Gerhart gets some much-deserved attention
OK, let’s be realistic about this. Stanford’s Toby Gerhart is not winning the Heisman Trophy this season.
But the fact that the Stanford running back is even in the mix – gaining the attention of even the New York Times in this extended feature – lets you know that his is no ordinary story.
Toby Gerhart
And, honestly, with a BCS title game that was seemingly pre-ordained before the season between Texas and the winner of the SEC title game (Florida or Alabama), college football fans have no choice but to look for other, more interesting storylines to define the 2009 season.
Without a doubt, the Gerhart story is gaining steam, challenging even the riveting saga of the BCS wanna-be duo of Boise State and TCU in giving college football fans something to discuss while waiting for that predictable national championship game on January 7th in Pasadena.
Fortunately, Gerhart remains grounded (as shown in this profile by the local San Francisco Chronicle). Additional proof can be found in this Stanford-produced video that has fun with his elite two-sport status.
Yes, it is refreshing to see a breakout star with professional potential in both football and baseball rise into the national consciousness without all of the prefab hype that usually accompanies such success.
And, oh yeah, if this sports thing doesn’t work out, Gerhart will only have a stinkin’ degree in management sciences and engineering from Stanford to fall back on.
Great, great story that rebuilds a little faith in the modern student-athlete. Heisman or not, his success (and the not-so-coincidental accompanying success of his team) deserves our full attention now and into the future.
