(Sports) Editor's Note
Post-Mendenhall
Posted by: Jim Rossow
Thursday, January 10, 2008 8:39 AM
UI running backs coach Reggie Mitchell addressed the loss of Rashard Mendenhall with our Bob Asmussen. He doesn't seem too worried:The Illini will have Daniel Dufrene and Troy Pollard back in 2008.
"We've got some guys with some experience," Mitchell said. "Coming into this year, the big unknown was Rashard. He had the talent, but he hadn't done it on a consistent basis."
Centennial's Mikel Leshoure and Belleville Althoff's Jason Ford, both two-time News-Gazette All-Staters, will join the team in the spring and fall, respectively. And Illinois continues to recruit top-level running backs, offering the chance to fill the void left by Mendenhall.
"Whoever's the best player is going to play," Mitchell said. "If we have to do it by committee, we're not afraid to do that. When you look around the country and what people are doing at running back, it's normally two guys doing it."
Comments
I'm confident that Mikel Leshoure will be a major contributor to the Fighting Illini's football team in the future. He will come in strong, willing, capable and ready. He's worked very hard and he is teachable. More than that, he's a success in the classroom as well.
The U of I should consider themselves very fortunate to have someone of Mikel's calibur (on and off the field) to attend their university.
Mikel is humble, he's a gentleman and very respectable but on the football team he's going to be the opposing team's WORST NIGHTMARE! He's a power packed running machine and will give new meaning to the term "running back"!
I can't wait for him to get started!
Signed,
Chi-Town is For Sure about Leshoure!
Posted by ladychicagofan1 on January 16, 2008 at 8:51 AM
