McLendon runaway winner for ACC's top freshman

RALEIGH, N.C. - T.A. McLendon more than backed up his gaudy high school statistics in his first season at North Carolina State. <br> <br> McLendon was named The Associated Press rookie of the year in the Atlantic Coast Conference on Thursday after rushing for 1,082 yards and 16 touchdowns. <br> <br> The 6-foot-2, 220-pound running back from Albemarle was a runaway winner in voting by the Atlantic Coast Sports Media Association, getting 58 of a possible 74 votes. Clemson defensive back Justin Miller, who led the ACC with seven interceptions, came in a second with 10 votes. <br> <br> McLendon, who also had 39 receptions, is the fourth N.C. State player to win the award in the last five years. Ray Robinson, Koren Robinson and Philip Rivers were honored from 1998-2000. <br> <br> McLendon&#39;s numbers were even more amazing considering he played seven games with a broken right wrist and parts of several others with separated shoulders. <br> <br> ``That just shows you how tough that kid really is,&#39;&#39; N.C. State coach Chuck Amato said. <br> <br> ``I wanted to be out there with those guys playing football,&#39;&#39; McLendon said. ``I just wanted to play. I hate sitting on the sideline. I&#39;ve got to play win, lose or draw.&#39;&#39; <br> <br> McLendon missed the Navy game Sept. 7 with a shoulder injury, but two weeks later rushed for 150 yards and five touchdowns in N.C. State&#39;s 51-48 overtime win at Texas Tech. <br> <br> That was a defining game for the first-year player and the first of five 100-yard outings that helped McLendon tie Leon Johnson&#39;s single-season ACC freshman record with 16 TDs. <br> <br> ``That was my favorite game because I won the game for us. We won the game the offense,&#39;&#39; he said. <br> <br> McLendon also had 164 yards rushing at North Carolina, a season-high 178 at Clemson, and closed the regular-season with 114 against ACC champion Florida State. <br> <br> His rushing total was the third-highest in ACC history by a freshman. <br> <br> ``His running skills are unbelievable,&#39;&#39; Amato said. ``He&#39;s got great balance. He&#39;s just so hard to knock down. He just keeps fighting and fighting.&#39;&#39; <br> <br> Despite scoring a national record 178 touchdowns in his high school career, there were questions about McLendon&#39;s ability to make the transition from a small school to a big-time college atmosphere. <br> <br> It didn&#39;t take long for any doubters to see that McLendon&#39;s had talent. His first college carry was for 13 yards. <br> <br> ``I didn&#39;t care if people thought I could play or not,&#39;&#39; he said. ``If I get in the game I&#39;ll show you I can play. I just go out there and play football and let it loose.&#39;&#39; <br> <br> Amato knew McLendon had special ability when he first saw him in high school. <br> <br> ``He had the whole package,&#39;&#39; Amato said. ``He could catch, he could run, he could run over you, he could run around people and he was very, very tough.&#39;&#39; <br> <br> There is no telling what kind of numbers McLendon could have produced if he had stayed healthy all season. <br> <br> ``I know this is hard for people to believe, but I didn&#39;t have any goals set except one, and that goal was just finish the season. I met it and I&#39;m done,&#39;&#39; McLendon said. <br> <br> Almost. <br> <br> McLendon will be able to show off his talents on New Year&#39;s Day in the Gator Bowl after the Wolfpack finished 10-3. <br> <br> ``Hey, it&#39;s good to be on top,&#39;&#39; he said.