From the McAllen Monitor, Dec. 24, 2006:
Just Two Good
December 24,2006
By Wade Baker
Monitor Deputy Sports Editor
Bradley Stephens didn’t know which way to turn moments after teammate Mitchell Bunger threw a season-ending interception during the final second of McAllen Memorial’s heartbreaking loss against San Antonio MacArthur.
Stephens turned to the sideline, seeing the dejection of his classmates, teammates and coaching staff after the 35-34 defeat during the Class 5A Division II regional semifinal last month at McAllen Veterans Memorial Stadium. Then Stephens turned back toward the field, where he saw Bunger laying facedown on the turf in emotional agony.
So then Stephens turned to the place where he’s felt most comfortable during his four-year varsity career. Perhaps the greatest running back to ever grace a Rio Grande Valley football field, Stephens slowly walked over to the end zone and dropped to one knee.
“I had a tough time figuring out why it had to end,” said Stephens, who was named The Monitor’s All-Valley MVP for the second consecutive season. “We were so close, we came so far and we didn’t want it to end right there.
“I just went to the end zone, because I wanted to be by myself. I knew that was it. I knew it was over.”
During the following weeks, Stephens has managed to cope with the defeat. Instead of wondering what could have been, the Texas A&M verbal commitment began to reflect on his career, along with his team’s accomplishments during that span.
For those that have missed all the hoopla, by the time Stephens left that end zone at Veterans Memorial Stadium in November he compiled enough yardage on the ground to finish second all-time on the state’s Class 5A career rushing list. The only player he trails is Cedric Benson, who rushed for 8,423 yards for Midland Lee from 1998 through 2000. Benson, of course, went on to a standout career for the Texas Longhorns and now is playing for the NFL’s Chicago Bears.
In total, Stephens finished his career with 7,803 yards rushing.
On the Valley scene, Stephens eclipsed nearly every rushing record imaginable. He owns the single-season rushing mark at 2,622 yards in 10 games during 2005, and destroyed the previous career touchdown and rushing marks. Stephens’ rushing total was 2,268 yards more than the previous record held by Brownsville Hanna’s Tony Ellis. Stephens also cruised past Ellis’ previous career touchdown record as he finished with 113 TDs, 40 more scores than the previous mark.
“I never really cared about that stuff,” said Stephens, who rushed for 2,546 yards and 33 touchdowns in 13 games this past season. “During the season you hear about all that stuff, and it’s pretty neat hearing about it. But I really didn’t care about it. But now that it’s over with, now that my high school career is over, it’s pretty flattering looking at what all I accomplished.”
Even with Stephens’ long list of accolades, the senior still has just as many doubters out there.
Some think the 5-foot-11, 195-pound senior will be a bust on the NCAA Division I level. But when it comes to the experts on the national recruiting circuit, they say that statement couldn’t be further from the truth.
Tom Lemming, who has 28 years of experience as a national recruiter and is a recruiting consultant for USA Today, has Stephens ranked as “one of the top six or seven running backs in the nation, without a doubt,” he said.
“I’ve seen the top 50 running backs in the nation in person, and he’s in the top 10. There’s no question about that,” said Lemming, who previously was a recruiting consultant for ESPN. “Bradley is just a durable back, he’s productive, he’s smart, he’s fast and he has tremendous field vision. If he’s given a chance, he will be a star at Texas A&M.
“I could even see him making an impact as a true freshman.”
Recruiting expert Max Emfinger is equally as high on Stephens. Emfinger thought enough of Stephens’ talent to give him an early invite to his Third Annual High School All-American Bowl Game Classic on Jan. 5 at Independence Stadium in Shreveport, La.
As for Stephens, he’s not worried about the doubters.
“That’s just part of the game,” he said. “Some of the stuff bothers me. I’m human. But if you really let it get to you, then it will start getting into your head and affecting the way you play. To be honest, that stuff just comes with the territory.”
———
Wade Baker covers District 30-5A for The Monitor. You can reach him at (956) 683-4450. For this and more local stories, visit www.themonitor.com.
Just Two Good
December 24,2006
By Wade Baker
Monitor Deputy Sports Editor
Bradley Stephens didn’t know which way to turn moments after teammate Mitchell Bunger threw a season-ending interception during the final second of McAllen Memorial’s heartbreaking loss against San Antonio MacArthur.
Stephens turned to the sideline, seeing the dejection of his classmates, teammates and coaching staff after the 35-34 defeat during the Class 5A Division II regional semifinal last month at McAllen Veterans Memorial Stadium. Then Stephens turned back toward the field, where he saw Bunger laying facedown on the turf in emotional agony.
So then Stephens turned to the place where he’s felt most comfortable during his four-year varsity career. Perhaps the greatest running back to ever grace a Rio Grande Valley football field, Stephens slowly walked over to the end zone and dropped to one knee.
“I had a tough time figuring out why it had to end,” said Stephens, who was named The Monitor’s All-Valley MVP for the second consecutive season. “We were so close, we came so far and we didn’t want it to end right there.
“I just went to the end zone, because I wanted to be by myself. I knew that was it. I knew it was over.”
During the following weeks, Stephens has managed to cope with the defeat. Instead of wondering what could have been, the Texas A&M verbal commitment began to reflect on his career, along with his team’s accomplishments during that span.
For those that have missed all the hoopla, by the time Stephens left that end zone at Veterans Memorial Stadium in November he compiled enough yardage on the ground to finish second all-time on the state’s Class 5A career rushing list. The only player he trails is Cedric Benson, who rushed for 8,423 yards for Midland Lee from 1998 through 2000. Benson, of course, went on to a standout career for the Texas Longhorns and now is playing for the NFL’s Chicago Bears.
In total, Stephens finished his career with 7,803 yards rushing.
On the Valley scene, Stephens eclipsed nearly every rushing record imaginable. He owns the single-season rushing mark at 2,622 yards in 10 games during 2005, and destroyed the previous career touchdown and rushing marks. Stephens’ rushing total was 2,268 yards more than the previous record held by Brownsville Hanna’s Tony Ellis. Stephens also cruised past Ellis’ previous career touchdown record as he finished with 113 TDs, 40 more scores than the previous mark.
“I never really cared about that stuff,” said Stephens, who rushed for 2,546 yards and 33 touchdowns in 13 games this past season. “During the season you hear about all that stuff, and it’s pretty neat hearing about it. But I really didn’t care about it. But now that it’s over with, now that my high school career is over, it’s pretty flattering looking at what all I accomplished.”
Even with Stephens’ long list of accolades, the senior still has just as many doubters out there.
Some think the 5-foot-11, 195-pound senior will be a bust on the NCAA Division I level. But when it comes to the experts on the national recruiting circuit, they say that statement couldn’t be further from the truth.
Tom Lemming, who has 28 years of experience as a national recruiter and is a recruiting consultant for USA Today, has Stephens ranked as “one of the top six or seven running backs in the nation, without a doubt,” he said.
“I’ve seen the top 50 running backs in the nation in person, and he’s in the top 10. There’s no question about that,” said Lemming, who previously was a recruiting consultant for ESPN. “Bradley is just a durable back, he’s productive, he’s smart, he’s fast and he has tremendous field vision. If he’s given a chance, he will be a star at Texas A&M.
“I could even see him making an impact as a true freshman.”
Recruiting expert Max Emfinger is equally as high on Stephens. Emfinger thought enough of Stephens’ talent to give him an early invite to his Third Annual High School All-American Bowl Game Classic on Jan. 5 at Independence Stadium in Shreveport, La.
As for Stephens, he’s not worried about the doubters.
“That’s just part of the game,” he said. “Some of the stuff bothers me. I’m human. But if you really let it get to you, then it will start getting into your head and affecting the way you play. To be honest, that stuff just comes with the territory.”
———
Wade Baker covers District 30-5A for The Monitor. You can reach him at (956) 683-4450. For this and more local stories, visit www.themonitor.com.
