Newspapers / Winston-Salem Chronicle (Winston-Salem, N.C.) / June 4, 1998, edition 1 / Page 44
Part of Winston-Salem Chronicle (Winston-Salem, N.C.) / About this page
This page has errors
The date, title, or page description is wrong
This page has harmful content
This page contains sensitive or offensive material
Fast Freddie enjoying life in the fast Lane Fred Lane is going places. That's a surprise to some peo ple in the NFL, but not to the diminutive runner from tiny Lane College in Jackson, Tenn. Lane burst unto the scene last year as a rookie for the Carolina " Panthers. He started slow, but gath er momentum as the team went down the stretch run of their sea son. After a slow start, he rushed for more than 100 yards in three Of the teams final four games and had four lOQ-yard games. Lane finished the season with a team-high 809 yards rushing and seven touch downs. Frwtf Ian* That took a lot of NFL experts by surprise. With Anthony John son, who had rushed for a team record 1,000 yards the previous season, and highly coveted Tshmonga Biakabatuka on the team, the tailback position was considered a closed issue. Especially considering the fact that Lane came to the team as a free agent and was expected to be little more than practice fodder for the team during training camp. But Lane's hard-nosed running style earned him points with the team's management and the Panthers' line men. After earning a slot on the regular season roster with his tough running style, he slowly worked his way into the lineup. "I never doubted that I could play in the NFL," Lane said during an exclusive interview with BCSR. "I just went into the camp and tried to do the kind of things I've always done." Lane stands a scant 5-9 and packs a sculptured 190 pounds into his frame. He isn't exceptionally fast though. He con sistently runs in the 4.55-4.6 range. But when he takes the field, he plays much bigger and faster. His coaches point to his work ethic as the key to his success. Lane, they say, only knows one gear - full speed ahead. "That's me," he said. "I try to take what I have and make the most of it. That's all a person can ask himself to do." It has been a phi losophy that Lane has taken with him on each level of foot ball. During his high school career in Franklin, Tenn., Lane produced three consecutive 1,000 yard seasons. That earned him District Player of the Year j honors, as well as a I slot on the All-State " team. , However, acade mic deficiencies cost him a chance at a Division I college scholarship. A friend of the family sug gested that he con sider Lane College, a predominantly Divi sion II school that ? ? ? ? piays an independent schedule. The coach there decided to bring Lane aboard - as a defensive back. After a brief trial in the sec ondary, Lane was given a shot at running back. It was a fortuitous decision for Lane, the college and player. He rushed for 1,779 yards and scored 14 touchdowns as a sopho more, finishing third in Division II in rushing and fifth in scoring. He put up even better numbers as a junior, finishing second in Division II, with 1,833 yards on 273 carries, with 19 touchdowns. As a senior, he managed only 821 yards and eight touchdowns after going through the season with I a host of nagging injuries. Lane's size and competition were question marks as the NFL draft approached. The draft came and went without his name being called. Several NFL teams offered free agent contracts, but he decided to cast his lot with the fledgling Panthers. "Going into camp, I knew I would have to do well to earn a position on the team," Lane said. "I knew it would be difficult, but not impossible." Looking back on that experi ence, Lane said he realizes that he's already had an improbable run. "For things to turn out the way they did was great," he said. "No one expected it. But that's what sports are all about." Now that he's established him self in the Panthers' plans, Lane said he isn't about to change his approach to the game. "I'm going to keep going as hard as I can at all times," he said. "Just because I had one good sea son doesn't mean I'm going to take anything for granted. I've got to continue to do the things that got where I am. "I think I will be more a part of the team's plans in the future," he added. "So I have to continue working on my game." Frad lorn wot a hug? turprita during tha 1997 NFL nomm whun kcltdiht CaroUna Panthers in rushing.
Winston-Salem Chronicle (Winston-Salem, N.C.)
Standardized title groups preceding, succeeding, and alternate titles together.
June 4, 1998, edition 1
44
Click "Submit" to request a review of this page. NCDHC staff will check .
0 / 75