average in high school was 34.9 yards per kick, which was terrible by any reasonable standard. So, Gene Corum and Jimmy Walthall came to my house in St. Albans and offered me a football scholarship.

ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥œWhen they explained to me the advantage of a football scholarship, by daylight the next morning, I was a different person.ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥�

ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥˜A completely different wayÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™

Kinder didnÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™t have a lot of help when it came to the kicking mechanics of football.

He had to teach himself to be a better kicker.

ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥œThere were no kicking camps or YouTube videos,ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥� Kinder said. ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥œI went out and experimented with all kinds of things. For example, back then, it was illegal to put lead in a baseball bat, but it isnÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™t illegal to have lead spikes on your football shoe, which gave me more weight.ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥�

KinderÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™s kicking got better and better. But there was one bad kick that caused a traffic incident on MacCorkle Avenue as he was practicing at Crawford Field.

ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥œI was out there all by myself kicking footballs,ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥� Kinder said. ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥œI meant to kick it one way and it went a completely different way, which will happen often in football. The ball went out into Route 60 and a car stopped. I then ran and got my ball. A second car stopped, then a third car crashed into the second. A fourth car stopped behind a wreck, then a fifth car came in like a bowling ball.

ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥œI was scared to death. The police officer arrived and told me this is a recognized play area, and I was not responsible.ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥�

ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥˜DidnÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™t know piddly squatÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™

Kinder arrived in Morgantown in August 1962.

Kinder was a long way from home with little experience kicking.

ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥œI still remember how scared I was going to Jacksons Mill [for preseason camp],ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥� Kinder said. ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥œIt was so hot. It was so lonely. I didnÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™t know piddly squat about football. It was almost like they were speaking a different language, until it came time to kick. That was my thing, and I loved it.ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥�

Kinder redshirted his freshman season in ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™62 before stepping onto the field in 1963 ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥” the year of West VirginiaÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™s centennial.

Gov. Wally Barron asked each state agency to commemorate the Mountain StateÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™s 100th birthday.

ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥œWhat WVU football did was ask the NCAA for special permission for a player to wear No. 100,ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥� Kinder said. ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥œSo, consequently, they chose me to wear No. 100. The No. 100 was so unique. At the end of the 1963 season, nobody took it away from me. So, I had it in the ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™64 and ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™65 season.ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥�

Kinder didnÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™t quite understand the significance of the number. He thought it was simply a goal to reach as a kicker.

ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥œI didnÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™t understand the uniqueness of No. 100,ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥� Kinder said. ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥œI asked for numbers 0, 1, 3 or 7 because each had scriptural significance for me. Bottom line is that I wanted a nonposition number. I was disappointed when they handed it to me. I also thought it was a scoring goal. I thought they wanted me to score 100 points for the Mountaineers. So, I proceeded to set that as a goal.ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥�

Kinder did so. He tallied 103 points in 30 games in his four-year career.

Kinder eventually had the No. 100 taken away from him following the 1966 season when Jim Carlen became the coach.

ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥œJim Carlen and Bobby Bowden, when they came to Morgantown, determined that I was getting so much publicity as a result of this unique number that it was not good for team morale,ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥� Kinder said. ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥œThis was so unique that sportswriters would flock to it. So, I ended up getting a lot of publicity. I tried to use it to honor the state and university.ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥�

ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥˜It was hard for meÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™

Kinder, while playing football, spent his springs playing baseball for the Mountaineers.

He played on the diamond from 1963-65 for Harrick.

ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥œIt was really hard,ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥� Kinder said. ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥œCoach Harrick felt like his coaching style was that you played best when you were angry. He had techniques to make you angry. It hurt my feelings. So, I dreaded to be around him because of the way he talked to me and so forth. ThatÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™s what coaches do. It was hard for me because I felt so much pressure to perform in both cases.ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥�

While Kinder was in college, the Vietnam War was at the midway point of its 20 years from 1955-75. The U.S. government was looking for young men to send overseas to fight in the war, and active college students could receive deferments from the draft.

ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥œI also had the [former Navy quarterback] Roger Staubach problem of when I graduated being called to active duty when Vietnam was hot,ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥� Kinder said. ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥œThe government was looking for people to send to Vietnam. What I did, on purpose, was start my masterÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™s degree before I finished my undergraduate degree.

ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥œSo, I wrote a letter to the ArmyÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™s division personnel and said that I was studying for a masterÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™s degree and respectfully requested a delay to active duty. They agreed with me.ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥�

Once Kinder finished college, he was assigned to the federal building in Newark, New Jersey, to be a psychologist in the Army.

His service eventually led to him being an instructor in the ArmyÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™s Command and General Staff college, achieving the rank of lieutenant colonel.

Kinder has been retired from the Army for nearly 30 years.

ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥œI am so thankful that I am physically, mentally and spiritually healthy,ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥� Kinder said.

ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥˜She cared for her peopleÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™

Another role Kinder assumed during his adult life was the general manager of the Charleston Civic Center from 1977-83.

Dolly Parton was one of many performers who came to the Civic Center during that time.

ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥œDolly Parton grew up incredibly poor,ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥� Kinder said. ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥œThese acts would come into the building and do a sound check, generally around 4-4:30 p.m. The stage people built the set. I had a badge on that said ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥˜general manager.ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™ DollyÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™s people found me and said that Dolly wanted to talk to me. She said she wanted me to gather up the people who were going to be working during the show.

ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥œShe did a mini concert for those people. She did three or four songs just for them. She then came down and greeted each one personally. That was a classy move. She also went to the worst seat in the house. She wanted to hear what it sounded like in the cheap seats. She cared for her people.ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥�