Penn State Sports Magazine
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these great fans here and finish off my career." Plenty of other college programs, how- ever, wanted Belton to finish his career elsewhere. Mike McBride, Belton's high school coach at Winslow Township, said he was "inundated with over 30 phone calls from all over the country" hours after the sanctions were an- nounced; he even fielded one call the night before the NCAA's news confer- ence. McBride relayed each coach's message to Belton and his parents, along with a message of his own. "Think about when you went up there the first time, what made you go to Penn State in the first place?" he asked Belton. "We've talked about it, and it's not always about the football program itself, but it's about the love for the university. You're part of that community. There are going to be a lot of people trying to talk you out of staying there. "I never told him, 'I think you should stay or should go.' … But in my heart of hearts, I knew what kind of kid he was, and I knew he was going to stay." The following day, McBride returned each call from every college coach who inquired, and politely declined each offer in accordance with Belton's wish- es. He wasn't going anywhere. His decision to stay became even more significant a week later when Redd announced he was bound for Los Angeles. By default, Belton became the No. 1 running back on Penn State's offense, which was suddenly devoid of proven playmakers. At first, there appeared to be cause for worry. Belton's experience as a col- lege running back consisted of a few plays from the Wildcat formation in the last few games of the 2011 season. (He finished his freshman year with 66 yards on 13 carries.) Belton, however, had no reservations SEE BELTON PAGE 61 about his new role. He said Craig Fitzgerald's weight program helped him add six pounds of muscle over the summer and he pointed out that the added strength will help him feel com- fortable carrying the ball 20 or more LETTERMEN RETURNING Derek Day, Curtis Dukes, Michael Zordich LETTERMEN LOST Stephfon Green, Silas Redd*, Joe Suhey* RISING STAR Bill Belton moved from wide receiver to running back in the spring and should play a key role giv- en the depth concerns in the back- field. BIGGEST LOSS Once compared to All- American Curt Warner, Redd was ex- pected to be Penn State's next great running back. That lasted two sea- sons. Now he'll try joining the ranks of Marcus Allen, Reggie Bush and Charles White at Southern Cal. NUMBERS GAME Day, Dukes and Belton combined to average 4.9 yards per carry last season. Redd averaged 5.1. OUTLOOK Most of the speculation about Penn State's new-look offense has been focused on the passing game, but don't expect the Lions to abandon their commitment to the ground attack, even with Redd gone. To get by, they're likely to rely on a committee of backs. Belton looks to inherit the starting spot, with Dukes providing the thunder with his pow- erful running style. True freshman Akeel Lynch probably won't have to wait long to get on the field, and it wouldn't be surprising to see him play a greater role in the offense as the season wears on. Zordich figures to get a few carries, too, but fullback is likely to be a part-time position in the new offense, which will empha- size sets featuring multiple tight ends. Sophomore Zach Zwinak, a fullback-tailback combo, is expected to share carries with Belton and com- pany. PHIL SAYS At the end of June, it ap- peared the running back position was the strongest area on Penn State's offense. That changed with Redd's departure. Belton is now the projected starter, with Day, Dukes, Zwinak and Lynch battling for the backup position. But a big problem exists: There is little game experience TAILBACK NO NAME 1Bill Belton 24 Derek Day 26 Curtis Dukes 22 Akeel Lynch 40 Zach Zwinak FULLBACK 9Michael Zordich 45 P.J. Byers 33 Andre Dupree YR HT WT So. 5-10 202 Sr. 5-9 193 Jr. 6-1 245 Fr. 6-0 209 So. 6-1 232 Sr. 6-1 236 Sr. 6-0 246 Jr. 5-10 246 anywhere to be found. Even Belton is a newcomer to the position. The full- back spot is also a big question mark. Zordich is backed up by three walk-ons: Pat Zerbe, Andre Dupree and P.J. Byers. * Starting experience in 2011 times per game and filling the void left by Redd. "Whatever the coaches decide to put on me, I'll be able to handle it," Belton said. "The coaches believe in me. They think I can do big things here, so I be- lieve in the coaching staff. Whatever they have for me, I'll be all for it." O'Brien gave Belton a big vote of confidence recently, citing his steady improvement throughout the off-sea- son. "I think he has grown up in the last six or seven months," O'Brien said. "I think Charles London has done a heck of a job coaching him. Can he carry the ball 20 to 25 times a game? I think he can. Fitzy's got him ready to take a pounding in the Big Ten." McBride, who might know Belton's running ability the best, agreed, saying, "I think he can carry that load, 20 or 22 carries. "He ran for more than 1,000 yards [as a senior year in high school]. He