Aug. 27, 2008

By Willie T. Smith III, The Greenville News

GREENVILLE, S.C. -- When it comes to football, Furman University freshmen Ryan Steed and Jordan Griffin are late bloomers.

Steed, a basketball standout at Pinewood Prep in Summerville, didn't take the sport seriously until his junior season.

Griffin, who attended Sandy Creek High School in Fairburn, Ga., didn't take up the sport until his sophomore year, when he played on the junior varsity.

Both appear to be fast-tracking their collegiate careers, however, as each was recently named to the Paladins' traveling squad and are potentially in line for extensive playing time.

"I saw the opportunity and wanted to come here so I could get on the field right away as a freshman," Steed said. "They ranked last in the Southern Conference in pass defense last year, something we definitely need to improve. They are hungry to get guys out there who want to get to the ball on the defensive side and not let receivers go up and get it -- be physical with them."

At 5-foot-11, 180 pounds, Steed will be one of the Paladins' larger cornerbacks.

At 5-10, 165, Griffin also has decent height. That was something the coaching staff was seeking during the recruiting process.

"(Furman assistant coach Drew Cronic) said they didn't do too well in the passing game and they really needed some corners," Griffin said. "He said I would most likely get redshirted because they had older people ahead of me. I guess they didn't do that because I proved myself on the field."

Both players drew praise from Furman coach Bobby Lamb following the team's initial scrimmage and have done nothing since to change his outlook.

Confident he could contribute from Day 1, Steed entered camp on a mission.

"The first week, I wanted to let the coaches know I wasn't out here playing games," Steed said. "I was for real about this. I was making plays on balls. I had the most interceptions in camp this fall. I was basically trying to go out and out-shine every other corner out there.

"It wasn't a personal thing. Not to down any of the other corners we have, but I wanted to be the best on the field. I proved myself during the fall."

Like Steed, Griffin entered the fall confident. Both players spent six weeks on campus during the summer working out with the upperclassmen while taking a class.

"You always have to think you're going to play as a freshman," Griffin said. "I came in and just tried to prove myself on the field, tried to show I just wasn't any freshman. I wanted to show I could stick with anybody out there."