FT. LAUDERDALE, Florida -- One August afternoon earlier this year, running backs coach Billy Hite summoned Darren Evans to his office. The result of that meeting helped jump start the beginning of Evans prolific freshman season and his major contribution in leading the Hokies on a return journey to back-to-back ACC championships, and Orange Bowl appearances.
That day, Hite posed a simple question to the young and impressionable tailback from Indianapolis. Would he be satisfied sitting on the bench, and resting on his laurels as high school football's Mr. Indiana? Or was Evans ready to begin molding his legacy at Tech as a potent and unquenchable source of power and speed by starting to play to the fullest of his abilities?
"Probably about two weeks leading into the season, he had not shown us what we'd seen in the spring," said offensive coordinator Bryan Stinespring. "He was about three on the depth chart. And coach Hite called him in and told him we were within two weeks of making decisions and challenged him to 'find out who you are and what you want to be. And you need to do it now.'"
And he did.
As one of Tech's all-time leading freshman runners, he has started his inaugural season with a 1,112 yard campaign of gain, including a school record 253 yards rushing against Maryland, and a Tech freshman record ten touchdowns. He also has earned second team freshman All-America and second-team All-ACC honors.
Sophomore quarterback Tyrod Taylor succinctly described Evans path to success.
"He looks to punish people," Taylor said.
Evans initially expected his first season playing college football to be minimally different from his freshman redshirt year. He assumed he would substitute sparingly and was prepared to embrace his role as a back up to superior players with significant experience, but ultimately watch the season unfold from afar.
"I just thought I'd be like a back up type of guy just because we had some pretty good guys in front of me," Evans said here Sunday.
He hardly could be blamed for thinking that way. He watched last year's 24-21 Orange Bowl loss to Kansas from the east end zone stands in Dolphin Stadium. The freshman looked on as his eventual mentor, Kenny Lewis Jr., started in place of rushing leader Branden Ore, but struggled for yardage. He then saw Ore run for 116 yards and a touchdown in just three quarters of play.
But what a difference a year makes.
Head Coach Frank Beamer dismissed Ore from the team last spring after multiple violations of team rules. Early in the third quarter of the Western Kentucky homecoming game, Lewis ruptured his Achilles tendon on his way to the end zone, prematurely ending his 2008 season.
"I would say especially after Kenny went down I kind of just re-evaluated myself and told myself I needed to pick it up because the offense is going to want a lot more from this position than they ever have," Evans said. "I just did my best to be a contributor on the team and it paid off. I went over 1,000 yards and had a pretty decent season."
This New Year, Evans will face arguably the most experienced defense yet. Cincinnati's defense starts 10 seniors and one junior. None of their opponents this season has rushed for more than 197 yards, and held Pitt to only 35 yards on the ground.
"There's an experience factor, and a confidence factor, that you don't run into week in and week out," Stinespring said. "To play that amount of experience, against a group that has taken that many snaps, and been successful, certainly that's a tremendous advantage for any football team."
Regardless, Stinespring's confidence in Evans won't waver. Since that meeting back in August, he's witnessed Evan's transformation from spectator, to sideliner, to starter all in one year.
"I really think it says a lot about Darren being willing to stay the course and believe in himself," Stinespring said. "When he's able to do that and get his shoulder's north and south, and make the decision running the ball, he's awfully good at what he does."
Evans is just happy for a year's worth of opportunities.
"I couldn't have asked for more from this season," he said. "It's been good."