Switched to fullback spot, Wofford rises to challenge

Steve Guiremand

Friday, Aug. 13, 1999 | 10:23 a.m.

When John Robinson was hired as UNLV's eighth football coach last December, no one had reason to be happier than UNLV running back James Wofford.

Wofford was one of the few bright spots during an dismal 0-11 1998 season for the Rebels, rushing for 816 yards and scoring five touchdowns. Now, in Robinson, he was going to be playing for a coach who helped put the tailback in Tailback U, producing two Heisman Trophy winners in Charles White and Marcus Allen and a runner-up in Ricky Bell during his coaching days at USC. He also coached Hall of Famer Eric Dickerson to stardom with the Rams.

So you can imagine the disappointment Wofford felt at the start of spring practice earlier this year when Robinson told him he was going to be moved to fullback.

"It kind of shocked me at first," the 6-0, 200-pound junior from Bakersfield, Calif., High School said. "It took me a little while to adjust to the thought of playing there."

Some players would have grumbled and pouted. But once he got over the initial shock, Wofford met the challenge full-on, working out hard this off-season in the weight room to better prepare himself for the rigors of blocking 250-pound blitzing linebackers.

"I'm kind of used to it now," Wofford said of playing fullback. "When Coach Robinson told me how it was going to work out, what the plan for the fullback was, I thought it would be all right. And it is."

"He's such a team guy and such a positive person that I don't think he blinked," Robinson said of Wofford making the switch. "Deep down inside he might say, 'Gee, I wish I could rush for 1,000 yards.' We all do. But I think he understands his role and I think he's one of the key leaders on this team."

Besides, overlooked in all the Heisman hype at USC is the fact that Robinson has produced some pretty decent fullbacks in his time.

Folks like Mosi Tatupu and Lynn Cain went on to solid NFL careers. And, of course, the man who led the way as a sophomore blocking for 1979 Heisman winner White, Marcus Allen, didn't end up doing too badly, either.

"I've always believed in a tailback-type of guy playing fullback," Robinson said. "Kind of a combination kind of back. He's quicker. It demands a tough guy. And the guy who plays with James, BJ Edwards, is a similiar kind of player."

Wofford has played fullback before. During his junior year at Bakersfield High School, he blocked for older brother Steve, who went on to star at Southern University and was considered one of the top prep running back recruits on the West Coast his senior year.

"That's nothing like the blocking I'm going to be doing now, though," Wofford said. "The guys are a whole lot bigger at this level. I tried to get a little stronger and worked hard in the weight room this summer. And Coach (John) Jackson has me working on technique, blocking and staying low and keeping my feet driving. Basically, it's a technique thing."

"He's a solid ball carrier and a physical player," Robinson said. "I think his best skills add up to fullback. But I think he's also a competent tailback who did a good job last year. He'll get the ball at fullback."

* WE'RE NO. 89! Considering they've lost 16 straight games over the past two seasons, things could have been a whole lot worse for UNLV's football team than the No. 89 spot bestowed upon them by Sports Illustrated in this week's college football preview issue.

SI also picked UNLV to finish seventh in the Mountain West Conference ahead of No. 96 New Mexico. There are 114 teams playing Division I football this year.

Penn State was picked No. 1 by the magazine while BYU (26th) was the top-rated Mountain West Conference school.

* REBEL NOTES: Former USC wide receiver Erik Affholter, whose controversial juggling, corner-of-the-end zone 33-yard TD catch of a Rodney Peete pass led the Trojans to a 17-13 win over UCLA and a 1988 Rose Bowl berth, stopped by to watch Thursday morning's practice. ... The team will continue two-a-day workouts today and Saturday, but will practice just once on Sunday night. That will also be the squad's first practice in full gear. ... Defensive end Saeed Abdul-Malik limped off the field with what was believed to be a minor knee sprain.