Auburn needs a healthy Leard
BOB HOLTARKANSAS DEMOCRAT-GAZETTE
|
"I have my fingers crossed that hopefully I can get through all the games," said Leard, the Tigers' fifth-year senior quarterback. "I hope the injuries are all in the past.
"But if not, that's just one more thing I'll have to overcome, and I feel strong enough that I can do that. I've done it a lot over the last four years, and I feel like I can do it for one more year."
In games in which Leard was healthy last season, the Tigers were 5-1, losing only to SEC champion Alabama. They were 0-5 in games Leard couldn't finish or missed entirely because of injuries.
"If Ben stays healthy, we're going to be a pretty good offense," Auburn Coach Tommy Tuberville said. "I think he's got a chance to be the best quarterback in our conference.
"I know there's more talented players out there, guys who can scramble around and make plays. But I'm talking about a true quarterback -- a guy who can get in the huddle, call the play and go the line of scrimmage and change the play if you need to and then execute it. That's what Ben does for us."
When Leard, 6-4, 225, was healthy last season, he put up impressive numbers, completing 111 of 157 passes (70.7 percent) for 1,423 yards and 12 touchdowns with 1 interception.
It was a remarkable turnaround for Leard, who began last season third on Auburn's depth chart, but regained his starting spot after rallying the Tigers to a 22-15 victory over Appalachian State in the opener when he hit Ronney Daniels with a 33-yard touchdown pass with 38 seconds left to cap a 77-yard drive.
Leard also quarterbacked the Tigers to victories over Idaho and LSU before suffering a severely separated right shoulder in Auburn's 24-17 overtime loss to Ole Miss.
Leard worked hard to rehabilitate his injured shoulder and came back five games later to start against Arkansas, but he suffered a concussion in the second quarter and the Razorbacks went on to win 34-10.
Two weeks later, Leard returned against Georgia and passed for a school-record 416 yards and four touchdowns to lead Auburn to a 38-21 victory. He closed the season by completing 26 of 39 passes for 237 yards and throwing his only interception of the season in the Tigers' 28-17 loss to Alabama.
"Ben was very consistent for us last year," Tuberville said. "He knew where to throw the ball and when, and he throws a very catchable ball."
Leard said the new offense brought in by Tuberville and his assistants, who came to Auburn from Ole Miss last season, fit him well, relying on his ability to read defenses and make quick throws.
"If you've seen me play, you know I'm not going to run away from anybody and I'm not going to throw the ball 100 yards down the field," Leard said. "But this offense is a very, very quarterback-friendly system. It relies on the strengths -- my decision-making and putting the ball in the right place."
Tuberville said Leard should be helped this season by an experienced offensive line, which returns four starters, and an improved running game with the addition of tailback Rudi Johnson, a transfer from Butler County (Kan.) Community College who rushed for 2,224 yards and 31 touchdowns as a sophomore. Johnson went through spring practice and convinced Leard that he can help revive an Auburn rushing offense that averaged 68 yards last season to rank 112th out of 114 NCAA Division I teams.
"Rudi has strength and explosion and the ability to break tackles," Leard said. "I feel very confident that we'll be able to run with the ball with him back there."
If the Tigers' running game gets going, Leard should be able to hook up more often with his favorite target, Daniels, a sophomore who set an Auburn record with 1,068 receiving yards last season on 56 catches.
The key for the Tigers is if Leard stays healthy enough to keep playing
"You're always going to have your little nicks and bruises and things, but to be healthy throughout a whole season takes a lot of luck," Leard said. "You can't try to be careful and watch out for what you're doing, though, because then you're going to be playing scared.
"You can't be worried about getting hurt. There's too much else to be focused on when you're out there playing."
This article was published on Wednesday, August 2, 2000
RETURN to SEC indexCopyright and permissions
Copyright © 2000, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, Inc. All rights reserved.
This document may not be reprinted without the express written permission of Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, Inc.