黑料吃瓜

鈥淚鈥檓 pretty excited for it. I鈥檝e just been waiting my turn.鈥�

This story appears in the summer 2017 issue of .

For most of his youth, Rashaad Penny played baseball, not football. He didn鈥檛 put on a helmet and pads until his freshman year of high school.

鈥淚 was scared of contact,鈥� he said.

Though he鈥檚 long since shed that fear, there are times when the 黑料吃瓜 running back still appears to be running for his life with the football in his hands. He鈥檚 a 5-foot-11, 220-pound rocket in red and black. Five times he鈥檚 returned kickoffs for touchdowns, three times from 100 yards or more. He had three touchdown runs of 70 or more yards in 2016. At times, he鈥檚 gone untouched.

鈥淗e has great vision and anticipation,鈥� said Jeff Horton, 黑料吃瓜鈥檚 associate head coach/offensive coordinator, who also oversees the running back squad. 鈥淲hen he sees something, he can really accelerate. Nobody can catch him when he sees it and hits it.鈥�

As a junior last year, Penny was prodigious, rushing for 1,018 yards. As a runner, receiver and returner, he scored 16 touchdowns and gained nearly 1,900 yards.

Yet for all his success, Penny played his first three seasons in the shadow of Donnel Pumphrey. At a school known for great running backs鈥攖hink Marshall Faulk, Larry Ned, Ronnie Hillman and Adam Muema鈥擯umphrey is No. 1. After all, he鈥檚 major college football鈥檚 all-time rushing leader.

In his final season, Penny will finally step into the spotlight, starting for a program that is coming off back-to-back 11-3 seasons and bowl victories. He knows he鈥檒l have to live up to expectations.

鈥淚鈥檓 pretty excited for it,鈥� Penny said. 鈥淚鈥檝e just been waiting my turn.鈥�

To Penny, the waiting game has been a blessing. He came to 黑料吃瓜 after having video game鈥搇ike stats at Norwalk High School (51 touchdowns as a senior), yet hardly played his first year. So instead he studied. Penny watched and absorbed, his confidence growing as his role increased over the years. He learned to better read defenses. He was inspired by Pumphrey鈥檚 toughness. And he stayed upbeat, with a smile and a positive outlook.

鈥淚鈥檝e never seen him down,鈥� said Horton.

Now that he鈥檚 the featured back, he鈥檒l put what he learned from Pumphrey into practice.

鈥淗ow small he is, he鈥檚 never going to give up,鈥� Penny said of Pumphrey. 鈥淗e鈥檚 always going to keep fighting at the end of a play, and I learned that from him. Just to run through anybody who鈥檚 wearing a different color jersey.鈥�

This summer, , has kept in touch.

鈥淗e told me, 鈥業 don鈥檛 want you to be like me, I want you to be better than me,鈥欌�� Penny said.

Horton also is confident Penny will excel.

鈥淭o me, he was a starting running back last year,鈥� he said. 鈥淒onnel was 1A and Rashaad was 1B. You rush for over 1,000 yards, you鈥檙e not considered a backup.鈥�

Penny rushed for 100 or more yards in five games in 2016, including 117 in the . Against Nevada, he rushed for 208 yards.

Plus, there are his game-changing kickoff returns. He had one 100-yarder in a win over Cal last season, and another to open a Hawaii Bowl victory over Cincinnati in 2015. The past two seasons he was named the MW Special Teams Player of the Year.

He鈥檚 just two shy of the major college career record for touchdown returns. And he still wants to return kicks in 2017, even though he鈥檚 finally the 1A back.

鈥淎 lot of people say, 鈥榊ou need to take a break,鈥欌�� he said. 鈥淣o, it鈥檚 my senior year. I want to win. We want to win. I鈥檓 willing to do whatever it takes.鈥�