Brian Leonard

GWTJ

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Her's some encouraging news from one of the local NJ papers. It should bring some added excitement to the season.

http://c-n.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060719/SPORTS07/ 607190374/1005


Rutgers pushing Heisman candidate
Brian Leonard is one of the best all-purpose backs in the nation.


By KEITH SARGEANT
Gannett New Jersey

NEWPORT, R.I. -- Brian Leonard was 8 when he first broke into a Heisman Trophy stance for a picture.

These days, Leonard is as reluctant to take a Heisman pose as he would to don his old Pop Warner uniform, but that hasn't stopped Rutgers from promoting its star running back as a candidate for college football's most esteemed award.

Leonard's Heisman candidacy officially got under way Tuesday at Big East Media Day despite some admitted apprehension from Rutgers' all-purpose running back.

"I'm not an individual-award guy, but really it is a great honor to be recognized like that," said Leonard, whose picture is displayed prominently on the cover of the Rutgers 2006 media guide with the words "Heisman Candidate" in the upper left corner. "I always dreamed of it, but right now, it's just a nomination."

It's more than that, of course. For Rutgers, it's the start of what school officials say will be a media blitz to turn Leonard into a legitimate Heisman candidate.

"Our main focus is to get his name out there to as many people as we can," said John Wooding, Rutgers' Associate Athletics Director/Athletics Communications. "He's probably the best all-purpose back in the country."

Yet, even Wooding understands his job will be made more difficult by Leonard's lack of gaudy rushing statistics. As a junior, Leonard's 740 rushing yards didn't even lead the Scarlet Knights but, coupled with his team-leading 568 receiving yards, his 1,308 all-purpose yards ranked third in the Big East.

"You have to look at his total yardage numbers, look at his scoring numbers," Wooding said. "He's certainly the most versatile back in the country, so we just have to make sure people are aware of him and know who he is."

Big East coaches do.

"What's the criteria for being a Heisman candidate?" West Virginia coach Rich Rodriguez mockingly said when asked if Leonard is worthy of such recognition. "Is it a campaign, a bunch of guys sending out bobbleheads? I mean, what makes him a candidate?

"To me, if a guy's a great player, he deserves to be mentioned, and Brian Leonard is not only a great player, he's one of the best players that has ever played in the Big East Conference. I don't know what more he has to do to get looked at nationally. He's certainly in my opinion one of the best football players in America."

Added Louisville coach Bobby Petrino, "The different things he can do running the football and catching it, blocking, I got a tremendous amount of respect for him."

Yet the people who really count -- the ones who vote for the Heisman award -- don't know much about Leonard.

"To be honest, I didn't really know much about him until today," said Ivan Maisel, who covers college football for ESPN and is one of about 900 Heisman voters nationally. "But hearing (Rutgers coach) Greg (Schiano) talk about him and getting a sense of the buzz around the league about him, you realize he's a pretty unique football player."

While college football training camp still is three weeks away, Leonard is like a presidential candidate who jumps into the race right before the Iowa caucus. He still could mount a serious campaign, but his early poll numbers don't look very promising.

"I think today, more than ever, what a player does on the field dictates his Heisman possibility," Maisel said. "Now, I will concede that if it's a 100-yard dash, some guys line up at the 20-yard line. Brady Quinn (Notre Dame) is probably on the 20, Adrian Peterson (Oklahoma) is probably on the 20, and in that regard, Brian is probably at the goal line."

Leonard's name doesn't appear in any preseason college football magazines as a Heisman candidate and Athlon Sports didn't even list him as an All-Big East first-team running back.

That, however, deserves an asterisk because Leonard was slotted behind Louisville's Michael Bush and West Virginia's Steve Slaton, two tailbacks who are gaining plenty of Heisman buzz of their own.

Unlike the aforementioned backs, Leonard will have to share carries with Ray Rice, the Big East's fourth-leading rusher last season. It's something that certainly will diminish Leonard's rushing statistics and perhaps hinder his national exposure.

"I don't think it's possible for a guy to win it with 700 yards rushing, but I think the Heisman is more based on the media than anything else," said Leonard, who passed up a likely NFL Draft selection to return for his senior season. "Rutgers obviously doesn't get the same media attention as USC, Notre Dame or schools like that, so to me, all I'm focused on is winning and letting everything else take care of itself."

To that end, Rutgers officials are optimistic considering the Scarlet Knights are scheduled to appear on national TV seven times this season.

"There are initiatives already under way and more things being considered," Wooding said. "Notebooks, placards -- he's going to be on billboards representing Rutgers football. But honestly, I think what helps more than anything else is the fact we're going to be on TV all year. That's going to be very helpful in getting his name out there."


Edited by: GWTJ
 

Jimmy Chitwood

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"To be honest, I didn't really know much about him until today," said Ivan Maisel, who covers college football for ESPN

WOW! that shows just how little effort the so-called "experts" that dictate national awareness, or more legitimately the talking heads on ESPN, put into their jobs. these are the same idiots who vote for these awards!

no wonder the sheeple can't get their heads out of the rain, if these are the shpeherds they are following...
 

white is right

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Rutgers also has to roll to a 10-1 season or at worse 9-2 for him to get serious consideration. Thats a tall order for a traditionally weak team. The big least isn't what it used to be and Rutgers is much better with him out of the backfield, so I guess anything is possible. Does anybody know what their out of conference games are ?
 
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