Bettendorf's Messiah has opportunity with Cyclones
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By Steve Batterson | Saturday, April 19, 2008 |
No longer living in the 6-foot-5 shadow of Todd Blythe, Bettendorf’s Euseph Messiah has emerged this spring as one of the most consistent receivers on the Iowa State football team.
Messiah spent three years as the backup to Blythe as he rewrote the Cyclones receiving record book, waiting for an opportunity that arrived this spring.
“Even going back to offseason conditioning, there has been a different feel to things,” Messiah said. “With Todd around, I knew that I probably wasn’t going to see more than 10, 15 snaps a game. Three years is a long time to wait, but things are different now.”
Messiah, selected as Iowa State’s offensive scout team player of the year as a redshirt freshman in 2005, has caught five passes over the past two seasons for the Cyclones.
“I knew what my role was, whether I was running a route or blocking, but I also knew that Todd was going to get the majority of the snaps, which he deserved,” Messiah said. “Now, as a senior, I have a chance to make more of an impact, and I’ve been looking forward to this.”
He’s not alone.
Senior Wallace Franklin and junior Marquis Hamilton also are competing to join returning starter R.J. Sumrall as the Cyclones’ starting receivers next fall.
“Everybody is getting better this spring. We’ve all been in coach (Gene) Chizik’s system for more than a year now, and that’s created a whole different attitude,” Messiah said. “There’s a different level of confidence and intensity on the field this spring and that is only going to help us as a team.”
Messiah has helped himself with consistency.
During the first three weeks of Iowa State’s spring drills, he did not drop a single pass thrown his way.
That level of steady play has not gone unnoticed.
“Euseph has been a pleasant surprise,” Cyclones offensive coordinator Robert McFarland said. “He’s been very, very consistent.”
That has been important to ISU wide receivers coach Jay Rodgers as the Cyclones work toward today’s noon spring game at Jack Trice Stadium.
“We’re looking for consistency from one play to the next and trying to determine who will bring that consistency into competition,” Rodgers said. “Becoming more physical is our No. 1 goal along with learning to identify who we are supposed to block, how to release and how to get downfield faster and play faster. Those are our priorities.”
Messiah wants to become a priority as spots on the depth chart are determined.
“I find myself looking at things through the perspective of a senior, understanding that this is my last chance, and I’ve approached things a little differently this year,” he said. “I conditioned and trained a little harder, and I’ve worked to do what I can to have a good spring and so far, things have worked out.”
Rodgers has stressed the basics throughout the 14 practices leading up to today’s scrimmage.
Messiah views that as a necessity.
“I came here because I wanted to compete at this level. I could have went to a
I-AA program, but I didn’t want to be in a position where I would be saying ‘What if?’ all my life. This is my chance. Doing the little things and doing them well will give me an opportunity, and I don’t want any regrets.”
Steve Batterson can be contacted at (563) 383-2290 or sbatterson@qctimes.com. Comment on this story at qctimes.com.
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