MORGANTOWN, W.Va. - There is one school record Owen Schmitt possesses that will likely never be eclipsed - broken facemasks.

 

Nobody in West Virginia University football history went through headgear like Schmitt, a former walk-on who showed up at the Puskar Center one winter afternoon with a box of VHS tapes under his arm looking for a place to play.

 

As a matter of record, Owen broke 11 facemasks during his 38-game career at WVU, which averages out to about one every three games that he played.

 

There may have been better players in school history, and there may have even been some more revered than Schmitt, but no one who played football here can equal his combination of toughness, dedication and willingness to do whatever it took to win football games.

 

Schmitt forever sealed his status as a West Virginia University sports icon when he struggled to choke back tears during a television interview following the Mountaineers’ 48-28 victory over Oklahoma in the 2008 Tostitos Fiesta Bowl. Playing for West Virginia meant that much to him.

 

Schmitt’s three seasons at WVU saw the Mountaineers defeat Oklahoma in the 2008 Fiesta Bowl, Georgia Tech in the 2007 Gator Bowl and Georgia in the 2006 Sugar Bowl – easily the best three-year run of success in school history.

 

West Virginia lost only five times during Owen’s three years wearing a Mountaineer uniform, and the roots to that great run of success can be traced back to a 31-19 victory at Maryland on September 17, 2005.

 

That was the game when Schmitt became known as the “Runaway Beer Truck.”

 

Schmitt and 230-pound tailback Jason Gwaltney ran at will in the second half against a pretty good Maryland team, Schmitt alone accounting for 80 yards on just six carries with big second-half gains of 34, 19 and 13 yards.

 

“That was the first time when we all realized, ‘We’re physical,’” recalled offensive tackle Garin Justice, a senior on that 2005 team. “With those two bears in the backfield we can run over anyone.”

 

And while Gwaltney’s star burned out quickly, Schmitt’s was born that sunny afternoon in College Park, giving Coach Rich Rodriguez’s spread offense the physical presence in the backfield that it sorely needed.

 

“(The Maryland game) was when Owen started breaking those facemasks,” said center Dan Mozes. “When you see a big, powerful guy like that out there running down the field it puts a little more fear in your mind. I remember that Maryland game, Owen ran right into the back of my rib cage (during his fourth-quarter, 3-yard touchdown run) and it was one of the worst pains I ever felt. It was awful.”

 

It may have been awful to Mozes, but it felt awful good to Mountaineer football fans eager to put one on Maryland.

 

From that moment on, Schmitt became a fixture in the backfield and was soon joined by Steve Slaton and Pat White to form the ultimate triple-threat combination that made lives miserable for opposing defensive coordinators.

 

Defenses spent so much time worrying about Slaton and White on the outside that whenever Schmitt got the football between the tackles there was usually only one defender near to bring him down.

 

It was almost unfair.

 

“When we ran that option the times that I did get the ball people didn’t even know that I had it,” joked Schmitt.

 

“That’s my trade secret – don’t tell anyone!” he added.

 

Schmitt admits West Virginia’s offensive success began up front with an experienced and dedicated group of blockers that was molded by noted offensive line coach Rick Trickett.

 

“Probably the best line that we had was in 2005 – not taking credit away from those other years – but I think it was kind of an older group and under Rick Trickett those dudes were disciplined,” said Schmitt. “They were tough and they were tough to beat.

 

“That whole scheme starts up front and those guys had it down to a science and it was easy for us,” he added. “We were all rookies pretty much and they just made it so simple for us.”

 

According to Schmitt, what made those mid-2000 West Virginia teams so special was how the coaches were able to mold a bunch of different players into a cohesive group willing to do whatever it took to win football games.

 

“That’s the sign of good coaching,” he said. “The cream rises to the top, but it’s not necessarily the best ballplayer that needs to be at a position. In my eyes, what’s the definition of a good coach? I couldn’t care less how good they can recruit. Just go win ballgames. To me, the true sign of a great coach is taking what they have and turning it into something better – not the other way around to where I need all of these superstar players to have a good team.”

 

After rushing for 272 yards and scoring four touchdowns as a sophomore in 2005, Schmitt ran for 351 yards and a career-best seven touchdowns his junior season in 2006. As a senior, in 2007, he ran for 380 yards and scored two touchdowns playing a little fullback, tight end and tailback.

 

Interestingly enough, Schmitt started games at fullback, tailback and tight end during his college career, a great example of his versatility and value in Rodriguez’s spread offense.

 

“They could say something and I was like, ‘OK, which wall do you want me to run through?’ I was all in – this was my life,” said Schmitt.

 

After graduating from WVU in 2008, Schmitt played parts of five seasons in the NFL with the Seattle Seahawks, Philadelphia Eagles and Oakland Raiders before being released in 2012.

 

Today, he owns and operates the popular Schmitt’s Saloon here in Morgantown.