Monday April 14, 2008

He Just Looks Different

He Just Looks Different
I imagine when Banks McFadden showed up on campus in 1936 the feeling was the same and the comments were similar to some of the feelings and words bantered about in Clemson this past weekend.

McFadden was a freak of nature because he had the longest legs and blended his huge frame with graceful athletic ability. McFadden was a freak of nature. He was a head taller than the opponent but he was the best athlete on the field. His legs seemed to go on for days. No one had ever seen anything like this in Clemson’s short athletic history.

Fast forward to the spring of 2008 and we have another freak. Da’Quan Bowers is the new Banks McFadden. He is the one that has people walking around campus with their jaws on the floor.

The late golfing great Bobby Jones was describing Jack Nicklaus’ game when he said the newcomer “plays a game which I am not familiar.” Nicklaus could make the same statement about Tiger Woods and McFadden might have said the same about Bowers.

When you go to your kid’s little league baseball game or soccer game sometimes there is a kid that stands out like no other. You have seen the kids that are playing in a 12-and-under league but they look 15 years old. You know the ones that drive their own cars to the little league game. Someone needs to check Bower’s birth certificate to see if he isn’t an ineligible player.

I remember when Tommy West was at Clemson and I asked him about a great player he was recruiting and he said, “My wife Lindsey can see he is a great one.” I imagine that happened a lot here at Clemson on Saturday.

There was a time in the 1980s when this sort of thing happened occasionally. Arthur Bussie looked different than other freshmen. The outside linebacker was 6-5 and 235 pounds and could scratch his knees without bending over. His waist was probably 32 inches but his chest and shoulders looked like a NFL defensive end. His teammate Ashley Sheppard apparently got in that same line when they were handing out bodies.

Chester McClockton looked like an NFL defensive tackle the first day he stepped on campus too. It was easy to see he was different.

There have been others. Obviously, Rendrick Taylor looked different than other wide receivers but he has been injured and has since moved around a lot in this spring.

You don’t have to look the part as a freshman to develop, into a difference maker. Brian Dawkins is perhaps the best strong safety in Clemson history but he did not look extraordinary when he first arrived.

Jeff Davis was perhaps the most valuable player in Clemson history but it took him a while to assert himself. Anthony Simmons was the best player on his Clemson teams but he did not look the part.

Steve Fuller is the best quarterback in Tiger history but he was a skinny freshman that had to develop physically. The same can be said for other Clemson greats. Rod Gardner completely changed his body during his Clemson days. If you saw Gaines Adams as a freshman and as a senior, you probably would not have recognized him.

Another shining example of a player changing his body is former Clemson linebacker is Levon Kirkland. The Lamar native showed up at Clemson at about 190 pounds but he played in the NFL around 300 pounds.

Chindu Ohan was an example of the player that looked different but did not parlay it to the playing field. Ohan looked like a body builder but he was never a difference maker on the field.

So looking different does not always make you a different player and looking average does not mean you have to average. But it is not just his look. Like McFadden, Bowers is a graceful athlete in a tremendous body. Bowers makes things look easy.

So how soon will he turn this potential into impactful performances? Bowers still has a lot of learning to do. He still is lost at times and still needs to learn his responsibilities as a defensive end. But he is a bright kid that will do what it takes to get a better grasp of the scheme. When that happens, opponents will have to game plan against him.

A lot of defensive ends are one-dimensional. They like to rush the passer and they like the exposure of the sack. Even some of the best pass rushers are limited in that some can only speed rush or bull rush. Bowers has the quickness to become a terror as a speed rusher but he has the strength to be a power pass rusher as well.

Bowers is different because he can be a major factor against the run as well. He has such strong hands that he can shed blockers and have a big impact in the running game.

In summary, we are talking about a superior athlete with a brilliant future. Bowers may never be a superstar but that would be a shock to me. I think Clemson’s defense will benefit with Bowers because he makes everyone around him better. The secondary will have to cover wide outs over a shorter amount of time because of his pass rush and they should have more interception opportunities with his pressure. The linebackers and interior defensive linemen will benefit because of the attention Bowers will receive. Expect teams to run away from Bowers and expect plenty of double teams on the freshman.

Bowers may be another Ohan but may bet is on him developing into another McFadden.

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