Mendenhall makes big gains for Illini

CHAMPAIGN -- As the guardian of potential greatness, Illinois running backs coach Reggie Mitchell has a mission in life.

Cut Rashard Mendenhall no slack.

That's why Mitchell, who rushed for 1,086 yards and earned team MVP honors at Central Michigan in 1981, delivers a persistent stream of hard-earned wisdom to the junior running back's ear.

"Just constantly," Mendenhall said. "Whatever it is, all the time he's just there trying to push me."

Even about things that would seem to have little to do with developing the Niles West High School prodigy into one of the greatest runners in Illinois history.

"Going hard in the meeting room taking notes," Mendenhall said. "Being on time. Having your shorts on your waist. Everything."

Why does Mitchell hassle Mendenhall? After all, the chiseled 20-year-old has touched the ball just 189 times in his career but already owns three of the 25 biggest gains from scrimmage in Illini annals.

Only World War II-era running back Buddy Young, a member of the college football Hall of Fame, owns as many 75-yard-plus plays as Mendenhall.

As it turns out, Mitchell sees Mendenhall's rare game-breaking ability as a bit of a curse he needs to curb.

"My job as a running backs coach is to get him to the mesh (at the line), then let his natural ability take over," Mitchell said. "But sometimes, his natural ability is a little too much for me."

Mitchell chuckled as those words tumbled from his mouth, but it belied the serious nature of his point.

In the second quarter of Illinois' opener against Missouri, which doubled as the second start of Mendenhall's career, the Illini handed him the ball on third-and-1 at the Tigers' 31.

Rather than power his way toward a first down, the 5-foot-11, 224-pound Mendenhall danced around, lost 6 yards, killed the drive and even knocked the Illini out of field-goal range.

The next time Illinois had the ball, Mitchell sent in backup Daniel Dufrene, a more direct runner, to take Mendenhall's place.

"I think the big thing with Rashard dates back to high school, and it's not a criticism," Mitchell said. "I think he was more of a guy who, when he got the ball, could do whatever he wanted. Reverse field whenever he wanted. He could just do some made-for-TV stuff."

Indeed, Mendenhall averaged 10.3 yards per carry in his final two years at Niles West, where he piled up 3,285 yards and 33 touchdowns and earned five-star status from the recruiting gurus.

He graduated a semester early from Niles West to get a jump on college ball -- and everyone assumed the prep All-American would be an immediate starter and star.

Instead, Mendenhall had to wait his turn behind Pierre Thomas and, to a lesser extent, E.B. Halsey.

Thomas didn't have the flash, the feet or the speed to compete with Mendenhall, but he did have a certain something that enabled him to stick with the New Orleans Saints this fall despite being an undrafted free agent.

The Saints cut fourth-round draft pick Antonio Pittman, an all-Big Ten runner at Ohio State, in order to keep Thomas.

When that happened, suddenly it made more sense why Thomas carried the ball 53 more times than Mendenhall last fall even though Mendenhall averaged 8.2 yards per carry to Thomas' 5.8.

"The thing with Pierre, it took me awhile to appreciate him," said Mitchell, who came to Illinois prior to Thomas' junior year. "You don't appreciate Pierre until after the game when you watch the film, when you see how many tackles he's broken and how many yards he's gotten after contact."

With that in mind, Mitchell wants Mendenhall to put a little "Pierre" into his game.

"With him, it's just about being disciplined, being able to run between the tackles," Mitchell said. "And then, once you get into the open field, let your creativity take over. Just be a little more disciplined about hitting the right points."

After that undisciplined run in the Missouri game, Mitchell shelved Mendenhall for almost three full drives.

When he finally returned to the game, Mendenhall turned his first carry into a 25-yard rampage up the middle for a touchdown. Along the way, he smashed Mizzou's 220-pound free safety, William Moore, flat on his back.

"Rashard has a rare combination of ability to make a guy miss, then he's a powerful guy who can run a guy over," Mitchell said. "We'd like to see him do more of that, but I don't know if that's his style.

"Every back has a style. We're just trying to get him to be where he's more productive for us."