Oct. 22, 2009
By Jeff Hartsell, Charleston Post & Courier
CHARLESTON, S.C. -- Lisa Steed King has it all planned out, a tailgate party for about 250 family and friends in the parking lot at Johnson Hagood Stadium.
The occasion: Her son, Furman cornerback Ryan Steed, is coming home Saturday when the Paladins play at The Citadel.
"My mom went a little crazy," said Ryan, a sophomore from Mount Pleasant who played high school football at Pinewood Prep in Summerville. "She said she bought over 200-something tickets. I think it will be everyone I know and people I might not even know."
No pressure to perform for the home folks, right?
"Yeah, that puts a little pressure on me," Steed said with a laugh. "I'll have to block all that out and just play my normal game."
Steed's normal game should be plenty good enough -- the 5-11, 185-pound sophomore is starting at cornerback for the 4-2 Paladins, who are off to a 3-1 start in the Southern Conference.
In fact, he can already be considered among the top defensive backs in the league. He stepped in for all-SoCon pick William Middleton -- now in the NFL with the Jacksonville Jaguars -- and leads the league in passes defended with 12.
Steed has two interceptions, and he and teammate Jordan Griffin are the top tackling cornerbacks in the SoCon: Griffin has 38 stops and Steed 37.
In last week's 26-24 victory over Samford, Steed made seven tackles, forced a fumble, picked off one pass and broke up three more.
"He had an excellent game," Furman coach Bobby Lamb said. "He's really doing a nice job for us in his first year as a starter."
Steed originally went to Pinewood Prep to play for the Panthers' high-profile basketball program, with the idea of earning a college scholarship in that sport.
But even though he played on two SCISA state championship teams for Pinewood Prep, Steed eventually decided his prospects were better in football.
"I felt like with my size and speed, there were more opportunities in football," he said. "There aren't too many 6-foot point guards in the NBA."
Steed played two years of football for the Panthers, taking snaps at quarterback, running back, wide receiver, cornerback and punt returner while earning All-Lowcountry and all-state honors. But because had not attended camps, Steed was a well-kept secret on the recruiting trail and had offers from only Furman, The Citadel and Charleston Southern.
"No one really knew about me," he said. "It just happened that my coach at Pinewood sent out some tapes to a few schools, and I thought Furman was my best offer at the time."
Playing mostly on special teams and as Middleton's backup last season, Steed contributed immediately, blocking two punts and picking off a pass while making the SoCon all-freshman team.
This season, Steed is part of a young secondary that has three new starters alongside junior rover Max Lerner.
The Paladins have given up some big receiving numbers (eight catches for 143 yards for Samford's Jonathan Lowrey, 16 catches for 209 yards by Elon's Terrell Hudgins) and rank last in the SoCon in total defense (400.5 yards per game) and passing defense (274.8 ypg).
But Furman also ranks third in rushing defense (125.7 ypg) and fourth in scoring defense (25 ppg).
"It's a challenge every week in this league," said Steed, who will help cover Citadel All-American receiver Andre Roberts. "There are some great receivers in this league. I always say quarterback is the hardest position in football, and cornerback is the second-hardest.
"It's all on you. You either cover the guy, or he's behind you for a touchdown. But that's what makes it fun."
Notes
--Saturday's game also will be a homecoming of sorts for Furman defensive line coach Robert Pinilla, who worked at The Citadel from 2002-05; co-defensive coordinator Jeff Farrington, who played for the Bulldogs and graduated in 1982; strength coach Steve Mannino, a 1995 Citadel grad; head athletic trainer Craig Clark, who worked at The Citadel for nine years; and equipment manager Tim Mitchell, who worked for the Bulldogs for two years.
