| | By Todd Cooper
Special to ESPN.com
As far as sports shrines go, this one leaves a little to be desired.
On the wall of his room in Lincoln, Neb., quarterback Eric Crouch has just a few grainy, black-and-white action photos of himself from his high-school days in Omaha.
His favorite is a newspaper clipping just a few inches wide. It shows Crouch stiff-arming a defender en route to the end zone.
His knee is waist-high as he cuts on a dime. His arm is to the side, extended but not quite stiff.
Sound like a familiar pose? It's not quite the Heisman but it's close.
In effect, it's the humble Heisman. And the picture could be prophetic.
|  | | Eric Crouch ran for 889 yards and 16 TDs and threw for 1,269 and 7 TDs last season. |
"The first time I ever saw my name mentioned (for the Heisman) in a magazine this summer, I got the chills," Crouch said. "Not in a million years would I ever think I had the opportunity to be in that category of people. I still have a hard time believing it."
Husker opponents better believe it. While Drew Brees and Michael Vick might dash and pass their way to the Downtown Athletic Club, Crouch no doubt will try to run over the competition.
The junior -- who runs a 4.47 40-yard dash -- already is poised to become the most proficient Husker signal-caller in a list that includes Tommie Frazier, Turner Gill, Jerry Tagge and Dave Humm.
Consider that Crouch is:
On pace to shatter Frazier's record for career total offense by the end of his career.
Already fourth on the quarterback rushing charts at Nebraska. Crouch is just 778 yards away from breaking Steve Taylor's record for career rushing yards. Not bad considering he didn't become the full-time starter until game three of last season.
Healthy for the first time in his Husker career.
Crouch, who injured his right shoulder in his first college snap, had arthroscopic surgery on it in January. He said he had such a sharp-knifing pain last fall that he was sleeping just two to three hours a night.
The pain also sapped about 15 yards off of his deep passes. Now, Crouch expects to throw more -- and more effectively.
"I've set a goal to be at 75 to 80 percent (on completions)," he said. "People are going to expect us to run. So when we throw, I want it to work."
In addition to being more aerial, Crouch plans to be more vocal. The self-described stoic got some practice at it this summer. Last month, he sang a solo and had 15 lines in an Omaha play that benefited Alzheimer's research.
All of the state was his stage the rest of the summer. He logged thousands of miles on his 1994 Acura, speaking at charity events and football camps.
At one of the stops, an elderly man asked Crouch if he wouldn't mind doing the Heisman pose for a picture. Crouch politely declined, but the man persisted.
Crouch half-heartedly put up his arm. And the humble Heisman candidate smiled.
"I'm enjoying this as much as I can," he said. "This is a short-lived period of your life. I've got two years of college football left. I've got to make the most out of every Saturday."
Todd Cooper is a staff writer for the Omaha (Neb.) World-Herald.
| |
ALSO SEE
ESPN experts' Heisman poll: It's a Brees
AUDIO/VIDEO
 Eric Crouch goes 30 yards for the game's first score. (Courtesy: ABC Sports)
avi: 653 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1
On fourth down, Eric Crouch runs in the 31-yard TD.
avi: 1037 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1
|
