Arkansas running back Darren McFadden has been running his mouth a lot lately.
Don’t worry, it’s not the kind of mouth-running you’re thinking of.
This talk is off the field, sitting at a desk with a phone pressed to his ear, chatting every week with the national media from the confines of the Arkansas Sports Information Office.
“I pretty much come in every Monday for 20 to 30 minutes,” said McFadden, a sophomore from Little Rock. “I get to talk to all kinds of people. It’s been a great experience so far.”
Such is the life of a Heisman Trophy candidate. When November comes around, it can be a whirlwind. Most players who go through it have a hard time just keeping their heads screwed on straight.
McFadden doesn’t seem to have that problem. He’s a polite, yes-sir, no-sir type of guy. And to keep things in perspective, he just remembers back to last summer, when a broken toe from a bar fight took some of the wind out of his early season sails.
“That was a major setback,” said McFadden, who currently leads the SEC in rushing. “I missed camp, which was really hard on me. Even though I played in the first game, I really wasn’t confident running until week four or five.
Worse, the Razorbacks were embarrassed in their opener, losing 50-14 to USC in Fayetteville. McFadden played hurt and managed just 42 yards on nine carries.
“Maybe if I was healthy I could have made more of a difference,” said McFadden. “But we did a lot of things that killed us in that game.”
No worries. Those were the dark days of the season. Flash forward 11 weeks and the Hogs are ranked in the top five and headed to the SEC title game. Meanwhile, McFadden–called ‘the best SEC running back since Bo’ by former Auburn coach Pat Dye–is gunning for a trip to the Heisman ceremony.
“We knew back in summer that if we worked hard, we’d be a great team,” said McFadden. “This team has really stayed together. We are playing harder and there is more senior leadership than last year.
“As for possibly going to New York, I never thought in my wildest dreams that it could happen.”
Anyone who watches McFadden play probably wonders why it hasn’t happened sooner. Then you remember that the 6-2, 205-pound whirling dervish is just a sophomore, which means that, amazingly enough, he’s still got some developing to do. He possesses a running style reminiscient of a young O.J. Simpson–with all the size, speed and power that comparison entails–so it’s scary to think how good he is going to be.
“I think I’ve developed a lot as a running back this season,” said McFadden. “I’ve gotten better at reading blocking schemes and hitting the holes harder. But this season I just wanted to do the best I could to help the team.”
He’s done a heck of a job helping the team so far, producing points four different ways. Through 11 games, he has 1,303 rushing yards and 12 touchdowns. He is averaging nearly six yards per carry. He also has eight catches for 115 yards and another score. Last week, he took a kickoff 92 yards to the house and, believe it or not, he also is three-for-three passing on the year, with 37 yards and two touchdowns to his credit.
“It’s fun playing quarterback,” said McFadden, who has taken several direct snaps from center this season. “I played a lot of quarterback in high school. Last year was really the first year I didn’t since I started playing football.”
Such versatility–coupled with a 10-game win streak–has caused the entire state of Arkansas to go Hog-wild. LSU comes to town on Friday and, if the Razorbacks get past the Tigers, the SEC title game could be for more than just a conference crown. Through all the excitement, though, McFadden remains low key.
“We are just going to keep approaching games like we have been,” he said. “We’re just going to try to stay cool.”
That goes for his Heisman hopes as well.
“It would be a great accomplishment to win,” said McFadden. “But I need to stay focused. I try not to let it creep into my mind. The more you let those things affect how you play, the more you are likely to make mistakes.”
With that kind of attitude, he could be headed for long-term success in an even bigger arena.
“I’d love to go the NFL,” said McFadden, who could be the front runner for the Heisman in 2007. “Football is my passion. But if I don’t end up there, I want to come back home to Arkansas and coach.”
If things keep going his way, forget coaching.
He could be governor.
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