Got Shorty? They do now…Not to open up old wounds, but when Oregon State freshman running back Jacquizz Rodgers busted 186 rushing yards on the best defense in the country, the world took notice. At 5′-7 Rodgers was cloaked behind his o-line, and the likes of Cushing, Maualuga, Matthews and Mays couldn’t draw a bead until he was already five yards down field. Pete Carroll watched this “undersized” kid burst through the seam again and again and he must of thought to himself, ‘I got to get me one of those.’

Enter redshirt freshman, Venice High running back Curtis McNeal.

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And he’s even shorter: 5′-6. But with Joe McKnight, CJ Gable, Stafon Johnson, Marc Tyler ahead on the chart, when would Curtis McNeal ever stand a chance to prove himself in practice? It was lucky enough Broderick Green transferred to Arkansas…one down. Now it would take every single player ahead of McNeal to get sick or injured for him to even get a shot to touch the ball, let alone take in some scrimmage reps. -But that’s exactly what happened. One by one they pulled, or twisted or reaggravated and in their absences McNeal excelled. Practice after practice he’s cemented himself as one of the Trojan’s biggest risers. During the season’s half-way scrimmage, shifty McNeal ran for 101 yards on 13 carries (that’s 7.8 yards per).

So circle this day in your calendar, and mark it with these notes — When: October 23rd, 2010. Where: Corvalis, Oregon. Who: Curtis McNeal. Why: Revenge, revenge, REVENGE!

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