Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, November 4, 1994 TAG: 9411040061
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-4 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: DWIGHT FOXX STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: FERRUM LENGTH: Long
Is Ferrum College's Millard Vining a running back playing quarterback? Or is he a quarterback who should be playing running back?
Ever since he was a little boy playing Pee Wee football in Detroit, Vining has switched back and forth between the two positions. When he was 8 years old, Vining was a running back. But the next year, the team's starting quarterback suffered a broken arm and the Pee Wee coach asked young Millard to call the signals.
Vining's dilemma continued when his family moved from Detroit to Macon, Ga., before his sophomore year in high school. When he arrived on the Mount de Sales High School campus, they had a starting quarterback - Chris Hatcher - who went on to play for Division II Valdosta State.
Vining played tailback his sophomore and junior years at the school and rushed for more than 1,100 yards as a junior.
When Hatcher graduated, Vining was moved to quarterback for his senior campaign and nearly had a 1,000-1,000 season. He passed for 1,370 yards and 19 touchdowns and ran for 986 yards and 16 touchdowns.
Vining made the switch again Oct.15. The 5-foot-7, 168-pound junior was called upon by coach Dave Davis to start at tailback against Chowan after injuries to Panthers tailbacks David Anthony (knee) and Roshan Myers (shoulder).
Ferrum did not miss its tailbacks. Vining rushed for 100 yards on 19 carries and scored two touchdowns to lead his team to a 30-6 victory.
``It was more a move out of necessity than anything else,'' Davis said. ``With Anthony and Myers injured, the only other tailback was a kid [Roddie Perkinson] we had just moved from defense. Millard's assets to us as a quarterback include his ability to run. It seemed like a logical choice.''
The Panthers' star quarterback said Davis had mentioned a possible move to tailback after the West Virginia Tech game on Sept.10, but he didn't think much about it until the coach asked him again two weeks before the Chowan game.
``Coach Davis wanted to see what I could to do,'' he said. ``It put me in a situation where they needed me to play tailback after the injuries we had.''
Is Vining a tailback moonlighting as a quarterback, or a quarterback moonlighting as a tailback? He won't say, except that he likes both positions.
``Playing tailback, you have less to worry about,'' he said. ``It's a different pressure. That's the only thing I noticed going into the Chowan game. You have to listen for the [quarterback] checks instead of calling them. It's easier than playing quarterback, I think.''
``Some things at quarterback, like avoiding the rush and throwing a touchdown, are the best things in the world. Then, there are some things that are the worst things in the world. At tailback, if you miss a block, nobody sees it. But if you mess up at quarterback, everybody sees it.''
The business management major would play tailback again for the good of the team, but don't plan on it. Davis expects to use him as the Panthers' quarterback in the season finale against Emory & Henry on Saturday and for the 1995 season.
``I'm not planning anything else,'' Davis said. ``He's a playmaker; he can make things happen. He can take a play when it breaks down and make something happen. His playmaking ability, leadership and maturity are his biggest assets.''
It's at quarterback where Vining, whose brother, Darrell, played linebacker at Michigan State, is re-writing the Ferrum records. He is the school's all-time leader in career pass attempts (338). He needs three completions to break the career record of 153 completions and 17 yards to break the career yardage mark of 3,518.
By the end of next season, he could be the Ferrum record-holder for career touchdown passes, total offense, all-purpose yards and yards per completion, as well.
``I feel pretty much in control with the offense,'' Vining said. ``I just take what the defense gives me.''
Davis felt Vining's numbers suffered this season - he only has two touchdowns and 553 yards passing this season - because of the Panthers' inexperience around him. Eight freshmen have played significant minutes for Ferrum this year.
Vining, who turns 20 on Sunday, hasn't complained about changing positions this season. He said he learned about perseverance from his father, Elmer. The elder Vining died of a brain aneurysm during his youngest of six kids' Millard's senior year in high school.
``He had it for a year,'' said the Ferrum standout, the youngest of six children. ``The doctors said he would only live for six months, but he lived twice as long. He showed me how tough he was.''
Ferrum's head coach points to Vining when he sees his 3-5 team, which is not going to the playoffs, playing and practicing hard.
``These kids have played hard every week,'' Davis said. ``I don't believe what Bobby Bowden said about there being so many fire-ups in a year. Our kids are fired up every week. This group is remarkable. We've had some good leadership on this team, and part of that leadership is Millard.''
Barring injuries, Vining may not play tailback again, but the potential for a 1,000-yard passing, 1,000-yard rushing year in 1995 is there.
``I wouldn't mind it,'' he said. ``The main goal here is to put together a real good season. I don't worry about records; let the records fall if they may. I'm looking forward to next year. A few points here and a few points there kept us from having a big year. As for 1,000 yards passing and rushing, I'll decide in the spring if that's going to be one of my goals.''
by CNB