For Cardell Clemons, this may be viewed as his shot at redemption.
The junior running back from Glenpool, Okla. is back for his second stint with the Pittsburg State Gorillas.
Clemons transferred from PSU to Northeastern Oklahoma A&M after the 2007 season and is now back with the Gorillas after a year of junior college football.
“I just felt like I had to play,” Clemons said. “That may be a little selfish but, I really wanted to play.”
During the 2007 season, Clemons played in seven games, rushed 30 times for 79 yards — an average of 2.6 yards per carry.
“It wasn’t that it wasn’t enough but, I was limited the whole season,” Clemons said.
During spring practice, Clemons broke his fibula and, PSU offensive coordinator Tim Beck even admitted that Clemons may not have been as ready to take the field as was anticipated.
“He was young and his injury set him back,” Beck said. “We had to get him back probably sooner than he was ready.
“He was 100 percent healthy but, not where he was before.”
Upon transferring to NEO, Clemons seemed to find his groove as he rushed for over 1,000 yards for the Norsemen and was the fourth-leading rusher in the nation on the junior college level.
His marks were highlighted even more by the fact that he did not sign with NEO until two weeks prior to the start of two-a-days.
But, his entire time at NEO, Clemons spent wondering about what he had left behind at PSU.
“To be honest, I was thinking about Pitt all the time down there,” Clemons said. “But, I just wanted to play.”
So, after graduating from NEO, Clemons had offers to think about and decisions to make.
Four weeks ago, he called his old coach, Beck, with a desire to wear a Gorilla uniform again.
“We had talked several times before he left and we parted on very good terms,” Beck said. “Now, he understands that he has to prove himself just line any other freshman.”
That is exactly how Clemons is looking at the start of practice. Heading into preseason workouts, Clemons is third on the Gorillas’ running backdepth chart behind Terrance Isaac and Eric Love.
“I am approaching this like I am a freshman,” Clemons said. “I want to start at the bottom and work my way up.”
And, he knows that it will not be an easy process.
But, it is something that Clemons is used to after backing up the likes of Caleb Farabi and Brandon Clark.
“It will take hard work and patience,” Clemons said. “Eventually, I’m going to start but, I’m also good with rotating with Terrance and Eric.”
Having Clemons in the backfield does add someone who can bring a different dimension to the running back position.
“He is going to give us some added depth at tail back,” Beck said. “And, when you play the style that we play, you can never have enough of that.”
In order for Pitt State to utilize that depth, Clemons knows that it will take a different attitude than his first stint with the Gorillas.
“When I came here first, it was me or nothing but, now I know I have to be patient and work hard,” Clemons said.
