Weber State football: Weber's running back 'hammer' pounds on defense as stars sit
Eric Lee, on the other hand, was breaking tackles, punishing linebackers and making sure he didn't go unnoticed amid Weber State's All-Big Sky backfield.
"I'm trying to be the hammer and not the nail," said Lee, a senior from Toronto. "That's what my coaches have always said, and I'm not going to avoid taking a hit. I like hitting them as much as they like hitting me."
Smith and Mailei, both first-team All-Big Sky performers, didn't suit up for Saturday's scrimmage because of injuries. In their place, Lee had an outstanding effort — running for 82 yards and two touchdowns on 16 carries. He also grabbed a screen pass from Cameron Higgins and sprinted around the left side for a 30-yard touchdown.
A sprinter in high school, Lee isn't afraid to mix in breakaway speed with his naturally rugged style of play.
"Eric had a breakout practice today," Weber State coach Ron McBride said. "That's the performance we've been looking for since he came to us last fall. He's a 235-pound back who can run a 10.4 hundred meters. His motion is always forward, and when he gets a head full of steam like he did on the screen pass, he's really hard to catch or bring down."
"I am just trying to get better each time I carry the ball," Lee said. "My goal every play is to get to the end zone."
McBride was thrilled with the effort Lee showed in the scrimmage but was equally pleased with the red-zone improvement the Wildcats are working on.
"Last year we were at the bottom of the league in red-zone offense, so we've made that a priority this spring to get better," McBride said. "Two touchdowns and two field goals out of seven tries is a better percentage than we had last fall, but for us to be successful, that needs to be 80 percent or better."
E-mail: jeborn@desnews.com
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Keep it up | April 10, 2008 at 2:20 p.m.
