SPORTSbyBROOKS.com (from Champaign’s The News-Gazette) writes that former Illinois running back Rashard Mendenhall was ready to quit his final season at U of I, apparently because of head coach Ron Zook.
“There was a point where we were at the stadium and I was ready to start walking out and my brother stopped me,” Mendenhall said. “I wasn’t walking out like I was playing around for the day. I don’t play around with stuff like that.”
“I sat down and I was like, ‘If this is what football is, I don’t know if I want to do that anymore,’ ” Mendenhall said. “I’m not soft at all. I’m not scared of adversity. I don’t care if somebody’s yelling at me. That’s not what it was about at all.
“My brother was the one who kept me there,” Mendenhall said. “He got me refocused. He let me realize it was bigger than me. It wasn’t all about me. It was about my family. It’s about kids I hadn’t even met yet who I would impact by (quitting). I love the game of football, but so much other stuff taints it.”
Anybody that has played the game of football at any level knows how grueling it can be both physically and mentally. And it must be even tougher to play when you’re trying to earn a degree at the same time. Hopefully Mendenhall is enjoying the game more in Pittsburgh and will have a productive rookie season, because the guy has a load of talent.
