Because of trades for two Pro Bowl-caliber players, QB Steve McNair (fourth-round pick in ’07) and RB Willis McGahee (third-round pick in ’07), the Baltimore Ravens entered the 2007 draft with two first-day and six second-day choices. After general manager/executive vice president Ozzie Newsome finished directing the Ravens’ recent draft, the team ended up with three first-day and four second-day selections.
With those seven picks, Newsome, director of college scouting Eric DeCosta and their staff selected five offensive players and two additions for the NFL’s No. 1-rated defense. Included among the picks are two players listed at the top spot for their respective positions: G Ben Grubbs (1st-round G from Auburn) and FB Le’Ron McClain (4th-round FB from Alabama).
“Our draft history is obviously pretty good,†head coach Brian Billick said. “But, I marvel at how Ozzie uses the whole player acquisition process. He gets Steve (McNair) and Willis (McGahee) for draft choices, and then turns around and gets draft spots to replace the ones he gives up. He is constantly looking at the big picture – from signing or not signing free agents, drafting, and compensatory picks – the whole thing. He’s a marvel.â€
Just prior to the draft, Newsome and DeCosta allow each area scout to designate a player they believe would be a “best†fit for the Ravens. “These players are what we hope will be prototypical Ravens,†DeCosta explained. “Guys who get this distinction have a temperament and countenance we want: toughness, high character and intelligence, leadership and competitiveness. We literally put a red star sticker on the players’ card. We drafted three of those type players this year, the most in my time here.â€
Those three standouts were the first three players taken by the Ravens: Grubbs, the 29th player taken overall in this year’s draft, Yamon Figurs, a WR/RS from Kansas State, and Marshal Yanda, an offensive tackle from Iowa. Figurs, who will battle to be Baltimore’s return specialist this season, and Yanda, expected to be the team’s third tackle, were both taken in the third round.
“Grubbs has the skill set to be very effective at this level. Figurs was the fastest player at the Combine, and he made a lot of big plays in college. Yanda has the ability, wants to be good, and he was very well-coached at Iowa,†Newsome said.
Perhaps the most intriguing Ravens selection is QB Troy Smith, the Heisman Trophy winner from Ohio State, taken at the bottom of the fifth round. “Troy proved at the highest college level that he can play and win. He has all the physical tools. He is an impressive person with outstanding leadership skills. His football intellect is tremendous,†DeCosta said. Billick liked the pick: “His story is about overcoming odds, production and leadership. What’s not to like?â€
The other two Baltimore draft picks are linebackers, OLB Antwan Barnes (fourth round), a pass-rushing specialist from Florida International, and ILB Prescott Burgess, a 6-3, 240-pound thumper from Michigan.
“I think we’ll look back on this draft in three or four years, and you’ll be able to look at a lot of players that are going to be major contributors to a team that was coming off a 13-3 season. Hopefully, with the draft and other things we’ve done this offseason, we’ve put ourselves in position to return to the playoffs,†Newsome stated.
|
Round
|
Overall
|
Name
|
Pos.
|
Ht.
|
Wt.
|
College
|
|
1
|
29
|
Ben Grubbs
|
G
|
6’3"
|
315
|
Auburn
|
|
3a
|
74
|
Yamon Figurs
|
RS
|
5’11"
|
175
|
Kansas State
|
|
3b
|
86
|
Marshal Yanda
|
G/T
|
6’3"
|
310
|
Iowa
|
|
4a
|
134
|
Antwan Barnes
|
OLB
|
6’1"
|
240
|
Florida
|
|
4b
|
137
|
Le’Ron McClain
|
FB
|
6’0"
|
260
|
Alabama
|
|
5
|
174
|
Troy Smith
|
QB
|
6’0"
|
225
|
Ohio State
|
|
6
|
207
|
Prescott Burgess
|
ILB
|
6’3"
|
240
|
Michigan
|
Following are profiles on the Ravens’ 2007 draft choices:
BEN GRUBBS
Guard – Rookie
No. 66
6-3, 315
Auburn
Hometown: Eclectic, AL
HS: Elmore County (Eclectic, AL)
Born: 3/10/84
Joined Ravens: Draft 1 (29th overall), 2007
Pro: Ben Grubbs was picked with the 29th-overall selection in the 1st round of the 2007 NFL Draft…“I’m excited,†said director of college scouting Eric DeCosta. “He’s one of my favorite players in the draft. He’s just a great player. As a guard, I think he’s one of the top players in the draft. If it weren’t for the fact that he was a guard, I think he’d be really one of the elite guys in terms of playing ability, durability and intelligence. He was a consensus player. When I say that [I mean] all of the scouts and coaches really felt very, very good about Ben. He passed every single test – fall scouting, the all-star games, the Combine, everything we wanted in the past he passed with flying colors.â€â€¦Grubbs was the top rated interior lineman on the Ravens board, and is the 1st player the Ravens have selected from Auburn, and the 2nd lineman tabbed in the 1st round in franchise history (Jonathan Ogden, 4th overall – 1996).
College: All-American and All-SEC 1st-team selection by The NFL Draft Report as a senior…A perfect blend of power, intensity and athletic ability, Grubbs started 38 consecutive games at LG to end his career (played in 50 total)…Added All-American 1st-team honors from Rivals.com…Originally recruited as a defensive lineman, he moved to TE during his redshirt freshman year before becoming a dominant force at LG for the Tigers…Grubbs graded at least 90% for blocking consistency in 30 of his starts and was penalized only 4 times in 2,331 plays while at Auburn…In addition, he allowed just 3 sacks and 7 pressures during that span.
2006: All-American and All-SEC 1st-team selection by The NFL Draft Report and was rated the best G prospect in the country by that scouting service and ESPN…Added All-American 1st-team honors from Rivals.com…Consensus All-SEC 1st-team preseason pick…Earned SEC Offensive Lineman of the Week honors vs. Mississippi State and Arkansas State…Through 752 plays as a senior, Grubbs collected 108 key blocks, including 16 that resulted in Auburn TDs…He also led the Gs with a 92.2% grade for blocking consistency…His athleticism saw him produce 64 of those blocks downfield and he boasted a career blocking consistency average of 90.8%…Allowed only a half-sack while providing stellar protection for an offense that averaged 320.9 yards per game…The team averaged 148.2 yards per game rushing (75.9% of their ground yardage) and 172.7 yards passing (65.7%) behind the blocking of Grubbs.
2005: Grubbs was named to the All-SEC 1st-team by The Sports Xchange and The NFL Draft Report as a junior…He received the highest grade for blocking consistency (89.7%) of any offensive guard in the conference…Grubbs allowed just 2 sacks and 4 pressures, but posted 64 key blocks, including a league-high 22 that resulted in TDs…He participated in 763 plays, helping the offense average 409.8 yards per game, including an average of 194.1 yards rushing.
2004: Sophomore All-American selection by The Sports Page…Took over LG duties as a 289-pound sophomore and finished with a blocking consistency grade of 90.4%…He registered 76 key blocks and 16 TD-resulting blocks while allowing only 2 TFL and 1 pressure in 816 plays…Named the team’s Most Improved Offensive Lineman by the coaching staff.
2003: Ben moved from DT to TE in the preseason and appeared in 9 games as a 281-pound blocking TE, but did not have any receptions…Grubbs earned his 1st-career start when the team opened with a double-TE formation against Louisiana-Monroe.
2002: Redshirted as a freshman, competing on the scout team as a DT.
High School, Personal: Attended Elmore County (Eclectic, AL) HS, and played OL, LB and FB during his 4-year career as a starter…Super Prep rated him one of Alabama’s Top 10 prospects…He was a Class 4A All-State selection as an OL by the Alabama Sports Writers Association, adding All-County and All-Metro accolades as an OLB…He registered 150 tackles, 6 sacks and an INT as a senior…He also rushed for 130 yards on 28 carries, scoring twice, and caught 7 passes for 50 yards that year…As a junior, Grubbs posted 110 tackles, 4 sacks and an INT…He also lettered 4 times on the basketball team as a forward…Graduated from Auburn in May, 2006 with a degree in public administration and a minor in business…Born 3/10/84 in Columbus, GA…Full Name: Benjamin Richard Grubbs.
YAMON FIGURS
No. 16
Wide Receiver/Return Specialist – Rookie
5-11, 175
Kansas State
HS: Westwood (Fort Pierce, FL)
Born: 1/10/83, Fort Pierce, FL
Joined Ravens: Draft 3 (74th), 2007
Pro: Yamon Figurs was the 74th selection (3rd round) of the 2007 NFL Draft…“Figurs is a guy who is one of our favorite players this year,†stated Ravens director of college scouting Eric DeCosta. “He’s very explosive, if you’ve seen the clips of him. Certain guys are fast, and certain guys play fast. When you watch him on tape, you see an unbelievable speed and acceleration. It’s not usual that you get a guy that the special teams coach loves, the coaches love and the scouts love. He gives us a lot of explosion as a return man and on offense.†Figurs is the 1st-ever Raven to be drafted out of Kansas State.
College: One of the nation’s premier return specialists and a dangerous deep threat during his 3-year career at Kansas State… Earned 1st-team All-Big 12 honors as a RS…He played in 34 games, starting 29 at WR…Finished his career with 73 catches for 1,144 yards to rank 18th in K-State’s career receiving yards…Also posted 5 rushes for 79 yards…Registered 48 punt returns for 553 yards and 21 kickoff returns for 499 yards…Figurs totaled 2,275 career all-purpose yards during his career…Finished 5th in career punt returns (48) and yards (553), 6th in PR average (11.5 avg.) and 6th in career PR TDs (2)…Also ranked 7th in career KOR average (23.8), with 21 returns for 499 yards…Scored 11 TDs during his career (6 receiving, 2 rushing, 2 PR and 1 KOR)…Figurs also tallied 19 tackles and 3 FRs on special teams as one of the Big 12’s top performers on coverage units.
2006: Earned 1st-team All-Big 12 honors as a RS and honorable mention honors at WR from the league’s coaches…Also a 1st-team All-Big 12 selection by the Houston Chronicle and an honorable mention choice by The Associated Press…Started and played in 12 of K-State’s 13 games during his senior campaign…Missed the season finale at Kansas after suffering a concussion vs. Texas…Following the season, he was selected to play in the Hula Bowl All-Star Game in Honolulu…Finished 3rd for the Wildcats in receiving with 28 catches for 418 yards…Led the team in receiving TDs (3) and tied for the team lead in total TDs (7)…Had 3 rushes for 71 yards, 2 of which went for scores…Ranked 5th in the nation in PRs, averaging 14.7 per attempt with 2 TDs…His 14.7-yard PR average ranked 3rd in K-State single-season history…Had the longest PR in the Big 12 in 2006, netting an 81-yarder for a TD against Illinois State…Recorded 2 100-yard receiving games…Top performances came against Texas when he posted a career-high 123 receiving yards and 2 TDs…Also had a 52-yard PR that set up a score against the Longhorns, en route to earning Big 12 Special Teams Player of the Week honors…Caught 4 passes for 101 yards at Baylor, including a career-long 68-yarder…Returned a punt 76 yards for K-State’s lone TD during the Texas Bowl vs. Rutgers.
2005: Saw action in all 11 games with 9 starts as a junior…Finished 4th on the team in receiving, hauling in 14 receptions for 243 yards and 1 TD…Averaged a team-best 17.4 yards per catch…Five of his 14 catches went for 20 yards or more, including a season-long 52-yard TD vs. Texas A&M…Had a season-high 3 grabs in 3 separate games, including a season-best 84 receiving yards vs. North Texas…In that game vs. the Mean Green, Figurs posted catches of 50 and 22 yards.
2004: Played in all 11 games, recording 8 starts…Led the Wildcats with 483 receiving yards…Had 4 contests with 80 or more receiving yards…Totaled 31 receptions, including a pair of TDs, and averaged 15.6 yards per catch…Led the team in long receptions with 11 grabs of 20 or more yards, including 5 of 30-plus…Had a season-best 106 receiving yards on 4 catches (26.5 avg.) at Kansas, including a season-long 51-yarder and a 48-yard catch…The 51-yard grab came on a 4th-and-6 play late in the 4th quarter that set up the Wildcats’ final TD…Hauled in a season-high 6 grabs vs. both Oklahoma and Colorado…Finished with 80 receiving yards against the Sooners, including a 38-yard TD from QB Dylan Meier that gave K-State a 14-7 lead…Registered 3 catches for a team-high 91 yards against Texas Tech, including a 44-yard over-the-shoulder snag…Had 5 catches for 84 yards in his career debut vs. Western Kentucky, including a 35-yarder and a 24-yarder…Tallied his 1st-career TD at Texas A&M on a 20-yard reception…Earned K-State’s “Shorty†Kleinau Award, which represents loyalty, hard work and commitment.
Junior College: Earned All-Jayhawk Conference honorable mention honors at wideout as a redshirt freshman in 2003 at Garden City (KS) Community College…Had 25 receptions for 480 yards with 6 TDs…Ranked 8th in the conference in receiving yards per game despite playing in a run-oriented attack that averaged only 127.0 passing yards per game…Also ranked 10th in the conference in all-purpose yardage (97.9 ypg), 4th in KOR average (28.1, including 1 TD) and 7th in PR average (12.9).
High School, Personal: Figurs received his bachelor’s degree in social science at Kansas State in December of 2006…Attended Westwood (Fort Pierce, FL) HS, where he was a 3-year starter…Earned All-Conference and All-Area honors as a senior…Also lettered in track and field and basketball…Ran an 11.01 into a stiff headwind to place 2nd in the 100-meter dash at the 2001 Florida state 2A meet…Born 1/10/83 in Fort Pierce, FL…Nickname is “Yo.â€
Yamon Figurs – Career Statistics
RECEIVING
|
Year
|
GP
|
GS
|
No.
|
YDS
|
Avg.
|
LG
|
TD
|
|
2004
|
11
|
8
|
31
|
483
|
15.6
|
51t
|
2
|
|
2005
|
11
|
9
|
14
|
243
|
17.4
|
52t
|
1
|
|
2006
|
12
|
12
|
28
|
418
|
14.9
|
68t
|
3
|
|
TOTALS
|
34
|
29
|
73
|
1,144
|
15.7
|
68t
|
6
|
RUSHING
|
Year
|
GP
|
GS
|
No.
|
YDS
|
Avg.
|
LG
|
TD
|
|
2004
|
11
|
8
|
2
|
8
|
4.0
|
11
|
0
|
|
2005
|
11
|
9
|
0
|
0
|
0.0
|
0
|
0
|
|
2006
|
12
|
12
|
3
|
71
|
23.7
|
38t
|
2
|
|
TOTALS
|
34
|
29
|
5
|
79
|
15.8
|
38t
|
2
|
PUNT RETURNS
|
Year
|
GP
|
GS
|
No.
|
YDS
|
Avg.
|
LG
|
TD
|
|
2004
|
11
|
8
|
19
|
138
|
7.3
|
54
|
0
|
|
2005
|
11
|
9
|
7
|
92
|
13.1
|
35
|
0
|
|
2006
|
12
|
12
|
22
|
323
|
14.7
|
81t
|
2
|
|
TOTALS
|
34
|
29
|
48
|
553
|
11.5
|
81t
|
2
|
KICKOFF RETURNS
|
Year
|
GP
|
GS
|
No.
|
YDS
|
Avg.
|
LG
|
TD
|
|
2004
|
11
|
8
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
|
2005
|
11
|
9
|
12
|
296
|
24.7
|
98t
|
1
|
|
2006
|
12
|
12
|
9
|
203
|
22.6
|
41
|
0
|
|
TOTALS
|
34
|
29
|
21
|
499
|
23.8
|
98t
|
1
|
MARSHAL YANDA
Guard/Tackle – Rookie
No. 73
6-4, 310
Iowa
HS: Anamosa (IA)
Born: 9/15/84
Joined Ravens: Draft 3 (86th), 2007
Pro: Marshal Yanda was selected by the Ravens in the 3rd round as the 86th-overall pick in the 2007 NFL Draft. Yanda was the 2nd offensive lineman picked by Baltimore in 2007, following 1st-rounder Ben Grubbs (Auburn) who was the 29th-overall pick. “He’s a guy that can now start to develop as a tackle, but can also play the offensive guard position,†said GM Ozzie Newsome…Yanda is the 1st player drafted by the Ravens from
College: Former Ravens assistant head coach/offense, Kirk Ferentz (1996-98) said Yanda “was one of the finest offensive linemen to suit up for the Hawkeyes in recent years.â€â€¦Started 25 games during his career, including 4 at LG, 5 at LT and 16 at RT…He not only provided stellar pass protection and opened huge holes for the ground game, but his ability to play multiple positions proved invaluable when injuries hit the Iowa front wall…Despite playing only 2 seasons with the Hawkeyes, he earned instant respect from his teammates and coaches due to his tireless work ethic…Yanda earned the team’s Hawkeye Hustle Award for his performances in his 1st year at Iowa in 2005, as he started the team’s 1st 4 games at LG before shifting to RT for the rest of the campaign…Collected 81 knockdown blocks with 11 TD-resulting blocks for an offense that averaged 432.4 yards per game…Was a 3rd-team All-American choice by The NFL Draft Report in 2006 and earned 2nd-team All-Big Ten honors from the league’s coaches…Yanda delivered 98 knockdowns and helped clear the way for 11 TDs.
2006: All-Big Ten Conference 2nd-team selection by The NFL Draft Report and the league’s coaches…Started every game, lining up at RT in 8 contests and at LT in the other 5, including the Alamo Bowl vs. Texas…Served as offensive team co-captain…Helped the team average 383.3 yards per game in total offense and average 239.8 yards passing…Part of an offensive line that allowed 23 sacks and 10 pressures…Registered 74 knockdown blocks with 11 TD-resulting blocks…Allowed 3 sacks and 1 pressure…Was penalized 5 times.
2005: Joined the team for spring practices after enrolling at Iowa in February…Recipient of the Hawkeye Hustle Award…Started every game, lining up at LG in 4 games before shifting to RT for the rest of the schedule…Posted 57 knockdowns with 7 TD-resulting blocks, as part of an offensive line that allowed only 11 sacks…Helped the offense generate 432.4 yards per game, including 257.8 yards passing.
Junior College: Attended North Iowa Area (Mason City, IA) Community College in his 1st 2 years (2003-04)…Earned All-Region honors in consecutive seasons and was honorable mention All-American as a sophomore…Yanda started at LG in 2003 and at RT in 2004.
High School, Personal: At the start of the 2006 campaign, he was selected to the Leadership Council and also served as one of Iowa’s offensive game captains…Was a 1st-team All-Conference selection as a senior and junior at Anamosa (IA) HS…He served as team captain his senior season, earning 3 letters as an OT and DT…He added a pair of letters in track and field, tossing the discus and shot put, and lettered twice in basketball…Upon graduating from high school, Yanda enrolled at North Iowa Area (Mason City, IA) Community College (2003-04)…He earned All-Region honors in consecutive seasons and was honorable mention All-American as a sophomore…The 2-year starter lined up mostly at LG as a freshman and at RT during his sophomore campaign…Was an Economics major at Iowa…Son of Ruth and John Yanda.
ANTWAN BARNES
Outside Linebacker/Defensive End – Rookie
No. 50
Florida International
6-1, 240
HS: Norland (Miami, FL)
Born: 10/19/84
Joined Ravens: Draft 4a (134th overall), 2007
Pro: Antwan Barnes was picked with the 134th-overall selection in the 4th round of the 2007 NFL Draft. “Antwan Barnes is an OLB/pass-rusher that we picked up from FIU. Barnes was the last player I watched on tape,†said general manager Ozzie Newsome. “Eric [DeCosta, director of college scouting] came to me and said, ‘You’ve got to watch this guy. He can do some things that are attractive to our organization.’ So, [I watched him], and he is explosive player.†Barnes was the 1st defensive player taken by the Ravens 2006 and the 1st player from Florida International to be drafted by an NFL team…Has Gary Stills-like special teams abilities.
College: Florida International’s career record holder with 23 sacks…Feared pass rusher, who is a capable run stuffer, an explosive pass rusher…Finished his career as only the 6th player in Golden Panthers history to amass more that 200 tackles (224)…Earned 1st-team Sun Belt Conference honors 2 years straight as a junior and as a senior…Also holds the Golden Panthers all-time record with 57 TFL, shattering the previous mark of 29…Barnes’ 11 sacks in 2005 broke the season record of 6, 1st set in 2002 and matched in 2004…Returned his 1st career INT for a TD 51 yards in 2004…In 45 games at FIU, Barnes started 38 times (21 at DE, 17 at LB)…Posted 6 FFs and 2 FRs…Deflected 5 passes and intercepted 2 others, returning both for TDs, while gaining a total of 74 yards…Also blocked 3 kicks.
2006: All-Sun Belt Conference 1st-team selection…Started every game at strong-side DE, helping the team rank 28th nationally in total defense (300.9), 4th in pass defense (147.67 ypg) and lead the Division 1-A ranks with an average of 8.17 TFL per game…Recorded a career-high 69 tackles (42 solos), the 3rd-best total on the team…Had 6 sacks (-51 yards) and 2 QB pressures…Ranked 3rd in the nation with an average of 1.88 stops behind the line of scrimmage per game, finishing with 22.5 TFL (-87 yards)…Recovered 1 fumble and deflected 1 pass…Returned his 2nd career INT 23 yards for a TD…Barnes’ 4 sacks vs. Middle Tennessee in 2006 broke his own school’s game-record of 3 sacks vs. Arkansas State in 2005.
2005: All-Sun Belt Conference 1st-team choice…Began the season as a reserve OLB, but moved into the starting lineup at DE in the team’s 3rd game…Ranked 6th in the nation with an average of 1 sack per game and ranked 2nd in the conference with an average of 1.41 TFL per game…Set then-FIU single-season records with 11 sacks (-72 yards) and 15.5 TFL (-87yards)…Posted 1 FF and 3 FRs…Also blocked 2 punts that led to FIU TDs.
2004: Played in 10 games, starting vs. Youngstown State, Louisiana-Lafayette and Florida Atlantic at strong-side OLB…Recorded 53 tackles (30 solos) with 3 sacks (-23 yards) and led the team with 8 TFL (-34 yards)…Caused 2 fumbles and deflected a pair of passes…Intercepted 1 pass for a 51-yard TD return and returned a blocked punt 13 yards.
2003: Took over OLB duties as a true freshman, starting all 12 games… Registered 57 tackles (28 solo) with 3 sacks (-18 yards) and led the squad with 11 TFL (-39 yards)…Blocked 1 kick, posted 1 FF and deflected 2 passes.
High School, Personal: Majored in liberal studies at FIU…Attended Norland (Miami, FL) HS playing football for head coach Nigel Dunn…Was an All-State 1st-team LB who was touted by several recruiting services as FIU’s best-ever football recruit coming out of Norland HS.…He was listed on the Miami Herald’s Top-20 in the Miami-Dade County area and helped lead Norland to the Class 6A State Championship as a senior…During the regular season, he recorded 65 tackles, 30 TFL and 13 sacks…In 5 playoff games, he racked up another 51 tackles, 20 TFL, and 14 sacks, including posting 2 sacks and recovering 1 fumble in the State Championship game…Earned 2nd-team All-County honors…As a Vikings’ wrestler, Barnes was a 2-time district champion, a regional runner-up and a state qualifier…Born 10/19/84.
LE’RON MCCLAIN
Fullback – Rookie
No. 37
6-0, 260
Alabama
HS: Tuscaloosa County (Northport, AL)
Born: 12/27/84
Joined Ravens: Draft 4b (137th overall), 2007
Pro: Le’Ron McClain was picked with the 137th-overall selection in the 4th round of the 2007 NFL Draft…“We talked about getting the No. 1 player at the position, at guard, with [Ben] Grubbs,†said Ravens general manager Ozzie Newsome. “We did the same thing with [Le’Ron] McClain. As has been talked about on the [draft] telecast, you can get a good player on the second day at certain positions because people just don’t draft them. Everybody here realized that we lost a real good player in Ovie Mughelli and that we were able to come back and get Le’Ron McClain. It was amazing the number of text [messages] and calls that we got from other teams around the league that had the similar feelings that we did about Le’Ron. We knew that there was one team that was trying to trade up to get him – thank God for compensatory picks that you can’t trade – so we knew we were going to be able to get him, and they knew that also.â€â€¦McClain is the 4th player the Ravens have selected from Alabama and the 1st FB drafted by the Ravens since 2005 when they took Justin Green (5th round, 158th overall).
College: Named team captain as a senior, McClain is a punishing lead blocker, who led the way for the Crimson Tide to pick up 3,310 rushing yards over his final 2 years as a starter…He also possesses soft hands out of the backfield…Saw action in 48 career games at Alabama, starting 29, including 19 in a row to close out his college career…Was tackled for a loss just once in his career (37 attempts) and was also a standout special teams player for the Tide…Posted 575 all-purpose yards at Alabama carrying the ball 37 times for 170 yards (4.6 ypc) and 2 TDs, and totaling in 48 receptions for 405 yards and 8 TDs.
2006: Started all 13 games at FB and helped the rushing attack average 123.1 yards per game, racking up 1,600 yards in 2006…He also carried 11 times for 64 yards (5.8 avg) as a senior…Finished 4th on the team with a career-high 20 receptions for 175 yards (8.8 avg.) and 3 TDs…Amassed 239 all-purpose yards and added 4 tackles (3 solo) on the punt coverage team…He played a total of 616 snaps with a season-high 67 at Arkansas as a senior.
2005: Played in all 12 games, starting 10 and totaled 179 all-purpose yards finishing the season with 39 yards on 8 carries (4.9 avg.) and hauled in 18 receptions for 140 yards and 2 TDs…Totaled 179 all-purpose yards…Also recorded 3 solo special teams tackles…Helped pave the way for the Tide to rush for 1,170 yards, averaging 142.5 yards per game.
2004: Saw action in 12 games, starting 5 (including the final 4) after starting FB Tim Castille was lost with a knee injury…Finished with 121 all-purpose yards, carrying the ball 17 times for a career-high 66 yards and 2 TDs…Caught 8 passes for 55 yards and 3 TDs as a sophomore.
2003: Saw action in 11 games, starting 1, while missing 2 with turf toe…Carried the ball just once, and caught 2 passes for 35 yards as a freshman.
High School, Personal: Attended Tuscaloosa County (Northport, AL) HS…Super All-State selection and rated the 4th-best prospect in Alabama by BorderWars, a college recruiting service…Averaged 6.5 yards per carry, posting 1,071 yards rushing and 15 TDs on 165 carries…Also hauled in 5 receptions for 110 yards…As a junior, McClain rushed 135 times for 1,007 yards (7.5 avg.) and 21 scores…As a starter on defense, he recorded 86 tackles, 3 sacks and 1 INT…Was a human environmental sciences major at Alabama.
Le’Ron McClain – Career Statistics
RUSHING
|
Year
|
GP
|
GS
|
No.
|
YDS
|
Avg.
|
LG
|
TD
|
|
2004
|
11
|
1
|
1
|
1
|
1.0
|
1
|
0
|
|
2005
|
12
|
5
|
17
|
66
|
3.9
|
14
|
2
|
|
2006
|
13
|
13
|
11
|
64
|
5.8
|
15
|
0
|
|
TOTALS
|
48
|
29
|
37
|
170
|
4.6
|
15
|
2
|
RECEIVING
Year G GS No. Yds. Avg. LG TD
20
