UC Football News 8.21.07

By Jack Bogaczyk
Daily Mail Sports Editor

Years from now, when someone wants to chronicle how the University of Charleston brought back football after nearly a half-century of dormancy, Rusty Taylor won't have to look it up.

The senior starting slotback from Rand has lived through it, the good, bad and ugly. The 5-foot-6 former Riverside High star has played all of those roles, too.

"I've seen the worst of the program and I've seen the best," said Taylor, who is one of eight Kanawha Valley players listed in UC's two-deep for the Golden Eagles' Saturday home opener against Tusculum (Tenn.). "I think you're going to see it get better after this, too."

Taylor is one of only two remaining players in the UC program from the return to football in 2003 from a 46-year break. He is one of only five seniors on Coach Tony DeMeo's third Charleston team and there was a time not long ago when that number could have been four.

Back at the beginning of the 2007 spring semester, Taylor failed to show for a meeting, and fingers were pointed between the player and DeMeo.

Taylor was off the team for almost a month until he asked to come back.

DeMeo's team took a vote, and Taylor was back but only after he made up the weightlifting and running and conditioning he had missed. He and DeMeo aren't only on the same page now. It seems the differences are pretty much forgotten unless brought up.

"I think Rusty made a commitment," DeMeo said. "It was his choice. He chose to do what he did, to come back. I've put it out of my mind.

"If you give a guy a fresh start, and he worked to get it, then you can't keep going back to that. If you get crossways on an issue, when it's done and settled, it's done. I don't care if it's a senior, junior, sophomore, freshman or faculty member, if you want to play football, the rules are the same."

Taylor averaged 8.7 yards on 31 rushes and 25.1 yards on 18 receptions last season. He's also the UC kickoff return man.

The senior accounting and business major went through 2-9 and 3-7 seasons and the undisciplined turmoil that enveloped former coach Mike Springston's two seasons. DeMeo's 8-3 debut in 2005 was followed by a fallback to 5-6 last season.

"The direction is what's important," Taylor said, "and Coach DeMeo is taking it in the right direction in the right way. We don't have many seniors, but we have a lot of young guys who have played a lot. There's a foundation here.

"Last season, we made a lot of silly mistakes and we've spent a lot of time focusing on execution since then. I'm one of the older guys here, so it's my responsibility to be one of the leaders. What happened with me was a misunderstanding. I got sick and I didn't communicate with the coaches and wires kind of got crossed.

"We are a family and they voted. The responsibility was put on me. I made up what I missed and we're OK."

In UC's triple option shotgun set, Taylor's slotback role requires speed, strength and versatility. He is often asked to be the blocking back for the tailback, where former Nitro High star and Kennedy Award winner Josh Culbertson is UC's sophomore starter.

"There's a lot of responsibility not only as a senior, but in the position," Taylor said. "We're way ahead of where we were a year ago or even this spring.

"It's overwhelming to know that I've been part of bringing back football at UC. I've been treated very well at the school. College has been a great teaching tool for me, and I'm going to enjoy watching these guy keep getting better down the road."

Eagle eyes DeMeo has named Floridian DeRante Hunter as the starting quarterback over South Charleston's Shaad Coleman after the two redshirt freshmen battled through preseason practice. "Both have improved tremendously," UC Offensive Coordinator Ralph Isernia said. "DeRante just grasped the system a little bit better." ... DeMeo cited the emergence of Parkersburg sophomore Joey Lindamood as starting middle linebacker. Lindamood was the state high school wrestling champ in 2006 at 215 pounds ... St. Albans freshman Nick Watts has won the kickoff job. Another freshman "our biggest surprise," DeMeo said is Wes Sherrill of Charlottesville, Va., who will handle field goals and extra point tries ... Eleven of UC's 22 (offense/defense) starters are from Florida ... The only true freshman in the offense/defense two-deep is backup tailback Nick Lockhart of Glen Allen, Va.