Great video

Do yourself a favor and take the time (2.5 min.) to watch this video. 

Very cool story.

Sometimes it takes losing your toe to wake you up!

This article was originally posted on Wholehogsports.com

The kid in the article is named Darren McFadden and he's THE best running back in the country, he came in #2 (to a Senior QB) in the heisman race, and he's only a sophmore. I hadn't heard this story before, but It's pretty cool and worth the read.

ORLANDO, Fla. — Lying in bed, staring out the window, he had no idea what the haunting hollowness was about.

Just more than 36 hours earlier, Darren McFadden had gotten into a fight. He had lost a shoe but kicked one more time, and when he was pulled back by friends, his big toe was hanging by two or three tendons at the first joint.

It wasn’t just the thought of his football career being over that was eating at him that Sunday afternoon.

“I didn’t know what it was, but that it was something real,” McFadden said last week after a practice for the Capital One Bowl. “Something was missing, and I knew I needed that something.”

McFadden was missing God.

Like millions of others, he thought he was OK. He made some boyish mistakes, such as the fight, and he sometimes pushed the envelope, but he was polite to his elders and nice to youngsters.

“I was raised to treat others like I wanted to be treated, but I wasn’t raised in the church,” he said. “I really didn’t know much about religion or God. I thought it was enough to be a decent person.”

The fight, now known as the incident, was his wake-up call.

Football had been his God, and he didn’t know that afternoon if he would have the game he loved so much anymore.

“The thought of not playing any more bothered me, but I knew what was going on in my heart and head was bigger than that,” he said.

Within a few days after returning to Fayetteville, with his future still unknown, McFadden was approached by Marcus Carruthers, who started Dwelling Place Church in November 2004.

Carruthers was engaging and unchallenging, and McFadden became intrigued.

It didn’t take long for McFadden to realize the incident may have been a mistake, but some good was going to come out of it.

It had been a wake-up call, and he was paying attention.

His spirit began to heal faster than his toe.

McFadden had a multitude of questions, and Carruthers had an answer for every one of them.

To the surprise of almost everyone but himself, McFadden started the season opener against Southern Cal, although his play was limited and he spent more time as a decoy than a threat.

A week later, he rushed for 184 yards against Utah State, and at that point it would have been easy to decide football really was a god.

He followed that with games in which he rushed for 71 against Vanderbilt and then 112 against Alabama, and he was almost 100 percent physically.

Spiritually, he was still growing, meeting regularly with Carruthers and attending church at Dwelling Place.

In a 27-10 victory over Auburn — a game that set the tempo for the season — McFadden ran for 145 yards.

The team arrived home late Saturday evening, but McFadden was up bright and early the next morning.

To the delight of the small congregation, McFadden was baptized that morning.

The next two months became a whirlwind for the sophomore. He was a late entry for the Doak Walker Award, given to the best running back in the country, and his name was coming up in the same sentence as Heisman Trophy.

After he bullied LSU for 182 yards and two touchdowns, he was a legitimate contender for any and all awards.

The Wildcat formation had thrust him into the college football spotlight. He ran, passed and handed off like a veteran quarterback, and the experts were impressed.

He was invited to Orlando, where he won the running back award, and then flown to New York, where he finished as runner-up in the Heisman balloting.

Through it all, he did not change.

His foundation is now solid with spirituality.

“Darren has always been a little quiet, but after he was baptized, he became very humble and that never changed,” Keith Jackson Jr. said.

That doesn’t mean he’s perfect, and last week, with a smile, he said: “I have to ask for forgiveness a lot.”

Now he gets it.

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We are both ok . . .

I can't remember the last time I got so many calls and well wishes. But thanks for the concern. Our household is intact and we are on good terms.

For the 1 0r 2 of you that don't know what I'm refering to, Arkansas played Auburn this weekend. And the Hog won. Our parents called to make sure things were ok, and our friends called, and we even had a few let us know they were praying for peace in our household (True story). But we are doing good, I tried my best to contain my elation (it was one of the biggest wins in the RECENT history of Arkansas football).

But I will say that Auburn fans are very classy people, and not just the nice ones that I know well. Even the random people that I met when we got engaged, had nothing but flatering things to say. So it was easy to be gracious, and to know how painful it is to lose when you have a shot at the national title. So let me just say best of luck to the tigers from here on out. War eagle. and Pig Sooie!

WAR EAGLE!

It's Great to be an Auburn Tiger!

Here is a letter Farah passed off to me. It is written by a WSU fan. It is pretty cool!

War Eagle from a Cougar!

---

I said I would post on my experience when I got home to Washington...so here I am.
First, "THANK YOU AUBURN" for putting on a first class game day. What an incredible atmosphere! I am still just beaming. I can't say enough how special a football experience is at Auburn.

The first two guys I ran into at Bodago's on Friday night. Neither had been to an away Cougar game before and their neighbor in Seattle, who is an Auburn grad, invited them to go down to the game and stay at his families hunting lodge just outside Auburn. So they went down to the game with a group of Auburn fans. Turns out their neighbor is the son of your legendary Heisman trophy winner Sullivan. Pretty cool eh?

Your stadium is so beautiful. Simply amazing!
The Eagle flying down to start the game was unbelievable and by far the coolest thing I've ever seen at a college football game!

The college girls with their pretty little sundresses where very eye opening! Are there any ugly girls at this school?

Food...I'm still full. I love Waffle House at 3 am.

But by far the best and most memorable experience was meeting and hanging out with the people from Auburn. I have never met a nicer bunch of people. You are all a great group and I am very happy to have met you all. Auburn is truly a special place and will always be thought of in high regards by us fans of WSU.

Thanks again for a great time. I truly hope we can do it again sometime. Only next time, I hope we can make a better game of it.

You guys will win the national title! Irons is a great back.

I will now spend the next 5 years or so trying to convince my son that he will need to attend college at Auburn. Have a great season Tigers....

MSJ

10 Reason the Hogs will win!

My prediction Hogs 38 USC 35

Wooo Pig Soooie!

Here are 10 reasons why I believe the Hogs are capable of pulling off an upset:

1. Pride -- Southern Cal intentionally embarrassed a very young and inexperienced football team last year. They sent a message to the nation at the Hogs' expense and laughed about it while doing it.

Though it's not USC's job to stop its own offense, there is no class in passing late in the game with a 50-point lead.

The Trojans had better be ready to rumble tonight because they will be challenged, and the joke may end up on them if they don't take the Hogs seriously.

2. Offensive line -- The Hogs own a veteran front five that led the way for the most potent rushing attack in the SEC last season. Stephen Parker, Tony Ugoh and the rest of the big guys up front can play smashmouth with the best of them, and they are hankering to show everyone how solid they are pass blocking, too.

3. UA cornerbacks -- This group took its lumps against USC last year, and Dwayne Jarrett and Steve Smith should be as good if not better this year. However, with a year's experience under their belts, Chris Houston and Matterrall "Red" Richardson are no longer struggling with the demands of a new scheme. Tonight's matchup will be more of an even match.

4. Felix Jones -- Jones got lost a bit in Darren McFadden's shadow last season as he was setting a UA freshman rushing record, but Jones averaged 6.3 yards a carry just like McFadden a season ago. Jones is an elusive runner who will benefit from the misdirection that is built into UA Offensive Coordinator Gus Malzahn's offensive scheme.

5. Reggie Herring -- The Hogs' defensive coordinator has been stewing about last season's loss for nearly a year. This game is personal to him, his staff and each of the Hog defenders. Tonight they are intent on not being embarrassed for a second year in a row.

6. Peyton Hillis -- The junior from Conway and Malzahn's offense were made for each other. Hillis will prove to be a bell cow for the Hogs this season, catching screens and swings as well as punishing defenders from the tailback spot.

7. Jamaal Anderson -- The 6-foot-6, 280-pound junior came into his own in the last half of last season, and he has only gotten better, adding strength and muscle in the off-season. He has the chance to be a force from his left end spot.

8. Marcus Monk -- The 6-6 junior's talents went to waste last season. That will not happen this season in Malzahn's offense. He will be All-SEC this season and an All-America candidate going into his senior season.

9. Motivation -- Houston Nutt has had a knack for being at his motivational best in revenge games. Win or lose, expect the Hogs to give a peak performance tonight.

10. Razorback fans -- When it gets down to the nitty gritty, Hog fans always come through for their team. With 72,000 plus on hand tonight, all the naysaying will be put aside. The fans will be behind their Razorbacks and the atmosphere will be a one-of-a-kind experience.

USC is a great football program, and by all accounts, the Trojans should win the game, but anyone who believes Arkansas has no chance hasn't got a clue.

Terry J. Wood is the sports editor of the Northwest Arkansas Times.

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