Let it bowl, let it bowl, let it bowl
December 16, 2014
Colonels unveil 2015 schedule
December 16, 2014
Vandebilt Catholic graduate and UL-Lafayette halfback Elijah McGuire said after he won the 2013 Sun Belt Freshman of the Year Award that he wanted more in his sophomore year.
He got it.
He’s now the Sun Belt Conference Player of the Year.
The conference named McGuire with its highest honor on Wednesday afternoon, also placing the former Terrier great onto the league’s First-Team All-Conference team for both offense and special teams, as well as naming him the league’s Offensive Player of the Year.
McGuire earned the distinctions after an absolutely dominant sophomore season – one in which he rushed for 1,165 yards and 14 touchdowns on 7.8 yards per carry. McGuire also caught 40 passes for 414 yards and two scores – all while leading the Ragin’ Cajuns to another New Orleans Bowl appearance.
Attempts to reach McGuire were unsuccessful at press-time because the past week was final exams week in Lafayette. But McGuire told The Advocate of Acadiana that he was honored to win the award, touting that it was a credit to the Cajuns’ entire offense.
“I was kind of shocked about it. It means more to the offense than it does for me,” McGuire told the newspaper. “Because without them, this probably wouldn’t be possible.”
For McGuire, the early collegiate success is merely a continuation to what he did in high school as a Terrier.
While at Vandebilt Catholic, McGuire was a dominant, elusive ball carrier – a terror to the opponents who faced him. He had success early and often – beginning his first year at the varsity level.
As a freshman, McGuire took the Houma-Thibodaux area by storm. He was the team’s starting halfback, wiggling past defenders and routinely scoring touchdowns to help Vandebilt’s cause.
By the time he was a senior, McGuire had become the team’s quarterback, though passing was never much in the team’s offensive repertoire. In his final prep season, McGuire rushed for more than 2,000 yards – helping to lead the Terriers to the Class 4A State Quarterfinals.
The Houma native landed with UL-Lafayette after fielding moderate interest from a handful of schools around the Southeast.
Some questioned his size – he weighs less than 200 pounds. Other programs tried to make him into a defensive back – a move McGuire always resisted.
Even more had no clue he was a senior. When McGuire started his prep career, he was a freshman academically, but a sophomore athletically. Because of the extra coursework he did year-round to catch up, many scouts thought he was a junior during his senior year – something that many speculate hampered his recruiting.
But no matter the drawbacks, McGuire landed in Lafayette with a fire inside his belly. He rushed for 863 yards as a freshman with eight touchdowns and a glistening 8.4 yards per carry.
This year, McGuire’s workload increased, and so did his success – enough to see him recognized as the Sun Belt’s best player. Always humble – something he possessed from his days at Vandebilt, McGuire credited his offensive line for his honor.
He probably isn’t too far off, as three of the Cajuns’ five starting offensive linemen were named to the All-Sun Belt teams.
“Everything starts up front with the offensive line,” McGuire told The Advocate. “They did a great job all year of making holes for me.”
So with two years left of collegiate eligibility, the question everyone will naturally ask is ‘What more can he do?’
McGuire was honest about that question when it was asked, touting that he does sometimes wonder about what the next goal should be on his personal to-do list.
But he touted that his first priority is to remain focused and humble – two of the staples that got him to the throne of being his conference’s player of the year.
“I expected Elijah to make it, and I’m glad he did,” UL-Lafayette coach Mark Hudspeth said told reporters. “He just had a phenomenal year.”
“To be a sophomore and to have both of these honors, it’s a great feeling,” McGuire told The Advocate.
A great feeling for Eli-15, indeed.
But for local fans, it’s expected – they’ve seen this talent on display for the past several years at Vandebilt.
RHODES SELECTED TO ALL-STAR GAME
While Elijah McGuire enjoyed the fruits of his labor from a dominant sophomore season, his former prep teammate recently learned that he’ll get to close his collegiate career in an All-Star game.
Louisiana College senior offensive lineman Dillon Rhodes announced this week that he has accepted an invitation to take part in the DIII – Senior Classic, a game that is part of the National Scouting Showcase.
The game is played annually in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, and it aims to get senior players an opportunity to be scouted by pro clubs before ending their collegiate careers.
Rhodes landed an invite to the big game after a First-Team All-Conference senior season at Louisiana College.
The 2014 version of the Senior Classic will be the fifth installment of the now-annual series. The game will be played on Dec. 20.
Rhodes said he is excited to have another opportunity to extend his career.
