Big Dream: A Little Luck
June 12, 2003 12:50 PM | General
Reprinted from 1993 Mountaineer Illustrated
As the huddle breaks, 11 men head toward the line of scrimmage. On the opposite side of the ball, 11 more men line up to stop them. The confrontation begins the moment the players move toward each other.
The center moves over the ball and his linemates move toward a stance, giving the defense its first clues as to what the play is likely to be. Before the snap of the ball, several more clues will offer a tip as to what is about to happen.
When the ball is snapped, things happen faster than a player can think and react. There is time for only a brief "read" of the offense before all 11 defenders must begin to react. Instinct must rule, an instinct honed by long hours of preparation in the film room during the week before the game.
"I have time to read the first offensive lineman I can see move off the line and then maybe time to read through to the quarterback, the tight end or a receiver before I have to be moving to make the play," says David Mayfield, the Mountaineers' standout free safety. "But I have to be careful not to come down the hill too fast or they'll get a big play right in my area."
By the time the handoff is made or the quarterback drop has been completed, Mayfield and his backfield mates must have determined the intent of the offense if they hope to stop the play.
"It's not all instinct, but that plays a major role," says the Morgantown native. "I learn a lot about their tendencies by watching film and breaking things down. You have to be able to think out there. I guess the biggest advantage is that I've been around long enough to know what is coming at me.
"Some teams give me a lot more trouble than others. Missouri was one of those teams. Their offensive line was so big that they could just stand up and form a wall. I could never seem to see what was going to happen with the ball. But because of that, our 'backers had a great day. They allowed them to run free and doubled up on our linemen. There were some pretty good hits that day!"
David Mayfield knows a lot about "pretty good hits." After all he has delivered a few himself. Ask Marvin Graves of Syracuse or Curtis Martin of Pitt. He has delivered enough big hits that one preseason magazine listed him as the biggest hitter in the BIG EAST.
"I don't think about a big hit during the week or even during the game," says Mayfield. "I think about it when I am about two steps away. That's when I know another one is about to happen.
"Everything goes into slow motion and I just power through the man I'm facing. Size doesn't matter either -- they're never too big to hit. I don't even notice the impact, but I do know when a great hit has come my way. What a great feeling that is; it's a great rush. And that's the greatest thing about playing football -- the rush of being on the field. The big hit is just an added bonus."
Mayfield is not an imposing figure on the football field. He stands only 5-11 and 185 pounds, but he has made much bigger men aware of his proximity. Having to prove himself at the highest level is something he is comfortable with.
As a highly touted prep football player, many less informed people on the national level questioned his credentials because he came from the Mountain State. Even some peers in-state questioned his heart when he chose to skip the state's all-star clash. But his choice was one no other Mountain State player ever had to make -- to attend a national high school all-star game instead.
He joined teammate to be Tommy Orr in that all-star game and proved that his 3,122 yards and 33 touchdowns rushing came from a prep career that had prepared him to play at any IA school. He chipped in 198 tackles as a senior, proving that the place he would play would be on the defensive side of the ball.
"I had offers from about anywhere I wanted to go," says Mayfield. "But I knew it was to my advantage to come to West Virginia to play. Too many guys choose to go away when they can stay home and play at their own state university. I realized that it is a major risk to do that. If you aren't a superstar, an out-of-state athlete is at a disadvantage when his playing career is over. There are very few extra breaks for a foreigner.
"Right now, I hope to be involved in corporate law for my career after football (he is currently a finance major), so I know that I will have to leave for a while to get that degree, but I plan to come back home. There is no better place to be."
As a student-athlete who has enjoyed success in the classroom, Mayfield is setting the stage for his career after football. He has been a regular on the Athletic Director's Academic Honor Roll and was named to the BIG EAST scholar athlete and GTE-CoSIDA academic all-East teams. But how far can that career go?
"I was coming along right about the time of WVU's greatest successes," says Mayfield. "Bo Orlando was a big part of that success. I looked up to him in a way because we were a lot alike. He was the kind of guy that the pros would not project to make it in the NFL, but he worked harder than the others. He didn't have the size or the speed that they really want, but he had the heart. I want the chance to try. I want to be like Bo -- Orlando."
Football is an all-consuming fire. The successful players spend many hours beyond what a coach may require, getting themselves ready to play and leaving time for little else.
"I go to deer camp up near Rowlesburg every year," says Mayfield. "That's a great way to relax and spend some time away from football, but it is about the only thing I do right now besides football and school. As it is, I find myself up doing schoolwork at two in the morning too often now.
"I have been fortunate that I have the ability to study and retain what I have read. Because of that, I can study when it fits my schedule and prepare for the next game as much as I need to."
Preparation for the game sets the stage to get another big hit and feel the rush that comes from the impact, the cheering crowd and excited teammates.
"I rarely even notice the crowd unless they boo," says Mayfield. "But I love it after a big hit. First there's the rush that comes with the hit, but then the roar of the crowd comes through. I'm so focused in that it seems like an echo, but it rings in my ears for a long time."
Here's to the next big hit that brings the ring.
