North Carolina State University Athletics
Program Spotlight: LeRue Rumph
9/28/2007 12:00:00 AM | Football
By Pat Norris
Raleigh, N.C. - LeRue Rumph is an interesting study when learning about how a kid becomes a starter on the collegiate level. The senior from Tampa, Fla., appears to be a prototypical linebacker with a combination of size, speed and tenacity. All of 6-1 and 230 pounds, Rumph made an instant impact in his first career game, notching nine tackles in just 14 snaps in the 2004 opener against Richmond for NC State.
What you might not realize is that he never played linebacker until his redshirt-freshman year with the Wolfpack. As one of the top linebackers on the Red and White squad the last few seasons, his path was more atypical that you might realize.
When Rumph was 12 years old, a man saw him in a store and asked if he played football. Rumph, always a tall and big kid growing up, had never played organized football but decided then and there to give it a shot.
A few years later, when he was in the seventh grade, a chance encounter during a middle school basketball game provided an opportunity to make an impact on the hardwood as well.
"An adoption attorney named John Fricker was in the gym and saw me play basketball," Rumph said of his early days in organized sports. "I went up and blocked this kid's shot into the stands and after the game he asked me if I wanted to join his AAU team. The next year we won a state championship."
Rumph played basketball until his junior year of high school, but once the scholarship offers rolled in he started to focus on football, the sport that would ultimately land him over 40 offers from colleges across the country.
His relationship with Fricker was longer-lasting, however.
"[Fricker] is like a father figure to me and it felt good that he saw me play just once and wanted me to help his team out," Rumph said. "I was an athlete, so I just liked getting out there and playing. It was a good opportunity that he gave me."
With Rumph now focused on football, he was utilized as an offensive weapon at the same high school as another NC State player, former quarterback Jay Davis.
"I always played offense growing up," Rumph said. "I wasn't a defensive guy until college, maybe a little bit in high school. I was always a running back or wide receiver and played a little bit of safety."
When Rumph was being recruited it came down to Georgia and NC State, with the Bulldogs wanting Rumph as a linebacker and NC State looking at him more as a safety. After choosing to run with the Pack, Rumph was indeed a safety well into his redshirt-freshman year, but eventually moved to strongside linebacker. He played in 10 games his first season, making an immediate impact with his speed and nose for the football.
"It was a little strange playing defense full-time," Rumph said of playing on the collegiate level. "It took me some time to get used to it, but I think I've done a pretty good job."
And with another twist, Rumph says he was never a very physical offensive player, instead letting his speed and agility make his mark on the field. His athleticism helped him score eight touchdowns and pile up more than 800 all_purpose yards as a junior at Central Catholic High School. Now Rumph uses his physicality to punish ballcarriers.
NFL ambitions are never far from his mind, and Rumph has a close connection with a big name in the NFL, Kansas City Chiefs head coach Herman Edwards.
"I'm really close with Herman Edwards' family and his son Marcus is my best friend," Rumph said. "We met in 10th grade and hit it off, and we started going to Tampa Bay Bucs games together and checking out their facilities. Ever since then, I knew I wanted to play in the NFL."
During Rumph's junior year at Central Catholic, something else happened that shaped his play and mentality on the field. He broke his leg. When that happened it didn't just affect his NFL dreams, but it also made him question if he would ever recover to play football at all.
"It was my junior year and when I planted, it just snapped," Rumph said of his injury. "It was a spiral fracture, so the tibia just twisted. I have a rod in my leg right now, still.
"It was the first offensive series after halftime on an inside zone play. I was the running back and broke for like 25 yards down the middle. I went to cut away from a defender and it sounded like a tree broke in half. They were worried I would go into shock because of the pain, and it hurt so bad I wanted to kill myself."
At the time, Rumph thought he might not make it to college, and some schools let up on his recruitment after the injury. He says he never takes football for granted, so he went through rehab to get back out on the field.
He played sparingly his senior year, splitting time again as a safety on defense and as a running back and wideout on the offensive side of the ball.
After a redshirt year in Raleigh, Rumph still struggled to shake from his mind a lingering doubt in his mind on the health of his leg, despite being fully cleared months after the injury.
"What people don't understand about an injury like this," Rumph said, "is that the bone can be strong and healed but mentally it takes a while to get confidence back in your leg. You obviously don't want to break it so in my mind, with every move I made on the field, I was worrying about hurting it again."
It took nearly five years until last season before Rumph was able to be satisfied mentally that his leg was fine. He played 10 games as a redshirt-freshman, started the first nine games of the season in 2005 as a redshirt-sophomore and led the ACC in fumble recoveries that year. Last season he ranked fifth on the team in tackles and started the last eight games of the season at linebacker and had a career_high 13 stops against Clemson.
Rumph has started the first three games of the 2007 season as a senior, and is eyeing a future as a professional linebacker. Finally over his mental block regarding his broken leg, Rumph is continuing his successful career for the Pack.
Not bad for a kid who dreamed of scoring touchdowns, not preventing them.
Raleigh, N.C. - LeRue Rumph is an interesting study when learning about how a kid becomes a starter on the collegiate level. The senior from Tampa, Fla., appears to be a prototypical linebacker with a combination of size, speed and tenacity. All of 6-1 and 230 pounds, Rumph made an instant impact in his first career game, notching nine tackles in just 14 snaps in the 2004 opener against Richmond for NC State.
What you might not realize is that he never played linebacker until his redshirt-freshman year with the Wolfpack. As one of the top linebackers on the Red and White squad the last few seasons, his path was more atypical that you might realize.
When Rumph was 12 years old, a man saw him in a store and asked if he played football. Rumph, always a tall and big kid growing up, had never played organized football but decided then and there to give it a shot.
A few years later, when he was in the seventh grade, a chance encounter during a middle school basketball game provided an opportunity to make an impact on the hardwood as well.
"An adoption attorney named John Fricker was in the gym and saw me play basketball," Rumph said of his early days in organized sports. "I went up and blocked this kid's shot into the stands and after the game he asked me if I wanted to join his AAU team. The next year we won a state championship."
Rumph played basketball until his junior year of high school, but once the scholarship offers rolled in he started to focus on football, the sport that would ultimately land him over 40 offers from colleges across the country.
His relationship with Fricker was longer-lasting, however.
"[Fricker] is like a father figure to me and it felt good that he saw me play just once and wanted me to help his team out," Rumph said. "I was an athlete, so I just liked getting out there and playing. It was a good opportunity that he gave me."
With Rumph now focused on football, he was utilized as an offensive weapon at the same high school as another NC State player, former quarterback Jay Davis.
"I always played offense growing up," Rumph said. "I wasn't a defensive guy until college, maybe a little bit in high school. I was always a running back or wide receiver and played a little bit of safety."
When Rumph was being recruited it came down to Georgia and NC State, with the Bulldogs wanting Rumph as a linebacker and NC State looking at him more as a safety. After choosing to run with the Pack, Rumph was indeed a safety well into his redshirt-freshman year, but eventually moved to strongside linebacker. He played in 10 games his first season, making an immediate impact with his speed and nose for the football.
"It was a little strange playing defense full-time," Rumph said of playing on the collegiate level. "It took me some time to get used to it, but I think I've done a pretty good job."
And with another twist, Rumph says he was never a very physical offensive player, instead letting his speed and agility make his mark on the field. His athleticism helped him score eight touchdowns and pile up more than 800 all_purpose yards as a junior at Central Catholic High School. Now Rumph uses his physicality to punish ballcarriers.
NFL ambitions are never far from his mind, and Rumph has a close connection with a big name in the NFL, Kansas City Chiefs head coach Herman Edwards.
"I'm really close with Herman Edwards' family and his son Marcus is my best friend," Rumph said. "We met in 10th grade and hit it off, and we started going to Tampa Bay Bucs games together and checking out their facilities. Ever since then, I knew I wanted to play in the NFL."
During Rumph's junior year at Central Catholic, something else happened that shaped his play and mentality on the field. He broke his leg. When that happened it didn't just affect his NFL dreams, but it also made him question if he would ever recover to play football at all.
"It was my junior year and when I planted, it just snapped," Rumph said of his injury. "It was a spiral fracture, so the tibia just twisted. I have a rod in my leg right now, still.
"It was the first offensive series after halftime on an inside zone play. I was the running back and broke for like 25 yards down the middle. I went to cut away from a defender and it sounded like a tree broke in half. They were worried I would go into shock because of the pain, and it hurt so bad I wanted to kill myself."
At the time, Rumph thought he might not make it to college, and some schools let up on his recruitment after the injury. He says he never takes football for granted, so he went through rehab to get back out on the field.
He played sparingly his senior year, splitting time again as a safety on defense and as a running back and wideout on the offensive side of the ball.
After a redshirt year in Raleigh, Rumph still struggled to shake from his mind a lingering doubt in his mind on the health of his leg, despite being fully cleared months after the injury.
"What people don't understand about an injury like this," Rumph said, "is that the bone can be strong and healed but mentally it takes a while to get confidence back in your leg. You obviously don't want to break it so in my mind, with every move I made on the field, I was worrying about hurting it again."
It took nearly five years until last season before Rumph was able to be satisfied mentally that his leg was fine. He played 10 games as a redshirt-freshman, started the first nine games of the season in 2005 as a redshirt-sophomore and led the ACC in fumble recoveries that year. Last season he ranked fifth on the team in tackles and started the last eight games of the season at linebacker and had a career_high 13 stops against Clemson.
Rumph has started the first three games of the 2007 season as a senior, and is eyeing a future as a professional linebacker. Finally over his mental block regarding his broken leg, Rumph is continuing his successful career for the Pack.
Not bad for a kid who dreamed of scoring touchdowns, not preventing them.
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