This
fall in Annapolis, on October 16th, if the skies are clear
as they usually are that time of year, fans will mill
around happily, commenting on the depth of the blueness of
the sky and the briny taste in the air brought in by
chilled breezes off the Chesapeake. The atmosphere for a
game at the Naval Academy is a delight for every sense in
the body, making one wish for three or four more senses
just so those could be scintillated as well.
Young men
will be walking around, no doubt in a more somber mood
than we would wish on them. While the fans will be
gathered for the Midshipmen’s annual game versus the
Fighting Irish of Notre Dame, NFL scouts will be wondering
if the best fullback in college football will be playing
in the NFL next year, or if he will be on a platform of
steel, rolling on the open waves with a taste of the sea
in his nostrils.
Is
this space wasted? A football story on a young man who has
given his pledge to serve in the military can be seen as
superfluous. Yet, the precedent set by Napoleon
McCallum
dictates that it is not a foregone conclusion that a
Midshipman will serve his time as he has pledged to. There are ways around it. We are not officially at war.
I can still remember the confusion I felt when
McCallum
declared he wouldn't serve in order to enter the NFL
draft. At first, I wondered what would prompt such a
decision, and then I concluded that it probably had
something to do with the truckload of money being dumped
on his driveway. Eckel will face the same decision
McCallum did, whether or not to go without making an
attempt to run for the riches of the NFL.
The
problem with making the decision not to serve is that he
will be thought of in a far worse light than if he serves.
Regardless of whether it was war time or peace time, my
opinion of Napoleon McCallum plummeted upon hearing that he
was running for the money. An honorable man doesn't do
that. So, while the football fan in me yearns to see Eckel throwing his body around on a football field, I
hope, with every ounce of my soul, that he forsakes the
money and proves to be an honorable man. From what I have
seen in interviews, I already view him as one.
Now,
to get back to football; on that day, when Notre Dame
rolls into town, they will have had to plan for their
defense to stop Eckel, a fullback, which is truly a
testament to his value as a player. In last year's game,
a game Notre Dame barely won with a last second field
goal, Eckel not only rushed for 53 yards on 13 carries
against an eight man front, but two of those runs went for
touchdowns. What was more impressive however, were the
gashes he inflicted on the helmets of the big defensive
linemen while clearing a path for the halfbacks. At 5'11"
and 240 lbs., there are bigger fullbacks out there but, as
many teams have learned, the size of the fullback is
usually irrelevant to the type of blocker he is. Eckel's
vision allows him to see defenders and pick them out of
the line very quickly and he times his hits on them as
well as any fullback to come out in the last ten years.
Though the form isn't always picture perfect, the result
is invariably a very audible pop of the pads.
When
Eckel is given the ball to run with, he uses that same
great vision and timing to pick the best hole and hit it
quickly, allowing him to get to the linebacker before the
lineman has a chance to close down the hole. It's not
that he has the moves or power of an Earl Campbell, but
Eckel gets the most yards out of every carry with a very
nice lean into the hole and the tackle and he punishes
whoever is on the other end of the run. The acceleration
and quickness which help him get to the point of attack on
his blocks and seal off defenders make him tough to defend
on the quick pop up the middle when there's a decent back
behind him.
Eckel
will never be a feature back in the mould of a Mike
Alstott; he's not of that stature and doesn't possess as
much elusiveness. Also, there are questions about his
hands. Whether by design or not, the Midshipmen do not
throw very many passes his way and, if he does catch the
ball, don't expect him to pull away from defenders with
great foot speed. Regardless of his talent, if he does
manage to make himself eligible for the draft, there will
undoubtedly be character concerns brought up.
Maybe
it was a waste of time writing any article about Eckel,
but his skills warrant a look and, who knows, when his
stint is up, there may be a few who will remember what a
wonderful player he was. I certainly will.
Editor's correction: At the time this article was
written, it was believed that the game against Notre
Dame was to be played in Annapolis, Maryland at
Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium, but it was brought
to our attention that the game will be played in East
Rutherford, New Jersey. We apologize for this
oversight.
