Given that they are/were both Illinois Fighting Illini, wore the same jersey number, played the same position, and didn’t break out until their junior year (and when they broke out, they really did it in style) it’s inevitable to compare current Illini tailback Mikel Leshoure to current Pittsbrugh Steelers star running back Rashard Mendenhall.
Heck, I wrote a column about it in October.
And after Leshoure’s huge, record-setting game in the Texas Bowl, more people are making the analogy. Leshoure was even asked the question Wednesday night, in the post-game press conference. Both are local products. Leshoure is from Champaign (Centenniel h.s.) and Mendenhall is from suburban Skokie (Niles West h.s.).
By Paul M. Banks
?It would definitely be a compliment. To start things off, the accomplishments that he?s had and the success he?s having now. He was a great back and he?s continued to get better. Hopefully I can do the same thing and follow in his footsteps to make my name known in the NFL,? he said.
So then the million dollar question is, will he follow Mendenhall’s lead and leave early for the NFL after his breakout junior season?
?I haven?t got to that yet or decided what I?m going to do,” he answered. Meaning we won’t know for awhile yet.
Leshoure finished the 2010 season with a bang, recording 184 rushing yards and 21 receiving yards for a total of [More …]
Source: http://www.thesportsbank.net/illinois-illini/mikel-leshoure-rashard-mendenhall/
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