Post Gazette
8/13
Knows no limits: McKeesport's McBride takes on huge tasks
Saturday, August 13, 2005
By Colin Dunlap, Tri-State Sports & News Service
To categorize McKeesport senior Travis McBride is to limit him.
Peter Diana, Post-Gazette
Carrying the football will be only one of the jobs this season for McKeesport standout Travis McBride.
Click photo for larger image.
One in a series on top high school football players in the WPIAL and City League.
And other than opponents who try to deal with the 6-foot, 195-pounder, the people with the toughest job this year might be the ones who must list his position in the Tigers' game program.
That little block reserved for denoting a position isn't ample space to fully describe what McBride does.
He is a study in why the position "athlete" has become a heavily used part of college football recruiting lingo the past decade. "Athlete" is coachspeak in the college recruiting world for, "We'll get him here and then decide where he's going to help us, but, we know he can help us somewhere."
"I don't know, it's all across the board with him and the recruiting," McKeesport coach George Smith said. "Some people like him as a running back, some like him at strong safety and some like him at free safety.
"I think he'll be a running back and I think he has the tools to play running back at a big school, but he also could end up being a safety, outside linebacker or even a corner. You know, don't forget, he's also going to return kicks for us, too."
Smith also said that, if it weren't for a solid McKeesport receiving corp, McBride could be split out wide on occasion.
That versatility coupled with his strong upper body has forced the college coaches to take notice of the quiet but confident young man who will be a catalyst on offense at running back for McKeesport's signature triple-option attack and also be counted on to lead the secondary.
He has been offered scholarships by West Virginia, Connecticut, Iowa, Louisville, North Carolina State, Rutgers, Miami (Ohio) and Temple. Most of those schools have thrown the "athlete" tag on McBride, knowing his athleticism could be an asset to their program.
With that exposure also comes a heightened sense of responsibility. Last year, he was more than a vital cog, gaining 1,117 yards on 108 carries for the Tigers, who stumbled against Upper St. Clair in the WPIAL Class AAAA quarterfinals.
Reworking the math from his junior season yields some borderline scary numbers that offer tangible insight into how McBride can take over a game. He averaged a little more than a first down on each carry (10.3 yards) and found the end zone once every 5.7 times he was handed the ball. The way he sees it, though, he would like to do more this season.
"I'm more motivated this year because I know I have a very big role," McBride said.
"Everyone is looking at me as more of a leader because I'm a senior now. I know a lot of people say this, but the biggest thing for me is that I need to practice like I play to set an example for the younger guys."
McBride surely knows how much McKeesport will count on him this season, and his offseason his routine was largely about charging his batteries for this upcoming year.
"I just rested a lot," McBride said.
"I mean, I worked out all summer, but, when I wasn't doing that, I was resting. I was sleeping or just sitting around."
McBride needed to get his fair share of down time over the summer, because once McKeesport's season kicks off at North Hills Aug. 26, rest will be a foreign concept for him.
