Silas Redd looking to be a Firework for Penn State
Penn State lost one of the greatest players in their entire history when Evan Royster graduated last year. He was their all-time leading rusher and was always productive in finding the end zone. He was a constant chain mover and really helped out the offense over his four years at Penn State. Now that he graduated the Nittany Lions must move on and the projected starter seems to be Silas Redd. He has looked good in flashes, but is he the real deal? Can he withstand the beating of an entire season as the featured back? These are all important questions that must be answered if Penn State wants to be competitive this year. They will rely heavily on Redd to balance out the offense and take pressure off either young signal caller. Obviously Coach Paterno believes Redd is ready, as well as the rest of the coaching staff, team, and most importantly himself.
Redd broke on onto the college season as freshman, slicing through Northwestern’s defense for 131 on just 11 carries. He finished his monster campaign with 461 yards and two scores. Those numbers are respectable, as it was on just 77 carries. However that was not as the featured back, and many times as the changeup running back, the average yards per carry is higher because the defense is not use to your running style, or worn down by a beast like Royster. The show is all Redd’s now, so his true talent will be tested. Most people believe he is the next Royster, or better. Can he live up to the hype?
Royster believes that Redd has the talent to beat his record, and Penn State fans are sure banking on that. Royster and Redd were like thunder and lighting, Redd providing the lighting. This year Redd is looking to be more like a firework, powerful, explosive, and fast. He wants to steal the show. Redd hits the hole as fast as possible, and he hits it hard. That is proven when he continually bounces off blockers. He is just not a bulldozer though; he also can bounce a run outside and dash into the end zone on any given carry. He is truly a spark, and one that must be consistent for Penn State’s backfield to be productive. If the Nittany Lions want to compete in the Big Ten, Redd will have to be a firework, and not just a firecracker, who occasionally bursts out for a big explosion, but is never good enough to steal the show. One thing for sure is that Royster will be cheering for Redd, along with every other Nittany Lion fan in the nation to live up to his hype.
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