THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, November 11, 1994 TAG: 9411110813
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C2 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY CHARLIE DENN, CORRESPONDENT
LENGTH: Medium: 86 lines
When Terrance Rivers was a high school senior in Jacksonville, Fla., a recruiter from another school found out Rivers was considering attending The Citadel to play college football.
So the coach brought over a film titled ``Lords of Discipline'' which details some of the demands of life at a military college.
``It wasn't a real positive movie,'' said Rivers.
Undaunted, the high school standout went ahead with his plans to play football at The Citadel. The experience has been rewarding.
``As a running back in high school,'' he explained, ``I wanted to go to a program where they stress running the ball. And I also wanted a place where I could get a better overall educational experience.''
Rivers has become successful in both aspects. He is among the leading rushers in the Southern Conference heading into Saturday's 3:30 match when the Bulldogs (4-5) meet VMI (0-9) in the Oyster Bowl at Foreman Field.
And he'll graduate next May from a college which doesn't exactly give away degrees.
What sort of player wants to attend a military college where virtually every second of every day is accounted for? Where discipline is king and the lifestyle is hardly cavalier?
``You need to find young men who are givers,'' said The Citadel coach Charlie Taffe. ``You have to find an 18-year-old who can look 10 or 20 years down the road and give up some things now which will pay off in the future for him.
``That's really tough to find in today's athletes,'' Taffe added. ``You can't be a `me' person and succeed here.''
Yet The Citadel's recent record suggests that the marriage of regimentation and athletics can exist. In fact, it can positively prosper.
The Bulldogs had enjoyed five straight winning seasons until last year's 5-6 mark. They have been to the I-AA playoffs three times since 1988, including 1992 when the team was 11-2.
``My time here has been a great experience,'' said Rivers. ``The guys I've played with have made it special.''
Taffe and his staff have high standards for their prospective recruits. But the school's location in Charleston, S.C., gives them access to rich stores of high school talent in Georgia and Florida.
The Citadel has 17 players from Georgia on its roster and another 12 from Florida.
``We're not budgeted like big schools,'' Taffe said. ``But our proximity to Georgia and Florida helps us get good athletes. There are some outstanding players in those states.''
And The Citadel also digs heavily into the South Carolina talent pool. Fifty-four players hail from South Carolina.
``Our recent success has made us more visible to the local kids,'' Taffe said.
Another selling point is The Citadel's use of the wishbone offense. The run-oriented attack used to be the vogue in college athletics but now only a handful of teams still run it.
However, if you want to be a running back in college as Rivers did, the wishbone offers you the chance to excel.
The Citadel is so successful with it that the Bulldogs lead all I-AA schools in rushing yardage, averaging 382.2 yards per game.
``It's not a magic system,'' said Taffe. ``But it provides consistency and it is a team-oriented offense which fits in with the system taught here in the classroom.
``Plus it doesn't require great skill people. And it cuts down on the preparation time in practice. That's good for us because these kids are so busy they don't have a lot of time for practice.''
The backs share the success in the wishbone. Four different backs have eclipsed the 100-yard barrier in a game at least once this year. And on four occasions, two backs have gone over the 100-yard mark in the same game.
Rivers has the best individual performance of the year. He rushed for 217 yards and scored four touchdowns on only 14 carries against Furman.
For the year, he's fifth in the Southern Conference with 779 yards on 82 carries. He's averaging 9.5 yards per carry and has 11 touchdowns.
``The system (wishbone) works for us,'' said Rivers. ``If you run it right, it can be devastating.''
Belief in the system. It's part of the discipline that military schools like The Citadel are famous for. ILLUSTRATION: Photo
Terrance Rivers of The Citadel shakes off a would-be tackler. He is
averaging 9.5 yards per carry and has 11 touchdowns.
by CNB