Season recap: Marcus Leak
It's understandably difficult for Nelson Rowell to paint a sunny picture when discussing Parkwood High’s disastrous 2010 football season.
“Well, we had the season from hell,” admitted Rowell, who has served as coach for four years at the Monroe, N.C., school. “We lost 22 players on varsity to injury this year – season-ending injuries. It was tough. So we finished up 1-10. It was pretty bad.”
If there was a silver lining to the Rebels’ season, the performance of Marcus Leak would qualify as such. The Maryland-bound wide receiver suffered a bit of bad luck as well, missing four games with a high-ankle sprain. But when healthy, Leak provided Rowell with whatever he needed.
“He just came to me one day and said, ‘Coach, don’t worry about anything. Whatever you need me to do, I’ll do,’” Rowell recalled. “So he did everything but drive the team bus. Until he hurt his ankle, he was our kick returner, punt returner, he was our punter, a receiver, he played quarterback some, and he was a free safety. He was doing it all.”
Leak’s statistics – while down a bit because of his injury – reflected the diversity of his game this season. The 6-foot, 205-pound senior finished with 305 rushing yards and two touchdowns, 200 yards receiving and another score, plus 30 tackles defensively. Despite missing a chunk of Parkwood’s season, Leak was picked to play in the 74th annual Shrine Bowl of the Carolinas All-Star game.
“He was a team leader for us this year,” Rowell said, “and we’re excited that he made the Shrine Bowl. We’re looking forward to a lot of good things. The ankle that’s been bothering him – the Shrine Bowl is on the 18th – so the ankle will be fully healed by then. … I just look forward to seeing what he is in two or three more years. I think he’s going to be ready for the big show. But I’m excited to see him up there in a Terps uniform next year.”
Rowell said the Maryland coaching staff wants Leak ready to play as a true freshman. Terps wide receivers coach Lee Hull has compared Leak’s game to that of former Maryland standout and current Oakland Raider Darrius Heyward-Bey. Rowell said Leak reminds him of New York Giants wide receiver Hakeem Nicks.
“He’s a big receiver, but he can flat-out go,” Rowell said. “And he can run over you. He can run around you. Some of the catches he’s made, it’s just unreal. … He’s just a difference-maker. He changes the whole complexion of the ball game. That’s something that’s going to be exciting to see next year, watching him play up there in the system that Maryland has. And they’re having a great year this year. They’re pretty young. So I’m excited to see what’s going to happen up there.”
Comments
Sounds like a great target for Danny O!
Posted by: SmittyATL | November 16, 2010 8:17 PM