Just as I stood on the sideline the sweat beads fell like a waterfall. At the time I was a soon-to-be sophomore at Archbishop Wood High School in Warminster, PA and a spry linebacker looking for any opportunity to get on the field.
It was a 7 v. 7 with multiple teams from the area partaking, but I was only interested in going against our Catholic League foe, Conwell Egan.
This didn’t have anything to do with “setting the tone” for the season nor “getting an early look at our competition.” I was anticipating my chance of covering their best player, a future college star and NFL draftee, Steve Slaton.
I had the privilege of watching Slaton many times as my older brother and him, had many head-to-head collisions, and I kid you not, Slaton only won a few. I think back to my freshman year as I stood on the sidelines in which my brother intercepted a pass and Slaton, from the running back position, attempted to tackle him. The result was Slaton getting the truck-stick in front of our sidelines and the crowd erupting like banshees.
I digress, back to my glory days.
When we faced Egan I was hoping to get the chance, just to step on the field with him and see what abilities he had. I got my wish, and that’s unfortunate.
The purpose of a 7 v. 7 was to allow your offense to operate different passing packages, while facing a defense comprised only of linebackers and defensive backs.
Running backs would lineup behind the quarterback and usually catch passes out of the backfield, a check-down.
I heard my name called and out I trotted, as if I was going to do something worthwhile.
I was positioned as an outside linebacker and my responsibility was to cover the tight end, but if opposite of the strong side, my task was to follow the running back.
Slaton was at his usual position behind the QB until he went in motion and entered the slot.
I remember thinking to myself to not allow Slaton to get behind me, as if I could prevent that. My white cleats led me to believe I was fast, but the truth is I wasn’t and Slaton was a lot faster.
The ball was snapped and as I mirrored Slaton or so I thought, he disappeared into thin air, like he was Houdini. Well when I looked behind me Slaton was running free with the ball in his hands as my coach looked like he ate a hot pepper, while muttering expletives in my direction.
I was somewhat embarrassed at the time, but not for long.
Slaton starred again in his senior season with 25 rushing touchdowns and more than 1800 yards rushing. Playing for a team with dismal talent, Slaton somehow managed to put up astronomical numbers. Scouts flocked to see the 5’10, 200 pound back with a 40-time of 4.4 seconds.
Slaton received many offers from serious Division I programs but only a few had plans of allowing him to play behind the quarterback. Slaton accepted a full-ride to play for Ralph Friedgen at Maryland, however the ‘Terps reneged because they had too many running backs.
Slaton felt slighted and signed with West Virginia, then-coached by Rich Rodriguez who orchestrated one of the most explosive offenses ever seen in college football.
Slaton wasn’t the back many expected to emerge from the pool at WVU. Jason Gwaltney, the no. 1 rated running back according to many scouting services was the man expected to lead the charge. Standing 6’ and weighing 230 pounds Gwaltney was the full-package, but, off the field issues hindered his chances and Slaton swooped in and capitalized.
Slaton had four-games with more than 100 yards rushing including a barn-burner against Louisville where Slaton carried the ball 31 times while amassing 188 yards and five touchdowns in an overtime victory.
Courtesy: NY Times
The biggest performance though came when the lights were brightest. The Mountaineers earned a spot in the Nokia Sugar Bowl after winning the Big East. Their competition was an SEC defensive juggernaut, the Georgia Bulldogs. Mark Richt’s club came into the contest with only two-games of allowing 20 or more points.
With WVU relying on their horse-powered offense, many felt that the Bulldogs were going to obliterate WVU and their “gimmicky” offense.
With a large chip on his shoulder, Slaton hushed the critics while punching the heralded Georgia defense in the mouth. Slaton rushed for 204 yards and three touchdowns en route to leading WVU to a 38-35 victory over the Bulldogs. Somewhere that night Friedgen was assaulting his recruiters for the major blemish.
The great performance he had in the Bulldogs game was just the start; Slaton’s sophomore delivered similar performances all season long.
In the Friends of the Coal Bowl, which is the contest between WVU and Marshall, Slaton popped-off for 203 yards and two touchdowns in the season opener.
After a 52-3 shellacking against Eastern Washington (105 yards, 2 touchdowns), Slaton prepared his time to prove just how wrong the ‘Terps were about his talents.
In his freshman season Slaton didn’t play, this was his time to deliver the goods.
Slaton carried the ball 21 times while amassing 195 yards and two touchdowns as the Mountaineers bullied Maryland 45-24. Slaton’s performance against the team that pulled his scholarship was his “I told you so” moment.
Led by Slaton, the Mountaineers rattled off seven straight wins and were lining up another BCS berth. However, two losses in the remaining four games spelled disaster for WVU and instead had to settle for the Gator Bowl.
Slaton’s numbers from that season were dazzling. The sophomore carried the ball 248 times while accumulating 1744 yards and 16 touchdowns. The Heisman Trophy could have been his for the taking but a poor performance in a loss against South Florida crushed those hopes.
Slaton finished fourth that season in the voting behind Brady Quinn, Darren McFadden and winner Troy Smith. He was named a consensus All-American and unanimous All-Big East selection.
As the carries mounted, Slaton began to experience a lingering wrist injury. To compensate, Slaton only carried the football in his left hand. Furthermore, the sophomore-sensation began to experience fumbling woes. He fumbled the ball seven times due to his wrist that was later surgically repaired.
Primed for a showcase season, Slaton digressed. His fumbling jinx continued and the coaching staff lost faith in their once dependable back. The emergence of Noel Devine took carries away from Slaton who just barely reached the 1,000 yard mark. He did though score 17 touchdowns and average five yards a pop. However, with Pat White and the potent WVU offense, those numbers were merely pedestrian.
The Mountaineers again finished the season with two losses but managed to etch their names into the Fiesta Bowl against Oklahoma. However, Slaton’s play was not the catalyst. In the final three games, including the BCS bowl, Slaton amassed only 63 yards rushing. Against OU, Slaton rushed the ball one time for a negative two yards before being pulled for the remainder of the game with a hamstring injury.
Despite the poor results Slaton decided to forego his senior season and enter his name in the NFL draft. His coach, Rich Rodriguez, left the Mountaineers before the Fiesta Bowl to take a job with the University of Michigan. Carl Slaton, Steve’s father, expressed “Rich Rod’s” departure as the reason his son was skipping his final year.
Scouts viewed Slaton as a one-trick-pony, a back who could only run to the outside but not within the tackles. Before his junior campaign, many viewed Slaton as a first round projection but when the 2008 draft came and gone, he went 89th overall to the Houston Texans.
Much like his college career, Slaton’s tenure in the NFL was filled with a lot of highs and just as many lows.
In his rookie season, Slaton finished with five games with 100 yards or more rushing including three straight contests in December where he amassed 350 yards and two touchdowns. The Texans finished 7-9 but their rookie running back was one of the few bright spots. His 2008 campaign included 1,282 yards with nine touchdowns leading all rookie rushers.
Courtesy: Sports Illustrated/CNN
His sophomore year was dim, riddled with fumbling woes and a nerve issue in his neck that cut his season to only 11-games. With Slaton’s injury, a door opened for one of the best backs in football. At the time he was a little-known undrafted back out of Tennessee. Today, he’s one of the best.
Arian Foster played in the final four contests of the season but in his final contests he rattled off 216 yards and three touchdowns. Most importantly, he gained the trust of the coaching staff while Slaton was made dispensable.
The 2010 season proved that Texans coach lost all faith in his once sturdy back. The Texans traded up in the second round (#58) and selected Auburn running back Ben Tate to duo Foster.
Slaton earned minimal playing time in 2010 while Foster had a breakout season of 1,616 and 16 touchdowns. Slaton’s numbers weren’t as friendly, 19 carries and 93 yards.
Once a starter, Slaton was demoted to third string and despite an injury to Foster, the Texans gave the brunt of the workload to Tate who flourished. Through three games in the 2011 season, Slaton was shown the door and out of the NFL.
His time off wasn’t long however as the Miami Dolphins were in need of an immediate back. Slaton was not able to capitalize on the second chance and instead found himself acclimated to the sidelines instead of the field.
Slaton’s only memorable moment as a Dolphin came on the show “Hard Knocks” where coach Joe Philbin looked at Slaton scornfully during a walkthrough and asked Slaton if he knew how to tie his shoes. Slaton embarrassedly tied his shoes and was released days later.
When at his peak, Slaton was a bull-dozer with a Ferrari’s engine. Listed at 210 pounds, Slaton didn’t allow a single tackler to stop him; gang-tackling was the only way to prevent him from reaching the end zone. As the carries mounted, fumbling woes were rabid and injuries crept into the situation.
Most importantly, his confidence was gone, his swagger was depleted. Slaton allowed his thoughts to overpower his ability. Despite his success during his inception season, Slaton slowly faded to the back and allowed the Texans to find their star in Foster.
Slaton hasn’t been in the NFL since and though his name has been tossed around as a fill-in –his best times are behind him.
Little did I know that the guy burning me down the field would churn out monumental performances on the biggest stages in college football and go on to be a starter in the NFL. At least I can say one of the hundred players to make me look foolish actually went on to have a successful career.
