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SPORTS
Chuck Landon: Herd coach, former OL, hasn't lost a step
Forget his bald head.
And never mind his generous belly.
Marshall offensive coordinator and offensive line coach Bill Legg has still got it.
Just ask Vinny Curry.
Marshall's starting defensive end was in the midst of a pass rush during practice Wednesday morning when Curry realized he was going to collide with Legg.
Curry abruptly slammed on the brakes.
Legg didn't.
Instead, the former West Virginia University offensive lineman showed why he was a three-year starter at center for the Mountaineers by delivering a quick, two-handed punch block to Curry's chest.
Vinny was stopped in his tracks. ... by Legg and by astonishment.
"It was a shock," said Curry. "It was a surprise. He's still got it. It caught me off-guard. But, yeah, he's still got it."
Legg laughed after hearing Curry's testimonial.
"For a snap or two," grinned Legg. "I might still have it for one snap. But I don't think I can go a whole game now.
"It has nothing to do with my age (48). Look at me. I'm at playing weight, but the furniture has been rearranged. My chest has fallen into my drawers. And I don't think I'm quite as strong as I used to be."
Curry -- all 252 pounds of him -- might disagree.
"You know what?" said Legg. "I love those kids. I love those D-linemen. They are fun to be around. I try to get their butts going because the harder they're going, the better it's going to make my guys. And that's always the approach I've taken with Vinny and all of them.
"We have fun. We're going to play hard and we're going to try to kick the crap out of each other, but at the end of the day it's one team and we're going to have fun with it."
The truth of the matter is Legg's surprisingly crisp block to the stunned Curry and their humorous reactions are what make college football such an enjoyable, yet endearing, sport.
As Kodak moments go, that was a classic preseason camp vignette.
"Oh, absolutely," said Legg. "You've got to have fun. You've got to enjoy being around kids. And I do. I have very, very strong feelings for my guys.
"But it exudes to the other kids on the team. Especially when you go to war like you have to on the offensive and defensive line and just trying to kick the crap out of each other every day. ... you've got to have fun with that. You've got to enjoy that."
So, Curry did.
"It was a wonderful experience," said Curry with his trademark ear-to-ear smile. "I love that guy."
And vice-versa.
"You've got to like the kids that are across from you," said Legg. "There's nothing wrong with liking the guy you're trying to knock down. There's nothing wrong with that.
"Because when we go off the field and we go in that locker room and we take those jerseys off. ... that's Marshall. It's not green and white anymore, it's Marshall.
"That's one of the reasons I was excited about Doc (Holliday) getting the job. And one of the reasons I was excited about coming back. Because I knew he would bring that atmosphere."
It showed Wednesday.
And all it took was a balding, over-weight offensive line coach instinctively taking a block down memory lane.
Ain't college football grand?
Chuck Landon is a sports columnist for The Herald-Dispatch. Call him at 304-526-2827. E-mail him at clandon@herald-dispatch.com.
