TOWSON, Md. - Tony Vinson was a once-in-a-lifetime running back in FCS football
and at Towson. In his two-year career at Towson, Vinson squeezed out 31
touchdowns and 3,058 yards.
The transfer from Purdue had all the tools. He was 6-feet-2 and 230
pounds with great speed and rushed behind one of the top offensive lines
in the nation and in the history of Towson football.
Vinson actually ran indoor track for Towson (when there was a men's
team) and at the time, set a mark for the 200-meter run with a time of 22.92 seconds.
But, now Vinson's records are being challenged by the next great
young back. Freshman Terrance West, the native of Baltimore, just broke
Vinson's single-season touchdowns record with 25 TDs. West was at his best on Saturday night after he rushed
for 261 yards and four touchdowns in a 56-42 win over New
Hamphsire
"He's something special as a greyshirt freshman," said New Hampshire coach Sean McDonnell
after the game Saturday night. "He's something special. He ran with authority. He makes a difference back there. He has great vision and speed."
Running backs with strength, power, speed, vision and the ability
to make people miss are not a dime a dozen. At times, when there is
nothing there, West can cut back, reverse field and pick up seven yards
when there is nothing. He rarely goes down on
the first hit, has very quick feet and moves well side-to-side. At
times, that can also get him in trouble when he was caught in the
backfield with several negative runs late in the game against Delaware, a 35-30 loss.
In 1993, Vinson led Division I-AA in rushing with 2,016 yards on 293
carries, leading Towson to an 8-2 record. He also scored 23 touchdowns
on the ground and was third in receiving with 14 catches for 57 yards
and one score. West has rushed for nearly 1,200 yards
in nine games (he didn't play in the Tigers' season opener against Morgan State) and has helped lead Towson to an 8-2 record with one game
left.
Towson played as an Independent back in 1993 and the Tigers were in the
process of downgrading the team to non-scholarship. So, they played
schools like Charleston Southern, Central Connecticut State and Morgan
State, who they simply blew off the field. Vinson
had 327 yards against Morgan State and a school-record and NCAA record
(at the time) 364 yards against Bucknell in a 49-21 win. Vinson finished
his career with 693 yards in his final two games.
But, in his second-worst rushing performance of the 1993 season (136
yards on 31 carries), Vinson went from great back to legend as
he ran it in from one-yard out on fourth-and-goal with 10 seconds
left to give Towson a 32-30 win over Delaware. That run
should have been enough to put Towson in the playoffs, but thanks to a
mediocre schedule and a little politics, the Blue Hens were in and the
Tigers left out.
As a freshman, West can point to one thing that some of the other
great backs like Vinson, Dave Meggett, Noah Read, Brian McCarty and
Jason Corle couldn't accomplish at the FCS level - making the
playoffs.
And like Vinson, West is all about his teammates and not setting
records.
"I don't pay attention to that," said West after the UNH win.
"As long as we get the 'W', that's what I'm worried about."
While Vinson and West both have great natural gifts, they didn't
rest on their laurels. As a greyshirt, West was allowed to play with the
team as a freshman in the spring.
"It feels good to be on campus now,"
aid West. "At first, I came here from the
city (Baltimore). I was catching the bus here. We had practice at
5:00 a.m. I had to wake up at 3:00 a.m. Being on campus right now feels
lovely."
Vinson, a Towson Hall of Famer, went on to the NFL after he
graduated in 1994. He played fullback with the San Diego Chargers,
Atlanta Falcons and Baltimore Ravens. He retired after the 1997 season due to a
shoulder injury, but you wonder how he could have performed
if given the opportunity to play running back.
West may have that shot down the road at the next level but right
now, he and his teammates are hoping to do something that no other
Towson team at the FCS level has done - play in the month of
December.
