North Carolina State University Athletics
T.A. Wants More P.T.
8/9/2004 12:00:00 AM | Football
Aug. 9, 2004
By Tony Haynes Raleigh, N.C. - Who has done a good job of stopping running back T.A. McLendon in his first two years at NC State? No one, really. Considering the fact that the 2002 ACC Rookie of the Year has averaged 4.5 yards per carry in his college career, it's fairly clear that the opposition has done very little to slow him down. Injuries, however, have been another story. Whether it's a knee, shoulder, wrist or hamstring, McLendon's most worthy opponents have been the physical ailments that have so often sent him to the sidelines. After playing the last half of the 2002 season with a cast on his right hand to protect a broken wrist, McLendon missed a total of four games last fall because of a variety of injuries. Still, he's already ranked 11th on NC State's all-time rushing list with 1,709 yards, 4th in rushing touchdowns with 25 and fifth in total touchdowns with 29. Now, as he prepares to begin his third college season, McLendon is focused only on the future, which is why he was already becoming annoyed by a series of questions about his health during a meeting with reporters following the Wolfpack's first practice on Friday. "I'm not going to dwell on the past anymore," he said. "It's all about the future." With the return of Josh Brown and Reggie Davis, combined with the sudden arrival of high school All-American Bobby Washington, NC State would seem to be better equipped to handle another McLendon injury than it was last year when Davis, who was expected to be redshirted, was pressed into duty as an untested freshman down the stretch. But if NC State is going to be the best football team it can be, McLendon needs to be on the field most of the time. As he showed when he rushed for 1,101 yards and 18 touchdowns in his first year, the Albemarle native is one of those rare marquee running backs who can make an enormous impact on a football game when he's touching the ball on a regular basis. There's really no way to replace a back who has the ability to make positive yards even on plays that aren't necessarily executed or blocked properly. In his career, McLendon has broken a whopping total of 179 tackles for 756 yards. Quarterback Rundown: For Jay Davis and Marcus Stone, the players competing for NC State's starting quarterback job, the most lasting legacy left by the man they're trying to replace is leadership ability. For all of the impressive statistics Philip Rivers put up during a record-breaking career, his total command of the huddle, the line of scrimmage and of the offense are the traits that his potential successors would like to emulate the most. "The number one thing about Philip is that he was such a great leader," said Davis, a redshirt junior. "The way that he moved the team was through those intangibles. He got everyone around him to get motivated to do their best. I'm trying to work on that. I'm more of a shy guy myself. It's really a day-by-day thing trying to take this team to the next level." Handicapping the competition between Davis and Stone at this point would be fruitless. Between now and game week, each player will have more than 20 practices and at least two scrimmages in which to prove themselves. Wolfpack head coach Chuck Amato has said that he will wait "as long as it takes" before naming a starter. "I believe the competition is pretty even right now," said Stone, a redshirt freshman. "I'm just going to keep working hard and do what I can for the team." Said Davis: "I'm going to come out here everyday and get better and see where that leads. If I end up starting, that's great. If not, then so be it. Let's go win a national championship."
