Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/79325
RUNNING START prepares for a high-profile new role Converted wideout Bill Belton I | t was Charles London's second day on the job. He was in his office, adjusting to life as Penn State's new running backs coach, and a visitor came to his door. London hadn't met this guy yet. He stood all of 5 feet, 10 inches and appeared to be a sturdy 200 pounds or more. Wide-eyed, thick-necked, broad-shouldered – this guy looked like a Division I running back, but he wasn't. At least not yet. That's why he stopped by London's office. "I didn't even know his name," London recalled. "I didn't know who he was, so I said, 'I thought you were one of my guys already.' " "No, I'm Bill Belton," the visitor said. "I play receiver." That's all London needed to hear. "When Coach [Bill] O'Brien gets here after the Super Bowl," London said to him, "we're going to have a discussion, and you might not be at that position much longer." He wasn't. By the beginning of spring practice, Belton was listed as the sec- ond-team running back, and it might have been the smartest position change of the off-season. He ran for 53 yards and a touchdown during the Blue- White Game and looked as if he would be the perfect complement to Silas Redd, the Nittany Lions' leading rusher. Then we all know what happened. Redd exchanged his blue and white for cardinal and gold, shoving Belton, a sophomore from Sicklerville, N.J., into the spotlight. By that time, Belton had already de- cided he was staying at Penn State, announcing it on his Twitter account. His decision came fewer than 24 hours after the NCAA's an- nouncement and one full week before Redd publicly made his de- cision to transfer. Redd's choice didn't enter into Belton's thinking. He had oth- er reasons to stay. Said Belton, "I talked to my dad about it, and my dad thought it would be a great opportunity to stay here, get a great education, and I talked it over with my mom, too. She's all for the academic part of it. They thought it would be a great op- portunity to stay here, play in front of