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Friday, September 17, 1999 By Lori Shontz, Post-Gazette Sports Writer
Penn State wide receiver Eddie Drummond auditioned to get into middle school.
He wanted to attend the Rogers School for the Creative and Performing Arts in East Liberty because he loved to draw. So before he went into sixth grade, Drummond put together a portfolio of his works.
"And there was this test you had to do," he said. "They give you this paragraph, and you have to express that paragraph on the paper as best you know how."
Drummond left home to go to high school.
He enjoyed his three years at CAPA, but he didn't want to remain in the city school system because of gang violence in the neighborhood of Larimer, where he then lived. So he moved to Wheeling, W.Va., to attend the Linsly School, where he lived in a dormitory, wore gray pants and a blue and orange tie every day and learned to make the most of his time in study halls.
Then last year, he arrived at Penn State to play football and study, most likely, graphic arts. Lots of freshmen struggle a bit when they arrive on campus. Not Drummond, not with his background.
"My adjustment was a cinch," he said.
Anyone who has watched the No. 3 Nittany Lions' first three games would conclude that Drummond's adjustment was equally as smooth on the football field.
Headed into tomorrow's game with No. 8 Miami, Drummond leads Penn State in receiving yards (186), average gain per catch (37.2 yards) and has made the longest catch of the season -- a 71-yard pass from Kevin Thompson against Akron. It was Penn State's longest pass play in five seasons.
He also has found success running the reverse (two carries for 54 yards), and his tackle of Pitt kickoff returner Hank Poteat in the final minute of last Saturday's game helped to prevent the Panthers from getting into field-goal range.
But Drummond said appearances can be deceiving.
He had never played wide receiver until last season, when he was sitting out with a hip flexor injury that caused him to miss three games. The coaches suggested that he move from running back to wide receiver or defensive back, and Drummond picked wide receiver.
"The transition was harder than I thought it would be," he said. "I thought I'd go over there and learn everything just like a snap, and it was more complicated than I thought it would be. I had to get all the timing right. Every route has to be perfect."
Drummond also had to learn that he couldn't simply rely on speed.
"I think Eddie has a chance to be really good," Coach Joe Paterno said. "But he has a way to go."
He was always the fastest little kid on the block. When his uncle first took him to football practice, Drummond said he "didn't know a tackle from a safety." But from the beginning he ran faster than anyone else on the team, and he soon found a home at tailback.
He runs the 40-yard dash in 4.35 seconds, making him the fastest Nittany Lion -- although many players, including cornerback David Macklin, wide receiver Corey Jones and tailbacks Eric McCoo and Cordell Mitchell would love to challenge him.
"We gab and joke about it a lot in the locker room," Drummond said. "But there won't be any physical showdown anytime soon."
Drummond spent years running locally for Albert Kennedy and the New Image Track Club. In high school, he ran 100 meters in 10.52 and the 200 in 21.5, and he finished as high as seventh in a junior national meet.
Despite his success, he never considered concentrating on track.
"I just feel like a team-oriented game is much more emotional, and I felt like I wanted to be a part of a team game," Drummond said. "Also, I think I can go farther in football level-wise than track. I always had a goal to reach the top level of my football abilities and, after a while, I was basically using track to keep up my strength and speed for football."
Sure, speed helps. But Drummond quickly discovered that playing split end takes plenty of other skills.
"A great deal of it isn't really just like track speed. You really just need quickness. The main key is to get off the ball and actually get past the defenders first. The defenders try to jam you up so you can't get past them. But once you do that and get past and have the speed to get away, then everything's a piece of cake."
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